As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves

Book Thoughts - The Polygamist's Daughter by Anna LeBaron

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 08:30:00 +0000

The Polygamist's Daughter by Anna LeBaron
published 3/21/17
272 pages

Synopsis -

"My father had more than fifty children."So begins the haunting memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron. With her father wanted by the FBI for killing anyone who tried to leave his cult--a radical branch of Mormonism--Anna and her siblings were constantly on the run with the other sister-wives. Often starving and always desperate, the children lived in terror. Even though there were dozens of them together, Anna always felt alone.She escaped when she was thirteen . . . but the nightmare was far from over. A shocking true story of murder, fear, and betrayal, The Polygamist's Daughter is also the heart-cry of a fatherless girl and her search for love, faith, and a safe place to call home.
My thoughts -

I feel like my heart was broken and stitched back together during the reading of this book.

Polygamy has been much in the news in the past few years, with the popularity of the TV show Sisterwives, and the widely-anticipated raid and subsequent imprisonment of cult leader Warren Jeffs. Memoirs of life inside these religious groups have been popular over the past years, and I've read a bunch of them. (In fact, last year I read The Sound of Gravel, a harrowing memoir by Anna's cousin, also raised in the same polygamist cult.) But I don't think I've read one that felt so deeply personal, and yet so universally hopeful.

I always find it difficult to read stories that include child abuse, and this book has it over and over again. As a mom, I find it difficult to understand how the adults in young Anna's life could have allowed such treatment to continue. I think it's impossible to read LeBaron's story without having your eyes opened - how often do I miss women and children who need help? How often do I cross paths with someone who just needs one little act of kindness to change their life?

The Polygamist's Daughter reads like a CSI case on steroids, and yet it's completely true - abuse, kidnapping, murder, all these were part of LeBaron's experience. And yet the author's ultimate message is freedom - it's not a story of how bad her life was, or how sorry we should all feel for her. It's a story of redemption - of overcoming - of walking a hard road, and coming out the other side truly free.

This is a hard, brutal, beautiful story. Don't miss it. Highest of recommendations.

Finished - 12/18/16
Source - review copy from publisher (Tyndale House) - but I pre-ordered my own copy because it's that good!
MPAA rating - PG-13. This is not easy to read.
My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory
published 2011
422 pages

Synopsis -

In 1968, after the first zombie outbreak, Wanda Mayhall and her three young daughters discover the body of a teenage mother during a snowstorm. Wrapped in the woman’s arms is a baby, stone-cold, not breathing, and without a pulse. But then his eyes open and look up at Wanda — and he begins to move.

The family hides the child — whom they name Stony — rather than turn him over to authorities that would destroy him. Against all scientific reason, the undead boy begins to grow. For years his adoptive mother and sisters manage to keep his existence a secret — until one terrifying night when Stony is forced to run and he learns that he is not the only living dead boy left in the world.

My thoughts -

This was, for me, quite a unique take on the zombie fiction genre. While it had a healthy dose of the blood & terror I expected, it also had a lighthearted sense of humor about itself that was really quite refreshing. Interesting musings on identity and discrimination and a setting in rural Iowa gave the book depth and value for me. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel, and I would definitely read more by this author.

Finished - 1/22/17
Source - my shelves
MPAA rating - R, because zombies
My rating - 4/5

Book Thoughts: The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 09:30:00 +0000

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
published 2015
392 pages

Synopsis -

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

My thoughts -

Well, this novel was a delightful surprise. I received it as a Christmas gift, and guessed from reading the synopsis that I would enjoy it. I was certainly right about that.

This book feels VERY French. Now, I've never been to France, so I could be very wrong about that - but reading this book felt like taking a trip across the ocean and experiencing life in a Paris apartment, and in the countryside of Provence. There was just something about the pace - the tone - the language that was slower, more deliberate than an American novel. This book was about the experience of reading as much as it was the story, and I loved the experience.

