On Sunday we introduced “The Great Lake Rescue” to our community by hosting an Ice Cream Book Launch party. The event took place at our local park. Our invitations were sent to array of friends, classmates, and the esteemed illustrator.
Here’s what happened:
3:00
Ice Cream Sundaes, Root Beer Floats and Popsicles
Meet the Author and Illustrator
Opportunity to Purchase and Obtain Autographed Copies of the Book
Children’s Drawing Contest with Exciting Giveaways
Coloring Station, featuring custom sheets crafted by the illustrator
4:00
Meet the Four Main Characters – the Egly boys
Live Book Reading
Q and A with the Author and Main Characters
4:40
Giveaways Announced and Prizes Given
4:45
Final Opportunity to Purchase and Obtain Autographed Copies of the Book
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Even with the rain, over 100 people came! The boys, the book, and I felt incredibly loved. One thing that really stands out to me about Minnesotans is how they don’t let the weather bother them. Rain, heat, or freezing cold, they still go out and enjoy life without hesitation.
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I forgot to ask someone to take photos of the event so I didn’t get pictures of everything and everyone, including the illustrator, Alyssa Whetstone. However, here are a few that others snapped and sent to me:
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The Fox FamilyThe Jean FamilyLive readingGeorge and Evie – the best ice cream scoopers!Paul and Jordan- with one of the Giveaways!
Review: This book shocked me with it’s turn from crochety old man to old man who wants to commit suicide! However, as the story unfolds, you get to know this man and come to love him. What I took from this story is that:
If you have a pulse, you have a purpose!
Ove, the main character, did not think his life had meaning, but because he made himself available, he made a positive impact on those around him.
Review: This one will be in my TOP TEN of 2023! Ted read it and gave it to me. I was hooked from the beginning. Now our sons are reading it, and I’m recommending to all my friends with teenagers. It’s a short and easy-to-read book. Each chapter is a story with an extremely valuable life lesson. LOVE THIS ONE!! A MUST READ!!
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3. Good girls guide to murder by Holly Jackson
Rating 8/10
Review: My niece read and loved this book and recommended it to me. It’s a murder mystery that has the reader intrigued from the beginning, and was hard to put down.
Review: A great book from CS Lewis about WHY he believes WHAT he believes.
God made the human machine to run on Him. We can’t be happy without him. There is no true peace without him. Many of us are trying to ‘run’ on the wrong juice.
Review: There are some gold nuggets in this book, but it was buried in a lot of extra reading and research data. I did appreciate the authors warnings about being overly connected to our phones, as well as the value of “device free” time for ourselves and our children.
Having quiet space to think device free, allows us to come up with new and innovative ideas.
Review: A phenomenal book on communication in marriage. Reading this book was like going to a marriage therapy session and just SO good. I HIGHLY recommend it to ALL married couples!!!
Review: I discovered Beth Moore in the 90s and she revolutionized my understanding of scripture. I love the way Beth teaches – she makes the Bible come alive. I was excited to read her memoir, but didn’t love it as much as I love her writing about Scripture.
Review: A fun book I read with my 5th grader. It’s the story of a middle school girl and her Grandpa, a scientist, who discovers a way to reverse aging and becomes thirteen again. I loved the relationship between the “Scientist Grandpa” and “Middle School Granddaughter.” It’s a sweet story about what they learn from each other and how they help each other. The book helps answer the question about whether “reversed aging” is as good as it sounds.
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11. We need to talk by Celeste Headlee
Rating: 9/10
Review: A great book on how to be a better listener and conversationalist.
When talking to someone with different beliefs – stay curious (don’t try to teach or convince them they are wrong). Listening doesn’t mean agreeing, it’s trying to understand.
Review: George and I loved Ground Zero by Alan Gratz, so he picked this one up from his school library for us to read together. It shares the story of three different refugee families leaving their countries to build a better life in a new country. It helped us see some of the challenges and struggles these families dealt with and made us grateful to be born in such a great country.
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13. The boys are back in town by Phyllis Reynolds
Rating: 8/10
Review: Fun and engaging stories for kids ages 8-13.
