Friday, April 8, 2011

Getting Back on Track with Reading

March found me getting back on track with my reading list for the year.

Finding Your Purpose as a Mom: How to Build Your Home on Holy Ground by Donna Otto had some helpful ideas. The closing chapters emphasized hospitality, an area in which I'm definitely weak. I shared one of my favorite thoughts from the book earlier this week and will be writing a future post on the home based on another chapter. While this book was good, it wouldn't rate as highly as some others I have read on this subject.

I began Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. After reading the introduction, I decided to return the book to the library. While I think I could have gleaned ideas for improving my writing, I was uncomfortable with some of the subject matter she was discussing, and was unwilling to sift through more "dirt" to find the "gold." I will be looking for a different book to replace that one on my list, so please let me know if you have a favorite title in that genre!

I'm currently re-reading one of my favorite parenting books, The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. I'm taking notes as I go this time, using them to create individualized prayer lists to pray for our daughters.

Thanks to Aurie, I even took the time to lose myself in a fiction book this month!

What have you been reading lately?

13 comments:

  1. Good morning my friend!! Ohh...what book did I inspire?! I love Stormie Omartian's books! I always feel encouraged during and after the read :)

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  2. Oh, I have several books I am reading! I definitely need to do a post on them. I am the type of person who usually has 5-6 books going at one time. Crazy!

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  3. Aurie,

    It's the book I won in your giveaway - Who Is My Shelter by Neta Jackson. Reading fiction is one of my great escapes - I can get lost in the story! Even though that was a fairly long book, I read it pretty quickly. (Hope this isn't a spoiler for someone, but I was glad that the author had the main character working things out with her husband!)

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  4. I love talking books!!
    I also picked up Bird by Bird at the library and quickly returned it once I came to the awful language. I just cannot read a book where the author feels the need to talk like that!
    I just got done reading Heaven is for Real...wonderful, quick, read! HIGHLY recommend it!
    I am now reading Radical by David Platt and enjoying it so far. Next up on my list is The Five Love Languages of Children. I read the original Five Love Languages with my husband and have been wanting to read this one ever since! :)

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  5. Reading takes you places! Right now I'm reading some novels that have stacked up, but am working on "Reading People" a book on understanding our fellow man better.

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  6. Hi Tracey! I was required to read Anne Lamott's book for an Intro English college course my freshman year and write a paper. I don't remember much about it, but, now that you mention that, I do remember feeling that some of the material was uncomfortable.

    I was given "The Power of a Praying Wife" from a dear friend several years ago and then also "The Power of a Praying Parent". I need to read these again! I think I gave the latter one as a gift, but I need to get a copy again.

    Right now, I'm reading..."One Nation Under God: Ten Things Every Christian Should Know about the Founding of America".

    I don't have any suggestions to replace Anne Lamott's book on your reading list ~ but my blog friend Carrie (at "with all that I've been given" blog) is an English teacher and excellent writer! I'm sure she would be more than happy to recommend some titles. A link to her blog is on my sidebar.

    Have a great weekend!
    Katie

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  7. I just bought the Power of a Praying Parent. The Power of a Praying Wife changed my marriage! Wow! I really learned how to pray for my husband and I saw the Holy Spirit at work. Great books!

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  8. i like the sound of the Power of a Praying Parent. I have promised myself that I'm not going to buy another book for at least 10 years!, but...
    I'm 'getting lost' in a fiction book right now too - The Gates of Zion, by Bodie and Brock Thoene. Apart from that, I have The Well Educated Mind on my sofa arm. I love hearing what others are reading.

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  9. Amy,

    Bird by Bird seemed to be highly recommended, so I wasn't expecting it to be quite so, um, explicit in its examples.

    Heaven is for Real sounds like a great book; I'll have to add it to my list!

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  10. Katie,

    "One Nation Under God" sounds like a great book. Yet another one to add to my list!

    Thanks for recommending Carrie; I'll be sure to stop by her blog and see if she can help me.

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  11. Melissa,

    Yes, they are! I need to make it more of a habit to re-read them both more often.

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  12. Homeschool on the Croft,

    The Well-Educated Mind is another of my favorites!! (Yes, I'm beginning to think I have a really long list of favorites! ;)

    I think I read The Gates of Zion a long time ago; hope you're enjoying it.

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  13. I haven't been reading much at all lately - seems like there isn't enough time to read books sometimes! I never thought I would say that - I was SUCH a bookworm when I was growing up; books were such an integral part of my life!!
    I always read the Bible though, of course ;)
    I agree with you though - it is fun to read a fiction book every now and then!

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