End of Spring and All of Summer Reads!

Summer is over and Fall is beautifully making its way to the midwest! Here are reviews of the other six books I read over the spring and summer, as promised in my last blog post.  I hope you find some fun reads to add to your Fall reading!  I am about 2 books into my fall books and would love to know what you are reading as I make my choices for fall and winter!!

Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning

Brennen Manning is by far my husband’s favorite author and because of that I have read everything I can get my hands on by Manning. His words speak straight to my husband’s soul and so I want to know ALL THE THINGS. This book, however was somehow one I missed. I thought I had read the books, watched the films, all things Brennen, covered, check. I’m going to be honest here and say I would not have read this book had it not been required reading for our HVG staff.  BUT had I not, I would have VERY MUCH MISSED OUT.  We read through this in a space of our life that was crazy busy and not very consistent. So reading this was a challenge becauese I wanted to give it my entire head space but often only opened the book with 1/3 of my brain J. In true Manning fashion, all his writing requires is for you to take a deep breath, open your heart and read. He does all the work with his provocative question asking and prolific stories. I have so much to say about this book, but if you cant find a copy (its not easy to get a hold of sometimes) than pick up anything by Brennen Manning and be challenged and encouraged.

You Are Free by Rabecka Lyons

Rebecka Lyons does it again! You are Free beautifully and vulnerably stories through Lyons quest towards freedom, specifically freedom given to her by God. Her previous book, Free Fall to Fly, stories your battle with anxiety so profoundly and openly that it aided so many to a freedom in that area.  You Are Free opens up the idea of freedom beyond the area of anxiety to all the areas of your life. She speaks to the rat race of feeling like you need to meet every one's expectations and gives you tools to know how to throw off self doubt and condemnation. At the end of each chapter she gives easy to work through questions to help you along the journey.

Hands Free Life by Rachel Macy Stafford

Rachel Macy Stafford, New York Times Best Seller and blogger, know to many as The Hands Free Mama, wrote this book with a desire to encourage people to put down all the distractions and see the people right in front of them. Stafford gives 9 intentional habits to help you live, love, connect, and dream at a richer level. Hands Free Life is easy to read and full of helpful, practical advice.  Stafford shares stories of how she has applied each of the 9 habits, making it easy to connect with her suggestions.

Braving The Wilderness By Brene Brown

Y'all. Stop reading this right now and click on the link and buy this book! Or run out to the book store and grab it! The message in this book is so important to the cultural climate, especially in America, today. Brene Brown, a research professor in Social Science, urges connectedness and belonging, both to yourself and to others. She shows us the cultural effects of our individualization and the shame responses we have that result in a lack of belonging. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 are crucial concepts for us to learn as we navigate this modern world. The chapter titles tell it all :: Chapter 4::  People Are Hard To Hate Up Close. Move In. Chapter 5:: Speak Truth to Bullshit. Be Civil.  Chapter 6:: Hold Hands. With Strangers.  Brown encourages us to get to know people who do not think like us and shows the negative cultural implications of surrounding ourselves with only like minded humans. I can not stress enough how helpful and encouraging this work is. I highly recommend you add it to your reading list...soon!

Of Mess and Moxie by Jen Hatmaker

If you are looking for a fun book that makes your feel like you are talking to your best friend, this is your jam! Jen Hatmaker is HILARIOUS as always, but in her brilliant way, makes you think hard about the how's and why's of life. This book is full of camaraderie and encouragement. She tells stories that make you laugh until your side hurts and cry the ugly cry. We got the audio of this book to listen to on our long haul across the US because my husband loves listening to and reading Jen's writings just as much as I do. This book guided us into wonderful conversations. Jen helped us look at our life and be tremendously grateful for our friends and loved ones. She helped us have courage for hard things, chuckle at things that were hard that shouldn't have been, and grapple with some cultural issues. ALL IN ONE BOOK. You will love this book. Get it and enjoy it with some friends!

All The Pretty Things by Eddie Wadsworth

This autobiographical account of Eddie Wadsworth’s life growing up as the child of a broken home, finding herself in situations almost unbearable to hear, is a must read. A fantastic story teller, Wadsworth helps you see into her life growing up in between an acholic father who lived with family in a trailer park and a single mother who was doing her best to get her kids out of the life they had and into a better one.  The author does an fantastic job of taking you along on her upbringing and writes in a way that helps you see and feel the things of her childhood. Her journey to finding God and growing into adulthood will pull you in and by the end you will feel as if you are longtime friends. This resilient child became a tenatious adult who loves the Lord and is trying with all her might to see All The Pretty Things.

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Winter and Spring Reads (catching up on reviews!)

This entire post was written in the note section on my phone or on my laptop in the car. 

Crazy. 

I'm sure this is a common practice for some bloggers, but not this one. 