This book is, of course, a celebration of the love of reading. It was such fun to read the references peppered throughout to various great books of history. It is also a book for readers who love the written word, and the way a story looks and sounds on the page. I found myself purposefully reading slower, to savor the time I spent in this world.

I had not heard of this book before my friend gave it to me, so I likely would not have found it without her. I am thrilled The Little Paris Bookshop found it's way into my life. It was a lovely, heartbreaking, and spirit-lifting experience. Definitely recommended.

Finished - 1/29/17
Source - my shelves, via Maria Z.
MPAA rating - PG-13
My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - Soprano Trouble by Victoria Kimble

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 09:30:00 +0000

Soprano Trouble (Choir Girls, Book 1) by Victoria Kimble
published 2/3/17
76 pages

Synopsis -

Summer McKidd is a bright, compassionate 7th grader. She has a good group of friends, which can be a hard feat for someone in junior high. She and her friends love to sing in their choir at school, and this is where her trouble begins. At the fall concert, her friends drag her into a mean prank and Summer is soon sentenced to nursery duty at church. When she walks into the nursery, she sees that the victim of their prank is also a volunteer. Summer begins a friendship with this girl but soon sees that she will have to choose between her group of friends and her new friend. Can Summer do what is right and keep her friends?
My thoughts -

Well, this was just delightful! I'm always on the lookout for a good series for my daughter, who is just a touch younger than the target demographic here, but will be ready for it soon - and I think the Choir Girls series is going to be just perfect.

I'm always impressed when an author can write a book that really captures the essence of junior high - that self-absorbed yet truly seeking part of a young person's life. Kimble infuses this novel with enough fun to draw her audience in, yet remains thoughtful throughout, never talking down to or underestimating her readers. This is certainly a book about tweens, but the ideas of standing up for what's right and being brave enough to confront a friend when they are in the wrong are applicable far beyond those junior high years.

Kimble writes from a place of faith - Summer and her friends attend church, and there are references to the Bible and its teachings - but the novel never feels preachy or stuffy. I appreciated the way the author was able to convey the moral message of the story organically within the flow of the narrative.

I'm thrilled to have found this series, and I can't wait to read more! Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a light-hearted yet smart read for their mid-grade reader. I can't wait to get copies of the entire series for my shelves!

Finished - 1/18/17
Source - ARC from publisher (TouchPoint Press) - thank you!
MPAA Rating - G
My rating - 5/5

Book thoughts - Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 09:30:00 +0000

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #3) by Ransom Riggs
published 9/22/15
464 pages

Synopsis -

The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

My thoughts -

Oh, good gravy I loved this series. From the first time I picked up the first book I was hooked. And, for me, Library of Souls was a beautiful ending for these characters I've come to love.

As usual, Riggs has his motley crew struggle through a good number of harrowing situations, and Jacob and Emma must use all the wits at their disposal to figure out a way to rescue Miss Peregrine and save the world. I appreciated that a happy ending wasn't a foregone conclusion, and the author didn't tie up all the loose ends in a neat little bow. I feel like I spent the last 1/4 of the book just holding my breath, and didn't feel safe to let it out until the very last page. And what a lovely, meaningful phrase to end the series - "We have time."

I know these books won't be for everyone, but for me the combination of storytelling and pictures worked to make this series a unique and fully engaging reading experience. I know these will be books I return to, and I'm excited to introduce my kids to Jacob, Emma, and Miss Peregrine, and watch them take this journey too. Highly recommended.

Finished - 10/25/16
Source - my shelves
MPAA rating - PG-13 for some intense, scary scenes involving children
My rating - 5/5

The State of the Stack - 1/26/17

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 09:30:00 +0000

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake -

Picked this one up because of ALLLLLL the hype, and because YA fiction with strong female protagonists always sounds good to me. So far, so good.

Wild and Free: A Hope-Filled Anthem for the Woman who Feels Like She Is both Too Much and Never Enough by Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan

Catching up on this for an online book club - honestly, what woman doesn't feel Too Much and Not Enough at some point in her life? Interesting so far.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

My current audiobook, this was gifted to me by a friend. Read by the author, Trevor Noah is someone I don't know a lot about, but this book is making me more and more curious. Very good so far.

