Latest Reads

I have been meaning to post this blog entry since mid-last month so as to help all of those who have asked me about summer reads but I am just now getting around to writing the mini-reviews on them. {see previous post for why I started posting these reviews!} 

Here you go, in case anyone is still looking for some summer reading!

Everything Bitter Is Sweet by Sara Hagerty

Sara Hagerty pens an honest account of her deepest longings that seemingly are going unfulfilled. She shares stories from her life, specifically about their infertility and road toward adoption, where time and time again she has had to choose to see the goodness of God in the midst of pain and suffering.  Hagerty is a remarkable story teller. Her writing is poetic and beautiful.






The Pastor's Kid by Barnabas Piper
Barnabas Piper talks candidly about what it is like to grow up as a Pastor's Kid.  He tells stories of his struggle to find his own faith and identity as people in the congregation seemed to place upon him expectations that were unrealistic. Because of his father's teaching has a large reach these expectations followed him into college as well as his adult life.  Piper gives fantastic insight and advice for pastors and their wives on how to help shape & protect their kids. I think this book would be beneficial for youth leaders, close friends of pastor's families, as well as many congregants.

Nobody's Cuter Than You by Melanie Shankle 

This book had me laughing and crying and then calling all my best friends and telling them all the stories!  Melanie Shankle memoirs her life by letting you meet her best friends in all the different seasons of her life. As she tells the stories of how various friendships shaped her life, I found myself reflecting on my own life and the kind of friend I hope to be. This was a wonderful book, a page-turner. (and if you are into audio books, she actually reads her own book so you get to hear alot of her personality through it!)

Scary Close by Donald Miller
In Scary Close, Donald Miller recounts his realization of destructive relational patterns in his life and how he went about working through them. His openness about such personal things draws you in and in a sense offers healing to you, the reader, as well.  He tells the story of how he got help, what therapists, mentors and friends helped him through along the way. Through his telling, I found myself reflective on my own patterns, milling through the advice he received, and finding clarity on some aspects of my own life.  Miller is a renown story teller and this book is no different.  He tells a story so well that some how you can find yourself right in it.

From Tablet To Table by Leonard Sweet
This is a book about a subject that I love: the sacredness of the table. I could go on and on listing quotes and ideas he gives, but you should just pick it up and give it a read instead.  While this is not my favorite book on this topic, Sweet covers A LOT in a small, easy to read book.  I said a few times while I read this book, "He could write an entire book off of each chapter." So needless to say he just skims the surface of why the table is sacred.  This will wet your appetite to read other books on the subject for sure!

Everything Else by Brett Laxton
Laxton had me laughing so hard I snorted, on a plane, next to strangers...yep, that funny. I tried to keep reading this book the rest of the flight but I had all the poor people around me worried about my emotional health because next thing they knew I was bawling.  Everything Else is full of true, honest, heart warming & hilarious stories from Brett's life. A fantastic story teller, Laxton circles each chapter around in such a way that you can relate to your own life.  He shares about his families ups and their downs.  Laxton self published this book as it is his debut in writing.  I HIGHLY recommend you grab a copy and support this longtime friend. You won't regret it.