Category Archives: What I’m Reading

Favorite Books of 2012

  By Rachel | January 14, 2013 - 1:46 am | What I'm Reading
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I have been putting this off because choosing my favorite books is so hard!

I love reading and spend time with a variety of genres and it is hard to compare those- but I will do my best to come up with my favorites from 2012 (in no particular order).

  1. The Outlander Series (so far)  by Diana Gabaldon
  2. The Pursuit of God  by  A.W. Tozer
  3. Rediscovering Holiness by J.I. Packer (bought this and am reading it again)
  4. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (gift from my Dad- I have almost read it twice)
  5. Sacred Parenting  by Gary Thomas
  6. Unplanned by Abby Johnson
  7. Darcy and Fitzwilliam: A Tale of a Gentleman and an Officer  by  Karen V. Wasylowski
  8. Waiting on God  by Andrew Murray
  9. Screwtape Letters  C.S. Lewis
  10. A Perfect Persecution  by James R. Lucas

(affiliate links if you click on images)

Rediscovering Holiness

  By Rachel | October 29, 2012 - 6:24 pm | What I'm Reading
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Rediscovering Holiness  

by: J.I. Packer

 

 

I chose to read this book because Ann Voskamp, who wrote One Thousand Gifts, cites it in her book.  I wanted to read more books that talked about living a thankful life in praise to God.

It is amazing how God has used this book to convict and inspire me in the past several weeks.

I love the way Packer writes.

He is organized and thoughtful in his writing; he cites countless Scriptures referring to each topic he covers, and his passion for God almost jumps off the page.

I am already certain that I will buy this book, for it is one that I will want to read again and refer to specific chapters over and over again.

I just finished his chapter on confession as an essential part of the Christian life.  He quotes many Christians from ages past- and I love how he weaves their stories and testimonies into his discussion of the essential habits that should be daily practiced by Christians seeking to live a holy and set apart life for God.

It begs the question: are we truly Christ followers if we are not daily seeking to be holy, as God is holy?

He has also inspired me to spend more time reading in the gospels- to study with life of Christ with renewed intensity- and truly seek to model my life after his.

I would highly recommend this book.

 

The Pursuit of Man

  By Rachel | October 29, 2012 - 5:58 pm | What I'm Reading
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The Pursuit of Man

By:  A.W. Tozer

 

 

I have become a big fan of Tozer in the past year.  I read The Pursuit of God earlier this year, and just finished my second book which this current entry concerns.

If you want to go deeper in your relationship with the Lord, Tozer’s books can inspire and help ignite a passion for God in your heart.  He does say, and I agree, that his books simply point you to the source you need to seek- God.

He longs for us to throw off all that hinders us from living this life in complete surrender and devoted service to our God.  To worship Him and bring glory to His Name.

In this book he talks at length about the Holy Spirit, and how his presence transforms the believer.

One of my favorite chapters is titled “Why the World Cannot Receive.”  Here is a quote from that chapter:

We may sing, “Crown Him Lord of All,” and rejoice in the tones of the loud-sounding organ and the deep melody of harmonious voices, but still we have done nothing until we have left the world and set our faces toward the city of God in hard practical reality. When faith becomes obedience then it is true faith indeed.

His books can be confrontational and bring conviction into your heart.  If you are eager to grow and conform no longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, Tozer can support you on that journey.

I highly recommend it, and will definitely be reading it again.

 

 

The Pursuit of God

  By Rachel | June 29, 2012 - 4:40 pm | What I'm Reading
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The Pursuit of God

A.W. Tozer

When I first opened this book, I was struck by the timeliness of picking up this book now.  If I had read it a year ago, it would not have resonated with me like it does today.

I keep reading chapters over and over, thinking about them- looking at the verses he referenced and praying about things as I read.

I felt as though Tozer was mentoring me and discipling me through his words, reminding me of ways I related to God in my Christian youth that need to be reinstated.  I have lost the glow of newness, the simple adoration and excitement in knowing Jesus.

This book has also inspired me to delve deeper- to invite God into every moment- to see where the values of my culture and habitual sins have infiltrated my life. I need to begin weeding those things out.

If you are hungry to grow closer- to go deeper- in your walk with the Lord, then I highly recommend this book.  I know I will read it again.

One Thousand Gifts

  By Rachel | June 15, 2012 - 4:15 pm | What I'm Reading
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One Thousand Gifts  

by: Ann Voskamp

 

 

 

 

 

My Dad sent me this book earlier this week, and I have been slowly making my way through Ann’s journey.

One of my favorite quotes so far:

“I, too, had read it often, the oft-quoted verse: “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). And I, too, would nod and say straight-faced, “I’m thankful for everything.” But in this counting gifts, to one thousand, more, I discover that slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life. A lifetime of sermons on “thanks in all things” and the shelves sagging with books on these things and I testify: life-changing gratitude does not fasten itself to a life unless nailed through one very specific nail at a time.”

I am already thoroughly enjoying all that she has shared- and have thought often about gardening while I am reading- the joy of a new bloom.  I have also thought about blowing bubbles with the kids and the child-like delight I find when playing with them.

It is bring to mind the sweet blessings- in tiny ways-throughout my day.

Will share a more thorough review once I finish- if you have read it- let me know what you thought about it.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

  By Rachel | March 14, 2012 - 7:33 pm | What I'm Reading
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A Breath of Snow and Ashes by: Diana Gabaldon

If you have been following my posts about this series, then you know how much I have been enjoying it.

