I want to start by listing the books I have read in 2017 thus far. Then as I finish a book I'll do a short review of the book. To see a history of books I have read, click on the link at the bottom of the Books I'd Read Again page.
Megan's 2017 Books Read So Far By July 14:
Megan's 2017 Books Read So Far By July 14:
- A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell
- Pottywise for Toddlers by Gary Ezzo
- Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
- Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke
- A Faith of Her Own by Kathleen Fuller
- The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
- The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
- Danzig Passage by Bodie Thoene
- True Community by Jerry Bridges
- Everyone Brae is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
- Proverbs for a Woman's Day by Elizabeth George
- Warsaw Requiem by Bodie Thoene
- The Legacy of Luther by R.C. Sproul
- Aspects of Holiness by R.C. Ryle
- Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
- At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
- What the Bible Says about Parenting by John F MacArthur Jr
- Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly
- A Light in the Window by Jan Karon
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany
- Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
- Laddie by Gene Stratton-Porter
- In Fairleigh Field by Rhys Bowen
24. A Fistful of Heroes by John Pollock
I just finished A Fistful of Heroes and I cannot recommend it enough. While I found the writing, to be a bit hard to follow at times, the subject is one we need to read more about as Christians. A Fistful of Heroes is a collection of 28 biographies of people that were reformers, liberators, and evangelists from the 18 & 19th century. Men and women who literally put their lives on the line, many who lost their lives, to spread His Word to others. Several of the men and women in this book I had never heard of, I am so thankful that now I have. What impressed me the most is that most of heroes were not satisfied to just know Christ. They were willing to give up everything, to go to the most remote part of the world, break off engagements, and live in uncomfortable situations in order to follow God's will for their lives. John and Betty Stam were a couple that lived in Tsingteh. They had a baby that was under a year old when they were forced out of their home by Red Soldiers. While they were hand cuffed and forced to go with the communists, they were still preaching about heaven. Moments before they were executed, they were at peace knowing they were about to join their God in heaven (their baby survived!) Their lives had a huge impact on the missions in China, and to quote John Pollock, "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church". There were 27 other biographies to read about and be inspired by. Let it change your walk with the Lord as it did mine.
I just finished A Fistful of Heroes and I cannot recommend it enough. While I found the writing, to be a bit hard to follow at times, the subject is one we need to read more about as Christians. A Fistful of Heroes is a collection of 28 biographies of people that were reformers, liberators, and evangelists from the 18 & 19th century. Men and women who literally put their lives on the line, many who lost their lives, to spread His Word to others. Several of the men and women in this book I had never heard of, I am so thankful that now I have. What impressed me the most is that most of heroes were not satisfied to just know Christ. They were willing to give up everything, to go to the most remote part of the world, break off engagements, and live in uncomfortable situations in order to follow God's will for their lives. John and Betty Stam were a couple that lived in Tsingteh. They had a baby that was under a year old when they were forced out of their home by Red Soldiers. While they were hand cuffed and forced to go with the communists, they were still preaching about heaven. Moments before they were executed, they were at peace knowing they were about to join their God in heaven (their baby survived!) Their lives had a huge impact on the missions in China, and to quote John Pollock, "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church". There were 27 other biographies to read about and be inspired by. Let it change your walk with the Lord as it did mine.
25. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
I have now read this book two times. I read a LOT of WWII historical fiction and my book club wanted to read this book, so I had to reread it to keep it straight from all the others I have read. I really enjoyed this book. As much as you can enjoy a book about a terrible time period. I am really drawn to this genre. I can't really tell you why. Maybe because it makes me so thankful to be living when and where I do now? Or to read about the sacrifice people went through to survive and to help their fellow countrymen? I'm not sure. Kristin Hannah weaves a slight mystery into who the main character is in the present day part of the story into the main story that takes place during WWII. I love that. The book opens with an elderly lady, who is sick, and is being moved into an assisted care facility. She opens up an old trunk in her attic to find papers with a name on it that brings back memories from the war. We then get to experience what she lived through. Two sisters fighting to survive in two very different ways. One joins the French Resistance and the other tries to stay unnoticed while helping jewish children hide from the German's that occupy their hometown. It is a touching story about survival, family hurt/coming together, pain, and love.
