Tuesday's Top Ten Plus Ten [Life Changing Books]

Melany and I's topic this week focuses on a topic we are both extremely interested in: BOOKS!

These are the books that have made the most impact on my life, which you've probably heard me talk about them many times before:

1. BIBLE (particularly the books Job, Romans, and Titus) I've been talking about these 3 books in my 40 Day Challenge... I can't even begin to tell you how God has opened my eyes to His Word and the impact it's had on my life.
2. A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent
3. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
4. Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman
5. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers - Since I don't have a review on this book I'll just share a little blurb: it's one of the best love stories I've ever read. Francine wrote it as a parallel to the Bible book Hosea and it will rip your heart out. The main character, Matthew, marries a whore and despite all the times she hurts him, he keeps going after her. The way it ends... Oh My... It's definitely worth reading and rereading. It puts our relationship with God in such an amazing perspective - he keeps drawing us to him, even though we forsake him time and time again.
6. Fearlessly Feminine by Jani Ortlund 
7. The Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennet - This book has transformed my prayer life. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, you'll see a portion of one of my favorite prayers. Also, I briefly wrote about another portion of a prayer here.
8. A Marriage After God's Own Heart by David Clarke - Kyle and I read this book after we got engaged and while we went through pre-marital counseling. It transformed our relationship, pointing it directly to Christ and how to keep HIM as our central focus. This book, along with For Women Only/For Men Only, are staple wedding gifts from Kyle and I.
9. Gentle Passages: Guiding Your Daughter into Womanhood by Robin Jones Gunn
10. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Plus 1. The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks is one of those must read romance novels about Noah and Ally's daughter, who's been married for at least 20 years and her marriage is failing. This is the story about how her husband's efforts to fix it (with the direction/help of Noah of course). I loved this story, and it's such an encouraging one to never give up. 

JUST can't help myself: Eve's Daughters by Lynn Austin is another incredible read about how one woman's decision to get a divorce affects generations after her.

I had to laugh because I easily listed 7 and after that I struggled. After adding #8, the books that changed my life kept rolling... I think this could be an endless list! But I'd say this is an excellent start. I HIGHLY recommend any book on this list.

Don't forget to check out Melany's most inspiring, life changing books.

Tuesday's Top Ten Plus Ten [Favorite Book Characters]

Melany and I share a love for books and I have a feeling there might be some similarities in our list today (as usual) so after checking out my favorite book characters, head on over to Melany's!

1. Ares in Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Ares is the bat that bonds to the main character Gregor. I love Ares because he is a loner (considered strange and a rule breaker by everyone else) but he has a gentle spirit and is intensely loyal, but horrible things keep happening to him.

2. Forney Hull in Billie Lett's Where the Heart Is. He's devoted, smart, a little weird and easy to fall in love with....

3. Zane in the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield. Why do I always fall in love with the characters that the authors destroy in some way?! My heart is aching a tad. It's a good thing it's a fictional story! Back to Zane: I'm finding there's one underlying theme in the characters I like: loyalty. Not only is Zane loyal, but he is sensible, and he's a leader.

4. It's a toss up between Janet Evanovich's Grandma Mazur and Lulu in her Stephanie Plum Series.   They.are.hilarious. I don't know how Janet Evanvich came up with these crazy characters, but they make they make the books worth reading and giggling over time and time again. Speaking of giggling... Diesel also makes me laugh hysterically. He has this weird way of magically appearing out of nowhere. Plus he has a monkey as a pet. Oh and then there's Walter "Moon-Man" Dunphy who's one hilarious dude. P.S. I'm also rooting for Ranger. If Janet is smart, we'll never find out who Stephanie picks. (Sigh.)

5. The tree in The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Despite the selfishness of the character she loves, who barely offers anything in return, she gives and gives until there's nothing left. The only one I know who possess selflessness like that is Jesus Christ, who gave His own life for those He loved. Shel Silverstein may not have written it with that connection in mind, but I couldn't help myself. This book offers parents a great illustration to teach selflessness!

