Book Review Archives - Page 5 of 10

0 In 2021/ Book Review/ Product Recommendations

Four books I finished in April: Book Reviews and Recommendations

Here are a few great books I finished this month.

The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus

Rating: 10/10

Review: This book was so good that once I started, I could barely put it down. Erwin shares one phenomenal story after another, connecting what God teaches in the Bible to real people putting that into action, and the POWER that action has had in their lives. Here are a few of my favorite points from the book:

You need to act like your life depends on it because it’s never just your life involved. The world desperately needs everything you can bring to the table.
Don’t allow your weakness to define who you are.
You will never sustain greatness or fulfill your God-given calling if you see people as an obstacle to your destiny rather than as essential to fulfilling God’s purpose in your life. An old African saying: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We are more powerful when we walk together, and we are more vulnerable when we walk alone.
Fear is like a leprosy that eats away at us. Fear will lead us to build fortresses that look like security and safety. Fear convinces us that we have locked out the dangers, but it hasn’t locked the world out at all. Instead, fear has trapped us inside. It was never a fortress, it was a prison.
I do not believe anyone is born average but I do believe that many of us choose to live a life of mediocrity. To be above average demands a choice. Average is a safe choice and it’s the most dangerous choice we can make.
Do not lose sight of the fact that just because it’s time to move forward, the things in the past did not have great value for the time in your life. Appreciate the past, but live IN the present and FOR the future.

Home Front by Kristin Hannah

Rating: 5/10

Review: This is the story of a military family, the wife goes off to war and comes back with a missing leg and PSTD. I didn’t connect with the characters or find the story believable. I would recommend The Nightingale over this book! A much better story and excellent character development.

Help Club for Moms : The Wise Woman Believes

Rating: 10/10

Review: The Help Club for Mom’s Bible studies include mom tips, recipes, activities to do with your children, journaling pages, and practical devotions for mom. The book takes into consideration your home, children, faith, and marriage. The studies are uplifting and perfect for any mom.

Remarkable by Brady Boyd

Rating: 10/10

Review: Brady Boyd has done it again with his masterful, engaging and meaningful writing. This is all about how Christ-followers can live ‘remarkable’ lives that make a positive difference in the world. Here are 5 things that stood out to me:

Every person is created in the image of God – regardless of color, creed, gender, socioeconomic status or citizenship. When you disagree with someone, ask: “Help me understand your perspective. What am I missing?” or “Tell me your story.”
Acceptance, kindness and forgiveness are the trifecta of a gracious life. “May we exude graciousness at every turn, remembering that we too, were lavished with grace. May we radiate the warmth and compassion of Jesus, who once took in our messiest messiness and said, ‘You are welcome here.'”
Inviting God into our painful places is when healing begins to seep in.
The first step in obtaining wisdom is admitting that I am not the source of wisdom. (Do I stop and seek God for wisdom before I make decisions or answer questions?)
Stay plugged in to the unparalleled power Source.

What are you reading?

Here are my favorite books for 2020

And my top ten from 2019

May 1, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Book Review

Books I read in March 2021

I felt like I didn’t read much this month, but somehow I finished six books! I read with my kids most days, and a little by myself here and there. Two were fairly quick reads, two I’ve been reading for months and finally finished, and one I listened to on the Hoopla app. Here are my reviews:

Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen

Rating: 9/10

Review: An enjoyable story of a veterinarian who joined the circus and fell in love.

Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper By S.A.R.K.

Rating: 9/10

Review: When Sara Blakely mentioned how much she was inspired by this writer, I went to my local library and checked out a couple of her books. They are SO uniquely written – full of color and written by hand. I’d recommend this book to any writer who needs a little inspiration and encouragement, as well as some fresh ideas. This book made me open up my journal and start writing!

All Flame by Andrew Arndt

Rating: 9/10

Review: Andrew and I worked together at New Life Church. His love for God and kindness towards others is contagious. This book shares Andrew’s journey of faith, and encourages the reader in their faith journey as well. My favorite parts of this book were the stories he told of our mutual friend Jack, as well as some other heroes of history. This is a book you’ll want to read slowly so that you have time to absorb and reflect on each chapter.