Review: The author shares lots of interesting stories about the power of prayer. This book inspired me to PRAY! The author also talked about the value in setting goals:
The brain is a goal seeking organization. Setting a goal creates structural tension in your brain which will seek to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be, who you are and who you want to become.
Review: This book was a wonderful story about a young man looking for the dad he’s never met, and an older woman who’s still grieving her lost son. The two meet and their stories intertwine in a beautiful way.
Review: McManus challenges readers to go from self-focused to servant-leaders, and shares lots of great stories along the way. Good book, but I liked The Last Arrow (by McManus) even better.
Review: I read this book with my 15 year-old and we both really enjoyed it. It’s a fiction book that tells the story of a troubled kid whose nickname is “Ghost” who joins the track team. There he finds his place, his ‘family,’ and the discipline he needs to succeed.
Review: This is a must-read for every Christian parent. It’s filled with page after page of Biblical truth and practical encouragement.
Here are 5 of my favorite quotes from this book:
We have this one life, this short time on earth to make our mark and to make life count. We have these children in our care for a blink of an eye. NOW is the time to be engaged and fully present. Now is the time to rise up and be the parent who trains and prepares our children to become the individuals they were created to be.
Prayer is oxygen. We breathe in the fresh life that God offers and breathe out worries and concerns.
Refuse to give your children everything they want, but assure them that God will provide everything they need.
When we take time to play and laugh with our children amidst the stresses of life, we send a strong message that says we believe God is in control and that he is faithful.
God promises to give wisdom if we ask him. We need wisdom because every child is different. The Lord will show you how to parent each of your children in a way that will help him or her to grow to be the person they were created to be.
Review: The only way to read this book is to LISTEN! Bono reads and sings his way through the story of his life. If you are a U2 fan, you will enjoy this book!
Here are two quotes and a story I loved:
“It takes great faith to have no faith.”
Bono
“The world is not so scary, if around the corner someone is waiting to walk with you on the next part of your journey.”
Bono
“When Bobby Kennedy was appointed by his brother (JFK) to be Attorney General, the black community was upset. All of MLK Junior’s associates were complaining. Martin Luther King said, “Can anyone tell me one good thing about Bobby Kennedy?” They said, “That’s what we’re telling you, there’s nothing good.“ MLK told them that the meeting was adjourned, and that their assignment was to go find one good thing about Bobby Kennedy, because that would be the door that would move the civil rights movement forward. When Bobby Kennedy died, he was a champion for civil rights. You don’t have to agree on everything. Sometimes it’s just about finding one good thing. It’s the door.”
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Those are the first set of books I’ve read this year. What about you? What are you reading and what would you recommend? Leave a comment!
If you know me, you know I love a good book. I don’t just read any book though; life’s too short for bad books. Before I begin a new book, I visit Goodreads and do a little research. A book needs a rating of 4 (out of 5) or better for me to begin.
Because my criteria is high, I’ve read some OUTSTANDING books this year. It was hard to choose just TEN for my TOP TEN of ’22. But here they are.
From left to right: Colleen, Kathryn, Shauna, Erin and Abbi
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Review: Though I’ve only met/chatted with Shauna a couple of times – our lives have followed a similar course. We were born the same year and grew up going to the same beach. We both have dads who love to sail on Lake Michigan. We got married the same year, have two sons the same age, and lived in the same part of the country for most of our lives! Maybe this is why Shauna is one of my favorite authors. I own every one of her books. I wasn’t sure I’d like this one as much as some of her others. However, I loved every single page of her newest book.
Shauna and her family moved to NYC around the same time our family moved to Minnesota. Each chapter of this book is a story from her life, and what she’s learning in that story. I deeply resonated with her insights on transitions, starting over, and finding joy. I cried, I laughed, I stopped to think, pray, and express gratitude.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:
Get outside and be on the lookout for beauty, especially in nature, read books for comfort. Fresh air helps everything. The world is still good, still beautiful, still interesting and worth savoring. God is still good, still faithful, still kind.
Keep walking, keep loving, keep writing, keep praying. Keep learning, keep forgiving, keep apologizing, keep moving forward. Keep inviting, keep listening, keep opening my arms to all of life.