No way.

Typing this post, book by book, on my phone or in between cities on road-trips is just a small representation of how crazy this year has been for us. 

Crazy in the best way!

We relocated, got a new home, new city and so many new & old friends. I've been back and forth to Kenya twice and Uganda once, traveled domestically for HVG & leading worship, finished homeschooling 7th & 4th grade, packed up and headed to Scott River Lodge to serve for the summer. We have loved our summer crew and hate to see the season come to a close! July was the busiest of times for us. A wedding, leading 2 weeks of marriage retreats, Houston Project, Kenya, all while shepherding our SRL Summer Crew.  

CrAy. Fun. But CrAy.

That said 2017 has held some sweet reading but little time to document. I hope these little reviews are helpful and you find some great reads to add to your wish list!

Surprised By Scripture by NT Wright 

I started 2017 reading this book with a little texting book club. (friends who don't live around each other but want to read the same books! It's fun!) I had already read quite a bit of NT Wright's works but jumped right on in with my friends knowing this book was a compilation of essays he had written on different subjects. If you don't know that ahead of time, you may find this book repetitive so understanding Wright's purpose and that each chapter is "stand alone" really helps the reader engage in each subject. He covers topics that cover a wide array of contemporary subjects and, like he so often does, Wrights brings in literary & sociological history to support Biblical ideas.  This book is a good “group” book as its subjects are ones that don’t have to be read together.  It also makes for a great reference on contemporary topics such as Christian involvement in politics, women in ministry, evolution, Christian's need to be involved in environmental movements, etc.

Present Over Perfect By Shauna Niequist

I can not say enough about this book.  This is a wonderful bedside table book but also a morning encouragement book. You will breeze through these pages as if you were talking to a friend who loved you deeply enough to speak into some of the harder parts of life. Shauna is gracious and kind as she shares from her own experiences of being a friend, a mom, a wife, and an adult child of parents in ministry. I took so many life lessons from this book as if I was learning from a mentor just a few years ahead of me in life (although I think I’m probably older than her! ha!).  I recommend this book to anyone in the daily grind of life who needs to relinquish some anxiety over being perfect. I actually put off reading this book because the title made me think I probably need the opposite book, HA! (I struggle with being too present that ALL THE THINGS get dropped! Eeee!) But boy am I glad I picked it up!  I needed it more than I ever could have known. 

The Artisan Soul by Erwin McManus

I wanted to start this review by saying, “this one is for the artists in your life.”  But that would have been a gross understatement.  In this book Erwin McManus outlines for us, with great passion, in true McManus form, the Biblical ideas of artistry.  He pleads with the reader to find the artist inside of you. He contends that we are all created in the image of God, the true & purest artist, so deep within all of us, we have the desire to create. Art takes on so many forms and in this book Erwin allows you the freedom to search your soul for creativity.  While this book breathes life into all the “creatives” out there, I believe this book could make a huge impact lives from all spheres of society.

She Reads Truth by Rachel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams

I have been deeply impacted by the ministry of She Reads Truth, so when I heard the co-founders wrote a book together, I was in the pre-order line!  Staying true to there heart to get Scriptures into the hands and hearts of women (and now men!) around the world, this book is full of Truth.  The authors take turns chapter by chapter telling stories from their lives, testifying to the reader of how God was near to them in good times and bad and that the Word of God is alive and active and helpful for encouragement and correction. This book was like a drink of water, refreshment to the soul.  Filled full with Scripture, you will be so deeply encouraged by this book and the testimonies in it.

Nothing to Prove  by Jennie Allen

This is one of those books that by watching friend after friend be deeply impacted by it, I decided to pick it up. I have read all of Jennie Allen’s previous books and have really enjoyed and recommend each one. Nothing to Prove sits right up there with all of the others! This book is fitted with wonderful questions at the end of each chapter that don’t let you move on from the thoughts you just read. Jennie stops you in your tracks and helps aid true change in your heart and mind, reminding you that you are loved by God and you can be you. I recommend this book for book clubs, bible study-like small groups and the like. Her questions and insights are worth discussing and have the potential to be life giving and life changing. 

The Story of God Story of Us by Sean Gladding

What an incredible book! Vernon read this to our family out loud each morning to begin our day.  I had read parts of it before but going through it all together as a family was a delight.  This book takes the entire story of Scripture and puts it in a beautiful narrative as if you were sitting around a campfire among exiled Israel. This book brings clarity to the story of the Bible to all ages. We recommend it to all people. It is helpful to those who grew up hearing all of the stories but are unsure how it all fits, as well as it is helpful to those who have never heard the good news of Scripture. And boy is it beautifully written, easy to read and even easier to listen to.

Happy Reading, y'all! 

Thanks for stopping by!