Here are some books I read with my boys:

How Great is our God: 100 Indescribable Devotions About God and Science by Louie Giglio

Rating: 10/10

Review: My kids and I absolutely loved Louie’s first devotional for kids, and were excited to read this one too! Each day has a Bible verse and a short and interesting story about science and God.

Never Caught: The story of Ona Judge by Erica Dunbar

Rating: 8/10

Review: This book confused me. First, it’s supposed to be for children, so I was reading it with one of my sons, but some of the content discussed was not for children. Thankfully, my son wasn’t super interested in this book so we started another book together and I finished this on my own. Second, it’s supposed to be nonfiction but filled with tons of opinions and ‘she might have said this or done that.’

Overall, It was an interesting story of an enslaved woman owned by George and Martha Washington. The story tells how her life (may have been) as Martha’s slave, how and why she may have escaped, and a little about her life as a free woman.

Who Was Abraham Lincoln? by Janet Pascal

Rating: 9/10

Review: A simple but excellent overview of our 16th president.

Click here for the Five Books I Finished in February

What have you been reading? Leave comment by clicking on the small text box by the title!

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April 2, 2021 By Kathryn

2 In 2021/ Book Review/ Faith/ Product Recommendations

The Best Bible and Devotionals for Kids ages 2-12 – Plus a Giveaway!

Easter is the best time to get your kids a new devotional or Bible. If you have a hard time getting your kids to read their Bible or a devotional, do it with them. I like to read with my kids when they first wake up or right before they go to bed. Also, my kids are always required to read something before they get on electronics.

Here are some of my favorites!

Devotionals:

I Can Learn the Bible

For ages 2-10

We just discovered this one at our local library and love it. It has a devotion for each week of the year, a memory verse and an excellent lesson.

How Great is our God

For ages 5-15

I’ve shared before how MUCH I love Louie Giglio’s first devotional for kids called: Indescribable. This is Book 2 and I love this one too.

The Purpose Driven Life for Kids

The Purpose Driven Life (for Grownups) is one of the best selling books of all time. The ones for children are really good too!

I’d recommend this book for ages 8-14:

This illustrated one is great for children 2-8:

Bibles:

Jesus Storybook Bible

For ages 1-10

This is the Bible in “storybook” form. It’s BEAUTIFULLY written and all my kids have enjoyed listening to it. It’s received about 8,000 five star reviews on Amazon. This is the perfect “FIRST” Bible for kids! However, my 11 year old still asks me to read it to him!

The Action Bible

For ages 6-12

This is a great Bible for kids who love Graphic Novels.

Bible Storybook

For ages 2 and up

This Bible is easy-to-read and has an accompanying app that little ones enjoy playing.

A Children’s Holy Bible

For ages 5 and up

A real chapter and verse Bible for your child, if they don’t have on yet, is a great gift to give them for Easter. My favorite bible for kids is the New International Reader’s Version. This version makes the Bible easier to read and understand.

Need more Easter Basket ideas? Read this post!

Five fun Easter crafts and actives for kids! Click here!

For unique Easter egg hunt idea that will delight your kids and neighbors, click here!

Why do we celebrate Easter? Is there TRUTH and FACTS behind the Christian faith?

Thanks for reading! Please share this post!

March 19, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Book Review/ Product Recommendations

5 Books I Finished in February

Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis

Rating: 7/10

Review: This is the story of an orphan girl who is a chess genius, but also struggles with addiction. The book takes you on a journey through her life. Highs and lows. Wins and losses. Sobriety and addiction. Friendship and loneliness.

This is one of those RARE occasions that the SHOW was better than the book. Because I do not play chess, it was hard for me to imagine the games as they were described in the book. It was much more enjoyable to watch the games and observe the people and their surroundings. The show was excellent, and if you have Netflix, I recommend that you skip the book and watch the show!

The Boy on the Wooden Box

Rating: 10/10

Review: I couldn’t put this book down. It was SO good! It’s the phenomenal story of a boy who survived the Holocaust because he was on ‘Schinder’s list!’ Many holocaust stories are incredibly hard to read, but this one had a string of redemption and hope running through it. I loved this book and think you will too! Easy to read and an excellent book for kids ages 12 and up!