It doesn’t help to pretend everything is okay. Tell the truth. Allow yourself to be supported by friends and family.
I’m learning home isn’t singular. You don’t lose one, instead, your world and your heart expand with each new home and new set of experiences. The old ones stay and the new ones make your heart and your world bigger.
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This was my favorite book of the year, and I will go back to it again and again.
Review: This is a 40-day devotional that is PACKED with goodness. It would be an EXCELLENT book to start your year.
Here are a couple of great quotes from the book:
Thoughts are like trains, they take you somewhere. Instead of stopping a thought, REPLACE it. You have to actively FEED the POSITIVE and STARVE the negative.
You will FEEL how you speak and FIND what you seek.
Public victory comes from private discipline.
God loves the people in your life so much that He put YOU in their lives. He gave you a means to communicate with them so they could be better off because they encountered YOU!
Review: Part of why I wanted to read this book was because I loved the title. For an Enneagram 7 (the Enthusiast), the idea of “everything sad” being “untrue” just made me smile.
The book tells the story of a family moving from Iran to Oklahoma – written from the perspective of a middle school boy. Because I read it while I had two sons in middle school, I really connected with the author’s perspective and story. It made me laugh, cry, think, and learn. I was filled with joy by the kindness shown by some, and shocked by the cruelty expressed by others.
The book will give a reader an amazing, up-close perspective on what it looks and feels like to be a refugee in America. This book was outstanding, and I recommend it to anyone 14 or older.
Review: This was the first book I read in 2022, and it was a FANTASTIC way to start the year. If you haven’t read it – I recommend it be your first book of 2023 (with Take Back Your Life)! The author is someone I admire and respect. He’s a great teacher and a fantastic writer. I loved his first book, Chasing Wisdom, and this second book is just as good.
The Power of Place is about the value of putting down roots and investing in the place you call ‘home.’
Review: This book shares the beautiful relationship that developed between CS Lewis and Ms. Davidson. They were pen pals, later met and became great friends, and eventually married. I already loved CS Lewis, but this story makes me love him even more. The author did a fabulous job of re-creating their love story. I recommend the audiobook because the narration brings the story to life. It’s free on the Hoopla app.
Here are two quotes from the book that I loved:
God does not love us because we are lovable but because He is Love.
CS Lewis
Sometimes we want to stay and goof off in a mud pit when God has an entire seashore for us to play in.
Review: This narrative unfolds the captivating journey of a young woman transitioning from Islam to Christianity. Her compelling tale resonated deeply with me, serving as a poignant reminder of the unparalleled freedom we enjoy in America and within our Christian faith, especially when contrasted with the experiences of individuals in other countries and adherents of different religions. Exploring our shared faith from a fresh perspective was truly enlightening. Unfortunately, it’s all too common to overlook the profound goodness of God when it has been a constant presence throughout one’s life.
I recommend this book to anyone on a spiritual quest or those 16 and above who identify with the Christian faith.
Review: This memoir delves into the life of a young woman who spent many years in and out of the foster care system. Candidly recounting her experiences, she unveils both the uplifting and challenging aspects of her journey. She is now actively engaged in bringing positive change to the broken system. If you’re interested in hearing a first hand perspective of the foster care system, or hold a genuine concern for the well-being of foster children, this book offers a compelling and insightful exploration.
Review: I read this book with George, and we both decided that Alan Gratz is a fantastic writer! He pulls you into the story and makes you feel like you are part of the adventure. This is fiction, but gives you insight into what it must have felt like to be in the Twin Towers on 911. Great for any reader age 12 and up who may want to know more about what happened on September 11, 2001.
I read this with Clark, and we both loved it. It’s a short book that can be read in one setting. The author writes brilliantly and expresses such beautiful and deep emotion in very few words.
It’s the story of a young boy coming to live with his aunt in Minnesota to escape his war-torn country of Sudan. We felt the wonder, optimism, fear, sadness, and hope through the eyes of the main character (Kek). This would make a great read-aloud for parents and kids ages 8 and up.
Review: An outstanding book written by a survivor of Auschwitz. She writes about her escape “physically” from prison, and how she later learned to escape the prison of the mind. She is the female version of Victor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning). There are parts of this book that are really hard to read, but it’s also a book filled with hope and redemption.