6. Sodapop in S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Not just because he's handsome (especially Rob Lowe who played him in the movie) but because he is goofy, laid back and every one liked being around him.

7. Betsie Ten Boom. Although she is a real person, I "met" her in her sister Corrie Ten Boom's book The Hiding Place. Corrie described Betsie's prayer life as undistinguishable from her day to day talk. She faithfully served others in Christ's name and it cost her her life. I admire her to the utmost degree.

8. Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I like his spunk and his honesty.

9. Elihu in the book of Job, who had the courage to rebuke Job and his friends and tell them that in the midst of trials and tribulations, no matter what, "... stop and consider the wondrous works of God." (Job 37:14)

10. The Woman who washed Jesus' feet. Oh, I wish I knew her name. I wrote a detailed description on why she's one of my favorite Bible characters a while back, check it out. Basically, that could've been me. The one who people gossiped about because of my sin. She humbled herself and asked for forgiveness with such an intimate form of servitude, while trying to ignore the whispers. I admire that. 

How I Got my 18 Month Old Interested in Books

Apparently reading requires a safety helmet. ;)

We established a reading routine. We read many books immediately after breakfast every morning. We also read books before her nap and before she goes to bed. This was something we did from day 1, she was teeny-tiny but we read to her anyway, pointing out pictures, ooooo-ing and awwwww-ing, interacting with the book. 

3 months old

The mentality, "She's too young for this!" never entered into our mind. Do not underestimate the power of reading to your child early. If you're enthusiastic about reading, your child will follow suit. (My little Bean is living proof!) I was surprised how early we saw results.

When she brings me a book I stop whatever I'm doing to read it to her, even if it's for the 100th time that day. Reading will always be a top priority in this home. (I think the stupid book Baby Feels has the record for "read most often" in this house.) Yes, there are many moments I have to do a mental attitude check because, quite frankly, I don't want to do it. But it's the one thing I make a priority even on a day full of things to do. There are moments, however, I lay the book aside and say, "Let me finish _____ and then I'll read with you."

There's a reading nook in her room. Before she received an overstuffed Minnie Mouse chair for Christmas, she LOVED having a blow up turtle as her little seat. Cute. Giving her a place to enjoy books was the best thing we could've done.

After our breakfast reading time I give her the books we read together while I read a book of my own. I love this because I can read my book of choice! It's so cute to be reading on the couch next to my daughter as she jibber-jabbers about the book in her hand. Sometimes I'll hear a word mixed into the jabber, like "cookie" in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie or "out" in Itsy Bitsy Spider or "appy" (happy) in If You're Happy and You Know It. On the weekends Daddy joins us. Showing enthusiasm for reading in your own life will be contagious. Parents are the biggest influence even with things like this!

We attend the story hour every Wednesday at the Library. She's still learning to sit still and listen, but it's a change of scenery with other kids with someone else reading to her including play time and a craft. Afterwards I always pick out new books to take home while she plays.

I pick out books with specific words she already knows or with things she's showing interest. Right now she's obsessed with roosters, which she calls "do's" (cock-a-doodle-doo) so I find as many books as I can with roosters. She also enjoys farm animals and songs! She LOVES Iza Trapani's song books for classics like I'm a Little Teapot and Itsy Bitsy Spider.

I put interactive books on my phone and iPad. What's not to love about this? Playtales is a fun app and so is any FisherPrice book. This is perfect entertainment while traveling or while I am busy making dinner.

When I bring a little bag of things to do, the majority of the items in it are books. This bag of goodies is pulled out at restaurants, the vehicle, a friends house, &etc. It's always fun to pull out the bag and let her sort through it. Sometimes a friend will join her.

She's 6 months old in this picture with our friend Kirk.

We limit screen time to less than an hour a day. Sitting in front of the iPad (even with interactive books) or TV (even educational shows) limits creativity and imagination. We put together puzzles, play with blocks, read books, go to the park, (whatever) and she also has plenty of time to play and read independently. I'm always pleasantly surprised how often she picks reading during these times.

My 12 month old with a trail of books. 

