Book Review: Between Sundays

Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury did not disappoint. She is becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books are strong on character and plot development without being complicated or difficult to read.

This book is a stand alone title. It is about a child, Cory, who believes that one of the most popular NFL players is his dad. His mother died and he is being cared for by his mother's best friend. She wants to adopt him, but can't, because of complications due to his belief that his dad is Aaron Hill, the quarterback of the San Francisco 49'er's. Aaron Hill has some problems of his own and looks for guidance from his teammate and backup quarterback. Fortunately, he leads him in the right direction. While Kingsbury is somewhat predictable in her outcome, this book is worth reading. I highly recommend it.

Someday

I finished reading Someday (Sunrise Series-Baxter 3, Book 3) by Karen Kingsbury.

Y'all.

I can not wait for the last book to come out. Since I didn't blog about each individual book in the Baxter Family Series until now, it would be impossible to explain this one book.

Let me just say this. I have dreamed about the characters. I have been mad at the characters. I have laughed. I have cried. I have worried about the characters. I have dreaded that the last book in the series is coming out. I haven't been able to get into any other book since I started reading the series in January.

If you haven't read any of these books, read Redemption (Redemption Series-Baxter 1, Book 1) first. If you don't love it, don't read anymore, but if you are like me, you will blast through the rest of that series and move through the Firstborn series and then through the current Sunrise Series. These books are easy to read, but have exceptional character and plot development. They are rich in content.

I just can't say enough positive things about them. Go get the books and let me know if you don't love them too.

Spring Reading Thing Wrap-Up

I can't believe that Spring is already over. And I had such high hopes for my reading this spring. I found out that I don't have as much time to read as I would like.

Let's refresh everyone's memory of the books I read and reviewed:

When Joy Came to Stay by Karen Kingsbury
Be Intolerant: Because Some Things Are Just Stupid by Ryan Dobson
How to Lead Your Child to Christ Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth

What was the best book you read this spring? None of the (three whole) books I read this spring would make it to my "best book" list. If I had to pick a best book, I think it would be Be Intolerant: Because Some Things Are Just Stupid by Ryan Dobson. In a nutshell, it is a straight-forward look at why it is not necessarily a christian virtue to tolerate everything.

Did you try out a new author this spring? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again? All of the books I read were new (to me) authors. I would like to read some more of Karen Kingsbury.

If there were books you didn't finish, tell us why. Many of my books were books I had already started and not finished. I was hoping that this challenge would give me the motivation to finish more of them.

Did you come across a book or two on other participants' lists that you're planning to add to your own to-be-read pile? Which ones? The book Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson was one I had read about and bought. I read the first chapter, shortly after buying it but sadly, I haven't looked at it anymore. I am planning to get to it very soon.

What did you learn -- about anything -- through this challenge? I learned that I shouldn't pick so many books. It doesn't change the fact that I still have those books to read, but I shouldn't air my dirty (book) laundry for all of the bloggy world to see. I learned that having a two and a four year old keeps me too busy to read as much as I would like.

Would you be interested in participating in another reading challenge this fall? Absolutely!

Thanks to Callapidder Days for hosting the Spring Reading Thing!

Book Review: How to Lead Your Child to Christ

I finally finished this book. It really is unbelievable how long it took me to read this, but I guess having a 2 and 3 year old is a little time consuming.

The book is How to Lead Your Child to Christ Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth and I purchased it from Focus on the Family. It comes with a CD that has some favorite Hymns and the book is written with these songs as a basis for the chapters. It is really well written and has sections for parents to read and sections for parents to read to your child.

I have very young children, but I have been taking them to church and teach Bible verses from the time they could talk. For example, I taught my son "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the LORD." When he is disobedient, I have him tell me the verse and explain that I didn't make that rule up, God did. Another good verse is "Do all things without complaining and disputing." When he learned that verse, he could barely say "disputing", but the point was that when he cried about having to pick up his toys, this was another rule that God made up. Not Mommy. (Some of the verses I taught him are even reminders for me when it is time to do the laundry or clean up the kitchen.)

This book has lots of ideas for parents of older (than my) children and a few even for toddlers and pre-schoolers. I think that it will be a valuable resource for my children as they grow older.

I think one point worth remembering (that you don't have to read the book for) is that the best way to lead your child to Christ is to follow Him yourself and be the example for your children. Consistently praying for and with your children and having daily talks about God and Jesus and telling and reading Bible stories together are a good habit to start early.

I'm just wondering, what other ways do you incorporate in your family to help your children find the path to Christ?

Book Review: Be Intolerant

Be Intolerant: Because Some Things Are Just Stupid
by Ryan Dobson


While this book was not on my official SRT book list, I had been reading this book on and off for several months. It is only 120 pages, but I would always put it down when I felt uncomfortable with it (or myself).

Written by James Dobson's (of Focus on the Family) son, the book is about moral relativism and why it is unacceptable. He calls tolerance an "epidemic" and says that moral relativism is "a tumor on the American Soul". He then explains why moral relativism doesn't make sense and why biblical christianity does make sense. Finally, he writes about how to be intolerant, but not intolerable. He calls it "how to be intolerant in love" and how difficult that can be.

It isn't surprising that most of the reviews on amazon are either passionately for or adamantly opposed to the book. My overall opinion of the book is that it is very good. It is written on a level geared toward young adults. It is something we all need to think about, because just because you think it is "right for you" doesn't mean it's right.

My first book review!

Well, I finally jumped in and read one of the books on my list. When Joy Came to Stay by Karen Kingsbury. I read it in 2 days.

I have never read any of Karen Kingsbury's works, but I know people at work who read all of her series books and seem to enjoy them and I had heard glowing reviews about her online. I really didn't know what to expect when I picked up the book.

According to the back of the book, it is: "the heart-wrenching story of one woman's descent into the shadows of depression, her husband's search for understanding, and a precious child's unwavering faith."

I have to say, it delivered on it's promise to be heart-wrenching. By the end of the first evening, when I was half-way through the book, I was depressed myself. The next morning, I felt like I had to get to the happy ending which was apparently going to happen due to the title of the book. I literally could not put the book down, but at the same time, I didn't want to keep reading. Part of me wanted to skip to the end, but I persisted.

The fact that it is a christian book was also appealing to me as I have never read one before. I like the way she interjects the (presumed) voices of the holy spirit into the dialog of the character's thoughts. She uses scripture to pull out thematic elements.

Overall, the story is about the consequences of sin and trusting God with child-like faith throughout every trial.

So, if you want an easy, engaging, somewhat predictable read that is quite depressing for the first 3/4 of the book, pick up a copy from your library.

Spring Reading Thing Is Here!

I am so excited!!! I love books and reading and this just puts the icing on the cake. After having a couple of children, I recently realized that I have a bunch of books around the house that I haven't read. Not to mention that the library is FULL of books that I want to read. Hopefully, blogging about these will keep me accountable. At the very least, maybe you will see something you want to read as well. So, without further ado:

Here is my list of spring book reading. These are in no particular order. After reading each of the books, I will write a short review of the book so you can decide if this is for you or not. If you are interested in other books go to this post.

1. Facing Your Giants Max Lucado

2. Facing Your Giants: Study Guide Max Lucado

3. The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness Steven K. Scott

4. How to Lead Your Child to Christ Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth

5. At First Sight Nicholas Sparks

6. Three Weeks With My Brother Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks

7. True Believer Nicholas Sparks

8. The Bible in 90 Days Ted Cooper, Jr. Editor Note: I heard about this on Primetime America, (a christian radio show) and while I may purchase this Bible in the future, there is a schedule of 90 days through the Bible that you can download for free here. They also have a blog.

9. When Joy Came to Stay Karen Kingsbury

10. Shepherding a Child's Heart Tedd Tripp
with Shepherding Your Child's Heart: Parent's Handbook Tedd Tripp

11. How Now Shall We Live? Charles Colson

Search for other books at the link on my sidebar. Stay tuned for updates! Happy Spring Reading!!

My first meme!

I found this meme at Shalee's" Diner: Books, Books, and More Books
Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a 10 foot pole, underline the ones on your book shelf, asterisk the ones you’ve never heard of and color the ones you loved.
Did I confuse you?

Let me recap:
bold - did read
italicize - want to read
strike - won't read or read but hated it with a passion and if I could burn every copy so that others wouldn't be exposed to such terrible dribble I would do it and people should not be allowed to get paid for such awful writing
underline - own
* - never heard of the book
colored - loved it and would recommend it to others
If there is nothing done to the title, then that means I'm indifferent to it or I haven't decided about it yet.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. *Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
12. *Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire(Rowling)
20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Rowling)
22. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
23. The Stand (Stephen King)
24. Ulysses (James Joyce)
25. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
26. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
27. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
28. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
29. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
30. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
31. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
32. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
33. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
34. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
35. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
36. *Dune (Frank Herbert)
37. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
38. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
39. 1984 (Orwell)
40. *The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
41. *The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
42. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
43. *Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (Gregory Maguire)
44. *The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
45. *The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
46. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
47. *The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
48. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
49. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
50. Bible
51. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
52. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
53. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
54. *The Blue Sword (Robin Mckinley)
55. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
56. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
57. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
58. *Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
59. Great Expectations (Dickens)
60. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
61. *The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
62. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
63. *The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
64. *The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
65. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
66. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
67. War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy)
68. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
69. The Hiding Place (Corrie Tin Boon)
70. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
71. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
72. Les Miserables (Hugo)
73. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
74. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
75. *Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
76. Shogun (James Clavell)
77. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
78. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
79. Redeeming Love (Francine Rivers)
80. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
81. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
82. *The Giver (Lois Lowry)
83. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
84 . *Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
85. Of Mice And Men (John Steinbeck)
86. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
87. *Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
88. Emma (Jane Austen)
89. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
90. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
91. *The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
92. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
93. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
94. The Talisman (Stephen King)
95. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
96. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
97. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
98. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
99. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
100. Lightning (Dean Koontz)


Note: Thought this would be interesting to see how I compare with others. I am a fairly well-read person, though I don't remember if I have read some of these books. Most of these I have either never heard of or have no interest in. Also, in doing this, I found that I own some books that I have never read. Maybe I should start with those for my spring book reading.

Some of the books I wish had been on this list:
1. A Confederacy of Dunces (John Kennedy Toole)
2. A Separate Peace (John Knowles)
3. The House of God (Samuel Shem)
4. The Bridges of Madison County (Robert James Waller)
5. and 6. A Time to Kill and A Painted House (John Grisham)
7. Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
8. All Over but the Shoutin' (Rick Bragg)
9. Other books by Nicholas Sparks (like Three Weeks with my Brother)
10. Other books by John Irving like (A Widow for One Year)