With that being said, here's what's currently on my Kindle and my nightstand and in my living room and my bathroom that I'm reading. (Note: I'm including Amazon links or Lifeway links to these books, just so if you're like me, you can add them to your wishlist. I received no compensation for these links nor do I receive compensation if you use them to purchase a book; just thought it'd be helpful.)
I'm finishing up Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers. It's five short books in one, each telling the story of a woman who is listed in the lineage of Jesus. I've been reading this one for a couple of months, because each individual book has study questions at the end. How fitting that the last book is about Mary, and I've started it during this time of year. Rivers writes with a fresh perspective on Bible characters that I have loved for years, and her love for the Scripture comes through as she interweaves these into the story.
I've also been reading Fault Lines by Anne Rivers Siddon for a while. It was my drive-thru read (I leave a book in the car and read while I'm sitting in line) but then I kept on finding myself reading books on my Kindle, so I've brought it into the house and am reading it more. It's about a Mom, a daughter, and an aunt who are trying to find their relationship in the midst of turmoil. Isn't that how most books about women relationships start? I've not really gotten far enough into this one to decide how I like it yet.
I bought The Martian because I had heard great things about the movie and it looked like a movie Wallace would enjoy. Y'all know I can't watch a movie without reading the book, so even though it didn't look like my kind of book I got it and started in... and it was pretty good. Alas, somehow the book must have gotten knocked into the bathtub with water in it, because I found it the next morning soaking wet. I let it dry out for a week (and it's still a little damp) and just started back on it tonight. I'm liking it, even if it is a little on the tech side talking about science type stuff.
In the leadership academy I've been attending, we've been challenged to read a leadership book a month. The first actual leadership book I selected was based on the recommendation of one of our guest speakers in November, about convictional leadership. It has a Christian background and is an easy read. The Conviction to Lead has made me think about what conviction is. In today's world, we must be aware of our own convictions.
Because it's football season and I love Steelers football, I'm reading About Three Bricks Shy of a Load by Roy Blount, who followed the Steelers and got the inside story behind the 1973 season. I read about this book in Dan Rooney's autobiography. Just getting started on this one, but it's the Steelers so it has to be good... and this was the time of legends!
Because it's Advent, I'm reading Louie Giglio's Waiting Here for You: An Advent Journey of Hope. It has a daily devotion for each day of December (actually started with a couple of days in November). They are short readings, so it's something I can read on the go but get a little pick me up. I love this time of year!!!
I'm still reading Lisa Harper's Hebrews Bible study. I read Hebrews through a couple of years ago when Wendy Blight talked about it on her blog, but it is such a rich book of the Bible. I'm on week 3 of this study (out of 7). Harper is an awesome writer whose humor comes out in her words, even when discussing difficult topics!
Another book that I'm reading is Hoodwinked by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk. I've loved every book I've read by Ehman for Provebs 31 Online Bible Studies, and Candace Cameron Bure (of Full House fame) has been leading a Bible study of this book on her blog. It's all about the misperceptions we have about motherhood. There is no such thing as a perfect Mama!!! Good read, easy to follow, and some great truths about running your own race and not judging others.
Last year (I think) I read a book called The Happiness Project, where Gretchen Rubin completed resolutions based on making her life happier. It was a good book with some good ideas, and she's followed it by Happier at Home, resolutions to make her home a more joyful place to be. In the first chapter, she talked about possessions and I know that's an area I need to tackle. It's full of statistics and research to back up some of the changes she's making, so even if there are things that I'd never consider doing, it's an interesting read. And we could all stand to be a little happier.
Because it's Christmas time, I like to read Christmas books. Christmas in Good Hope is a lighthearted read centered around a small town, which is always fun to read.
I get one free book a month from my Kindle loaning library and this month I'm reading The Memory Child. It's about a woman who has just had a baby, and her struggle to adapt in light of the fear that she will be like her mother and suffer from post-partum psychosis. I feel like there is more to the story than what I'm reading, and that there will be a surprise at the end.
A friend recently told me about netgalley.com, a site where you can request free access to books to preview if you write a review about them. The first book (and I'll be writing a review soon!) that I've had access to is Just Another Southern Town. This book chronicles the Civil Rights battle in Washington D.C., focusing on Mary Church Terrill. A very captivating story. Check back for my full review!
So... if I can finish all these books by the end of this month I'll have reached my yearly goal =) I've got so many more books on my Kindle and on my nightstand to read...
Night Comes to the Cumberland and Audacious and Fervent and The Secret Garden and The Matchmaker and The Girl on the Train and The Nightingale and Vince Lombardi's Rules...
The anticipation is almost more than I can stand.
What do I want for Christmas, you ask?
Books. Or an Amazon or Lifeway gift card.
Happy reading!
I love that you have posted what you are reading again! I have missed it :-)
ReplyDeleteI am the same way! Reading multiple books at a time. And I too want books for Christmas even though I have plenty of books to keep me occupied for years to come. But such is the life of a book nerd. We can never have to many!