Upstream: Essays by Mary Oliver

I've read Oliver's poems, but never her essays, so this seemed like a good time to start.

What's on your nightstand? Have you read any of these?

Book Thoughts - Water and What We Know: Following the Roots of a Northern Life by Karen Babine

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 17:39:00 +0000

Water and What We Know: Following the Roots of a Northern Life by Karen Babine
published 2015
240 pages

Synopsis -

In essays that travel from the wildness of Lake Superior to the order of an apple orchard, Babine traces an ethic of place, a way to understand the essence of inhabiting a place deeply rooted in personal stories. She takes us from moments of reflection, through the pages of her Minnesota family’s history, to the drama of the land and the shaping of the earth. From the Mississippi’s Headwaters in Itasca State Park—its name from veritas caput, or “true head”—she explores the desire that drives the idea of the North. The bite of a Honeycrisp apple grown in Ohio returns her to her origin in Minnesota and to pie-making lessons in her Gram’s kitchen. In the Deadwood, South Dakota, of her great-great-grandfather, briefly police chief; in the translation of her ancestors from Swedish to Minnesotan; on the outer edge of the New Madrid Fault in Nebraska; through the flatlands along I-90; at the foot of Mount St. Helens: Babine pursues what the Irish call dinnseanchas, place-lore. How, she asks, does land determine what kind of people grow in that soil? And through it all runs water, carrying a birch bark canoe with a bullet hole and a bloodstain, roaring over the Edmund Fitzgerald, flooding the Red River Valley, carving the glaciated land along with historical memory.

As she searches out the stories that water has written upon human consciousness, Babine reveals again and again what their poignancy tells us about our place and what it means to be here.

My thoughts -

I picked this book up because the author is a friend of a friend. I didn't know much about it - just that my friend Carolyn told me I'd enjoy it. She was right.

The author explores the effects that place can have on a person's development - the way the land, the water, the home that we return to impacts the way we see the world. As a concept, I would have found this interesting, and her writing compelling, enough to keep me engaged until the end.

But, then there's the kicker - this place of the author's is also MY place. The small Minnesota towns she writes about are the towns of my ancestors - the towns we returned to every summer, and still return to as a family, each year, even though our ancestors are no longer with us. Reading her thoughts about these SPECIFIC places made this book heart-stirring for me in ways that I didn't expect.

Standout essays for me include Roald Amundsen's Teeth, which talks about the idea of The North as a choice, a place people seek out as an escape; The River - 1997, about the flood of the Red River Valley; Grain Elevator Skyline, which had my favorite sentence of the whole book - "The homeplace is where you go to be reminded of what you know."; I-90, about road trips, and soundtracks, and the highways that become part of your heart.

I expect I will read this book many times, sometimes in its entirety, but more often in pieces. It feels comforting and embracing - for me, it feels like home.

Finished - 11/13/16
Source - my shelves
MPAA Rating - PG, less for adult content than adult musings
My rating - 4/5

What's Making Me Happy This Week - 10/28/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Got this notification from Audible last week - Yep. Sold. Cannot wait.

The State of the Stack - 10/17/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 08:30:00 +0000

City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin -

I'm SOOOOO close to finishing the series, and I'm doing that thing I always do with a series I love, which is dragging it out so that I don't have to be done. I WANT to know how it ends, but I don't want it to be over. Weirdo.

(I'm listening to this on audio, and the narrator is fantastic!)

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs -

See above. I just don't want it to be over! I will so miss these characters. I can tell this will be a series I revisit many times in the years to come, because for me this series has been magical.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren -

Reading this aloud with the kiddos, in preparation for a fun surprise this weekend - we're going to see the play! It will be their first time to see live theater, and I can't wait to see how excited they will be.

What's on YOUR nightstand??

What's Making Me Happy - 10/12/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 09:00:00 +0000

You knew this one was coming, right??

