Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Summer Reading Recap

The first book I dove into this summer was  Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

I found the book a little slow to start, but after the first few chapters I was heavily invested in the characters and the story.  Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read - especially when it has a modern day story line happening at the same time - which this book did.  The book chronicles the lives of the Foss children in the 1940'sas they were taken from their parents and placed in the Tennessee Children's Home Society to later be placed for adoption.  The historical storyline tied in with a current one and the ending was really sweet.  I didn't know the history of the Tennessee Children's Home Society and really enjoyed learning more about that throughout the book as well.







I really enjoyed this book - Rachel is a great writer and I loved her writing style.  It was personal, casual and I felt like I was talking with a girlfriend.


I felt like her stories were full of applicable and relevant advice and anecdotes... but there were parts that didn't set as well with me.  I really struggled with how to even explain my feelings and then my mom sent me the link to  this blog post yesterday and the author said it SO MUCH BETTER than my attempts.

"I’ll be honest. Reading this book exhausted me. It’s all about what I can be doing better and what I’m not doing good enough. How to be better at work, parenting, and writing. How to be less bad at cardio, sex, and you know, changing the world.  

But knowing the good news of who I am in Christ brings true rest.

Rest from striving, my friend. Yes. Wash your face. Take care of yourself. Make good choices. But know who you are in Christ. If you let this truth become the foundation of how you see the world, you will be content to glorify Him in every situation, whether you're cleaning bathrooms or relaxing at your beach house, changing diapers or crushing your career goals."

and also this...

What is Rachel Hollis' dream? I felt actual sadness when I read it: 

I’m a big fan of displaying visuals inside my closet door to remind me every single day of what my aim is. Currently taped to my door: the cover of Forbes featuring self-made female CEOs, a vacation house in Hawaii . . . and a picture of Beyoncé, obvi.
Jesus never called us to chase after power, money, and fame (and He actually had quite a bit to say about those things). He called us to lay our pursuit of all that stuff down and follow Him. He said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39)



Yes - I still recommend the book.  I think it's encouraging and empowering and uplifting - but I do think that the whole "you come first - your happiness depends on you" message needs to be taken with a grain of salt and kept in perspective with more Biblical teachings.

Next I read  The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah and I couldn't put it down!


Kristin Hannah is my current favorite author (you'll see a trend here in a minute) and I absolutely adore her writing.  The Great Alone told the story of a family who moved to Alaska in the 1970's and I felt like the entire book was extremely vivid... the scenery, the characters and the love stories.  I fell in love with the heroine of the book as well as the residents of the town in Alaska where they live and even Alaska itself.  Everything was beautiful and completely came to life for me.  The relationship between the mother and father in the book was heartbreaking and so incredibly honest.  The ending was unexpected and I was so sad it had to end!



I'd heard so many great things about  My Oxford Year that I had to try it out for myself.


It was lighthearted but also made me feel deeply.  I adored the poetry quotes that the author used to start off every chapter and I fell in love with each and every character.  There was romance, plot twists and a fair bit of drama and I was all in.  It was a fantastic read.




 I also read  Night Road by Kristin Hannah and it was another winner.


I found myself immediately emotionally involved in the lives of Jude, Mia, Zach and Lexi and when tragedy struck the inseparable trio it WRECKED ME.  The rest of the book is written in a way that let you see firsthand how each person grieved the loss from that night (I'm trying so hard not to spoil it!) and I feel like it accurately and honestly portrayed grief and how it affects different people.   I LOVED this book and passed it along to my mom who also couldn't put it down.  GREAT read!





Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah was my favorite fiction read of the summer.  It was everything that I love in a book...


... after trying to put my thoughts into words I'm defaulting to the Amazon description because I felt like I wasn't doing it justice and I really want everyone to feel compelled to read this ASAP!

