I wrote a blog like this at the end of India, and just
wanted to share with you what I’ve been reading lately…in no particular order,
here they are:
Nepal:
The Last Song by Nicolas Sparks- not one of the
loftiest books ever, but it was a fun, quick read. I could tell the ending from
3 chapters in, but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless. We watched the movie
afterwards….you could definitely live your live without experiencing either
one!
Beauty and the Beast by Marie Le Prince de Beaumont-I
don’t think I even knew this was a book before I saw it on the “Free Kindle
Books” list. It’s very similar to the movie, though I never knew that Maurice
had other kids. And there was no singing, Chip, nor Angela Lansbury singing. A
nice, short read.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle- Very intriguing. Each chapter is a new case that Sherlock & Watson
take on, and all of them are quite interesting… you can never really tell how
he is able to solve it. I saw the movie recently before coming on the Race and
that inspired me choosing this one off the Free Kindle Books list. I would
recommend it.
The American Frugal Housewife by Lydia Maria Francis
Child- Also on the Free Book list. An interesting take on how to run your
household in the 1850s of America. Learned how to really stretch a dollar–will
probably come in handy one day!
Romania:
Caminul Felix Book- I don’t remember the title or the
author, but there was a book in the lodge we stayed in about Caminul Felix, how
it started, and how it has grown. It was great to read about what our ministry
had come from and who had the vision for it all. It started in the early 90’s
after the fall of communism exposed all of the orphans in Romania that the
world was not aware of. Great book, helped me to get into our ministry more
because I knew about the history and its future vision.
Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God,
Not Food by Lysa Terkeurst- When I found this on my Kindle, I had been
searching for a resource to help me with by weird food issues that had suddenly
appeared on the Race. I kept finding myself overeating, living in strange
attitudes like “I don’t know what, when, where, or how much I’ll be eating
again, so I might as eat as much as I can!”….and I knew I needed to get a grip
on things, especially with the much more caloric fare of Europe. Lysa had some
great points on how food has historically been an inssue of contention between
God and his people-Adam, Eve and the forbidden fruit (they chose food over
God), the Israelites grumbling about the manna after God delievered them from
Egypt, etc. I also did the free 21 day devotional that was available, and got
to change a lot of my disordered thinking about food. Some of her ideas seemed
a little far-fetched, but all in all I think women especially need to read this
book.
A Cook’s Tour by Anthony Bourdain- typical Anthony
book…a potty mouthed, intelligent way of describing the food and chefs of the
world. I found myself getting excited about places he mentioned, especially
Thailand and Malaysia. I hope I get to eat some interesting food!
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller- Kacie lent me this
book while I was sick during our last few days in Oradea. I read through it
pretty quickly, and was reminded why I’m secretly in love with Don. He’s so
honest and truly wants others to know about this God who loves him. Plus I’m a
fan of the random cartoons.
Moldova:
Devotions for Lent by Mosaic Bible- Found this on my
Kindle when I was looking for ways to make my Lent more meaningful this year.
There were readings for each week of the Lenten season, and I really enjoyed
learning more about The Passion and Resurrection. I’ll be re-reading this again
next year.
Bittersweet: thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the
Hard Way by Shauna Niequst- I started this book in India, but wanted to
savor it because I loved it so much. Her writings are so refreshingly honest,
and aren’t “preachy” at all…she simply uses her life experience to point out
different aspects of God and His grace. I’ll probably start to re-read it soon,
and make it last until the end of the Race.
Gray Matter by David Levy and Joel Kilpatrick-GREAT
BOOK!!! Dr. Levy was a neurosurgeon who heard the Lord calling him to pray for
his patients. He shares his initial fears and ultimate fruit that came from his
leap of faith, helping his patients heal and recover without even putting them
under. He helped to release bitterness and discover ways to deal with death,
dying, and the obstacles that life throws at us. You should read this, especially
if you are a Christian in the medical profession.
Divine by Karen Kingsbury- free book-a story about a
young mother that is trying to get out of an abusive relationship. She goes to
a woman’s shelter in DC where she meets the director, who happens to counsel
her personally. The book goes through both of these womens’ stories, the
tragedies and triumphs they experience and finding the Lord on the way.
Leota’s Garden by Francine Rivers- Free Kindle Book…
I usually like Francine Rivers, but this time she seemed to be “reaching” with
a lot of the storyline. A story of a girl who reconnects with her recluse
grandmother and a young, worldy man who falls in love with the girl when he is
doing community service for the elderly. A neat story of grace and forgiveness,
but not realistic at all. Or maybe I’m just cynical.
The Secret (Seasons of Grace) by Beverly Lewis- Yet
another free kindle Book (I’m a sucker for free, I know). I am slightly
obsessed with the Amish, and loved reading about all the traditions and way
they live their life. It had an interesting plotline, though a little confusing
at first. Apparently it is the first in a series, but I don’t think it’s worth
investing in. A fun read, though.
Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart- ‘nother free one. A
sappy love story in the mountains of Wyoming between a blind woman and a man
from her past. Cute, but wouldn’t recommend it.
Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson- Sorry to be blunt,
but this may be the worst book I have EVER read. It was a free book, and I
learned that you really get what you pay for! A cheesy Texan/Italian book version
of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” that drips with Christianese and highly
unrealistic situations. I should have stopped reading after the first chapter,
but I thought it would get better!! I may have enjoyed it if I was 13. Maybe.
Swaziland:
Julie & Julia by Julie Powell-Corine, our
contact, graciously let us borrow her books during our stay and I was SO
thankful for it. I had been wanting to read this book since the movie came out,
and enjoyed it as much as I thought I would. It’s more detailed than the movie,
but boy, does she enjoy using the f-word! I’d definitely recommend it if you
liked the movie.
Vignettes of the Congo by Shawn Lantz- Another book
that Corine let us borrow. An easy read, I read it in one evening. It
chronicles a 3 generations of a family that was called to the Congo. Fun to
read about “real” missionaries, but a little sad when they had a series of
unfortunate events happen in a row. Cool
stories of how God moved.
A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer- I read this on our
drive back from the safari. A book that truly shows the depravity of man and
how awful people can be. Such a sad story, but I am glad that these stories are
being told to make others aware of child abuse. I’m hoping to read the second
book, The Lost Boy, sometime soon.
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook; What
Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love, and Healing by Bruce
Perry and Maia Szalavitz- This book had me considering enduring 4 years of med
school and a psychiatry residency-Dr. Perry inspired me that much! He tells the
most heart-twrenching stories of kids dealing with troubled pasts, neglect, and
child abuse. The most interesting story of the book is how he chronicled his
work with kids rescued from the Branch Davidian compound in Waco. These kids
were so brainwashed-trained to use guns as soon as they could walk! I would
recommend this book to anyone: it teaches you about how we develop from infancy
and also makes you aware of the sad situations that children around the world
have to deal with.
That’s it! I’ve also been doing the Book of Common
Prayer/Bible combo each morning and have started doing the devotionals in Lord
I Want to Know You by Kay Arthur…we did this as our Sky Ranch Women’s Bible
study for Summer 2007, and I remember liking it a lot. It ended up in the “grab
pile” in Bucharest, so I’m doing it again! A great study to learn about all the
names of God and what they mean.
