Erin W.–The Masterpiece
Cathy F.–Prodigal God
Rachel M.–One True Loves
Donna S.–The Glass Castle
Judy B.–The Nightingale
Dana H.–Hinds Feet on High Places
Annalee M.–Unbroken
I’ve been trying to get this going since January 1. You can see how long it’s taken. But…now it’s time for the annual book giveaway…this year in honor of my birthday! 🙂
This year, I let Lindsee, Darcee and Bethany pick the books, and I threw in one extra as a bonus. Below you’ll hear from them about why they picked the books they did. Have fun! And may the odds be ever in your favor!
To help keep track of everybody, you have to enter by signing up at this link. You have until midnight on Sunday night to enter. I’ll do the drawing Monday evening…just as soon as I’m done wrangling the Pre-K’ers!
Poor Cody had to listen to gush about this book on vacation…and I hadn’t even finished it yet. It’s a love story with a twist, something I would very rarely ever pick up, but am so glad that I did. To shorten the summary, a girl marries her high school sweetheart only to have him go missing. Years later, after said girl has totally changed her life, said sweetheart is found alive. I couldn’t read fast enough to figure out what was going to happen in the end. Not only is it an intriguing plot, the authors writing style has to be my favorite part. Sentence after sentence I would find myself just so impressed with how the author would explain or describe things. I’ve since read other books by her and she continues to impress me and reel me in, but One True Loves still remains my fav!
Where to begin! I had this book for years, never read it. Then received another copy in the mail and decided to give it a chance- and obviously, I am so glad that I did. It’s a memoir about a girls extremely crazy childhood. Jaw dropping stuff. Heart breaking experiences. And I was honestly hanging on to the authors every word. It was an eye opening book that reminded me how differently we are all brought up and how much our childhoods have the ability to shape us. It was a remarkable story that was extremely well told and well written.
The story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who enlisted in the military during WWII and was captured by the Japanese. Incredible read that kept me engaged, even though I am not typically into war stories. It also goes on to tell you about his life after the war and the way his faith changed his bitterness and anger into forgiveness for his captors.
One of my favorite books of all time! An allegory following a girl named “Much Afraid” on her journey following the Shepherd from the valley to the High Places. You see her go through deserts and storms and be transformed and given a new name. A beautiful picture of our spiritual journey.
About ten years ago I was on a staff retreat and was introduced to a book that “could be read in a day.” I never believe people when they say that (mainly because I don’t read books in one day), but that day we did an activity based on that book and I was both intrigued enough and challenged enough to go purchase it the minute I got home. The book was The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Tim Keller. Having been raised in the church and taught the story of The Prodigal Son no less than 346 times, the word “prodigal” always had a negative connotation to me. Until I read this book. (No, I didn’t read it a day, but I think I read it in two.) The definition of prodigal is, “spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.” We all know how that turns out for the prodigal son, but what if it really revealed God’s heart towards us? Tim Keller unpacks exactly that. It made me think of God’s love towards me in a totally different way. I don’t typically re-read books, but this one has so many truth bombs. I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone.
For years I was obsessed with reading fiction novels. And then one day led to the next and life got busy and I simply lost the habit, until about a year ago. It helps that I live with two people who can often be found with a book in their hands, so many recommendations have been from the two of them. Last spring, I watched as Bethany devoured The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah while simultaneously running to the bathroom to get tissues to wipe her nose from crying. I had it on my must-read list, but I knew I wanted to read it when I wouldn’t be distracted. Since I was headed to the beach early in the summer, it felt like the perfect read for the long car ride and days spent lounging on the beach. In one week, I finished the nearly 600 page book the minute we pulled into our driveway coming home from the beach, as tears shot out of my eyes. It. Was. So. Good. I never knew a book about WWII could captivate me like that, but it did. Kristin Hannah is brilliant as she weaves the story of two sisters together and their experiences of the war. In the words of an Amazon description, “this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation.” Yes, yes it has.
I haven’t read it. But it’s Francine Rivers. I’m tempted to keep this one for myself! (Can you enter your own giveaway?)
