SPRING READING...

My spring reads have been pretty sparse...but here they are!  Mostly this spring I enjoyed studying I and II Corinthians with a group, and have done a lot of online research for travel.

Inheritance, by Dani Shapiro

A memoir about Dani finding out her true identity after her parents had died.  Although a fair-haired person, she grew up in a strong Jewish family.  Growing up there were always jokes about whether she belonged. She did indeed find out after doing a test on a whim that she had no real Jewish genes, and set out to find answers.  This story chronicles her journey as she found those answers and her feelings of betrayal and love.  An interesting read and it shows how complicated medical ethics can be as it affects the individual.

Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

Another one from Rachel Hollis which is much like her previous one.  She addresses all the excuses you might have for not chasing after your dreams.  He advice is to just focus on the one thing you want to achieve, and don't apologize for it.  Make it happen.  Great read if you need some motivation to move on in life!

Moon travel guide - Mount Rushmore & The Black Hills, by Laural A. Bidwell

I heard the Moon guides were the best travel guides, so I checked one out.  I like the size of them - they fit in the hand easily.  They have beautiful pictures but not too many, just enough to whet your appetite!  Each city in the region is described well with a few choice accommodations, restaurants, and activities listed.  I think generally what I like is that the guide is not overwhelming with choices.  They recommend the best of what is available according to several budgets.  Also, it features a good map of each place, including restaurant, shops and accommodations.

DK Eyewitness Travel - Dublin

After reading and doing a lot of online research about what might be interesting to see on our road trip to the Dakotas, all of a sudden our plans changed with a business trip over in Europe for The Hubs!  So all the books changed and this one about Dublin, Ireland is a good one.  DK books have a lot of pictures, which is good for someone who knows very little about the place!  Seriously, it's got a little history, some maps, and plenty of information about attractions.  

WINTER READS...

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

I first heard about Rachel and started listening to her podcast, then following her on Instagram.  After reading her book, I can see why she has such a large following.  It's a book about  how to stop believing the lies about who you think you are so you can become who you were meant to be.  She's had a lot of different life experiences including overcoming a family tragedy, being on her own at 18, and building a successful company without a college degree.  She shared how her eyes were opened to diversity as a teenager on a trip, and how in her little hometown church there was only one "right" way to be.  This book helps you realize you need to GIVE YOURSELF GRACE.  She honestly made me feel a little more comfortable about some of my past experiences.  Her conversational approach to writing drew me in and I loved her practical tips at the end of each chapter. The chapters about body image and marriage were especially meaningful to me.  I'm not building a big business like she is, but her teachings are especially for women that are.

The Year of Less by Cait Flanders

A topic I've been interested in for several years, Cait shares her personal story of addiction to shopping, alcohol and food.  She changed her personal habits and discovered what really matters to her.  She doesn't really describe steps to change, but it's an interesting read.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

An interesting book of self-reflection, Gretchen determined 12 ways she could make her life happier and set out to work on each area of her life, one each month of the year.  Some she felt benefitted her, some she did not.  One of the things I thought was interesting was the month she wanted to work on her relationship with her husband.  She decided to quit nitpicking and leave 3 things unsaid each day. She felt like she was happier not arguing over the little things and that her relationship with him did improve.  I thought that was a unique idea, and so I've decided that's something I could try.  Some things are better left unsaid.  It makes you think about some simple things you might do or improve in your life that bring a lot more happiness to your days.  I really like to check in on her blog - she's always discussing interesting things or sharing a new book she read.

Creative Courage by Welby Altidor

Anything on creative leadership piques my curiosity, and this one was really heady.  Welby was a creative director for Cirque du Soleil and reflects on leadership with creative people and even has suggested exercises for those looking to build a creative team.

FALL READS...

The Creative Curve by Allen Gannett

This book dispels the myth that creative people are born that way.  The author shows evidence of the creative genius behind many of our creative heroes and shows what hours of consumption and hard work do for a person's creativity.  He talks to our like of novelty and the familiar and how that plays into success.  Collaborating with others is a big part of artists creativity, also, which I loved!  We all need each other.  I enjoyed learning more about the founder of Netflix and how this model worked to his success.  Creativity is something we can all achieve, if desired!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I loved this fictional story about a family in France during WWII!  Isabelle is a saucy young lady that refuses to let the Germans take over her country.  She secretly helps downed airmen escape over the Pyrenees to get to Spain and go home, so they can drop more bombs on the enemy.  Along the way, she learns the truth about her father and sister and finds true love.  An incredible story of the terrors of war from the perspective of the ones being invaded.  This best seller is being made into a movie!