The sign above the entrance to the author’s prison camp in Aushwitz says: Arbeit Macht Frei, meaning: Work Will Set You Free. Dr. Eger writes:
Work has set me free. Not the work the Nazis meant, but the inner work. Of learning to survive and thrive, of learning to forgive myself, of helping others do the same. When I do this work, I am no longer a prisoner. I am free.
Dr. Eger
Here are a few gold nuggets I pulled from the book:
You can live in the prison of the past, or you can let the past be a springboard that helps you reach the life you want now.
Get the feelings out. Expression is the opposite of depression. You can’t heal what you don’t feel.
You can’t feel love and fear at the same time.
It’s easier to hold someone or something else responsible for your pain than to take responsibility for ending your own victimhood.
Our painful experiences aren’t a liability, they are a gift. They give us perspective and meaning, an opportunity to find our unique purpose and strength.
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You can’t change what happened, you can’t change what you did or what was done to you. You can choose how you live right now. You can choose to be free.
Review: This book is one of the best I’ve read all year and is PACKED with goodness. If you just read one book in the next 6 months – pick this one! Get it for someone you love too.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
Thoughts are like trains, they take you somewhere. Instead of stopping a thought, REPLACE it. You have to actively FEED the POSITIVE and STARVE the negative.
You will FEEL how you speak and FIND what you seek
Public victory comes from private discipline.
God loves the people in your life so much that He put YOU in their lives. He gave you a means to communicate with them so they could be better off because they encountered YOU!
Smile and you’ll eventually feel better. Your body doesn’t know why you are smiling but will respond.
Here is an interesting Ted Talk with more info on this:
Review: I like to read books by successful writers on how to be a better storyteller. This is part memoir and part advice. I found it interesting and helpful.
Review: I read this book because I really want to improve my listening and communicating skills. The author does a great job in educating the reader on the art of listening and how necessary it is for life. This book encouraged me in HOW to be a better listener. I want to read this one again, there is a lot to learn and implement.
Review: This was a fascinating story and history lesson about the great hunter and explorer, Daniel Boone. It gave interesting insight into what life was like in the 1700s. It made me grateful that I wasn’t born in that time, and also grateful for how hard our forefathers worked to pave an easier road for the rest of us! I recommend this to families taking a road trip. Great for ages 10 and up.
Review: I was at a parent-teacher conference with my son’s reading teacher, and she had a sign posted of her favorite books of all time – and this one was on the list. I’m not sure why I’ve never read this classic book…but I glad I finally did. I was transported back in time 100 years and enjoyed Fitzgerald’s writing.
Review: This is more a journal than a typical book. The goal is to get you thinking and give you ideas about how to connect with and invest in your child. There’s a book for every age and grade level!
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Wit and Wisdom
Rating: 8/10
Review: How weird am I that I read an entire book of quotes? Well, what can I say, I love a good quote. We will call this ‘research’ for future posts. 🙂
Here are just 3…
Wit, by itself, is of little account. It becomes of moment only when grounded on wisdom
Mark Twain
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Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.
James M. Barrie
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In matters of style, swim with the current, in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Review: I was excited to read this book with George. I have a great uncle who was a paratrooper on D-Day, and I wanted to read about what the experience may have been like for him. My only complaint about the book is that the author introduces so many characters that it’s a little hard to keep track of who’s who. Overall though, this book makes you feel like you are storming Normandy beach. The author captures the intensity of the day without being overly graphic. Great book for teens or those interested in D-Day or WW2.
Review: This book is fantastic and once I started, I couldn’t put it down. The author tells her story of growing up in foster care. Though Tori had a really tough life, there’s a thread of hope and redemption written through the pages. I highly recommend this book to anyone who works with children, or to a person who just loves a good memoir. I’ll share my copy with you if you’d like to read it.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from her book.
I’ve written this book not so you can see what God did through me, but so that you will believe what God can do through you, no matter the odds.
The worst things that happen to us can open our eyes to how much God loves us.
When God is part of the story, chances aren’t the dictator anymore, miracles are.
