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October/November Book Review

October/November Book Review

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Book Club

With all the broken necks and weird super bugs that hit our household these past two months I got behind on my book review. But, never fear, it is here.

These past two months I read a couple of memoirs, some interesting books that really had me thinking, and one chick lit that I LOVED!!!!! I think I need to do more chic lit in December to keep things light with the holidays, so if anyone has any suggestions PLEASE help a sister out!!!! I need to chillax on the serious stuff I think!

So I took a tiny Enneagram workshop at my church in February and it really had me intrigued. I decided to pick up the book they spoke about and go deeper. I got The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Con and Suzanne Stable. I was so fascinated by this book that I subscribed to their podcast and I am working my way through it now. The book is pretty easy to grasp, but if you are like me and really want to understand people, well, I highly suggest getting the book and listening to the podcast. Basically in a nutshell this is a personality typing if you will. What I LOVE about it though, is it does not box you in to any personality and it really helped me understand how my weakness can become strengths and honestly visa versa. Raising teens in this day and age is hard and this book has helped me understand and RESPECT my teens and what makes them tic. That alone makes this book worth its weight in gold as far as I am concerned. Do I recommend this book for everyone? Only if you are ready to level up and respect people for all of their gifts….the good, the bad, and the ugly…..when we all do this, the world will be a little bit brighter. Unfortunately some people do not want or desire to do this….and that is why we are human. BUT if you want to be more like Jesus, RUN, do NOT pass GO, and get this book!!!!!

While listening to The Road Back to You Podcast I heard an interview with Sarah Thebarge who wrote The Invisible Girls: A Memoir. Well, I fell in love with her during the interview and I had to get her book as I was so touched by her heart and her strength. Sarah is a survivor of breast cancer and a lot of her story is how she coped with that while finding her way back to God. I resonated with this part of her story simply because I found myself wondering if God was really God a time or two in my life and I too have learned that by helping others we tend to let go and let God if you will. Great read. Easy read because the chapters are short which always leaves me thinking…..”Oh just one more, they are short chapters.” And the next thing you know it is midnight thirty and I have to get up at 5:45 am!!!!! That is always a sign of a good book for me!

Next I went with a book my brother in law Tom suggested on his Facebook page. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. This is my first Gladwell book and I have to say he is a fascinating dude! I think his point that we are terrible at talking to strangers is well driven home, but I will say he falls short on giving us any kind of advice on how to. What I do know is that I was fascinated by his view points. I think anyone who has to make quick judgments of others character and behavior should read this. He makes some interesting and thought provoking points. He really had me pondering a lot. So much so it took me forever to read this book because he does have you really pondering on how we see strangers. Let’s just say this book left me thinking and at a loss for words…..and that never happens! Should you read it? I say yes. If you don’t like it just return it! But, I do say yes!

After reading that heavy stuff I decided on a book my girlfriend Ashley recommended. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover. I found this book fascinating yet heavy! In a nutshell it is about a girls account of being raised in a fundamentalist Mormon family, however, she makes it very clear that this book is not about Mormons, but about a very unhealthy and dysfunctional family. One that she survived and lived to tell about. Which in and of itself is a miracle because her father puts their family at risk a number of times. Why? I think it is because he is bi polar and not medicated. Bi polar disease when left untreated can be a nightmare and extremely dangerous for the patient and for the family members caring for the patient. What is worse, in this story, most of the family members are under the fathers spell and cannot see he is sick. This book had me wondering if many a cult leaders in the past were bi polar? It would make sense to me if that was the case and maybe then I could have a little more compassion, seeing that it is a disease controlling their mind. Maybe????? Bottom line that is what Tara has done. She survived her childhood, still loves her parents and family, but has chosen with zero bitterness to separate herself from them as a boundary for her own sanity. Now that is compassion! Great book about survival and one that goes to show we can overcome our circumstances if we choose to! Bravo Tara on your choices!!!!!

Holy Heavy! After all that I needed a break and I chose A Christmas Bliss: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews! Can I just say this book was just what the doctor ordered!!!!! Thank you Mary Kay Andrews for bringing some love and fluff into this world!!!!! And perfect timing with Christmas right around the corner! This book is an easy read, with lovable characters, and just enough twist and turns to make for a happy ending. So if you are looking for an easy, light, chic lit read to get you through the stress of the holidays, well this is your book!!!!!

So there you have it! That is what I have been reading, what have you been reading? I would love to know!

Until January!

XO,

Amy





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