Happy July, Friends! Where does the time even go? Last month I was able to read 4 — well, almost 5 — books to review, and as always, I’m excited to share them with you. I am such a firm believer of taking time to read. At least for me, it’s one of my stress relievers, and something I have to do for self-care. I know there are many out there who feel the same! 🙂 Enjoy my reviews, and as always, feel free to drop me an recs below or follow me on Goodreads!
*The Wild Woman’s Guide to Traveling the World by Kristin Rockaway
Synopsis: Objectively, Sophie is a success: she’s got a coveted job at a top consulting firm, a Manhattan apartment, and a passport full of stamps. It isn’t quite what she dreamed of when she was a teenager dog-earing pages in exotic travel guides, but it’s secure. Then her best friend bails just hours after they arrive in Hong Kong for a girls’ trip, and Sophie falls for Carson, a free spirited, globetrotting American artist. He begs her to join him on his haphazard journey, but she chooses responsibility and her five-year plan. Back in New York, that plan feels less and less appealing. As Sophie recalls the dreams she’s suppressed, the brief international jaunts she sneaks in between business trips no longer feel like enough. Carson isn’t ready to let her go either, but as they try to figure out their relationship, Sophie realizes she may have to pursue her passions with or without him.
This was a fun, quick read. It’s not my usual go-to genre by any means, and it wasn’t the best book ever, but I’m glad I read it.
3 stars.
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Synopsis: Sterling is an ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens–until the day its complacency is shattered by an act of violence. Josie Cormier, the daughter of the judge sitting on the case, should be the state’s best witness, but she can’t remember what happened before her very own eyes–or can she? As the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show–destroying the closest of friendships and families. Nineteen Minutes asks what it means to be different in our society, who has the right to judge someone else, and whether anyone is ever really who they seem to be.
This was the second Jodi Picoult book I ever read (the first was The Pact — and oddly enough they are my two favorites of hers), and I first read it back in 2008. I believe this was my 4th time reading it, and again, I loved it. The topic of adolescents and school shootings is fascinating to me, especially ever since I took a full class devoted to adolescent development in college. We actually discussed this book a bit during our final unit, as we studied the Thurston High School shooting. But not only that, Nineteen Minutes really delves into the topics of bullying and fitting in, which is so relevant to the world right now. And as always, Jodi Picoult offers a twist ending that you won’t see coming. I can’t say enough good things about this book — I highly recommend it.
5 stars.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Synopsis: Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books.
This was my second time reading this book and just as before, I had such a hard time with it. The premise is fascinating. I love dystopian-type books in all forms, but I just cannot get past the writing style. I just can’t.
3 stars.
*Put the Disciple into Discipline by Erin MacPherson and Ellen Schuknect
Synopsis: How do you respond when your three-year-old is throwing pennies at other carts as you walk through the aisles at Target? Or when your eight-year-old daughter rolls her eyes in a dramatic fit of preteen angst? Or when your sixteen-year-old son is lying as he attempts to go somewhere that he never should be? These are the tough moments in parenting. But they are also the moments that will define your kids. We want to give parents the tools they need to truly disciple their kids through their most trying discipline situations. With these tools, parents can guide their kids’ hearts towards the God who loves them deeply, and survive those pull-out-your-hair parenting moments. We pray that PUT THE DISCIPLE INTO DISCIPLINE will help parents to connect with their kids in a heartfelt way so that their kids, in turn, can connect with the God who created them to be truly and imperfectly His.
I really enjoyed this book. It dives into different areas of parenting, while giving you the tools to really connect with your child, and disciplining with their well-being and building their own testimony of Christ in mind. I know it’s one I’ll be re-reading as my kids get older. If you’re a Christian parent wanting some helpful tips to rear your children so they are independent, resourceful, and have their own deep testimony, I would definitely recommend it.
5 stars.
I also received A Roundabout Way to Heaven by Katie Hubbard to review, but apparently I received a mis-print because the formatting was off, and it ended abruptly after 269 pages, during the climax! I was super bummed, because it was a pretty compelling story, if not the best ever. Ah, well.
Currently Reading: The Heirs by Susan Rieger.
On My Bookshelf: Flood by Melissa Scholes Young and Remarkable Faith by Shauna Letellier.
*I received free product from FaithWords in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