I have now read this book two times. I read a LOT of WWII historical fiction and my book club wanted to read this book, so I had to reread it to keep it straight from all the others I have read. I really enjoyed this book. As much as you can enjoy a book about a terrible time period. I am really drawn to this genre. I can't really tell you why. Maybe because it makes me so thankful to be living when and where I do now? Or to read about the sacrifice people went through to survive and to help their fellow countrymen? I'm not sure. Kristin Hannah weaves a slight mystery into who the main character is in the present day part of the story into the main story that takes place during WWII. I love that. The book opens with an elderly lady, who is sick, and is being moved into an assisted care facility. She opens up an old trunk in her attic to find papers with a name on it that brings back memories from the war. We then get to experience what she lived through. Two sisters fighting to survive in two very different ways. One joins the French Resistance and the other tries to stay unnoticed while helping jewish children hide from the German's that occupy their hometown. It is a touching story about survival, family hurt/coming together, pain, and love.
26. The Fulfilled Family by John MacArthur
27. A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles
I finished the above two books yesterday, and they are two read that I would highly recommend reading.
The Fulfilled Family by John MacArthur is one that is great for a wife, husband, parent, even teenage child to read. That is, in fact, how the author splits the chapters up: The Family, The Wife, The Husband, The Children, The Parents. MacArthur goes into what the Bible says the role for each of chapter subjects is. A major theme for every chapter was submission. This isn't something that only the wife is called to do, and the world has painted submission to be such an ugly thing that it is refreshing to get a biblical understanding of the word. Parenting is a responsibility that hangs heavy on my heart, so to get real advice that I can use about parenting and on what a healthy well-functioning family looks like is priceless.
A Gentleman In Moscow may very well be my most favorite read, maybe ever? If not ever, then in a very long time. It takes place right after the Russian Revolution in 1922. The main character, Count Alexander Rostov, is sentenced to house arrest at the Metropol hotel for the rest of his life. The book follows his adventures as he lives in this grande hotel and meets some very interesting people. There is always an antagonist that makes the book well rounded. The narrator of this book can be hilarious and makes the book flow so well. As the reader, you don't feel like you are only following the life of the Count, but his good friends as well. The book has the seriousness of what was going on in Russia at this time, mixed with a little girl named Nina who decides she doesn't need to say thank you if someone does something for her that she didn't ask to be done. The writing style also doesn't just give everything away bluntly, but hints at whats to come and will drag on a story through most of the book. I like that, as it gives more of a glimpse into why the Count is the way he is the more you read. The leader of the book club that I am in pointed out that the hotel itself seems to be a living organism in and of itself which is really true. I really cannot do this book justice. The book is full of little stories that all tie together that just makes it an enjoyable read. It has me chomping at the bit to read the other book by Amor Towles, Rules Of Civility.
28. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
I want to see the movie based off of this book, as I think this is one of the few times when the movie would be better than the book. To be fair, I started this book back in May and I stopped reading it for awhile as I had other books I had to read and that might have contributed to one of the reasons I wasn't a huge fan of this book. It seemed a bit choppy. I felt like the book went from talking about Jan and Antonina Zabinski's normal zoo life to their underground war activities without warning. All of a sudden the book was hinting at, but not getting into too many details about Jan's underground activities and caught me by surprise. The author also spent too much time talking about specific animals (I just wanted the story of the Zookeepers, not about the animals.. sorry!) and made it hard to keep the characters straight in the book. However, the story of the Zabinski's bravery and the 300 lives they helped save is amazing and is a story that should be told. I am so struck by this time period and I cannot imagine what I would have done in WWII.. esp if I lived in Europe. No food, bombs everywhere, and the terrible injustice of the time. Would I risk the safety of my family to help others in need? Would I go to extreme lengths to keep my family and others safe? Overall, this book has a great story line, and I think the break I took didn't do it justice.