Ministry to Women by Kelly King

This is an essential guide for leading women in the local church.  It starts at the very beginning of a ministry effort, noting purpose, building a team, and including a lot of the nuts and bolts of a ministry. It is also a workbook, encouraging the reader to write down responses as you think through many different aspects of building a successful program.  Most of this is not new to me, but I would highly recommend it to anyone starting something from scratch, or for someone trying to build a well-rounded ministry to women!  I enjoyed reading this as I taught school many years ago with the author's mother!

SUMMER READS...

Cultivate by Lara Casey

A good book with questions and exercises to help you on your path to intentional living.  One of my favorite take aways from the book is in the chapter on friendship. When forming connections with others, go beyond the superficial and ask the second question.  Invite the person to open up and take the conversation deeper with questions like, "How was that?" or "Can you tell me more about it?"

Eleanor Oliphant is absolutely fine by Gail Honeyman

This was a fun read!  Eleanor is a quirky character, and as you get to know her more, she is dealing the best way she knows how after a tragic event in her past.  A loner, she sets out to improve herself physically, which is a riot, and to find love.  She finds it in an unexpected person and gets freed from her lonely existence.    Note:  I heard Reese Witherspoon is making this into a movie!

In Conclusion, Don't worry about it - Lauren Graham

Tiny little book with a big message - find joy in what you're doing!

Some Form of Grace by Dee Dee Chumley

A fictional work by a local author bringing to light a very real issue for those coming out of prison.  Starting fresh in a Christian apartment complex with lots of rules, it's the story of Gracene and how she fakes Christianity to stay in the program and get a fresh start at life on the outside.

READS I'VE ENJOYED LATELY...

The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp

This is one of those books I'd like to own and highlight all the passages that are meaningful to me!

The renowned dancer shares her experiences and gives her tips for keeping up the creative habit. A quote I really resonated with:  "Experience - the faith in your ability and the memory that you have done this before - is what gets you through the door.  You tend to rely on that memory and stick with what has worked before.  You don't try anything new." Other thoughts from the book I don't want to forget:  Too many people practice what they're already good at and neglect the skills that need more work.  Great dancers shelve the perfected skills for a while and concentrate on their imperfections.    Play twenty questions with yourself.  Before approaching something new, write down 20 things you would like to know about it.   When an otherwise smart habit or ritual loses its potency and continue doing it, you're in a rut.  A generous spirit contributes to good luck.  Think about what distracts you the most and go for a week with out it.  Some she writes about are:  Movies, Multitasking, Numbers (clocks, scales, bills, etc.), Background Music.  Doing without forces you to be independent.

Oklahoma Hiking Trails, by Kent F. Frates and Larry Floyd

Ever need a short getaway in your own state?  This is a good guide with maps and photographs.  They also have a list of what they consider the best hiking trails in Oklahoma and their criteria is for the average hiker, not any kind of professional outdoorsman!  Hiking is one of my favorite things and this is a great guide!

Refresh by Shona and David Murray

In our crazy culture, there is a constant need for slowing down and living what they like to call a grace-paced life.  This is a book I saw on the new book shelf at the library and a great little read.  Although they are addressing some serious issues on depression in this book, there were some helpful hints in there for myself.  They cover the necessity of physical needs such as sleep, physical exercise, healthy eating, along with relationships.

Daily Rituals, How Artists Work by Mason Currey

This little book was one that I was led to by Twyla Tharp's book, above.  It's a collection of short essays on the daily routines and habit of highly creative and intelligent people.  Some are collected from research of long gone geniuses like Ben Franklin and Charles Darwin.  Others are still living, and actual quotes about what they do each day. What struck me most about this collection was that there was no "one right way" to living a life of creativity and even the most impressive people had times of inactivity in their field.  Some had some crazy addictions while others had self-imposed deadlines to make themselves produce work.  An interesting kind of biographical collection.

Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch, a cop who loves to solve cold cases, is at it again.  The Hubs loves detective shows, and we listened to this one on a recent road trip.  Another exciting story I hope makes it to the big screen!

MY WINTER READS...

Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner

Loved this read!  I thought I was getting a book to help me learn more about slower paced living, enjoying the moments, etc.  And it was that.  But it was also a trip with Erin through her times of plenty and leaner times.  Learning what matters most and how being insecure is a part of your life and to accept it for what it is.  I totally related to her journey and was the perfect thing to think about while on a break from our everyday life. 

