Book Reviews for those who don’t like to cringe while they read
March 30 blog post
Did you know there are approximately 1,000 books published every day? Imagine a voracious reader like myself – and many of you – trying to sort through those thousand books, plus all the thousands of books published in the previous month. You just want to find a book that will engage, enlighten, or delight you for a few hours. That’s why I’m reviewing books. I’ll try to bring you the best I’ve read and let you make the choice.
Fiction recommendations
The Girl in the Cardboard Box
Yes, this is my own book, but I had to listen to the audio version prior to it being uploaded for approval by Audible. Think about watching yourself on a video – do you cringe and wonder why you don’t picture yourself like you’re shown in the video? Same thing with listening to your written words. Even though they’re read by someone else, it makes me cringe. The editor part of me thinks, “I could have written that better or differently.”
With that being said, the message in this book hasn’t changed. God doesn’t punish us for past mistakes. He doesn’t cause our baby girl to get hit by a car because we had an abortion. His grace extends to ALL our past sins.
https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Cardboard-Box-Jane-Daly/dp/1649492448
The Wrong Ocean
Boy did this book bring up feelings I’d forgotten when I cared for my aging parents. The novel is heartrending and heartwarming. It’s a story many of us in the Boomer generation can relate to – watching a beloved parent or grandparent slowly lose themselves to Alzheimer’s. Fellure captures this difficult subject with grace and humor. I give you permission to lose yourself in this story. 😊
Non Fiction
Abolish the Label
This little gem is a reminder that we are more than how we label ourselves. When Mike and I went through marriage counseling years ago, the counselor talked about the different roles we play in our family dynamic. The smart one, the leader, the shadow, the clown. Sometimes we allow these labels to carry into adulthood. We become the label. A. M. Revere gets specific about how to break free from those labels.
https://www.amazon.com/Abolish-Label-M-Revere/dp/B0BTJ8523F
The Eden Option
Allen Arnold has done it again with this gem. He asks the question, Are you living in Story One or Story Two. So simple yet so profound. Story 1 is God’s original intent for us – freedom. Story 2 is the counterfeit – we’re the center of the universe. No, we’re not!
You won’t devour this book in one or two sittings. Each chapter made me pause and reflect the truth of what Allen reveals.
https://www.amazon.com/Eden-Option-Choosing-Story-World/dp/0578319055