Mesmerizing from the first page to the last, Kristin Hannah's Winter Garden is one woman’s sweeping, heartbreaking story of love, loss, and redemption. At once an epic love story set in World War II Russia and an intimate portrait of contemporary mothers and daughters poised at the crossroads of their lives, it explores the heartbreak of war, the cost of survival and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. It is a novel that will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned.
1941. Leningrad, a once magical city besieged by war, cut off from aid, buried in snow. A city full of women desperate to save their children and themselves…
2000. Loss and old age have taken a terrible toll on Anya Whitson. At last, she will reach out to her estranged daughters. In a halting, uncertain voice, she begins to weave a fable about a beautiful Russian girl who lived in Leningrad a lifetime ago…
Nina and Meredith sit spellbound at their mother’s bedside, listening to a story that spans more than sixty years and moves from the terrors of war-torn Leningrad under siege to modern-day Alaska.
In a quest to uncover the truth behind the story, Nina and Meredith discover a secret so shocking, so impossible to believe, it shakes the foundation of their family and changes who they believe they are.
 The ending was INCREDIBLE and I immediately wanted to start this book again as soon as it was over.  Last summer I was all about The Nightingale (and I still love it!) but I think that Winter Garden has it beat... which say a lot!






The last book I read was  Everybody, Always by Bob Goff and y'all... it was SO GOOD.  A friend read the book and couldn't stop talking about it.  The next thing I knew my own copy was sitting on my doorstep :) 



Bob Goff is an incredibly energetic storyteller (yet, somehow not annoying - hahaha) and in each chapter he wrote about experiences he had with his family, friends and acquaintances that had me looking to Jesus' example as how to love others well.  My highlighter was out CONSTANTLY and I found myself "amen-ing" throughout.  This book was inspiring, thought provoking and (without trying to sound too cliche) life-changing.  I'm actually re-reading it now and somehow finding "nuggets" that I missed out on the first time around.  If you read one book out of my review make it this one - even if you're not a big reader!  I promise!!!


I'd love to know what books you read and loved this summer and/or what you're reading now.  I say this every year but I'm REALLY trying to be better about reading throughout the school year and promise I'll keep y'all posted on what I read and love but I'm not making any promises :)  I'm currently reading  True Colors by Kristin Hannah and have  Nothing to Prove and  The Light Between Oceans on my to-read list.

PS - The book links in this post were affiliate links... thank you so much for reading and supporting my blog!

41 comments :

  1. I read Girl Wash Your Face as well and while I enjoyed parts of the book my thoughts are similar to yours.....here is another blog post I read about the book: https://thetransformedwife.com/she-loves-jesus-and-cusses-a-little/

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  2. Thank you for these great book reviews! So happy to see reviews of Rated G books. I can't wait to get started on some of these!!

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  3. I have Winter Gardens on my to read list! So glad you were a fan!

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  4. Thank You!!! I love book reviews. These are going in my wish list.

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  5. Just added several (ok, maybe all) of your recommendations to my reading list! Also, so glad to hear someone felt the same way I did about "Girl, Wash Your Face". Great list!

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  6. So many great books here, and I really agree with your reviews. I absolutely loved The Great Alone - probably my favorite book of the year so far. I really want to read the other Kristin Hannah books that you mentioned. Thanks for the honest review of Wash Your Face. I felt like I was the only one who didn't hop on the fan club bandwagon of that book. I listened to the audiobook, and only got about 2/3 through. When she said something like "I knew I was the hardest working person in the room..." it turned me off so much that I didn't finish it. I think the book would be great for someone who needed a pep talk for their career, but not really a fit for this 40-something mom. Hope you have a great week. My monthly book reviews are here: Tanya - The Other Side of the Road

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  7. I read all of the Kristin Hannah books that you mentioned and also the one by Lisa Wingate and enjoyed them as well! I have a list of book recommendations that I am working through. Slowly!

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  8. I'm currently reading "The Great Alone" and can't put it down!! I have to set a timer. . .really. The quote you posted is one that I loved but wasn't in a place to write it down, glad you did! I did stop to quote this on a piece of paper though, "Reshaping her needs to match his"...so true of so many women and teenagers, don't you think? So well-said. Anyway, can't WAIT to read some of your other pics. . .lately I have begun and abandoned so many books. . .just can't get "into" anything.
    Titans (historical fiction!!) by Leila Meacham might have been a reason I couldn't settle on another :) And, if you happen to like that one, her Somerset and Roses were really good reads too! Don't be intimidated by their size. . .it isn't slow and you get really invested in the characters and story.
    Happy 4-day week to you. Thank you for the book review!

