Recent Reading List

I have been doing a good bit of reading lately, and I thought I would share some of my recent reads with you.

I have to start with The Hunger Games series.  I have seriously had my nose in a book for a week now as I devoured all three of the books as fast as I could while doing everything else that I need to do during the day -- work, take care of the kids -- you know the drill.  I am not sure why it took me so long to read these books, but I am glad that all three were out when I decided to pick up the first one so I didn't have to wait between books.  And the movie comes out Friday!!!

Dreams of Joy: This is the sequel to Shanghai Girls and is one of our Reading Club books this year.  One thing I love about Reading Club is that I pick up books that I probably would not have otherwise read, and this is one of those.  

Cutting for Stone: This is another Reading Club book, and one of the complaints among the ladies has been that there is too much medical jargon in the book.  While it is true that there is a lot, I didn't mind it at all and thought for the most part it added to the story -- some of it probably could have been left out, though.  

I've Got Your Number: I love Sophie Kinsella for quick, light reads (most of the time), and this book did not disappoint.  I read it in a day or so.  Very cute.

The Invisible Wall: Pretty good but way too long and dragged out. 

The Paris Wife: WHY did she put up with Ernest Hemingway?  This book makes marriage look so depressing...

A Bride in the Bargain: Deeanne Gist is another author whose books I will read for a light, fun read.  She is a Christian author, and I happened on one of her books in K-Mart, of all places, when I was looking through the paperbacks a couple of years ago.  Since then I have read several of her books, and they have all been good. 

Any good books I am missing out on?

Bible Studies

Last year I was dealing with our move and getting used to a new area, and I never got to join a Bible study.  I have to say I felt a bit lost after being used to being in some sort of Bible study for years.  I knew there was one going on around here, but I also knew it was too late to join -- it was a Beth Moore study, and the group was too far into the study for me to jump in.  I told some girls to keep me in mind when they started a new one.  Unfortunately, they started a new one during packing season, and I didn't get to do that one, either.


However, lucky for me, there is finally one I can do!  

It is A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place, and it is another Beth Moore study.  I absolutely love Beth Moore Bible studies, and if you have never done one, I highly recommend them.  She is hilarious and fun and brings the Word in a way that makes you want to shout and cry and laugh all at the same time.  I am really enjoying it -- even the homework part, which is really saying something for my usual procrastinating self! (Oh, I hope my kids don't inherit that trait!)


I am also doing a small group book club/Bible study on this book:

The Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ's Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children by Sally Clarkson.  So far we have only gotten the introduction done, but I am excited about this book if it is as good as I think it will be after reading the intro.  I don't know about you, but I could definitely use some step by step guidance in following Christ's example -- sometimes it is more likely that I exemplify the devil than Jesus in my parenting skills.  Not pretty, I tell you -- especially when it comes to homework!  Thank God for grace!


Anyway, I am really excited about adding these studies to my normal Bible reading.  It is nice to have some time to go study the Bible with others, and I really missed that last year and realized just how nice it is because I didn't have it.  I will keep you posted on how these go!

Recent Reads

My Reading Club is starting up on Tuesday, and that got me thinking about all of the books that I read over the summer.  I feel like I am leaving some out, but this is all I can think of right now:

I am a new member of Reading Club, and evidently we always choose a classic to read over the summer.  Cold Sassy Tree was the pick for this summer, even though it was only written in 1984.  I thought it was a great book, but it took me a while to get through it because of the way the characters talk.


Night Road is the third Kristin Hannah book that I have read, and I have enjoyed them all.  It isn't the lightest read, and if you read the jacket you know what terrible thing is going to happen, but it is a good book with a good ending.


Her Daugher's Dream was the sequel to Her Mother's Hope, and both books were good but very frustrating at times.  I wanted to reach through the book and shake these women so often!


Bossypants had a ton of hilarious, laugh-out-loud funny parts.  That being said, to say that I disagree with some things Tina Fey thinks would be an understatement.


I also read Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews, but my internet is now not cooperating for me to get a pic.  I love Mary Kay Andrews for a good beach read, and this was another great one.  A couple of her books have felt like they have been churned out quickly, but this was not one of those -- I thought it was great!


I would recommend any of the above books if you are looking for something to read!


I have also been listening to a ton of books on cd to try to make my commute seem a bit shorter -- and, boy, does it work!  Some I have listened to recently are Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin, The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks,  and Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich.


I am always looking for something to read (or listen to!), so if y'all have any good suggestions, please let me know!

Praise the Lord, It's Friday!!!!

Wow, we are only one half-week into school, and I am exhausted. So, today, I just have some random thoughts...

:: Have you read and/or seen The Help yet? Both are really good, so if you haven't done either, read the book, and then go see the movie!

:: 5:45 a.m. comes really early for a non-morning person like me. That is what time I have been waking up these past three school mornings. Ugh. It is especially early when the dang dog has been barking outside our window all night. Sometimes I want to shoot that dog.

:: Our friends Jen and Mark come to visit this weekend! I haven't seen them since I went to New Orleans for Jen's 30th birthday last November -- and now Jen has a baby bump! I can't wait!

:: I know people are really crazy about their coffee, so I might step on some toes here -- I mentioned before that I had made PW's Iced Coffee, and that it is delish. Well, I went to Starbucks while the kids and I were out getting some school shopping done the other day, and I got an iced latte. I don't get to Starbucks much because we don't have one around here, but I have to say that my iced coffee (okaaaaayyyy, PW's iced coffee) that I make at home blew theirs out of the water. Seriously.

:: Listen, don't come messin' around our house at night, trying to get into our stuff...we are armed and dangerous, even in our sleep:

(obviously this is just a toy gun...)

Okay, have a happy weekend!!!