That continues to be true, I would encourage anyone to give the first book of this series a try- especially if you enjoy historical literature, romance, and a little fantasy (time travel) tossed in.

Great characters, love the way this author writes- she is becoming one of my favorites.

 

The Fiery Cross

  By Rachel | February 25, 2012 - 12:34 am | What I'm Reading
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Just started The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon.  This is the 5th book in the Outlander series.  The fact that I am reading this book- when I have a list of over 100 other books on my to-read list- speaks to how much I am enjoying this series.

The majority of the books are 900+ pages.  I have never read a series this long before.

And I continue to enjoy every minute.  I feel pretty certain that I will buy this series once I reach the end.

Definitely want to purchase for my Kindle- 900 page books are REALLY nice on an e-reader.

If you haven’t tried this series, read the first book- if you like it, odds are you will be captivated (as I am) and not be daunted by the length of these books but grateful to linger in their world.

Of course, I am not to the end yet, but I seriously doubt that the author is going to disappoint me in these last few books.

I fully expect to continue to be engrossed in this series till I turn the last page.

Full review:

I don’t know what more to say except, I am still reading- this book was almost 1,000 pages. I would not spend my time reading these books if I did not love them.

I laugh, I almost cry, I turn the pages in excitement and anticipation. I love these characters and the way Gabaldon writes and continues to keep this story interesting- I would have thought it impossible.

So again, I urge you to consider giving the first book in the series a try. If you like it, well, you’ll have enough additional reading to keep you busy for a while.

Drums Of Autumn

  By Rachel | February 16, 2012 - 2:14 pm | What I'm Reading
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Cover of "Drums of Autumn (Outlander)"

Cover of Drums of Autumn (Outlander)

I have continued my reading in the series by Diana Gabaldon.  The first book of the series is Outlander and usually the whole series is referred to as the Outlander series.

I am on the fourth book of the series.  These are long books, they are not for the casual reader- at approximately 1,000 pages a pop- it takes some time to get through the books.

As an avid reader and a huge fan of this series- I am enjoying every moment.

By this time, the characters are familiar, almost like friends- you root for them and feel their pain and disappointment.

The plot has so many layers due in part to the complicated nature of these stories and time. I don’t like to give away too much but time travel is part of this series- and opens up so many new directions for the story.

This series has perfectly mixed almost all my favorite genres.  I know this will not be the only time I will read this series.  My only reservation lies in how it will all end- that will determine a lot for me.

More detailed review of Drums of Autumn coming soon.

FINAL REVIEW:

Sometimes, as you read a series of books, it gets boring, predictable, or the plot takes certain turns and you start to lose interest. It doesn’t seem to fit the characters- you wonder as the reader if they would really make those decisions based on their character…

Not so with Drums of Autumn. Not only am I enjoying this series more and more with each book- I am constantly surprised by the direction of the plot- her creativity in describing scenes and people- and there will always be some moments in each book- where I am thinking- I know what is going to happen next- and I am ALWAYS wrong.

I can’t wait to start the next book- it has been sitting on the shelf- waiting. If you haven’t read this series give it a try. For me, this is just a perfect case of all the things I love about books (genre, writing style) colliding in one perfect series.

I haven’t read the end yet- but the more I read I feel myself growing confident that the author won’t disappoint.

 

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Masquerade and Revelations

  By Rachel | February 16, 2012 - 12:16 am | What I'm Reading
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These are two books in the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz.  I read the first book, Blue Bloods, over the Christmas break.  I was worried that this would be another knock off of some of the other vampire novels written in the past- with no original ideas or plot.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Melissa de la Cruz has in fact found a niche all her own.  So far I have found the plot predictable at times but not completely- so therefore there are some portions that keep me wondering- and very interested in the story.

If you are a fan of vampire fiction- you will really enjoy this series.  They are fast reads and very enjoyable.

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Sacred Parenting

  By Rachel | February 10, 2012 - 12:15 am | What I'm Reading
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I am very interested in starting this book.  It was recommended to me by several friends and my Dad- so I am hoping to do some future posts about the inspirational material and hopefully very practical too- that I can start using in my interactions with my two kiddos.

I try to not read too many parenting books, it can be a little overwhelming. But I think sometimes it can be very helpful to hear some suggestions of things that I could be doing to consciously teach or model something for my children that I might be overlooking.

A more thorough review coming soon!

Favorite thoughts so far:

Parenting calls us to purify ourselves so that we can effectively teach our own children.  This purification process in 2 Cor. 7:1 is “both deep and thorough…leading us to confront spiritual sins we never knew existed.

And what motivates us to put forth this effort in parenting?  Out of reverence for God. (2 Cor. again)

He talks a little further in about preparing our children to face opposition and suffering- and not trying to protect them too much and insulate them from hurt.

He said to one of his teenage children, “Look, this isn’t just about the attitude you have toward your Mother and me; it’s about the health of your soul as you accept the authority God has placed over you.  If I simply turn a blind eye to your attitude, I risk putting your eternal soul in peril, and I love you too much to do that.”

We will have to at times watch our children suffer, and have faith that some of those times their suffering will be vehicles for bringing about God’s greater purposes in their lives.  We have to trust Him in those times of trial.

Guilt can point us to God, Guilt can motivate us to do better, We need to trust God and let him take some of the responsibility sometimes and not bear the entire burden on our own. “Guilt can teach us to love mercy- loving mercy not only makes us thankful for the mercy we have received but it makes us eager to show mercy to others.”

 

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