My husband and I watched the first episode of Westworld together this past week, and I think it's going to be our new show. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was pretty immediately fascinating. It has the quality that most of my favorite shows (Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Carnivale) have - the sense that what's on the surface is really just for show, and it's the deeper level that is ultimately important. Here's to hoping this one lives up to it's promise!

What's making YOU happy this week?

Book Thoughts - Adnan's Story by Rabia Chaudry

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice after Serial by Rabia Chaudry
published 2016
410 pages

Synopsis -

In early 2000, Adnan Syed was convicted and sentenced to life plus thirty years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, a high school senior in Baltimore, Maryland. Syed has maintained his innocence, and Rabia Chaudry, a family friend, has always believed him. By 2013, after almost all appeals had been exhausted, Rabia contacted Sarah Koenig, a producer at This American Life, in hopes of finding a journalist who could shed light on Adnan’s story. In 2014, Koenig's investigation turned into Serial, a Peabody Award-winning podcast with more than 500 million international listeners

But Serial did not tell the whole story.

My thoughts -

Before I was obsessed with Hamilton, I was obsessed with the podcast trifecta that was Serial, Undisclosed, and Truth and Justice. I listened to all the episodes of each in the span of about 3 months, and feel like I got a cursory legal education in the process. I came away believing in Adnan's innocence, and cheering loudly when he got his new trial early this summer.

I wasn't sure how much new information this book would contain - and if you, like me, listened to all three podcasts, the answer is not much from a case standpoint. The new information in this book comes in the form of Adnan's own words, mixed into each chapter, recalling the events from his perspective, and shedding light on his thought process through this whole journey.

I don't read enough true crime to know, really, how this stacks up to other books in the genre. I just know that, despite feeling like I already know everything there could possibly be to know about this case, I found the book fascinating. Rabia is a wonderful narrator, and the glimpses she gives her reader about growing up Muslim in America, and her own personal journey, added even more depth to this already enthralling story.

If legal thrillers or true crime are your thing, definitely give this one a shot. A truly insightful and disturbing look into the criminal justice system in our country.

Finished - 9/28/16

Source - South side library

MPAA rating - PG-13 for some graphic depictions of crime scenes

My rating - 4/5

The State of the Stack - 10/7/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 08:00:00 +0000

It's the time of year where I start looking for books that are a little darker, a little moodier, a little spookier...

Here are a few I have on my stack - which one would you start with? What else can you recommend??

What's Making Me Happy This Week - 10/5/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 09:00:00 +0000

It's pretty hard for a scripted show to make it into my weekly viewing lineup while it's currently airing - I just in general prefer to wait until the season is over and watch all at once. But this show - honestly, I didn't expect to like it, but I watched the first episode and I was hooked. I'll be watching weekly, and discussing with my friends, and eagerly anticipating each new episode all season long.

This. So wrong, And yet I can't stop smiling.

These two crazies are SIX!!!!

What's making YOU happy this week??

Book Thoughts - Made Well by Jenny Simmons

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Made Well: Finding Wholeness in the Everyday Sacred Moments by Jenny Simmons
publishes 10-4-16
208 pages

Synopsis -

From the woman fighting cancer to the man who has lost his child to the girl sinking into depression, so many of us are engaged in daily battles as we long for healing. When he walked the earth, Jesus said to an unwell man, "Do you want to be made well?" His invitation stretched beyond physical healing--he sought to restore the soul. The same invitation stands for us today.

For anyone struggling on the journey toward wholeness, singer/songwriter Jenny Simmons offers a resting place and a friend along the way. With personal insight into emotional pain, she invites readers to encounter a God who is working out their restoration--often in surprising "half-baked" ways. Her humorous and inspirational prose lights a path toward wholeness. Anyone trying to find their way to spiritual, mental, and emotional healing will benefit from Jenny's vulnerable and compassionate stories of being made well in the midst of a messy life.

My thoughts -

"In the beginning, you were made well. Designed with divine imagination, shaped by sacred hands, and crafted by the Curator of creation. You and I were called good. We were already enough."