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  9. Excellent , detailed reviews!
    I read Before We Were Yours without prior knowledge of the children’s home society either, so heartbreaking!
    The two Kristin Hannah’s ( Night Road & Winter Garden) are some of my favorites also!
    I really enjoyed Woman in the Window & Bring me Back ( thrillers)
    The Story of Arthur TruLuv, &
    All 3 of the Hands Free Mama books
    Happy Reading!

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  10. FANTASTIC book review...I love the way you included quotes. I have read every single book on your list above- and agree 100% with each thing you said. I loved My Oxford Year, and was so so on Girl, Wash Your Face....I don't get the hype and I think it feeds into the thing all women are struggling with- we need MORE,more more......not true. I loved the book The Rest of God (by Mark Buchanan) and Soul Keeping (John Ortberg) (to counter all the cultural things going on right now. Really great books. Also, the Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Tim Keller is outstanding.

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  11. PS I read the blog post you linked above about Girl Wash Your Face- and it's exactly what I felt, but couldn't come up with the words or thoughts to say...thank you for linking it.

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  12. Oh my goodness! Girl Wash Your Face has been ALL OVER my social media pages. I read it and felt the same way as you -nice to have someone else voice what I was thinking. I love Kristin Hannah too - The Great Alone is next on my list :)

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  13. TOTALLY agree about Girl Wash Your Face! I really liked it but just felt something a little too worldly about it. Thanks for putting it into words for me :)

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  14. Everybody Always has been my favorite book of the summer. I also read Girl Wash Your Face. Both of these books I read twice just so I could go back through and highlight was I missed out on the first time. So good!

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  15. All but one of these books is on my to-read list, so THANKS so much for sharing reviews that don't include spoilers! Love your honest insights, especially into Girl Wash Your Face. Sounds spot-on. :)

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  16. I did not agree with everything Rachel Hollis aid in GWYF either. I tried following her a year or so ago and just felt like she was always craving attention for herself. I think her personality is just really big and different from most women. I stopped following her. But then I heard so much about her book that I read it and while I enjoyed a lot of it and some of the "truths" she speaks for women are needed for them to hear, I do agree there was some that I didn't think agreed with scripture. I do think that you have to do a lot of self-talk when you are running a business of your own or leading people but you also have to be willing to work with people and humble yourself. She did not teach a lot about that. I am still conflicted on her but I do appreciate her being motivating and supporting of women in general.

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  17. I loved My Oxford Year so much that I read it within 24 hours! I also really liked Before We Were Yours. The topic broke my heart and I live in TN. Winter Garden and Night Road were some of my favorite books that I read at the end of last year. I am looking forward to reading The Great Alone next, and I'm currently reading True Colors by Kristin Hannah and it's good so far! Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors too. Two books I read recently that I REALLY liked are When Never Comes by Barbara Davis, and Big Sexy Love by Kristy Greenwood. Don't let the word "sexy" make you think this is an R rated book--it's really not! The story line about the friendship between two young women is hysterical and heartwarming.

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  18. Winter Garden is just about my favorite book ever! I buy extra copies at half price books to give to people because I love it so much! The ending absolutely killed me.

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  19. I love how you explain Girl Wash Your Face- I felt the exact same! I love Kristin Hannah so much as well- all your KH recommendations match mine completely! I have to tell you- pick up her "Magic Hour" if you haven't already. SO, SO good! I finished it a month ago and still cannot stop thinking about it!!!

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  20. I love Kristin Hannah! You should read Magic Hour- such a good book of hers!

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  21. I love all of Lisa Genova's books and Richard Paul Evans' books. His books are quick reads and usually pretty clean.