Creativity by Ed Catmull

Rating: 8/10

Review: This was written by the co-founder of Pixar. (The company that created so many of those movies we LOVE!) The early parts of the book are a little slow as he introduces himself and the formative parts of his life. I really enjoyed the parts of the book that gave ‘behind the scenes’ stories into several Pixar movies. I also loved his stories about Steve Jobs – the author describes him in a positive light. The book gave insight into how and why Pixar is such a successful organization.

She Persisted: Harriet Tubman by Andrea Pinkney

Rating: 9/10

Review: Great book to read with kids! A simple chapter book that gives a brief overview of Harriet Tubman’s life. My kids and I enjoyed it.

The Book of Waking Up by Seth Haines

By Seth Haines

Rating: 9/10

Review: I really enjoyed Seth Haines first book, Coming Clean and was excited to read his second one. This book started so slow that I almost stopped reading, but I’m SOOO glad I didn’t give up on the book. The last few chapters were amazing! The author is a lawyer and I realized he was using the first section of the book to develop his ‘case’ on how to “wake up” to true life. He shares how he began to drink heavily to cover deep pain that he was going through. He shares how many of us use food, social media, alcohol, drugs or shopping to distract us from the pain, keep us from dealing with it and allowing God to heal it.

Seth gives incredibly practical and beautiful steps to truly healing from the pain and living life WIDE AWAKE!

Here are my favorite books of 2020!

What are you reading?

March 1, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Book Review

Books I read in January 2021

The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

Rating: 10/10

Review: Wow! This should be required reading for every high school and/or college student. It was phenomenal. It’s not a book about sales, though it would certainly help if you are in sales. It’s really a book about how to get the most out of life and how to be the best version of yourself.

It’s about man who inherits these 10 ancient scrolls that are the ‘secret to success’. Each scroll has a specific focus and they are extremely powerful!

I will go back to this book again and again.

Thanks to my husband for recommending that George and I read this together.

Here are just a couple of quotes from the book:

If you don’t own this book, do yourself a HUGE favor, click here, add it to your cart and spend the $8 to purchase a copy! You can thank me after you read it.

John Adams by Janet Benge

Rating: 9/10

Review: I listened to this on my Hoopla App. This book gives insight into the heart and mind of one of our founding fathers in an easy-to-read style.

Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mckenzie

Rating: 10/10

Review: A friend recommended this book and I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. To me, the title inferred ‘sleeping on the job.’ Teaching Young Kids and REST do NOT co-exist! However, I later realized the title means ‘teaching without frenzy and anxiety.’ It means teaching with peace.

This book encouraged me as I was learning how to homeschool four boys. What I loved most is the focus on the relationships OVER the assignments!

If you know your child is guaranteed admission into Harvard but you’ll have to destroy your relationship to make that happen – would you do it?

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

Rating: 6/10

Review: The Writing Life was not what I was expecting. I thought it would give me writing input and advice. Instead, it was a series of essays about Annie Dillard’s daily life and her writing struggles.

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Rating: 8/10

Review: I’ve been listening to this audio book in small bits over the last two months. It’s a compilation of thoughts and research on what makes an effective leader. I found that it got better the further into the book I read/listened. It gave me insight into building a better blog, as well as how to have better communication within my marriage.

Children’s Books I read with my kids:

The following books would be great to read for Black History month (February):

My Daddy, Martin Luther King Jr.

Rating: 10/10

The Freedom Box: True Story of the Underground Railroad

Rating: 10/10

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

Rating: 10/10

Superheroes are everywhere by Kamala Harris

Rating 8/10

Hidden Figures

Rating:9/10

Thanks for reading! What would you recommend? Leave a comment!

For the best books I read last year, click here!

February 2, 2021 By Kathryn

12 In 2020/ Book Review/ Giveaway

Best Books of 2020

My last post included the 50+ titles I read in 2020, here’s a list of my absolute favorites. These are the top ten (plus some honorable mentions). If you haven’t read these – I recommend you add them to your “to read” list in 2021!

Read this post to the end to see how to win two of my favorite books of the year. Giveaway has ended.