With this beautiful affirmation, Jenny Simmons invites readers into her theology of being made well. This is a theology of a journey, where health and healing are not synonymous; a theology not of depraved sinners but of beloved children; of a partnership that is equal parts divine grace and human willingness. This is a theology of choice - our choice, every day, to look for the small moments of our lives where we are being made well.

I discovered Jenny Simmons the author last year, when I read her first book, The Road to Becoming, because a friend asked me to. She was my favorite author discovery of the year. When I was given the chance to be on the launch team for this, her second book, I couldn't get in line fast enough.

Simmons is a beautiful writer - her words have a way of weaving themselves into my heart, tugging out emotions I didn't expect in places I wouldn't have predicted. She is honest and raw, and doesn't hesitate to share the broken places in her own life, which allows her reader to feel the truth of her words. She is tender with pain - she doesn't discount it, but she doesn't wallow either. She holds pain in sacred hands, allowing her reader to experience it, while inviting them to move forward into the healing that awaits.

"Sometimes the best thing we can do for someone in pain is to sit on the other side of the door and slide our fingers under the threshold so they know they aren't alone."

This book was beautiful and powerful. Once again, Jenny Simmons has written potentially my favorite nonfiction book of the year. Highest of recommendations - don't miss this one!

Finished 9/4/16

Source - ARC from publisher - thank you!

MPAA rating - PG for frank talk about suffering

My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:02:00 +0000

Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory
published 2016
556 pages

Synopsis -

As sisters they share an everlasting bond; As queens they can break each other’s hearts.

“There is only one bond that I trust: between a woman and her sisters. We never take our eyes off each other. In love and in rivalry, we always think of each other.”

When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look, each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined—with Margaret’s younger sister Mary—to a sisterhood unique in all the world. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland, and France.

United by family loyalties and affections, the three queens find themselves set against each other. Katherine commands an army against Margaret and kills her husband James IV of Scotland. But Margaret’s boy becomes heir to the Tudor throne when Katherine loses her son. Mary steals the widowed Margaret’s proposed husband, but when Mary is widowed it is her secret marriage for love that is the envy of the others. As they experience betrayals, dangers, loss, and passion, the three sisters find that the only constant in their perilous lives is their special bond, more powerful than any man, even a king.

My thoughts -

This novel definitely tested my love of all things Tudor. I sense that Margaret of Scotland has less source material about her life available than the rest of the rowdy clan, because the author seemed to give her the same thoughts over and over again, and unfortunately for the reader, those thoughts tended to the whiny and self-absorbed. Gregory really wanted her readers to believe that Margaret was highly beloved, by her two sister-queens, and by the procession of handsome, accomplished men she called husband. Unfortunately, she didn't give us much reason to believe that, instead portraying a women whose obsession with place and precedence was nearly all she ever thought about.

I have noticed something about myself as a reader lately, however. I'm well past the point in my reading experience where I have to actually LIKE a character to sympathize with them. It's probably what makes me the only Game of Thrones fan in the entire world who doesn't despise Cersei - she's awful. I'd never deny that. She does horrible things to everyone with little remorse. But I GET why she does those things. I understand her motivation, however misplaced, and so I sympathize with her even while I recognize that her actions are unforgiveable. I had much the same reaction to many of Margaret's actions. (Not the whining. The whining was just annoying.) Margaret makes some REALLY dumb decisions. But honestly, in her place, I'm not sure I would have been any wiser than she was. So while I am able to see how misguided were some of her efforts, I can still sympathize with the actions she takes. I don't LIKE her, but I GET her.

I also felt a little mislead by the title of this book. I really thought this would be a story about three women - instead, this is totally Margaret's story, from Margaret's point of view. Katharine and Mary are players, but never in the forefront. I think a bit of time spent in their heads might have been a nice change from Margaret's incessant complaining about who got to proceed whom when entering a room.

All that said, while this is certainly not my favorite of Gregory's Tudor novels, it did have all the juicy, gossipy pseudo-soap opera-y relationship shenanigans that make Gregory one of my main comfort read authors. Don't read this thinking you will fall in love with the main character - do read it for the insanity of the royal life that you just can't get enough of. It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read either.