27. A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles
I finished the above two books yesterday, and they are two read that I would highly recommend reading.
The Fulfilled Family by John MacArthur is one that is great for a wife, husband, parent, even teenage child to read. That is, in fact, how the author splits the chapters up: The Family, The Wife, The Husband, The Children, The Parents. MacArthur goes into what the Bible says the role for each of chapter subjects is. A major theme for every chapter was submission. This isn't something that only the wife is called to do, and the world has painted submission to be such an ugly thing that it is refreshing to get a biblical understanding of the word. Parenting is a responsibility that hangs heavy on my heart, so to get real advice that I can use about parenting and on what a healthy well-functioning family looks like is priceless.
A Gentleman In Moscow may very well be my most favorite read, maybe ever? If not ever, then in a very long time. It takes place right after the Russian Revolution in 1922. The main character, Count Alexander Rostov, is sentenced to house arrest at the Metropol hotel for the rest of his life. The book follows his adventures as he lives in this grande hotel and meets some very interesting people. There is always an antagonist that makes the book well rounded. The narrator of this book can be hilarious and makes the book flow so well. As the reader, you don't feel like you are only following the life of the Count, but his good friends as well. The book has the seriousness of what was going on in Russia at this time, mixed with a little girl named Nina who decides she doesn't need to say thank you if someone does something for her that she didn't ask to be done. The writing style also doesn't just give everything away bluntly, but hints at whats to come and will drag on a story through most of the book. I like that, as it gives more of a glimpse into why the Count is the way he is the more you read. The leader of the book club that I am in pointed out that the hotel itself seems to be a living organism in and of itself which is really true. I really cannot do this book justice. The book is full of little stories that all tie together that just makes it an enjoyable read. It has me chomping at the bit to read the other book by Amor Towles, Rules Of Civility.
28. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
I want to see the movie based off of this book, as I think this is one of the few times when the movie would be better than the book. To be fair, I started this book back in May and I stopped reading it for awhile as I had other books I had to read and that might have contributed to one of the reasons I wasn't a huge fan of this book. It seemed a bit choppy. I felt like the book went from talking about Jan and Antonina Zabinski's normal zoo life to their underground war activities without warning. All of a sudden the book was hinting at, but not getting into too many details about Jan's underground activities and caught me by surprise. The author also spent too much time talking about specific animals (I just wanted the story of the Zookeepers, not about the animals.. sorry!) and made it hard to keep the characters straight in the book. However, the story of the Zabinski's bravery and the 300 lives they helped save is amazing and is a story that should be told. I am so struck by this time period and I cannot imagine what I would have done in WWII.. esp if I lived in Europe. No food, bombs everywhere, and the terrible injustice of the time. Would I risk the safety of my family to help others in need? Would I go to extreme lengths to keep my family and others safe? Overall, this book has a great story line, and I think the break I took didn't do it justice.
29. Delighting In The Sunlit Uplands Of Grace by C.H. Spurgeon
This is a must read for any believer in Jesus Christ. I told my husband earlier this year that I just feel so dry in my spiritual walk. With a new baby I don't get to hear a full sermon for a year, and I was so much more tired this time around that it took 8ish months before I could get up before the kids did to get bible reading time in. This book makes you think "wow.. how did I ever feel like I had nothing to be joyful about?" or "I thought I was a joyful person, but I really didn't think about the reasons for joy before. I will now!" It talks about how joy is a duty and how joy is our strength. This book gives nothing that we haven't heard before, but everything we need to hear again. One thing that really stuck out to me is that if we are filled with the joy of Christ, and dwelling on heavenly things like we are called to do, we can't be tempted to sin. Now, we will be tempted as we are only human. But the times we are tempted, are when we let our guard down. When I let myself think about things that are the opposite of Christ and the opposite of the joy we are called to have.
30. Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
Mayflower is a historical book on the Pilgrims that came to settle at Plymouth. It gives only a brief explanation as to why and how they came to leave Europe and their journey on the Mayflower. It focuses more on what it was like for them once the got to New England and their relationship with the Native Americans. There is also a lengthy section on King Philips War. I was interested to read this book, as I haven't much more than what we are taught in school about the Mayflower and Pilgrims; but I'm not a big American History buff so this book got a bit long winded to me (to be honest). The Pilgrims were a strong willed group of people that made it through some very hard times. Unfortunately the Native American's were not treated or respected the way they should have been (more by the Pilgrims children about 50 years after the Pilgrims arrived) and this made it a harder read for me.
31. Love Story by Karen Kingsbury
Love Story is a very easy read, with a bit of a cheesy storyline, but with some Biblical truths mixed in. I really enjoy a read like this every so often. I read a LOT of WWII historical fiction books which are heavy and sad. Karen Kingsbury's series on The Baxter Family are light, yet have some real life (if not a bit dramatic) issues the characters deal with but they always end happy. Love Story is Kingsbury's latest book on the Baxter's and it takes the reader back to when John and Elizabeth, the patriarchs of the family, meet and fall in love. Their love story is tragic but shows how the Lord can change lives and bless a marriage. Not make it perfect, mind you. Mixed in with this love story, we also follow Cody Coleman and Andi Ellison. They are also characters from previous Karen Kingsbury books who were engaged twice but end up breaking their engagement a second time. Love Story picks up on their story after the broken engagement. This is a book I read in about three or four days and while I kinda roll my eyes at how perfect everyone is in the book, I also love the way the characters take the Lord seriously in their daily lives.
32. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
I am having a very hard time trying to come up with a way to describe this book. Amor Towles has a writing style all his own, and while this book is very different from his A Gentleman In Moscow, they both stand out to me as unique and refreshing. Rules of Civility follows Katey Kontent in New York City in the late 1930's/1940's. She happens to meet Tinker Grey while out with her roommate Eve. This sets the three of them on a course that will change all three of them forever. Katey starts out as a secretary for a law firm and ends up pursuing a more challenging career that brings her into a different, glittering new social circle. She meets several people via Tinker that help change Katey in a good way. While Eve is a character we do not envy, there is something about Katey that I think most readers would be able to identify with. I wish I knew how to describe Towles' writing style, but the only way for you to know what I mean is to pick up the book for yourself! I look fwd to more of his books in the future!
33. Anxious for Nothing by John MacArthur
I will actually be writing this book review later as I am reading it for a second time (actually third, I read this book about 4/5 years ago). We are reading this book in a ladies book study I am apart of at church, and I am having a hard time these days with my memory. It's really crazy how bad my memory is right now, I blame the babies :) I thought I'd read this book all the way through before the study started and then I can read it chapter by chapter a bit slower with the ladies in hopes that I can retain a bit more. We will see if it helps.
34. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
This is was my third Kate Morton book in the past year. The Secret Keeper was a favorite of mine so I read The Forgotten Garden. While they were both good reads, they both followed the same formula. It was almost the exact same story/twist but with different names and locations. I was a bit apprehensive to read The Distant Hours because of this but something about it really intrigued me so I gave it a try. Wow. It was different from the first two books I read, yet had the element that I loved in both. It told a story from present day and a story from 50 years ago and wove the two together. I LOVE that. This book was creepy. It was a bit slower, but I finished it a week ago and I'm still thinking about it. It follows Edie, who uncovers a mystery about her mother and tries to understand what happened to her during the war. She meets the Blythe sisters who live in a castle and is where her mother was billeted during WWII. Juniper, the youngest, has never been the same after her fiancé stood her up in 1941. Edie is able to piece together most of the details, and as the reader we get to go back in time with the Sisters Blythe to fill in what really happened. I was unable to guess the ending, and it has left me feeling unsettled but I love that. I'm still thinking about the book and will read this again.