1. Chasing Wisdom by Daniel Grothe

This book is a warm blanket on a cold day. It’s a gentle push in the right direction. The author is someone I worked with at New Life Church. He’s a great leader, pastor, and friend.

This book answers the questions:

How do we become the kind of people who know how to handle whatever life throws at us?
How do we become wise?

I HIGHLY Recommend this book!

2. Help Club for Moms Book by Deb Weakly and others

Being a mom can wear your down, this book will BUILD YOU UP! I know as moms that we don’t have a lot of time to read, but this book is WORTH your TIME!! Each chapter is SHORT and easy to read. This book gives you a ‘boost’ of inspiration for the day. Perfect for any mom with young children.

3. Good Grief by Granger Westburg

A super short, easy-to-read book that I could recommend to every person in this world. Whether you are grieving something simple like canceled plans, or something much larger – like divorce or loss of a loved one – this book is a MUST READ!

4. Indescribable by Louie Giglio

I think every family should own a copy of this book! The short devotionals teach something about science and how it connects us with God. This is one of those books where kids AND parents enjoy reading and learning together. We found each page fascinating.

5. The Blessing of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel

This book was written by a parent and psychologist. I found it practical, extremely helpful, and even inspiring. It’s a book I’ll go back to again and again.

6. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

They say that truth is better than fiction, and this book is the PERFECT example of that. The author had me hooked from the very first page. She does an excellent job of recreating her childhood so the reader feels like they were there. I could feel her pain, joy, and disappointment. It’s an incredible story of survival, perseverance and resilience by four children being raised in the midst of poverty. Her story surprised me constantly – from how smart her parents were in some aspects, to absolutely dysfunctional in other areas. What an interesting story!

7. The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner

This is such a wonderful, powerful book. I listened to it on my free Hoopla app, but this year I’m going to buy and read my own hard copy. This book is full of good truths about the enormous love God has for each one of us – just as we are. This book would make a great gift. Thanks to my sister, Krista, for the recommendation!

8. Janet Benge biographies

Janet’s biographies are so easy-to-read and incredibly engaging! They are great books to read aloud with your children. If you are a home school parent – her books are a great resource for history. If your children need to read chapter books for school, I recommend these!

I read 6 of her biographies this year, and the ones I enjoyed most were:

Harriet Tubman!!! This book shares hard and fascinating stories about Harriet Tubman. I can’t believe one woman did so much in her life. She was a phenomenal woman! This book is a must read!

George Washington – My son George and I were so in awe of our first president after reading this book together. George said he wished I would have named him George Washington Egly.

Theodore Roosevelt by Janet Benge – An intriguing summary of Theodore Roosevelt’s life.

Abraham Lincoln by Janet Benge – The author summarizes Abraham Lincoln’s life so well!

9. The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

The book is the true story of a man who spends many years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. After he works through the anger of being wrongfully imprisoned, he realizes they’ve stolen his life but they can‘t steal his joy. He chooses to make a positive difference right there on death row. He brought light and life to a very dark place. He gets to know each prisoner. This story shares an excellent example of CHOOSING JOY in ANY situation, as well as the difference that ONE PERSON can make.

10. Master Your Goals by Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar is so inspiring and easy to listen to. Pick ANY of his books to kick start your year!

5 Honorable Mentions:

God Smuggler by Brother Andrew – I wanted to add this to my top ten of 2020, but it was on the list LAST year (Click here to read that list), so I wanted to make room for other titles. This story is so incredibly inspiring. I could read it over and over. The book shares stories of Andrew bringing Bibles behind the Iron Curtain and the impact that had on people and churches. This book had one miraculous story after another. I read this book in 2019 and loved it so much that I re-read it with Clark in 2020. He enjoyed it too!

Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple – a story I loved so much that I read it twice. The book and the movie are both excellent.

Catch Me if You Can by Frank Abagnale – Can’t believe these things actually happened! What a life! The book is better than the movie. This book would be a great one to listen to, but not good for young ears to hear.

The Dance of Connection by Harriet Lerner – a helpful and interesting non-fiction about how to understand and relate to others!

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass – a captivating autobiography of a slave who became a free man!