My first job as a teacher was 7th and 8th grade reading and I also taught struggling high school readers as well. The struggling readers were usually the students who's parents ignored the importance of reading to their child from the start. They didn't have memories of reading with an adult. They didn't have parents who gave a lick about reading themselves or set aside a specific family reading time. Reading was never a priority in the home. If I were to make any suggestion that'd be it: make reading a priority. There are SO MANY ways to do that.

There are many sources I'd recommend for parents but this book is by far the best I've seen:

Check out her blog full of wonderful ideas for teachers and parents alike: http://planetesme.blogspot.com

The Hunger Games Trilogy [Book vs. Movie]

If you haven't read the books or watched the movie, this will be confusing....

I'm only going to talk about one piece that I disliked about the movie: how they incorporated the Mockingjay. If you read the book and the significance Suzanne Collins places on how Katniess received this pin as her token in the Hunger Games the movie will tick ya off. The movie makes it casual and virtually meaningless: Katniss trades for it in the Hobb and gives it to her sister, who (when saying good-bye) gives it back to Katniss. That's it. When you dive into the trilogy, which is focused around this idea of the Mockingjay, I'm surprised it was changed!

Let me explain: when Katniss volunteers in place of her sister for the Hunger Games her friend Madge gives her this pin of a Mockingjay when she tells her good-bye. The bird itself basically shows defiance against the Capitol! Here's why: the authorities created a bird called the Jabberjay to replicate conversations had between Panem residents and relay them back to officials. Once rebels realized how the Capitol heard their conversations they used the Jabberjays against them, giving false information. So the Capitol released the birds into the wild thinking they'd die off. However, they mated with the Mockingbird creating an entirely new species: the Mockingjay, who simply repeated beautiful melodies. Despite the Capitol abandoning them, they've survived against all odds! When Madge gives Katniss this pin of a Mockingjay she explains it was her aunts. You don't understand why this is such a big deal until the second book. You see, the aunt's name was Maysilee who was in the Hunger Games with Haymitch and did not survive. This family heirloom was extremely significant from many different perspectives: Greasy Sae, Haymitch, and most importantly, her mother. Maysilee and Katniss' mom were best friends. There were so many connections missed when the filmmakers left Madge out of the story. Just this one piece nearly ruins the movie for me.

If you haven't read the books I highly recommend you do, obviously I don't feel the same about the movies. (Haha, I rarely do when there's a book/movie combination!)

My Goodreads review:

The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After watching Catching Fire I decided to reread the books. Over the course of a this week I finished this trilogy feeling somber and dispirited. I give Suzanne Collins credit! She knows how to suck you in, forcing her readers to feel what the character feels. It's more than empathy or appreciation; I feel like my head's in a cloud and that the connection I felt to each character helped me understand the roller coaster of emotions they faced as each event unfolded.

She writes about more than a love story, more than political drama, more than death, war, and action. She quite literally gives voice to those affected by the aftermath of surviving warfare. Her book reminded me of Ishmael Beah's true story as a boy soldier, 'A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier'. Not because Ishmael's story was about surviving the Hunger Games, but because Ishmael was forced to witness horrific events, perform horrific acts, and kill in horrific ways. It affected him in much the same way Suzanne describes Katniss' broken character. Now I want to go back and read Ishmael's book and compare Suzanne's studies on the effects of war and violence on those coming of age to his true story. I'm almost positive Suzanne is dead on.

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If you're interested in more information on Ishmael's book, visit his website: http://www.alongwaygone.com. 

"Fearlessly Feminine" by Jani Ortlund [Book Review]

Fearlessly Feminine by Jani Ortlund
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"God made you a woman. He delights in your womanhood. Bask in the certainty that your femininity is beautiful to God. That which makes you different from the men in this world is a God-given gift, precious in His sight. Women have already proven that they can go wherever men go: space, politics, war, the boardroom. Use your femininity to go where men cannot go. Where is it that God is calling you to be fearlessly feminine?" (p.203) This question is one that Jani forces you to answer throughout her book.

She is forthright and the truths she writes are absolutely convicting. She tackles the issues we face in today's society and challenges women to take hold of the gift God has given us as women. Jani argues that femininity is "tested" in our day-to-day living and as a result we must make "a daily choice to trust God completely.

