I've read a lot of yearly book reviews lately so thought I would jump on board. Here's some of the highlights of what I've read this year- the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Same Kind of Different as Me by Denver Moore and Ron Hall. One of the best books I read this year. A true story about a woman who reached out and changed the life of a homeless man. Inspirational. I couldn't put it down and still think about it. Pushes the envelope of racism and stereotyping within the church, and shows the life changing power of the love of Jesus.
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin. Great novel- very touching! At first it was diffiult to get through some of the medical descriptions because I'm not into science whatsoever, but once the story got going I couldn't put it down. Wonderful!
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I really wanted to like this book. I expected to. It it very popular right now. I waited for it for two months from the library. Lo and behold, I did not like it! While I appreciated her general attitude of thankfulness, I had trouble getting past her shaky theology (usually that kind of stuff doesn't keep me from enjoying a book but it was hard to overlook in this one). I didn't like her style of writing and felt like it was a chore to finish a chapter. I never finished it. Oh well!
The Baby Book/Christian Parenting by Dr. William and Martha Sears- I'm not too big on following parenting methods- I really believe that each child is unique and has unique needs that don't fit a one-size-fits-all method. But I did want to read a parenting book or two anyway. I was pretty wary of some of the stuff out there but Dr. Sears stood out to me- his reputation in his medical career, family life, and church had an excellent history. I'm not an "attachment parenter" or anyting, and I don't believe his advice is the end-all-be-all, but some of it works for us. I like how he emphasizes finding your own parenting style based on each child and being flexible. For example, he is for co-sleeping only if it works for you and your family (and it is certainly is not for us). Most importantly he emphasizes learning and responding to your baby's cues and needs, not a set of rules to be followed like "do A and C and your child will be sleeping through the night by week X." His medical advice has also been very helpful.
Erasing Hell by Francis Chan- our small group read this book together and I loved it. Such a good read for people contemplating a touchy subject, and very convicting. The first few chapters were a little heavy on the theology, but the rest 2/3 of the book were outstanding. I applaud Francis Chan for not going along with what's popular but saying what is sometimes hard to say.
Bringing up Girls by Dr. James Dobson- Decided to read this after Sarah's review and recommendation. Really enjoyed it. It's not a light read, that's for sure, but it's full of great information on raising girls with values in today's culture.
I read When Crickets Cry too and completely forgot it in my post! Such a good story.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I haven't read all of Dr. Sears' book, but I did read some of it and I think I actually lean toward agreeing with his ideas more now than I did 2+ years ago when I first became a parent. But it annoys me that so many people label themselves as doing attachment parenting, without ever knowing what that really means. Instead of co-sleeping or babywearing or whatever because they think it's best for their baby and family, I see so many people do it just because others do it. But then they often fail to see how to prioritize the entire family, including the mother's needs, because they're so focused on holding the baby 24/7. I like the way Dr. Sears lays out how to find balance in those things, and I wish more people who have labeled themselves AP would actually read and consider what he says.
And now I will step down off my soap box.
I'm going to have to bookmark your blog or something because I forget how to find it! So glad to see you book recommendations because I like to know what others think about a book before I invest my money or time in it. I also LOVED Same Kind of Different as Me...couldn't put it down or stop crying at times! ~Natalie
ReplyDelete