True Worshipers by Bob Kauflin

Something  that my husband has been studying for a while, and searching the scriptures about…so I found him this book at Mardel.  We read it and discussed it while we were on vacation in January.  It’s about seeking what matters to God.  Although it didn’t address all the things we’ve been talking about, it brought up some good points about worship.  One was that we don’t have to repress our emotions.  Emotionalism as an end in itself is not good, but if your emotions are stirred while worshipping God, that’s okay. 

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey

Curious to read this because the author went to college in my home state.  She grew up in Canada and has an interesting faith story to tell.  Basically, her view after feeling stifled as an adult Christian woman in a conservative church is that if you are gifted to do something, do it.  She raises some interesting points which I still have yet to reconcile in my mind but worth pondering. 

The Big Tiny by Dee Williams

I picked this one up off the New Book shelf at the library.  Since my son is building a tiny house in our driveway, I’m finding it entertaining and interesting.  After experiencing a health event in mid-life, the author decided to drastically simplify her life by building a tiny house.  I love her style and am not finished with the book yet, but would recommend. 

JUST COULDN'T WAIT....

to share these titles!  I usually share about several books I've read just a few times a year but both of these books really deserve a post all their own.  Maybe they are so good to me because of my personal interest in the subjects.  But I think anyone interested in living intentionally and organization would love them.

Notes From A Blue Bike, The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World is the second book of Tsh's I've read and loved.  She's a young mother who, along with her husband, knows what has value for them and how they want to raise their family.  It's about saying no to some things and intentionally embracing what they value.  I am  not a young mother anymore, but many of her ideals were similar to the way we chose to raise our children.  Now I'm figuring out how to live intentionally as an almost empty nester with more free time available.  She vividly shows how to live this out through examples of eating, work, travel, education and entertainment.  They have lived with plenty and with less.  It's a book I would highly recommend to young couples just starting out.

This book is what I was referring to when I mentioned slow food on my last post.  Slow food means a lot of things to different people, but what I'm getting out of the concept is that spending time preparing food with your children and family is time well spent. Buying locally sourced food and even growing your own is worth the effort. Taking the time to enjoy food together is valuable to your relationships.  Tsh addresses this, contrasting her time living in Turkey and then coming back home to the States.  I hope to be able to do more of this after what seems like years of rushing around!

The Organized Mind, Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload, was one I just happened to pick up on the new book rack at the library.  If you've ever felt like you were drowning in information, this book helps clarify how exactly your brain works and encourages us to really think about what we are doing to ourselves.  We can control the use of our cellphones and all that constant information (novel idea!).  It gives examples of how to slow down and even use some old-fashioned methods to gain some peace and control in our lives.  Habits can help us control it.  There's also an interesting chapter on sifting through medical advice when you are thrust into situations and have important decisions to make.  Some of this book was too much for me but most of it was helpful.

SUMMER READING...

I've started a funny habit...checking out books that sound interesting to me, then if I don't get hooked pretty quick, I just move on to something else.  So I get several at a time and end up maybe finishing only one of them.  These are the ones I've read this summer that were the best!

Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock  This is a fictional story of two sisters in a rural town and how they comfort each other with an abusive father. A little hard to read at times, but gave me more empathy for people in this kind of situation.  Crazy twist at the end!

Modern Mindfulness by Rohan Gunatillake  This one gives you exercises to think about as we manage all the information coming into our lives on a constant basis.  I'm constantly looking for ways to simplify!

At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider  An account of a family of five as they take a trip around the world.  Her thoughts as she struggles between the love of adventure and new experiences but longs for home. Loved her insights but I no longer think I would like to do a trip this long.  :)

Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu   Basically what this book said to me was to let others do things - so what if they don't do it just like you? Drop the perfectionist tendencies.  Good for leaders and Moms.

Adorned by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth  This book is  a guide based on the teaching in Titus 2 about the older women teaching the younger.  It examines the character traits from the passage and gives questions at the end of each chapter for older women and younger women to help them examine their lives.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon  The true story of a young woman in Afghanistan and how she provided for her family during a difficult time under the oppression of the Taliban.  I gained a lot of understanding about their culture and how this war has affected their families.

READS FOR THE PAST YEAR...

I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted about my reads.  I had a lot going on last year!  Here's a few books I've read that you might be interested in - the last two were my favorites of this bunch:

A Year by the Sea:  Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman by Joan Anderson

Memoir of a woman who persevered through separation from her husband and recreated her life.  I think I would enjoy a year by the sea - just not out of this kind of life change!