Foster kids don’t have to fall into the tragedy the world destined for them. None of us do. God has the final say.
I don’t have to be afraid of my past because I am free from its power over me. I am free from what has been done to me and from what I have done. I’m free from my past symptoms and coping mechanisms. I am a new because of a madman of love first loved me.
Review: I didn’t know much about Eugene Peterson before reading this book except that he wrote The Message Bible and that he mentored my friend Daniel Grothe. This book is engagingly written, full of Peterson’s own words from letters and journals. However, I found it a little boring. Eugene himself was surprised someone would want to write a biography about him. He didn’t think there was much about his life that would be interesting enough for a book. He had a pretty normal childhood, and was a pastor at the same church for 30 years. In my opinion, the book was too long and told unnecessary stories and information. However, here are a few of my favorite parts.
Eugene Peterson was friends with the Jackson family (as in Phil Jackson, coach of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls). Phil Jackson wanted to play basketball but his ultra-conservative parents weren’t sure it was a good idea. However, when Phil’s parents saw that Eugene could play basketball, and still maintain his character, they allowed Phil to play. Phil became an NBA player, and then one of the best coaches of all time.
I loved reading about Eugene’s desire to translate the entire Bible in an “easy-to-read and understand” contemporary format. The Message was a book that Zondervan turned down. They thought the market was too saturated and it would be a failure. A little known company (at the time) called NavPress decided to take a chance on this book. The Message has sold more than 20 million copies.
I really enjoyed reading about Eugene Peterson’s relationship with Bono, the leader of the group U2. Here’s a short video about their relationship: https://youtu.be/-l40S5e90KY
Finally, it was fun that the author mentioned my friend Daniel Grothe in the book, especially since Daniel wrote an entire book about their relationship called Chasing Wisdom. Chasing Wisdom is a phenomenal book – I recommend it ten times over Burning in my Bones.
Review: A short but beautiful book on God’s great love for humanity. This is a book I will come back to again and again. I loved how Brennan shared how healing happens when we pass on to another person what we have received from Jesus.
Review: I loved “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Kingsolver and wanted to read another one of her books. This novel is about a family who moves to Africa to be missionaries. You see each of their struggles as they navigate this new world – and discover how it impacts them over the course of their lives. It was a really well-written, interesting story.
Review: This book will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it. You will laugh, cry, be filled with joy by people’s kindnesses, and be astonished at people’s cruelty. Most of all I think it will give you hope. It caused me to examine to my faith, gain perspective on a refugee family’s experiences, and learn about the Persian culture. It gave me new ways to pray for refugees in the world today. I recommend it to anyone 14 or older. This book is a gift to anyone who reads it!
This book is outstanding! I listened to the audio book (SO GOOD) but now I want to get the hard copy and re-read it, underline, highlight, and take notes!
Dr. Perry discusses the effects of trauma on the brain. The book is filled with real-life stories of how a person’s childhood effects who they and how they act, as well as how people recover from trauma. I even discovered new things about myself and why I act or react in certain ways.
The book encourages us to stop asking “What’s wrong with you?” and start asking, “What happened to you?”
“What happened to you?” is not a faith-based book, but I love how Dr. Perry highlights the power of ‘faith’ and being a part of a ‘faith-community’ as one important step in recovering from all kinds of trauma.
I highly recommend this book to every teacher, counselor, law enforcement officer, nurse, and pastor.
The 20th anniversary of 9-11 got me thinking about the lives of those who were greatly impacted by that terrible event. I ordered this book last September and it’s been on my shelf for almost 10 months. I finally opened it up and read the ENTIRE book in ONE day.
The story is written by Lisa Beamer, the wife of Todd Beamer. Todd died on 9-11 when his plane went down in a field as he and a few others fought back against their plane’s hijackers.
As I read about Todd’s early life, he reminded me of my son Clark – and their mutual love for athletics and sales. I enjoyed getting to know what kind of man Todd was before 9-11, and what his wife’s life was like in the year after he died. I’d really love for her to write a follow up book about her life since writing this book. I wonder how she survived as a widow and single mom. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in 9-11.