35. Tortured For Christ by Rev Richard Wurmbrand
This is an incredible read for any believer. With the Ladies Study going through Anxious For Nothing, I've had the thought that I have never know what it's like to suffer and what it's like to worry about where my next meal will come from. I don't have "real" things like that to be anxious about. Reading Tortured For Christ was a real eye opener into men and women that have know real suffering for Christ and how joyful and full of love they were. The suffering they went through did not make them want to denounce Christ, like their captors wanted it to, but made them more sure of their faith and gave them a supernatural love for their tormentors. Wurmbrand gives a few details of the torture he endured while in a communist prison for 14 years, but held back as he said he gets nightmares and can't sleep when he thinks about it. I can't imagine. I can't. This book was also an eye opener into what we as a church as a whole should be doing for one another: praying, giving, loving each other. I never think about the ones suffering for our faith, and yet many believers in other countries go through terrible terrible things for freedoms I take for granted. This book has made me think and feel called to pray for the tortured for Christ.
36. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
This was a book that was on my to read list for a while. I think I would give it 3.5 stars out of 5. The first few chapters I had a hard time with as I felt like the author used WAY too many adjectives. People, objects were overly described. This drove me crazy till I got used to it. I usually don't point out or really even think about something like that as I get so absorbed in a story from the start, so this really stuck out to me. Lilac Girls follows three women during WWII: Caroline Ferriday, Kasia Kuzmerick, and Herta Oberheuser. These women were all effected by the war very differently. Caroline Ferriday was from New York City, came from a wealthy family, and was a liaison to the French consulate. Kasia Kuzmerick was a Catholic Polish teenager who had ties with the underground and gets imprisoned at Ravensbruck. Horta Oberheuser is a young doctor who was looking for work as it was hard in Germany for a women dr to get any position. She answers an ad for a female dr at Ravensbruck. The chapters rotate who the story follows. It starts with Caroline in chapter 1, Kasia in chapter 2, and Herta in chapter three and so on.
37. The Disciple-Making Parent by Chap Bettis
This book is excellent. I have 200 notes and marks per my kindle, so I don't know how to begin a review! It ends by saying that we can't parent standing up, but by kneeling down. We must always be in prayer for our children. Parenting will humble us, but we need to trust God and give him any and all credit. We will run out of wisdom. God gives us more than we can handle on our own strength. That is why we need to be on our knees constantly praying. We must also trust the results of our parenting (in God's strength and wisdom) to Him. God made us parents so that we can make disciples for Him. I like how Bettis tells us to think of our children as arrows for the Lord. This book is very helpful, but I'll need to read it again as my children get older as I felt it was more focused on an older age. I liked how it gave ideas and examples of how to do family devotions and the importance of that. How important it is to have Godly influences in their lives that aren't mom and dad. Having close family friends from church so that our children can see what we preach to them lived out in someone close to them. What I'll end on is what Chap Bettis started with, which was to remind us that when we are given a baby, it's not just a baby. It's a person who will live forever in heaven or in hell.
38. Anxious for Nothing by John MacArthur
This was the third time that I have read this book. It is an excellent read. I think I am saying that about all the Christian books I read, but that's how it should be... right? This book emphasizes prayer and thanksgiving and how the Lord promises to take care of us. We will always have what we need. We need to make sure we don't have our wants in the need category. I like this quote, "Our concerns are product when they lead to a sensible course of action, but not when they lead to anxiety. Be aware that our concerns are far more apt to follow the path to anxiety and misery if accompanied by complaints." The last chapter focuses on how we can learn to be content. Someone in our book study said "train our hearts to be thankful" which I liked as I am sad to say I'm not always very thankful. When I get something I have been praying for or just wanting, I'm happy in the moment then I can tend to move on to the next thing. This book has challenged me to want to train my heart to be thankful. To want to pray with praise and thanksgiving. The end result will not only be a better relationship with my Savior but a life that is not marked by Anxiety.
39. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
This book is a classic. I believe that everyone should read this book and the rest in the series. This book follows James Herriot who is a newly crowned vet in the 1930's. He practices in the rural Yorkshire and works for an eccentric vet named Siegfried. This book is very heartwarming, with funny tales from Herriot in his first two years of practice. From being named uncle to a little dog to the misadventures of Tristan, Siegfried's brother, this book will having you smiling and wanting more. James Herriot is an extraordinary storyteller as he tells of his practice as he treats animals and deals with uncooperative owners.
40. Eight Women of Faith by Michael A. G. Haykin
I enjoy reading biographies about Christian women, so I was exited when I saw this book at our church's library. This book gives short biographies on Jane Grey, Margaret Baxter, Anne Dutton, Sarah Edwards, Anne Steele, Esher Edwards Burr, Ann Judson, and Jane Austen. I found this book to be a bit dry and I was a little frustrated as I felt like Haykin managed to make half of the chapters more about the pastor of the church the moment went to than the women themselves. However, I realize he might not have a had a lot of material to work with. That being said, there is always something we can learn or strive to be more like with books like these. Jane Grey was beheaded because of her faith (other political factors too), Ann Judson was one of the first American women missionaries, and Jane Austen expressed her faith in her stories. It is always encouraging to read about women and men who set examples for us to follow in their faith.
This is a must read for any believer in Jesus Christ. I told my husband earlier this year that I just feel so dry in my spiritual walk. With a new baby I don't get to hear a full sermon for a year, and I was so much more tired this time around that it took 8ish months before I could get up before the kids did to get bible reading time in. This book makes you think "wow.. how did I ever feel like I had nothing to be joyful about?" or "I thought I was a joyful person, but I really didn't think about the reasons for joy before. I will now!" It talks about how joy is a duty and how joy is our strength. This book gives nothing that we haven't heard before, but everything we need to hear again. One thing that really stuck out to me is that if we are filled with the joy of Christ, and dwelling on heavenly things like we are called to do, we can't be tempted to sin. Now, we will be tempted as we are only human. But the times we are tempted, are when we let our guard down. When I let myself think about things that are the opposite of Christ and the opposite of the joy we are called to have.
30. Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
Mayflower is a historical book on the Pilgrims that came to settle at Plymouth. It gives only a brief explanation as to why and how they came to leave Europe and their journey on the Mayflower. It focuses more on what it was like for them once the got to New England and their relationship with the Native Americans. There is also a lengthy section on King Philips War. I was interested to read this book, as I haven't much more than what we are taught in school about the Mayflower and Pilgrims; but I'm not a big American History buff so this book got a bit long winded to me (to be honest). The Pilgrims were a strong willed group of people that made it through some very hard times. Unfortunately the Native American's were not treated or respected the way they should have been (more by the Pilgrims children about 50 years after the Pilgrims arrived) and this made it a harder read for me.
31. Love Story by Karen Kingsbury
Love Story is a very easy read, with a bit of a cheesy storyline, but with some Biblical truths mixed in. I really enjoy a read like this every so often. I read a LOT of WWII historical fiction books which are heavy and sad. Karen Kingsbury's series on The Baxter Family are light, yet have some real life (if not a bit dramatic) issues the characters deal with but they always end happy. Love Story is Kingsbury's latest book on the Baxter's and it takes the reader back to when John and Elizabeth, the patriarchs of the family, meet and fall in love. Their love story is tragic but shows how the Lord can change lives and bless a marriage. Not make it perfect, mind you. Mixed in with this love story, we also follow Cody Coleman and Andi Ellison. They are also characters from previous Karen Kingsbury books who were engaged twice but end up breaking their engagement a second time. Love Story picks up on their story after the broken engagement. This is a book I read in about three or four days and while I kinda roll my eyes at how perfect everyone is in the book, I also love the way the characters take the Lord seriously in their daily lives.
32. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
I am having a very hard time trying to come up with a way to describe this book. Amor Towles has a writing style all his own, and while this book is very different from his A Gentleman In Moscow, they both stand out to me as unique and refreshing. Rules of Civility follows Katey Kontent in New York City in the late 1930's/1940's. She happens to meet Tinker Grey while out with her roommate Eve. This sets the three of them on a course that will change all three of them forever. Katey starts out as a secretary for a law firm and ends up pursuing a more challenging career that brings her into a different, glittering new social circle. She meets several people via Tinker that help change Katey in a good way. While Eve is a character we do not envy, there is something about Katey that I think most readers would be able to identify with. I wish I knew how to describe Towles' writing style, but the only way for you to know what I mean is to pick up the book for yourself! I look fwd to more of his books in the future!
33. Anxious for Nothing by John MacArthur
I will actually be writing this book review later as I am reading it for a second time (actually third, I read this book about 4/5 years ago). We are reading this book in a ladies book study I am apart of at church, and I am having a hard time these days with my memory. It's really crazy how bad my memory is right now, I blame the babies :) I thought I'd read this book all the way through before the study started and then I can read it chapter by chapter a bit slower with the ladies in hopes that I can retain a bit more. We will see if it helps.
34. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
This is was my third Kate Morton book in the past year. The Secret Keeper was a favorite of mine so I read The Forgotten Garden. While they were both good reads, they both followed the same formula. It was almost the exact same story/twist but with different names and locations. I was a bit apprehensive to read The Distant Hours because of this but something about it really intrigued me so I gave it a try. Wow. It was different from the first two books I read, yet had the element that I loved in both. It told a story from present day and a story from 50 years ago and wove the two together. I LOVE that. This book was creepy. It was a bit slower, but I finished it a week ago and I'm still thinking about it. It follows Edie, who uncovers a mystery about her mother and tries to understand what happened to her during the war. She meets the Blythe sisters who live in a castle and is where her mother was billeted during WWII. Juniper, the youngest, has never been the same after her fiancé stood her up in 1941. Edie is able to piece together most of the details, and as the reader we get to go back in time with the Sisters Blythe to fill in what really happened. I was unable to guess the ending, and it has left me feeling unsettled but I love that. I'm still thinking about the book and will read this again.
35. Tortured For Christ by Rev Richard Wurmbrand
This is an incredible read for any believer. With the Ladies Study going through Anxious For Nothing, I've had the thought that I have never know what it's like to suffer and what it's like to worry about where my next meal will come from. I don't have "real" things like that to be anxious about. Reading Tortured For Christ was a real eye opener into men and women that have know real suffering for Christ and how joyful and full of love they were. The suffering they went through did not make them want to denounce Christ, like their captors wanted it to, but made them more sure of their faith and gave them a supernatural love for their tormentors. Wurmbrand gives a few details of the torture he endured while in a communist prison for 14 years, but held back as he said he gets nightmares and can't sleep when he thinks about it. I can't imagine. I can't. This book was also an eye opener into what we as a church as a whole should be doing for one another: praying, giving, loving each other. I never think about the ones suffering for our faith, and yet many believers in other countries go through terrible terrible things for freedoms I take for granted. This book has made me think and feel called to pray for the tortured for Christ.
36. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
This was a book that was on my to read list for a while. I think I would give it 3.5 stars out of 5. The first few chapters I had a hard time with as I felt like the author used WAY too many adjectives. People, objects were overly described. This drove me crazy till I got used to it. I usually don't point out or really even think about something like that as I get so absorbed in a story from the start, so this really stuck out to me. Lilac Girls follows three women during WWII: Caroline Ferriday, Kasia Kuzmerick, and Herta Oberheuser. These women were all effected by the war very differently. Caroline Ferriday was from New York City, came from a wealthy family, and was a liaison to the French consulate. Kasia Kuzmerick was a Catholic Polish teenager who had ties with the underground and gets imprisoned at Ravensbruck. Horta Oberheuser is a young doctor who was looking for work as it was hard in Germany for a women dr to get any position. She answers an ad for a female dr at Ravensbruck. The chapters rotate who the story follows. It starts with Caroline in chapter 1, Kasia in chapter 2, and Herta in chapter three and so on.
37. The Disciple-Making Parent by Chap Bettis
This book is excellent. I have 200 notes and marks per my kindle, so I don't know how to begin a review! It ends by saying that we can't parent standing up, but by kneeling down. We must always be in prayer for our children. Parenting will humble us, but we need to trust God and give him any and all credit. We will run out of wisdom. God gives us more than we can handle on our own strength. That is why we need to be on our knees constantly praying. We must also trust the results of our parenting (in God's strength and wisdom) to Him. God made us parents so that we can make disciples for Him. I like how Bettis tells us to think of our children as arrows for the Lord. This book is very helpful, but I'll need to read it again as my children get older as I felt it was more focused on an older age. I liked how it gave ideas and examples of how to do family devotions and the importance of that. How important it is to have Godly influences in their lives that aren't mom and dad. Having close family friends from church so that our children can see what we preach to them lived out in someone close to them. What I'll end on is what Chap Bettis started with, which was to remind us that when we are given a baby, it's not just a baby. It's a person who will live forever in heaven or in hell.
38. Anxious for Nothing by John MacArthur
This was the third time that I have read this book. It is an excellent read. I think I am saying that about all the Christian books I read, but that's how it should be... right? This book emphasizes prayer and thanksgiving and how the Lord promises to take care of us. We will always have what we need. We need to make sure we don't have our wants in the need category. I like this quote, "Our concerns are product when they lead to a sensible course of action, but not when they lead to anxiety. Be aware that our concerns are far more apt to follow the path to anxiety and misery if accompanied by complaints." The last chapter focuses on how we can learn to be content. Someone in our book study said "train our hearts to be thankful" which I liked as I am sad to say I'm not always very thankful. When I get something I have been praying for or just wanting, I'm happy in the moment then I can tend to move on to the next thing. This book has challenged me to want to train my heart to be thankful. To want to pray with praise and thanksgiving. The end result will not only be a better relationship with my Savior but a life that is not marked by Anxiety.
39. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
This book is a classic. I believe that everyone should read this book and the rest in the series. This book follows James Herriot who is a newly crowned vet in the 1930's. He practices in the rural Yorkshire and works for an eccentric vet named Siegfried. This book is very heartwarming, with funny tales from Herriot in his first two years of practice. From being named uncle to a little dog to the misadventures of Tristan, Siegfried's brother, this book will having you smiling and wanting more. James Herriot is an extraordinary storyteller as he tells of his practice as he treats animals and deals with uncooperative owners.
40. Eight Women of Faith by Michael A. G. Haykin
I enjoy reading biographies about Christian women, so I was exited when I saw this book at our church's library. This book gives short biographies on Jane Grey, Margaret Baxter, Anne Dutton, Sarah Edwards, Anne Steele, Esher Edwards Burr, Ann Judson, and Jane Austen. I found this book to be a bit dry and I was a little frustrated as I felt like Haykin managed to make half of the chapters more about the pastor of the church the moment went to than the women themselves. However, I realize he might not have a had a lot of material to work with. That being said, there is always something we can learn or strive to be more like with books like these. Jane Grey was beheaded because of her faith (other political factors too), Ann Judson was one of the first American women missionaries, and Jane Austen expressed her faith in her stories. It is always encouraging to read about women and men who set examples for us to follow in their faith.