Finished - 9/28/16
Source - South side library
MPAA rating - PG-13, like all Gregory novels, for period danger & romance
My rating - 3/5

What's Making Me Happy This Week - 9/28/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Yes, I will listen to ALL of the Hamilton medleys. Just keep suggesting them, YouTube.

And some more really good acappella....

And because county music is really bringing it this week....

What's making YOU happy this week?

The State of the Stacks - 9/26/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Love Does by Bob Goff -

I am having a really hard time getting on board with this one. It's not poorly written, and I fully agree with the basic idea - love should be shown with actions, not just words - but something about it is just hitting me wrong. Trying to figure out why I'm in the huge minority on this one.....

Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory -

Some day I will, once and for all and forever, have my fill of fictionalized accounts of the Tudor dynasty. Today is clearly not that day.

Happy Birthday to You! by Dr. Seuss -

Because we have two SIX-year-olds in the house today!!! SIX. How did that even happen???

What's on YOUR nightstand?

What's Making Me Happy This Week - 9/21/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Andi, the fabulous blogger behind Estella's Revenge, is one of the first people I ever "met" in the internet book world. We were part of a Yahoo group together - anyone else remember when those were a thing? I remember when she started her blog. I watched her take over and rock the leadership of Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon. She's one of those people I feel like I know, even though we've never met in real life.

A couple of weeks ago, Andi started a new adventure - Wrecking Ball Designs. It's an Etsy shop with hand-drawn stickers, book plates, washi strips, and lots of fun. At about the same time, I realized I was out of my supply of personalized book plates, and I contacted her. Less than 48 hours later, she'd sent me the designs for two book plates I loved, and they were in my hands within a week.

She took my partially-formed ideas and created me the exact thing I was hoping for but couldn't really express. I absolutely love them.

So what's making me happy this week - new, fun bookish goodies, and watching a friend launch a new chapter.

Visit Andi's Etsy shop at Wrecking Ball Designs - she's been teasing a sticker pack based on one of my FAVORITE books, The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern. I cannot wait to get my hands on it!!!

(Disclaimer - I purchased these goodies with my own money, and they are worth every penny.)

The State of the Stacks - 9/19/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Lots of work-related business to tend to at home this week, so not much movement on the stacks.....

Still just starting to dig into these two....they are both beautiful, so I simultaneously want to read as fast as I can, and slow down and savor the experience.

What's on your nightstand??

Book Thoughts - A Mile Wide by Brandon Hatmaker

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:45:00 +0000

A Mile Wide: Trading a Shallow Religion for a Deeper Faith by Brandon Hatmaker
published 9/13/2016
199 pages

Synopsis -

As a host and guest judge for HGTV and DIY Network (My Big Family Renovation, Brother v.s. Brother, Tiny House Arrest), Brandon Hatmaker understands what it takes to rehab a home. But after twenty-plus years of working with the local church (and as husband to bestselling author Jen Hatmaker), he has an even greater understanding of what it takes to rehab an everyday faith. In A Mile Wide, he helps readers see more clearly how the gospel works in us and eventually through us to transform an anemic spiritual life into a deeper, fuller, and more effective faith.

My thoughts -

I don't remember the last time I read a work of Christian nonfiction by a male author.

Scratch that - I do. I remember getting so mad at John Piper in college that I swore I would never read another straight, white dude's ideas about God ever. EVER.

So fast-forward a whole bunch of years, and I discover and fall in love with Jen Hatmaker. So when I hear her husband has a new book coming out, I am - despite my best intentions - curious. I decide to give it a shot.

And it was good. And honestly, that's saying something, because I've read some pretty amazing books in this genre this year, so he had a fairly high standard to live up to. His book was a nice mixture of big dreams - as Christians, we are called to step out and meet the needs of the world - as well as practical steps - start by slowing down, and identifying what actually needs to be done where you live. Hatmaker introduces a new way of living and relating to the world, but doesn't stop at the ideas - he gives individual people the tools to make change, in their own house, neighborhood, and community. His words are challenging, and I found myself nodding with agreement on one page, and feeling convicted on the next.