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  22. I’m reading Everybody Always right now and yes, I’ll probably re read it. So much goodness in that book. Bob Goff spoke at our church a while ago and he is a wonderful story teller. He told us about his neighbor and the parade that he tells us in the book. Anyway, very inspiring. I personally liked GWYF but, I think it leads to business minded women, those that are running toward a goal in their work at home business. I don’t think God minds when we run toward big things, so long as we run with Him in mind and we remember to give to others and love others and set an example of leading others to Him.

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  23. Yes to GWYF! I read it and it led me to wonder if something was wrong with me because my dreams are simply to raise Jesus-loving kids and bring Light to my small corner of the world. Is it wrong to not want big things or pursue big things. What am I missing?! I posted about it and got lots of similar responses.

    I just think we need to tread veryyyy carefully these days. So many female Christian speakers and authors are bringing deceptive thoughts into our minds in a light-hearted, female-empowering way. And the devil for sure is getting a foothold through them.

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  24. I'm reading Everybody Always and loving it!

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  25. That's a great list of books! I have read several but am adding the Kristin Hannah ones to my list! Thanks for the great review!
    Simply Tish

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  26. I always enjoy your detailed, honest book reviews and have read several that you have recommended over the years. I am late to the party but just finished all of Melanie Shankle's books. I love her and her writing style speaks to me. I tried a Nancy Thayer book this summer- Secrets of Summer- but it wasn't my style. I've had my eye on Everybody Always so I'll move it up on the list!

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  27. I'm going to add these to my "to read" list. I read my first Kristin Hannah book this summer - The Nightingale - so good!

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  28. I feel the same way about Girl, Wash Your Face. I didn't like how I felt while reading it so I didn't finish it. I agree with your opinion.

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  29. The Nightingale is SO GOOD! I heard the movie is coming out this January, too!

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  30. Bob Goff just speaks to my soul. He makes me want to be so much more like Jesus, and so his books are a win for me, too!!

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  31. I just read Winter Garden in about 6 hours. SO amazingly good. I can't stop thinking about it. I ugly cried at the end...so so good!!!!

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  32. Winter Garden was amazing, but so hard to read because I could imagine it all too well. I'm still thinking about it months later! I loved The Nightingale too!

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  33. Winter Garden is one of my all-time favorites. When I read it the second time, I sobbed just as hard at the ending as I did the first time (maybe even more so). It's just so heartwrenching. I have to re-start The Nightingale. I started it a while back, but pregnancy hormones advised me to put it away. ;)

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  34. I'm reading my first Kristin Hannah book - The Great Alone and am almost done with it and I can't put it down either. Favorite new author to read as well!

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  35. I have only read The Nightingale and Firefly Lane by her so far. I think Firefly Lane was one of her earlier books and you can tell her writing style matured drastically by the time she wrote The Nightingale especially in the area of character development. Which one of hers has been your absolute favorite so far? I will need to use my September Audible credit soon!!

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    1. I honestly couldn’t believe they were written by the same person. I wondered if someone ghost-wrote The Nightingale 😉. At this point, I’ve read enough of hers to see that every single one is so drastically different. I don’t know of another author who writes such a vast difference in styles.

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  36. You have great taste in books! I’ve read all these except the Hollis and Goff. My absolute favorite so far is My Oxford Year; I loved that book so much! The Great Alone was my first Kristin Hannah book and I loved it so much that I read every other book she has written. They are all wonderful! I’m glad you got some time to relax and read during your busy summer.

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  37. Winter Garden is my favorite Kristin Hannah book. I definitely liked it better than the NIghtingale. Another great WWII book is We Were the Lucky Ones.

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  38. Thank you thank you thank you for your candid (perhaps against the norm) review of Girl Wash Your Face. Thank you for pointing people to JESUS rather than themselves and the hopelessness of chasing vanity/human strength/success. Sooooo many blogs gloss over things against the Bible and I so appreciate you shedding some real light on it. Bravo. You're an influencer. Thanks for influencing towards Jesus, not self.

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  39. I am a huge Kristin Hannah fan. A few years ago someone recommended Diane Chamberlaine based off my love of KH and she’s def another fun author to explore! And thank you for pointing me to that article on Girl Wash Your Face! Super eye opening and unfortunately very on point with many of the “Christian women’s self help” books that seem to be being released...

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