In 2023, I set a objective to complete one guide per week. I’m aiming to take heed to half-hour of an audiobook per day (whereas cooking, cleansing, and/or driving) and learn 10 minutes of a guide. By doing this, I hope to pretty simply be capable of end one guide per week.
You possibly can comply with alongside on GoodReads to see what I’m studying, what books I end, and the star score I give every of them.
Listed here are the three books I completed just lately:
Salt to the Sea
I completely cherished this guide. It was well-written, tremendous partaking, and I discovered quite a bit about an occasion in historical past (that occurred throughout WWII) that I’d by no means even heard of earlier than. I additionally cherished that it was the identical story written from a number of views… which made it actually fascinating.
It’s a tragic story, however the creator dealt with it in a approach that it might be applicable even for youthful readers. Our teenagers learn it with me over the summer time and all of us actually loved it.
One factor I’ll say is that because it’s informed from a number of views, it might take a bit to get your bearings on who’s who and what’s what… however maintain studying for the primary 30-40 pages and also you’ll in all probability then not wish to cease studying
Additionally, because of loving it a lot, I went on and listened to all three of the creator’s different YA books!
Verdict: 5 stars
Don’t Maintain Again
When you don’t like getting your toes stepped on, don’t learn this guide. As a result of regardless of the place you stand politically, there’s a good likelihood this guide goes to convict you — and probably make you are feeling actually unsettled. However in the end, I hope it challenges you to look to Jesus and for us to cease seeking to a person or a political determine or a political occasion to “save us” or to vary our world.
I additionally cherished the emphasis on loving others and reaching out to those that might imagine very in another way than us. And the decision to unite round God and His Phrase as an alternative of secondary beliefs and convictions.
This guide has gotten loads of pushback and critique (at the least primarily based upon the variety of messages I obtained whereas I discussed studying this guide on Instagram) and I discovered that each single factor folks informed me why they wouldn’t learn the guide missed what the guide was about. So I’ll simply say should you’ve heard issues and haven’t learn it, learn it first earlier than leaping to conclusions about it aligning with a sure political occasion.
Verdict: 4 stars
Okay, so I struggled to determine the right way to evaluation this guide. On the one hand, I assumed it had loads of actually invaluable ideas on the right way to spot a dysfunctional friendship and the significance of discovering our value and worth in Jesus as an alternative of looking for that in a relationship. When you have struggled in friendships and relationships previously, particularly with regards to drama or misunderstandings and damage in relationships, I feel this guide has loads of perception into the place a few of that could possibly be stemming from.
However, I felt prefer it left me wanting… as in, sure, you shared tons and many sensible perspective on what unhealthy friendships appear like and the right way to keep away from and acknowledge that, however I didn’t really feel empowered with concepts of virtually what it appears prefer to pursue wholesome, life-giving pals. It virtually made me really feel hesitant to pursue relationships lest I’ve flawed or unhealthy motives.
Additionally, it made it look like wholesome relationships will contain loads of confrontation and onerous conversations and calling out sin. Personally, I feel this guide may make folks really feel like they must be confronting their pals quite a bit as an alternative of loving and exhibiting up and believing the most effective after which (very often) needing to have a troublesome dialog. I’m all about pointing our pals to Jesus and inspiring them to pursue holiness, however I feel we must be cautious that we don’t really feel prefer it’s our job to be their Holy Spirit.
I’d suggest studying this guide along side Discover Your Individuals for some steadiness of total — particularly in case you are wanting to construct wholesome, life-giving, deep relationships.
Verdict: 3 stars