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

A mystery that gave me the creeps!  Maybe this is why I don't read many mysteries!  Missing people, mysterious creatures, and the young woman who tries to stop history from repeating itself.

The Awakened Introvert by Arnie Kozak

Kind of interesting although I did not read the entire book - helps you understand yourself better if you consider yourself an introvert.

The Butterfly Hours by Patty Dann

This little book is by a teacher of memoir writing.  As she helped her students and shares writing prompts, she begins to weave her own story of her husband's illness and death.  I picked this up to see if I might learn something new about writing, and I'm not sure I did but I enjoyed the memories she shared.

Head Case by Cole Cohen

This book reads as if you were in the mind of Cole Cohen, a women with a learning disability like no one else - a hole in her brain the size of a lemon.  She navigates life extremely well, and certainly helps me be more understanding with those not like myself.  This wasn't my favorite read.

The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander

This one's an award winner and I can understand why.  I loved it.  After the sudden death of her husband, Elizabeth tells their love story.  It's one of the first books I've ever read that helps me understand what this kind of loss might really feel like.  A unique read that I couldn't put down! Had a couple of recipes in it, too!  Loved the spaghetti!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Fictional story of a teenager, who's allergic to the world.  She has SCID - maybe you remember the movie way back when about the boy in the bubble?  Thoroughly enjoyed it, and the surprise ending!

BOOKS I'VE READ IN ALL MY SPARE TIME...

I think "time" is definitely the theme here, when I look at the books I've been reading lately.

168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam

I picked this one up to figure out where my time is going and decided I really didn't want to take the time to do a daily time management log.  She has a lot of stories and tips, though, for helping you think about how you use your time.  Putting some of this into practice!

Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon

A little book and quick read. It has some general principles about life to help you think creatively. Most of it I've learned by experience(yes, I was thinking I could have written this one!). The title may sound illegal, but I assure you it's not.  We all get ideas from one another and that's as it should be.  I found myself thinking this is a great book for entrepreneurs and would be good for my son to read.

Graduates In Wonderland by Pan & Kapelke-Dale

I literally picked this one up off the "New book" rack at the library.  It sounded good - the email messages and adventures of two friends their first two years after college graduation - but I wasn't impressed.  They basically partied in other countries and wondered about their future.

BOOKS IVE BEEN READING...

A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman

Love, love, love!  Recommended by my friend Hallie who I asked to teach a session on creative writing in special class at church.  The author shares how we all are artistic in all we do.  It's a beautiful read. I loved it so much I'd like to own it and read it again and again for inspiration. 

My Fat Dad by Dawn Lerman 

Enjoyed this easy read with recipes in every chapter!  I love hearing about families and the different dynamics in each one.  Also it reminded me I made a good choice not auditioning my son for a Broadway show.  It made me want to write down my memoirs of different family members and the recipes that I associate with each one!

Group Genius by Keith Sawyer

This business book caught my eye with the words "creative" and "collaboration."  An interesting read about how different companies solved problems and created new products by using communication and collaboration.  I especially loved the chapter on brainstorming! Thanks MB!

Praying in Color by Sybil MacBeth

This was a good read for my creative Bible class.  Recommended by my minister, it shows a new way to pray in a creative way.  Loved it and will probably use some of these ideas!

LATEST READS...

Loved this one!  The true story of Emma Gatewood.  She was the first woman to ever walk the Appalachian Trail - way back in 1957, when it wasn't even a "thing" to try to walk the whole trail!  She reminds me of Jesus; went on faith, not carrying much, not even a sleeping bag.  She relied on the kindness of strangers and wasn't afraid to ask if she could sleep on their porches, etc.  Pretty amazing story!

Habits.  We all have them, some good and some bad.  This book helps you examine yourself and where you fit in the "four tendencies."  Some people have success totally abstaining from a bad habit and others do not.  I found this really interesting and even if I still have some bad habits, at least I have a few more ideas now about how to go about trying a new method for breaking them!

This one I had to read since a friend said it was one of his favorites.  A fictional, funny, coming-of-age story, I found myself drawn into it, wanting to know more about Owen and his strange ways.  It has a lot of religious references and Owen seems to have a special connection with God.  Pretty different kind of read for me.  I think I would like to read some more by this author!

Just a fun read - a fictional story of three friends brought together by a death.  As they unravel the mystery of their mutual friend, they support each other through the ups and downs of their dating relationships, caring for elderly relatives and dealing with adult children.  Despite the title, it's a clean read!