March Book Review

It’s BOOK REVIEW day!

Ladies, get your phones/notepads out, because you are going to want to take some notes. I read NINE books in March, and would recommend almost all of them. They were all good, but some were even better than others. Let’s start with…

Rhythms of Renewal 

This sweet book was nourishment for my anxious soul. I love how it was divided into sections on self and on others. She talks self-care, creativity, service, and Sabbath. I really enjoyed Rebekah’s personal anecdotes to teach each rhythm. I need better rhythms in life and was inspired to check myself daily.

The Dutch House

So I didn’t love this one, but I didn’t dislike it either. It’s hard to explain. Danny tells his story in a memoir-style fashion, but it skips between decades and characters, so it’s hard to remember who’s who. I also chose to listen to it on Audible (because Tom Hanks is the narrator, and I love Tom Hanks), but it might be an easier read in print. The story itself is good.

White Fragility

I have been on the hunt for racially diverse books to include in my monthly reads and am attempting to read at least one book a month written by a member of the BIPOC community (this is not that read for the month, see below). By far, White Fragility is the most recommended.

I was really surprised when I checked this one out from the library because it’s written by a white woman.  I liked that it was written by a white woman because it gave me (a white woman) a perspective from my white experience versus a person of color.  As someone who was called into large corporations for diversity training, she observed so much about white culture and how, even the most well-intended white people, can really cause racial divide without even realizing they’re doing it. I enjoyed many great conversations with Judson and my theology mentor about our desensitization of racial divide. We are not going to change the minds of truly racist people (because those are people whose minds cannot be changed), but we can make personal changes that will hopefully create less racial divide and more unity. If you have read White Fragility, I’d love to have a conversation with you in the comments!

Girls’ Club

You need to read this book! It calls women to delight and find comfort in life-giving relationships with other women. We can use friendships to inspire, educate, and live out the life that God has given us. So many great examples are included, heart-warming stories, and a HOW TO do everything in the book. I seriously cannot recommend it enough!

Girls’ Club Experience

The Girls’ Club Experience is a guided journey to accompany Girls’ Club. Some ladies at church and I are currently using this as our Bible study for the spring. I especially love how it brings us all together regularly instead of just at church. It is making us actually think about our relationships with one another. The Experience also spends a lot of time talking about dreams, goals, and unrealized potential and how we can encourage one another to seek God’s will for our lives. You can read this with a friend as a standalone book or with the Girls’ Club.

Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered

This memoir-like book is written by the girls from the My Favorite Murder podcast which I have never listened to. Honestly, I thought this book was a novel and that’s why I checked it out at the library. It was okay. There were definitely some funny anecdotes and thoughtful words, but it isn’t something I would go out of my way to read.

Loving the Little Years

This is another book that wasn’t what I was expecting. It had very little to do with loving the little years but included more personal stories that the author tried to turn into devotional essays. The collection was quite thoughtful and very relatable, but I lacked any real interest in the author. I did not feel like I was living in the moment with her. I guess I expected a little more, but it was good nonetheless.

Ancient Remedies

You guys… I loved this book. It was so, so informative. I’m a huge fan of Dr. Axe, and I could not wait to get my hands on his latest book. As someone with an auto-immune disease, I am always looking for anything to help me “not hurt”. I have become much healthier in the past year. I stopped taking all medications (except one for female things), and I only take supplements to manage symptoms from connective tissue disease. I exercise most days of the week, my muscles are much stronger due to running 5-8 miles three days a week, and I have cut most gluten and dairy from my diet. I am trying. But there is so much more I need to do. I am a firm believer that we are to treat the root cause of disease and not the SYMPTOMS. Please read this book for your own health! It includes “prescriptions”, recipes, treatments, and medical/health information in a way you can understand it.

So You Want to Talk About Race

Want me to be honest with you about this book? I always am, so why stop now! By page four, I thought this book was written by an angry black woman who has been affected time and again by racist acts, and now she’s taking it out on the rest of us. I was WRONG. Read this book! Learn how to have these conversations. I had the most fascinating conversation in McAlister’s with my server who saw me reading this while I ate. If you have read this, I want to have conversations with you too!

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Okay, friends…whoo! Nine books. All good, some great! And I love those that are thought-provoking and encourage us to have conversations with others either about friendships, race, or whatever subject we need to learn more about. Never stop learning. Live life, learn from it, live some more. But live with the passionate love of Jesus Christ towards others!