This post contains affiliate links. This means a small commission is earned if you purchase anything via the links provided. Thanks for supporting businesses that support This Is My Life.
Ok, so I started reading First Women shortly after Christmas, but it took me a while, and I finished in the New Year. That counts, right? This book was everything my history-lovin heart wanted it to be. Now I'm hooked on all things Presidents' wives. The book explored the lives of the first ladies from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama and everyone in between. Y'all - the drama is real! I was hooked to find out who didn't like who - who snubbed who- who were actual friends; it's all there. The only thing I didn't particularly care for is the layout of the book. Chapters were based on subject matters, rather than one chapter per First Lady. That made it a little more difficult to keep up with especially when trying to navigate the actual marriages and affairs. Whew! This is a must read.
There was a girl who walked into the bookstore and saw this pink and gold cover and just knew - This is the book for me. So I did what any girl would do and marched myself up to the counter. Grace Not Perfection is the book that has challenged me to just slow it down. I want everything to be in order and perfectly aligned. I don't even know what it means to rest, know what I mean? I wrote a little about this book here. With grace, we can thrive. If God has shown me such grace, then I certainly need to show myself grace as well as others that same grace.
Bulletproof is for all the Teen Mom fans! I have watched this show from the beginning. Call it a guilty pleasure? But I am a fan - well maybe not of Farrah. I'm proud of these girls for keeping their babies and wanting to be parents, despite the circumstances. Maci wrote about it all - from before Bentley was born to the potential struggle of having her second and surprise of her third child. I seriously found myself going to Hulu to watch old episodes of the show as I read through the book. If you've ever watched the show, this is the book for you.
Look, I was honest in my About Me section that I loved a train-wrecked celeb bio, and well, this one was just that. Y'all. Hiding from Reality is about Taylor Armstrong who was a regular cast member of Real Housewives: Beverly Hills. The show definitely showcased some of her troubled relationship with husband, Russell. But this book just laid it all out in the open. Beyond just the normal celebrity aspect, the book also showed insight into the regular cycle of domestic abuse. I know Taylor wanted to share her story to help other women recognize their own trappings of abuse, and I think she handled it in an appropriate manner, for the most part.
Now - it's Inauguration Day. You could find me curled up under my electric blanket reading this gem. How appropriate! The Residence is written by the same author as First Women. Once I knew it was out there, I just had to have it. Honestly, I liked this book better, if that's even possible. Especially, with it's timely arrival by Jan 20th, I was so invested as everything unfolded on TV. Though there were many moments that made me want to know just a bit more, the White House backstory on September 11, 2001 was enough to bring tears to my eyes. This book is once you must grab! Buy it. Read it. Share with a friend. It's just that good.
Restless. I could just end there. I'm going to say this. I was a little skeptical about this book. I'm not in love with women Christian authors sometimes. To be fair. I hadn't heard much about Jennie Allen. I've been living under a rock for sure. But this book has challenged me so much. The end of this book resulted in an hour long discussion with Jeremy the other night about all the Lord had showed me while working through this book. We are a restless generation ladies. We need to rest in Him and the gifts and places and people He has given us - bringing glory to Him. I plan to write an entire post about all I learned - but for now .. I think this will do!
Alright. This ends January reading! On to February.. I mean, we are already there.
Any books I should put on my list? Let me know!
You need to add Hope Heals by Katherine and Jay Wolf to your list. I am reading it right now and it is so good!
ReplyDeleteI looked up the info on Amazon, and it looks great! Thanks for the recommendation. I may need to go ahead and purchase the Kleenex because the review did me in.
DeleteOoh, the first two books look so interesting! I just requested them on the Army MWR Library e-book website!
ReplyDelete