Here’s a video with my son Luke as I share my favorite books of 2020:

GIVEAWAY:

Congratulations to Melissa for winning a copy of Chasing Wisdom and Amy for winning a copy of Help Club for Moms.

If you’d like to win one of these books:

Subscribe to this blog.
Leave a comment, noting the book you want to win. (You can leave a comment by clicking on the tiny comment box to the right of the TITLE of this post)
Want to win both? Leave separate comments for separate books.
Want extra entries? Leave a comment on my Facebook and/or Instagram posts!
Share and/or tag friends for extra entries!
US ONLY
Winner drawn on Saturday, January 9, 2020.

Thanks for reading!

Click here to read my top ten books of 2019.

Click here to read my favorite books of 2018.

Their are affiliate links in this post. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission. I will probably use it to buy books to giveaway here!

January 4, 2021 By Kathryn

3 In 2020/ Book Review

Books I read in 2020

2020 was a GREAT year to get LOST in a book!

Sometimes people ask how I read so much. Here’s what I share about that:

I LOVE reading! You find time for things you love. Some people craft or build in their free time. Some like electronics or movies. I read.
I keep books in several places. One by my bed. An audiobook on my phone. A book by the couch. Another in the kitchen. One in the car. I always have a book nearby to read if I have a few minutes to spare.
On most days: I take 10-30 minutes to read in the morning. I take 10-20 minutes in the afternoon to read. In the evening, I’d usually rather read than watch TV, though occasionally a show wins my time. Currently it’s The Crown!
If I have to wait for my kids at a practice or an appointment, I’ll read.
I read WITH my kids. I pick a book and read one-on-one, or read SHORT segments with all of them.
The free HOOPLA app allows me to download excellent books for no cost, so I will listen to books while doing household chores or exercising.
Also #MinnesotaWinter means I’m indoors more through the winter and have some time to read.

Follow me on GoodReads for all my latest ratings and reviews!

Here are the books I read in 2020:

January

Good Grief by Granger Westburg
Master your Goals by Zig Ziglar
The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton
Full Circle by Andrea Barber
Where’d you go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Click here for reviews and links to the books I read in January.

February

6. The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall

7. The Algebra of Happiness by Scott Galloway

8. The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger

9. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

10. John Wesley by Janet Benge

11. Indescribable by Louie Giglio

Click here for full reviews and links to the books I read in February.

March and April

12. Give and Take by Adam Grant

13. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

13. Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

14. The Blessing of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogall

15. Who was Alexander Hamilton?

Click here for full reviews and links to the books I read in March and April.

May

16. Chasing Wisdom by Daniel Grothe

17. Harriet Tubman by Janet Benge

18. Just Kids by Patti Smith

19. George Muller by Janet and Geoff Benge

20. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

21. The Wise Woman Loves by Deb Weakly

Click here for full reviews and links to the books I read in May

June

22. The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner

23. Blackwater Ben by William Durbin

24. Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

25. Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

26. Your Beautiful Purpose by Susie Larson

Click here for full reviews and links to the books I read in June

July

27. Theodore Roosevelt by Janet Benge

28. Becoming by Michelle Obama

29. Open Book by Jessica Simpson

30. Who is Jackie Chan? by Jody Shaffer

Click here for full reviews and links to the books I read in July

August

31. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

32. Intelligent Conversationalist By Imogen Lloyd Webber

33. Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor

34. BoyMom by Monica Swanson

Click here for full reviews, ratings and links to the books I read in August.

September

35. The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

36. Who Was Julia Child? by Jeff Edgers

37. Who Were the Wright Brothers? by James Buckly Jr

38. God Smuggler by Brother Andrew

Click here for full reviews, ratings and links to the books I read in September.

October

39. Rising Strong by Brene Brown

40. The Dance of Connection by Harriet Lerner

41. Motherhood without all the Rules by Maggie Combs

42. Hudson Taylor by Janet Benge

43. Abraham Lincoln by Janet Benge

Click here for full reviews, ratings, and links to the books I read in October.