For example -

"We like people to share our theology, skin color, practices, politics, health, views, and interpretations, but what about when folks fall way outside those lines? Answer: that is not our responsibility. It's Jesus'. It's not ours to determine how God extends salvation on planet Earth. We don't have one clue how Jesus makes insiders from outsiders. He's been doing it for centuries, redeeming humanity, and not in the safe little evangelical way we understand it in America. Our job is simply to love."

And I'm cheering, YES! YES! YES! And then literally on the next page -

"...it's a great reminder to me personally to see that Jesus still loves the insider just as well. Because sometimes I don't.....I've deflected, accused, and pointed the finger. And I realized I still do that from the outside. It's just that now my arrows are pointed in."

Oh, yeah that. Ouch.

For me, what I appreciate most about Brandon Hatmaker is that he seems to truly do the best he can to live what he preaches. His church is built on the principle of serving the homeless and needy in it's community. He founded The Legacy Collective, a giving community that focuses on funding sustainable solutions to social issues around the world. He's not just a dude standing at a pulpit spouting words. He's a guy who truly believes what he says, and puts it into action. That's what makes me want to listen to what he has to say.

There are a couple of tiny, stylistic things that kept me from falling completely in love, but overall I found it to be excellent. I'm so glad I put my misconceptions aside and gave this one a try. Definitely recommended!

Finished - 5/30/16
Source - ARC from the publisher (thank you!!)
MPAA rating - G
My rating - 4/5

What's Making Me Happy This Week - 9/14/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 10:30:00 +0000

Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling in talks to join A Wrinkle In Time??? (Mostly this just makes me happy because it means the project is still moving forward....)

http://www.themarysue.com/wrinkle-in-time-mrs-w/

A new Anne of Green Gables miniseries is coming to Netflix???? (I know people are on the fence about this. I don't honestly think it will be anywhere close to as good as the original, beloved Megan Follows Anne. But any time this story makes it into the mainstream again, it gets me excited.)

http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/entertainment/anne-of-green-gables-netflix?xid=soc_socialflow_facebook_realsimple

I've been a fan of Tori Amos for a long time. While her new song isn't my favorite of her work, I love this video of just the piano part - it reminds me why I appreciate her music so much. Girls with pianos will always be near to my heart.

What's making YOU happy this week??

The State of the Stacks - 9/12/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 08:30:00 +0000

The Best American Essays, 1990 - edited by Justin Kaplan

Still working my way through this one - most of the essays have just been okay, but I've read one or two that have been quite interesting, so that keeps me chugging along.

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

I pre-ordered the signed edition of this book months ago, and it just arrived last week. I love Glennon's words, and I know this book will bring tears and joy.

Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice

For our anniversary Jeremy got me signed editions of some of my favorite books. I love this novel, and reading it again has been so satisfying.

Hopeless Savages, vol. 3 - Too Much Hopeless by Jen Van Meter

Pretty sure I heard about this series from Book Riot, since that's where I get most of my graphic novel recommendations from. This series is mostly just fun, but the characters are really starting to flesh out and become people I am starting to care about. I'm always interested to see what these crazy kids will be up to next.

What's on your nightstand??

Book Thoughts - Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 09:30:00 +0000

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
published 2015
96 pages

Synopsis -

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself - but first she has to make it there, alive.

My thoughts -

This was a really interesting novella. I've tried to read Nnedi Okorafor's novels previously, and for whatever reason couldn't maintain interest long enough to make it past the first few chapters. This story, however, really hooked me in from the very beginning, and I finished the entire thing in a single afternoon.

I thought Binti's world was extremely well fleshed out for such a short work - I feel like I understand politics and beliefs that are often lost in must longer works of speculative fiction. I thought Binti as a character was fascinating, and the dilemmas she faced and worked through felt true and honest. I found the resolution to the story a bit abrupt, but am willing to give that a bit of leeway since this was a novella - obviously, the author didn't have much time for long, drawn-out scenes of hashing out problems.