I had really high expectations for this book since Ann Voskamp’s first book, One Thousand Gifts, was my favorite of 2018. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with this new one in the same way. In Waymaker, Ann shares the story of her marriage, her health, and about the adoption of their daughter. The stories aren’t told sequentially and she jumps around a lot. So that, plus her poetic-style of writing, made it hard for me to follow along and stay engaged.
In spite of that, there were some really powerful quotes in the book. Here are a few of my favorites:
Detours are the way dreams and destinies actually come true.
God delights in you, smiles over you, seeks to be with you, revives you with his kiss of Grace and can’t stop singing love songs because of you.
Even when I don’t feel it, I am Father-held, His everlasting arms around all my needs.
Lament can be tears that water new life.
God signs his inconspicuous signature everywhere: everything is a sign post that points to his love.
The purpose of reading scripture is not to become good, but to be with Goodness Himself. Not to get God to love you, but to fall in love with God.
There is a reason why God is called The Way. He makes roads you wouldn’t have dreamed of, miracles happen exactly where you never would have imagined.
Marriages are fragile things, not an accomplishment to be proud of, but a miracle to give thanks for.
This is a biography of William Booth, the man who started the Salvation Army. William was born in England in the 1800s. He had to quit school at age 13 to help provide for his poor family. As he grew older, he had a strong desire to teach people about God. His heart was for the poorest of the poor. First he began meeting their spiritual needs, but also found ways to meet their physical needs.
William Booth opened factories to give work to the unemployed. Government leaders toured his facilities and created laws for ‘safer working conditions’ once they saw how well his factory was run compared to others. Booth published articles, books, and traveled the world to teach and inspire others to help the poor.
Thousands of people throughout the world, became part of the “Salvation Army” whose mission was to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the poor. Some of his work still continues to this day.
I was fascinated by how much resistance William Booth and the Salvation Army got, mostly because it was ‘un-conventional.’ They seemed to be buffered at every turn. However, they kept moving forward, trying to find more ways to help those in need. The challenges didn’t cause them to give up, but actually made them stronger, more resilient, and even more effective.
Though William Booth started with nothing, he earned an honorary doctorate from Oxford, was lauded by Winston Churchill, and had friendships with two US presidents.
I finished five books this month = 3 memoir/biographies + 1 fiction + 1 non-fiction. I share my reviews and recommendations below. I’d love for you to leave a comment if you’ve read something interesting lately!
Review: This book made me want to eat large bowls of pasta. I was hungry the whole way through. I started reading the hard copy, but when I saw that Stanley Tucci reads the audio version, I switched to listening to HIM read the book to ME…his voice…so good. The only reason you may want the hard copy of this book is to see the recipes. There’s a pasta/zucchini recipe that Stanley describes in the book that I’m dying to try. I think Stanley is a great actor, and LOVED him in the movie Julie and Julia, so I was looking forward to reading his book. However, it wasn’t your typical autobiography. He told more stories and details about FOOD than his actual life. He shared briefly that his first wife died of cancer and left him with three young children – but never went into any detail about this part of his life. He met his second wife (Felicity Blunt), at her sister Emily’s wedding. Overall the book was interesting, but I’d recommend his “Searching for Italy” series over the book.
Review: Another great biography about a man from history. I was fascinated by what life was like during that era. So simple, yet so challenging. I’m grateful for this glimpse into his life and how hard he worked to take care of his family, and to make America a great place to live. He died defending our country.
Review: I feel bad about this book. Nora tried to write a funny book about aging, and while there were funny parts, overall, this book left me feeling bad. If you are a Nora Ephron fan, what book would you recommend that I read that’s better than this one?
Review: A unique story of a young foster girl living in Nazi Germany through World War 2. The book is narrated by Death, who crosses her path more than once, and tells the story of her struggles as she grows from a child to a teenager. I’m looking forward to watching the movie now that I’ve read the book, I’ll post my thoughts on which is better in my next “Movie or Book” post.
This book had extremely high reviews, so I had high expectation and thought I’d love it. While there were some beautiful parts, I found it a little dry and had a hard time getting through it. A similar book that was much more enjoyable to read was “What is God Like?” by SJ Hill.
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