November

44. Catch me if you Can by Frank Abagnale Jr.

45. Be the Bridge by LaTasha Morrison

46. George Washington by Janet Benge

47. Positivity by Barbara Frederickson

48. Dad’s Eye View: 52 Adventures in the Twin Cities by Michael Hartfort

49. I Never Had It Made by Jackie Robinson

Click here for full reviews and links to the books I read in November.

December

50. Help Club for Moms by Deb Weakly and others

51. Help Club for Moms Study Guide by Deb Weakly and team

52. Who was Dr. Martin Luther King? by Bonnie Bader

53. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas

Click here to read reviews of each of the books I read in December.

A book I read THROUGHOUT the year:

54. My Bible

What I’m currently reading:

Prevail by Susie Larson

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead

Click here and follow me on Goodreads!

Don’t miss the GIVEAWAY in my next post. I’ll share my top ten favorite books of 2020, and give two of them away!

January 2, 2021 By Kathryn

3 In 2020/ Book Review

4 Books I finished in December

Help Club for Moms

Rating: 10/10

Review: This book is a must read for every mom with children under 15. It’s full of practical tips and inspiration for raising young children!

Being a mom can wear your down, this book will BUILD YOU UP! I know as moms that we don’t have a lot of time to read, but this book is WORTH your TIME!! Reading just one page a day can give you a little ‘boost’ of inspiration for the day.

Help Club for Moms Companion Guide

Rating: 8/10

Review: This is a simple guide that allows you to think deeper and reflect on each chapter of the Help Club for Moms book.

Who was Martin Luther King, Jr?

Rating: 8/10

Review: A simple, yet good overview of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas

Rating: 10/10

Review: I listened to this autobiography of Frederick Douglas on my free Hoopla app.

Frederick Douglas shares stories from his early life in this book. He tells how he was separated from his mother before he turned one. Older slave women, who can no longer work in the fields, would take care of the young children until they can work. He said he never had any pants, shoes, or socks for the first 7 years of his life and remembers being SO cold through the Maryland winters.

When Frederick was around 7 (he’s not sure exactly of his age), he was sold to assist a woman and her son. Frederick was her first slave. He said at first, the woman was kind like a mother, but being a slave owner “changed” her. She became hard and mean. He noticed this over and over, how owning slaves changed people.

He shares how when he escaped to freedom, he expected to see poverty in the north, since Northerners did not own slaves. But the OPPOSITE was true! The North had class, wealth, and was full of people who worked hard without oppression.

Though many of the stories he shares about his life as a slave were hard to read, the book is excellent and I highly recommend it.

My next post will include a summary of all the books I read in 2020, followed by my FAVORITE books of the year!

Thanks for reading!

December 31, 2020 By Kathryn

1 In 2020/ Book Review

Books I read in November: Reviews and Recommendations

Amazon is having a special with $5 off $20 on books. Not all books are included but you can search which books are included using this link.

Here are books I recently read:

Catch me if you Can by Frank Abagnale Jr.

Rating: 9/10

Review:

Frank Abagnale’s autobiography is engaging and honestly, hard to believe! Before he turned 21 – Frank posed as a Pan Am pilot and traveled the world, he then passed the bar and became a lawyer, he forged transcripts and was a doctor for an entire year in Atlanta, then taught summer classes at Brigham Young! He lived large on stolen money. He now works to keep others from doing the same.

I would have loved for him to share more about the change that happened on the inside that caused him to change on the outside. I know he became a man of faith, is married and has 3 sons. He doesn’t share much about life out of prison and I’d be curious to hear about it. Maybe it’s in another book? Overall, it was a fun book to read.

Be the Bridge by LaTasha Morrison

Rating: 9/10

Review: The author weaves together the past and the present to lead the reader on a path to reconciliation. Unlike many books, this one will leave you empowered to make forward progress toward justice in a healthy and Biblical way.

George Washington by Janet Benge

Rating: 10/10

Review:

My 13 year old son (George) and I read this ‘George Washington’ biography together and now George wishes his middle name was Washington. We have so much admiration and respect for our first president. He was a true patriot who worked tirelessly to create, protect, and lead the United States of America.

Did you know George Washington decided the leader of our country should be called “The President of the United States” and “Mr. President” for short?

