What I’m reading

I took a break from writing for a while. My brain was fried. My heart had a few bruises. I needed some space to fill back up. So I’ve been reading.

A lot.  

​If you aren’t a book person you should skip this post.

I thought about spreading these out over the next six months - but honestly - I'm trying to just live my life and give what I've got and trust God with results so I'm putting them all out there now. If you need some new and old ideas to add to your booklist these are some lovely ones. I have copies to give away of a few of them and I'll note those. If you are interested add a comment about which one you'd like and I'll draw winners from the people who comment. If you want to buy yourself a copy I put a link to Amazon with each photo.

​Happy reading!

Rachel Hollis is a funny woman. And honest.  This book made me laugh until tears flowed and then rattled my brain enough to recognize some lies I've been telling myself.  If you need an internal reset this is a fun way to refresh your soul. 

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Political intrigue with a bent towards current events. Gosh this one was creepy and seemed like it was likely to happen. If you like a little stress when you read to get your heart pumping this is a match for you. I have a copy to give away - comment if you'd like to read it. 

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Rising Strong was a painful read. I cried. I pondered. I changed some things in my life. This one has been added to my top 100 list of favorite books.   Some of my favorite quotes: 

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”

“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.” 

“We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.”

“Many of us will spend our entire lives trying to slog through the shame swampland to get to a place where we can give ourselves permission to both be imperfect and to believe we are enough.”

This one is a hard read - but life giving. 

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When I graduated from high school my future mother-in-law gave me a copy of Wuthering Heights. I stayed up the whole night to read it in one go.  I recently reread it - and loved it just as much. Its fierce and haunting and tragic and worrisome. And gorgeous.  A few days ago I read my favorite quote aloud to my husband. He listened and thought about it and agreed it was true.  One of the reasons I love the guy. We can talk about books. 

“I have dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind."

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This book is joyful and funny and tender and sweet. I've read it before and while on vacation recently decided a reread of a favorite was the perfect way to rest. Yesterday I found out there is a movie on Netflix and I'm so excited to watch it. I sincerely hope they didn't wreck the book. This one makes me want to life a joy filled purposeful life. It also makes me want to visit Guernsey some day.  The best books make me want to travel. 

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The Underground Railroad is devastating. I could not put it down. It clarified what evil the American version of chattel slavery was and made me care about our history in a way no other book has done. The characters broke my heart. If you read because it moves your soul and makes you feel compassion deep in your bones this is the book for you. 

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I am still utterly amazed my friend wrote this trilogy. I bought an extra set to give away. If you like fantasy and haven't read any good ones lately let me know and I'll get you started.  Set aside some time to read. These are entrancing.