Probably not. But it really helps me to stay on top of my reading if I know I get to do a 'Blog Book Report' at the end of a couple of months.
Unfortunately, the month of March has been real BLAH as per usual so I've spent the better part of the past 25 days trying to find the motivation to finish the books I planned to read last month. And I've barely scratched the
It's amazing how easy it is to get OUT of the habit of something. It's so hard to establish a good habit (ie: reading in spare time instead of phone-scrolling) but WOW, it's so easy to quickly kill that good habit if you're not staying on top of things.
March was a month for killing my healthy book-reading habit, but the spring sunlight has brought me back to life. Here's what I spent the winter cuddled up reading:
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| JANUARY |
This guy. He might go down as my absolute favorite author to read. I can finish one of his books in three days, and that's only because I have to do other Person Things like eat, sleep, and take care of my toddler. I just can't get enough of his stories and general outlook on life. It's so countercultural to how even Christians view things in our little perfect Christian Life Bubbles. He's shocking and awesome, yet super relatable. I ordered the kid's version to give to Mav for Easter. This is a must-read for everyone, in my opinion.
2. Seamless Study, Angie Smith
This was a GREAT study to start the year. There were (literally) countless snow days where I let Mav pull out every single toy he'd gotten from Christmas while I posted up at the kitchen counter for hours working on this study...still in my robe, drinking as much hot coffee as my heart desired. I'd finish two to three days at a time because once I'd caught that momentum, it was easier to study hard through it all. I love how she takes you through the entire Bible at a high level, but hits all the exact points necessary in order to string it all together. I really wish I'd had a study like this in middle school or high school, rather than topical and/or story-based studies.
3. Homebody, Joanna Gaines
It's kind of unbelievable how long it took me to crack this one open, since you know...I'm only Joanna's biggest fangirl (Christmas got in the way of a lot of good reading). But once I did, I had it read from cover-to-cover in two days. If you struggle to know what you like or how to find 'your style' I cannot recommend this book enough. She includes a TON of pictures, detailed descriptions, drawings, and my personal favorite...pictures of every room in the Gaines farmhouse. It's the only book I used when I went to my very first 'design meeting' with a 'client' this month because it includes so many pictures of so many different styles. It's a PERFECT reference book and I'm positive I will open it again and again for my own inspiration, or when I'm helping people decorate/design their space.
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| FEBRUARY Can you tell I went a little crazy at the Crossway Sale table at the ONE Conference? |
I liked this one because it covered each 'brand' of waiting...waiting for a husband/wife, waiting for a child, waiting for a house, waiting for a prodigal...and so many others. It was a short read, but it was a perfect read and it reminded me of how many prayers God has so perfectly answered in His timing. Perhaps it's not a necessary read for everyone, but I'd still recommend if you find yourself in an frustrating season of waiting.
5. Bread and Wine, Shauna Niequist
I'd gone back and forth about reading another book by this author because her theology doesn't exactly line up with mine...but because hospitality is an area I feel like I 'specialize' in, I wanted to see what she had to say. For me, this book was WAY better than Present Over Perfect, and I'd absolutely recommend it. I love that the way she wrote gave me a different 'feeling' for my time spent in the kitchen. I've always enjoyed preparing for guests...but mainly what I enjoy is the cleaning and making everything 'pretty' part. We all know this. But being cooped up in the house this winter, there really was nothing better to do than spend an entire nap time making lasagna and bacon-wrapped dates for no reason in particular, other than I was in the mood to cook and also eat something good. If hospitality isn't your thing, I'd still recommend this one. I borrowed the copy I read and I need to buy one for myself because there are too many recipes I tried once and can no longer reference.
6. The Gospel Comes with a House Key, Rosaria Butterfield
Let me start by saying this was NOT what I was expecting, yet it was everything I needed to hear. So bold. So completely upside down from how I've viewed hospitality in the past. I've always known I need to stretch a little to host more than just friends and family, but this solidified how badly I need to do that. We have 4-5 neighbors I've been wanting to ask over for dinner and haven't for no real reason...employees we could invite inside for supper at the end of a workday. So in the midst of wedding planning, I want to tackle at least a couple of those dinner invites. Because hospitality isn't something you can put off for a time when it's more convenient or when you're less busy...it's either a lifestyle you live out every day, built in to every moment of your life, or it's not.
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| MARCH |
I chose this as a Christmas gift because it's not really something I would put on my reading list and buy for myself. It's 'too fun' for that. But it's too fun to NOT to read! Reese is completely adorable (as we all know) and this book is filled with recipes and beautiful pictures and so much southern charm it made me wish I'd been born even one state farther south. I've referenced it at least twice when setting a formal table and it's a pretty book for your coffee table in the spring. Plus I now understand the southern saying, 'She's Whiskey in a Teacup' and have never felt more understood. I'm planning to implement it on a sign somewhere in my bathroom ASAP.
8. Sermon on the Mount, Jen Wilkin
I'm pretty much reading or studying something by Jen Wilkin at all times. I find that this is an excellent habit to keep. I'm going through this Sermon on the Mount study at Cornerstone right now and even though some weeks the homework is harder to complete than others, I've been able to stay on top of it. I've enjoyed taking a much deeper look at this popular passage of Scripture, studying it more than I ever have before. I'd definitely recommend doing this study along with the videos because Jen's teaching is too good to skip. I take pages and pages of notes every week and run out of places to write in my study book.
You'll notice there are quite a few books in the pictures I didn't give you a report on...and that's because, like I said, March was crap. So I'm combining everything I missed and putting it on my April list with plans to post my spring book reviews soon!
How are you coming with your New Year's Reading Goals?!
MmB