I was uncertain of this author, but this story has made me a fan. I will definitely give her novels a try, and I can't wait for the next installment in Binti's world!

Finished - 6/29/16
Source - audiobook from South Side library
MPAA rating - PG-13 for some intense scences
My rating - 4/5

What's Making Me Happy This Week - 7/20/16

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 12:22:00 +0000

We are really enjoying the show Greatest Hits on ABC - some of the performances are surprisingly good, and some remind us why it's better that pop music has just moved on.....

I'm not ashamed to say that I've been a fan of Hanson - those boys just make good music. I loved this performance of their most famous song, and it made me think I'd have a great time at their concert. These boys are pretty darn talented, even in a silly song like this.

YouTube is so big, and I'll never see even half of what's available, but sometimes I find something new that seems like I should have known about it already.....did you know about these Crash Course Literature episodes?? Author John Green breaking down great books? I'm loving it, and the only thing I'm mad about is he hasn't made a new episode in 2 years. Give us some more books, John!!

On Saturday, I will be here. Can't wait. Vacation = bliss.

What's making YOU happy this week??

Book Thoughts - Sinners, Saints and the Furious Love of God by David Leo Schultz

noreply@blogger.com (Elizabeth) — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 09:30:00 +0000

Sinners, Saints, and the Furious Love of God by David Leo Schultz
published 7/15/16
408 pages

Synopsis -

This book is two things. First - it’s a raw conversation filled with honest reflections about life and faith. Like the one you’d have at a dingy bar, hole-in-the wall coffee shop, or a cross country road trip. Second and more importantly - it’s a witness to unfair and undeserved grace. It’s a witness to ups and downs, a few beautiful mountain tops, and even more dark and dangerous valleys. It’s a witness to the Divine crashing into my life and hunting me down with His furious love. On this road trip with me you’ll pick up hitchhikers with names like depression, heart break, and loss, and although they will stay with you for a while, they won’t make the whole trip with you. You’ll reflect on their purpose with the eyes of mercy, the lenses of hindsight, and the visionary hope of forgiveness. What you’re about to read is my story. My ragamuffin story. And in my story I have discovered God chasing me down with his furious love through the sinners and saints that have shipwrecked into my life. But my greatest hope in our time together - should you dare to pick up this book - is that you will read my story and forget my story and fall in love with Jesus. I pray that my story will fade into the background and your story will take center stage - so that you too can see where God was and is, where He is ready and waiting to tackle and ambush you with his incomprehensibly tender and overwhelming love.
My thoughts -

I'm not sure I've ever read a work of Christian nonfiction as honest and raw as "Sinners, Saints, and the Furious Love of God." I've read a bunch that are more polished; a few that are funnier; several that are destined to be more popular in churchy circles. But I don't think I've ever read a book by a Christian author who has chosen to lay himself bare in quite the same way as David Leo Schultz (yes, he uses all three names).

This is a not a book that will be remembered for its lovely prose, or its gracious technical skill. (Not a secret - the author discloses early on that punctuation rules are not particularly a concern.) Editing might have made it more presentable, but it also would have erased much of what is the soul of this book - the message that practically vibrates throughout every page - we are loved furiously, recklessly, unconditionally, by the God who made us all.

Schultz takes his readers on a road trip of sorts, over back roads and past all-night diners, through the highs and lows of a life marked by some success and more struggle, inviting his reader into a conversation that feels uniquely intimate. His honesty is refreshing, and sometimes almost uncomfortable, but it's that honesty that makes his reader trust him. This is not an author out to impress, or to make his own words leave a lasting impression - his message is the only goal, and that message of love is for everyone. Literally everyone.

This is a book to be read, and re-read, and then read again. It won't be the most popular book I read this year, or the best selling, but it might be the most important. Highly recommended.

Finished - 7/17/16
Source - review copy from author - thank you
MPAA rating - PG for language
My rating - 5/5