Positivity by Barbara Frederickson

Rating: 9/10

Review: Couldn’t we all use a little more positivity in 2020? This book teaches you how to reduce negativity and increase positivity in your life!

Here are some gold nuggets from the book:

Things that cultivate positivity include love, inspiration, amusement, pride, hope, interest, serenity, gratitude and joy.
Positivity strengthens your connections with others, seeing ‘we’ instead of me. It inspires you to do what’s right for others which inspires others to do the same.
Positivity is your birthright. Just like ice can change to water by warming up the environment. You can increase your positivity by warming up your emotional climate.
When you change the course of your thinking, you change the course of your emotions. (I wrote a blog post similar to this here)
If you feel good, you do good. When we increase positivity, we are not only happier, but we are more resilient, productive, creative and becoming a better an all around person.
One scientifically proven way to stop negativity is to dispute negative thinking. Replace negative thoughts with truth/facts. When you take in the facts – really take them in – you breath easier. (Click here for a blog post I wrote on believing truth vs. lies)
We change our eating habits to help us feel better. Why don’t we change what we are reading, watching and listening to for the same reason!
You can’t FORCE yourself into positivity just by saying “Be positive,” but there are actions you can take to increase your positivity by: Doing more of what you love; Practicing mindfulness: being completely present in the moment. Getting outside. Even a 20 minute walk can boost your positivity. Connecting with another human. The tie between flourishing and enjoying good social relations is so strong and reliable that scientist called it a necessary condition for flourishing.

Just like you count your calories to lose weight, or watch your money, you can track your positive to negative thoughts and feelings so that you can start tipping the scale in the positive direction.

For more info, visit PositivityRatio.com.

Dad’s Eye View: 52 Adventures in the Twin Cities

Rating: 10/10

Review: Because this book was written for “Dads,” I wouldn’t have picked it up in the store. However, someone gave it to me and the subtitle was intriguing. For a Minnesota Newbie who LOVES adventures – this book was amazing. It had so many fun ideas of places to explore with your kids. If you live in the Twin Cities and want to take your kids on some unique adventures around town, this book is for you.

I Never Had It Made by Jackie Robinson

Rating: 9/10

Review: Our family watched the movie 42 recently and thought it was excellent. It made me curious about Jackie Robinson, so I checked out his autobiography from the library. I really admire how this man gave his all to fight for what he believed it. Sometimes that fight was by staying silent and playing great baseball, and sometimes it meant speaking out for equal rights. Great book!

What have you been reading? Leave me a comment!

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December 3, 2020 By Kathryn

2 In 2020/ Book Review

Should you watch the movie or read the book?

If you had to choose between reading a book or watching a movie, which would you choose?

You probably won’t be shocked to learn I’d rather read the book. However, there are a few exceptions.

Here are my opinions on a handful of titles.

A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

The book:

The movie

The verdict:

Watch the movie, skip the book. The book is a cute little children’s story. The movie is funny and engaging for all ages. It’s one of our favorite family movies!

Just Mercy

The book:

The movie:

The Verdict:

The movie was excellent, but READ THE BOOK! It’s powerful.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

The book:

The movie:

The verdict:

I absolutely LOVED this book. It’s RARE that I find a fiction book that I love so much that I not only recommend it to others, but also re-read it. This is one of the few. The MOVIE was nearly as good as the book. I recommend you read the book and watch the movie!

Harriet Tubman

The book:

The movie:

The verdict:

Well, both were excellent, but I preferred the book. Harriet is a HERO! I recommend you watch the movie, then read the book.

Little Women

The book:

T he movie:

The verdict:

The book is a classic, so I have to give credit to the original novel that has been loved for generations and inspired so many spin-offs. But I watched the movie first and read the book second and enjoyed the movie more than the book.

The Blind Side

The book:

The movie:

The verdict:

BOTH!!! The movie highlights Michael Ohr and has football as a backdrop. The book highlights football with Michael as the backdrop. Both are excellent and earn 10 out of 10 stars.

So what’s your opinion? Have you read/watched the same story and have something to share? Leave a comment!

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Click here to check out another Book/Movie comparison post.

Here’s the link to the YouTube video I posted about these titles: