The Bootlegger's Daughter

The Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron was a great book!  It's a murder-mystery set in the part of North Carolina that we just moved to, and some of the characters are at least loosely based on actual people in this area.  The bootlegger dad in this book, for example, is based on Percy Flowers, Moonshine King, whose store is right across the road from our new neighborhood.  I enjoyed the story itself, and I also enjoyed reading about people and places that are familiar to me.

2016 Book Count: 19

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Special Rehearsal Edition Script)

I read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Special Rehearsal Edition Script) by Jack Thorne earlier this summer, but I'm obviously really far behind on writing about the books I've been reading.  This book (script) is based on the book by JK Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne.  It's been a long time since I've read a script (probably since college), and it was fun!  I definitely still prefer reading regular books, but I have to admit I wondered for a few minutes if we could put on the play if all of my cousins got together... : )  I might have to start teaching again to have enough kids for this play though.

I love the Harry Potter series.  My favorite thing about it, though, is how thoughtfully JK Rowling planned out all of her characters, places, and things in the book.  I would get a kick out of the interesting titles of Harry's textbooks at school and the names of the candy he would eat on the train.  Everything was so clever and funny, and I appreciated the time that she took to plan out all of those things.  Since this was a script and not the novel, it was all dialogue and was missing a lot of the details that I loved about the books.

It was interesting to read about the children of the Harry Potter characters though!  The main characters in the play are the son of Harry and Ginny and the son of Draco.  I wished that Harry, Hermione, and Ron played a larger role in the story, but it's possible that they do in the actual book.

Overall, it was good- but I'll look forward to reading the actual book at some point too.

2016 Book Count: 18

Elements Of Style

Elements of Style by Erin Gates was a fun, lightly informative read.  I chose this book hoping to learn lots of tips for interior decorating that I could use in our new house.  I did learn a few tips (like a "rule" for how many patterns you should have in one room- which I've already forgotten.. one floral, one geometric..?, and that at least two legs of each piece of furniture should be on the rug in an area).  Her writing style was humorous and entertaining though, so I probably read the book a lot faster than if it really had been all about interior decorating tips.

2016 Book Count: 17

Building a Discipling Culture

Building a Discipling Culture by Mike Breen is one of those books that will change the way you think about things.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I remember reading an article (probably in high school) about whether ideas or words came first.  There are certain words and phrases in this book (like "kairos moments" that definitely helped to frame the way I think about things, and that is part of Breen's point.  He states that in order to build a discipling culture you need a common language, and he proposes a shape-based language in his book.  For example, the kairos moment (a time when you see or feel God's presence breaking through into your life) begins a circle.  Once you identify a kairos moment in your life you take it around the circle by reflecting on it, discussing it with someone, and then making and acting on a plan for how that moment is going to change your life moving forward.  This is a very simplistic explanation for just one of the shapes that he discusses in this book.

2016 Book Count: 16
SaveSave

Where She Went

Where She Went by Gayle Forman is the second book after If I Stay.  It wasn't my favorite, but I wanted to at least give it a chance.  Like If I Stay, this book takes place over the course of just a couple of days and continues the story of the two main characters but from the guy's point of view.

2016 Book Count: 15

Reasons My Kid Is Crying

Reasons My Kid Is Crying by Greg Pembroke is another book I found through the NC digital public library.  It's a quick, funny read full of great pictures.  We're caught up in the process of selling our house right now and this was the perfect book for a night that I just needed a laugh.

2016 Book Count: 14

Throw Out Fifty Things

This book, Throw Out Fifty Things by Gail Blanke, was surprisingly great.  I chose it (from the NC digital library) expecting a book with tips on how to declutter and organize your house, and the first half of the book did address that, but it was the second half of the book that was more impactful.  These are some notes I took while I was reading and some of the author's advice that stuck with me:

- Throw out things that weigh you down or make you feel bad, like a paper you got a poor grade on, a shirt from an old job you didn't like, etc.  Keep only the things that you need, that you love, and that fit with the person you want to be.

- Throw out the thoughts that pigeonhole you into being a certain type of person (I'm the shy type, I'm not a morning-person type, etc.).

- Throw out needing to be right about things.  Ask yourself: Would I rather be right about this, or would I rather have a great long-term relationship with this person?  Instead say: You're right.  I totally get where you're coming from.  Then give your opinion.

- Throw out the need to have everyone like you.  Some of the greatest people in history were controversial and not liked by everyone.

- Throw out negative interpretations of events.  There are few facts in life.. most of what occupies our thoughts are interpretation of those facts.  Blanke writes, "This is your life, you know.  Not some movie you're watching.  You get to decide how it all turns out.  You get to make it up.  So make it up good."  She advises people to decide what they want and then no matter what happens, you should assign a positive interpretation to the situation.  How much energy have you spent worrying yourself or making yourself unhappy with negative interpretations of events?  Let go of negative interpretations.

- Throw away waiting for the right moment.  This is the life you get to live.  Do what it is you want to do right now.

- Throw away the need to feel secure.  Blanke writes, "Let go of needing guarantees that your lives will evolve according to the plan you devised decades ago.  Given half a chance, your life will evolve into something better than anything you could have imagined- even in your wildest dreams."  Take chances and have adventures.  "Most of the greatest possibilities in our lives are not currently on our radar screens."

- After you've thrown out all of the physical and mental clutter in your life, come up with a vision for yourself and do what it takes to get there.  For example, the author says she has a vision of running down the beach holding the hands of her grandchildren.  So, she gets up early to run around the park, eats healthy, keeps an optimistic attitude, and "throws out" (or eliminates from her life) things like potato chips, getting worked up about little things, etc. to keep her heart healthy enough that she'll be able to do that one day when she has grandchildren.

- Finally, Blanke recommends coming up with a song that makes you feel unstoppable and singing it regularly.

2016 Book Count: 13