She encourages women to not "let the evil of our popular culture dirty our souls with its filth" or "to fritter our time away on materialistic pursuits and silly entertainments" or "to give our husbands and children and homes a back row seat while we strive to maintain a center stage image" and finally to never, ever forget that "heaven is real and our choices now have eternal consequences." All of those pieces are covered in her book (and more)! I am beyond thankful I read it and truly believe this book played a huge role in my growth as a follower of Christ, a woman, a wife, a mother, and a teacher.

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The Greatest Love Story Ever Written

There is a man who's existence was so crucial to history that a dating system was adopted to revolve around his birth and his death. Everyone knows His name. In fact, it is so well known that He is either loved or hated, but He is not ignored. Everyone is familiar with His symbol of love. Not everyone, however, is familiar with His life or His ministry. On "Love Day" I can't help but reflect on this love story because the reason for His death is the greatest love story ever written.

This man is perfect. He is radiant. His Word is powerful. He is majestic, but he had no form or majesty or beauty that we should desire to look at Him. He is a man who knows sorrow and grief and temptation, and is the perfect example of how to persevere, how to endure, how to remain gracious, how to serve. His conduct we long to mimic because He is kind, compassionate, and loving.

And when you open your heart to this man a new understanding of freedom and love and life is breathed into your soul. He holds the greatest love story in the palm of His hand. Oh, those hands! I cannot wait to hold those hands!

For those hands bare the scars of How far He was willing to go for those He loved. Let me tell you how far He went...

We deserve to die. We deserve to spend eternity in hell. Each and every single one of us. There is not one person on the face of the planet who deserves anything else. We are liars. We are gossips. We hate. We envy. We are prideful and arrogant. We are foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless, and we justify every wrong with a friend by our side.

We deserve to die. We fall short of this man's perfection. We will never fully grasp His loving kindness, because it is infinite. 

Even though He knew how sinful we'd become. Even though He knew we'd reject Him. Despise Him. Want nothing to do with Him. He became sin on our behalf. He took God's wrath that we deserve and He died for us.

It wasn't a quick death. It wasn't a pain free death. It was humiliating and excruciating. He was flogged so badly that He wasn't even recognizable as a human being!

And yet He endured till the end. Although He suffered greatly, although the punishment was undeserved, He did not curse. Derogatory words or thoughts or actions were not found in this man.

He laid down His life for those He loved so that those who believed in His life, His ministry, His Words could spend eternity with Him!

There is no greater love than this! Because of Him and His love, we have hope.

"The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett [Book Review]

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this way back when and watched the movie more times than I can count growing up. I love the story itself, I always have, always will. After finishing it this go-around, as a woman concrete in my theology as a Christian, I grimaced at the author's take on the Doxology in comparison to magic. It left an awful taste in my mouth, I love the story line without it. If I go into to much detail I would give away the story, but let me let me quote the Doxology to you... "Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen."

Beautiful song. EVERYONE Praise God in all circumstances: for your blessings and for your trials because He is sovereign and beyond our understanding.

How beautiful would this story be if she stuck to one concept: God's Sovereignty. God's sovereignty in Dickon's healing. God's sovereignty in his Father's life, his mother's death, for the change in attitude, and for the friends in his life. Rather, they sang the song not as praise to an almighty God and what He does in our life, but a "fitting" song to go along with Dickon's speech on magic and what "magic" did in his life. Bleh. Didn't like it. It seriously ruined it for me.

If she would've JUST talked about magic. Fine. (It's a fiction story for crying out loud!)

If she would've JUST talked about God's Sovereignty. AWESOME, even better!

But to take a hymn designed to express praise to a sovereign God and mix it with chanting about magic? Backwards and screwy. I JUST did NOT like it.

So I recommend the book as a GREAT story, but not one I could recommend to teach any valuable lessons on Christianity (which I didn't expect it to) but don't talk about magic mumbo jumbo and mix it in with a praise song for pete's sake. Christian parents: If you read this with your child, be prepared for this conversation!

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