Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist

genre: memoir/Christian/non-fiction

Truth: there is going to be good and there is going to be hard.  No matter what.  No one can get away with avoiding that juxtaposition.  The idea of life being bittersweet is at the heart of this book of essays.  Shauna takes snippets and experiences from her life and uses them as a springboard to encourage her readers to look for ways to bring their lives in harmony with both God's will and the specific things that will bring them true happiness.

I feel somehow disappointed in myself for not loving this more.  I did highlight a lot of quotes - I DO think she has a lovely writing style and a lot of what she had to say rang very true to me.  But, somehow, by reading so much about her life, I found myself feeling like mine was missing something.  This is exactly what she warns us against, of course, but yet, somehow her enormous, world-wide circle of very close friends that are always somehow managing to be together and eat together and commune together made me feel like my own circle is too small somehow, not nurturing enough or flavorful enough.  It may be that she is still more than ten years younger than me - she has only one child and he's just turned three.  I remember those years of my life as being very full of people too - but this stage of my life, with teens and pre-teens and toddlers, is very different.  Sometimes unmanageable and sometimes unthinkably lonely. And reading her advice just made me feel even more like I'm not doing enough.  That isn't fair to her, probably, but that's my reality.  I wanted her to be older than me - in the stage of life I'll get to next - and THEN tell me these things.  I needed her to have more life experience to base her conclusions on - maybe that's it.  

So, the book itself is full of good but because of where I'm at, I wasn't able to let it DO as much good as it could have.  Even with her heartache (which sometimes she is specific about sometimes she is incredibly and frustratingly vague about) I just didn't feel connected enough with her life that I felt like I could do what she was asking me to all the time.  I think really at the crux of it is that I see a lot of myself in her - her zest for life, her desire to have it all and DO it all and BE in all - and I just know how the years from 25-35 changed me.  I'd love to hear what she has to say with some more hard under her belt.  I keep feeling like this isn't a fair reason to not connect with a book, but I can't change it myself, so there you go.

I'll finish it with a quote I really did like: "And that's the core of prayer: admitting that just maybe, there's something going on that we can't see.  So when I'm afraid, I pray, and I ask for God's help, that I will be able to see something I wasn't able to see before, or at least trust him to do the seeing."

Oh, and another one, one that REALLY rang true: "Sometimes we have to leave home in order to find out what we left there, and why it matters to much."

Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers

genre: Christian romantic fiction

Pastor Zeke has no idea how much that little bundle on the riverside is going to change his life.  That little bundle is Abra, abandoned at birth - a fact which will have consequences for not just Abra and Pastor Zeke, but for their entire town as Abra grows into a teen unable to love herself.  Set in post-WWII California, Abra's journey will take her to into the glittering world of Hollywood, with all the shine and sparkle you could imagine but even all of that somehow doesn't really give Abra the peace and belonging she yearns for.  

Yes, this is a Christian romance.  Not my usual read, however, a friend recommended it as a page turner and I won't deny it caught my attention and kept it until the end.  Yes, it is predictable, to a certain extent.  You know who the final love interest will be very early and I saw another plot twist coming half way through the book.  I found the "love" scenes a little too cheesy for my taste, but I guess cheesy is better than graphic :)  The time period is intriguing, especially with the Hollywood scene from that era.   The story itself is surprisingly edgy - edgy enough that it made me believe Abra's self-loathing and really made me feel for her.  Parts did have me crying drippy tears!  I'm such a sap!  But to be honest, I AM a Christian and I LIKED how this book lets Abra have her arc of conversion - I appreciated how she screwed up royally and then found a way to make it right - by realizing that her Savior would love her no matter what she did.  That's a lesson I'm still trying to learn but I believe that it's true.

For those who like Christian fiction, this Prodigal Daughter story is worth picking up.



note: if you're interested in the content of the books I read, please go to http://ratedreads.com

7 by Jen Hatmaker

Jen Hatmaker does a crazy thing.  She picks 7 areas of her life that she feels are out of control and she spends seven different months fasting from those things: food, clothes, media, spending - this book is her journey into saying no to something so you can feel more of something else.

7 is not my usual sort of book.  While I am absolutely a Christian, I prefer scripture itself to books ABOUT scripture or about general Christian topics.

However.

This is not just a book about a Christian mom and her desire to have more room in her heart for Christ, although it is most definitely that.  It is also a raw and expansive look at a subject that my husband and I have had on our minds a lot since we started getting our house ready to sell: stuff.  How much stuff we have.  How we use it (or don't). The discrepancy between our lifestyle and the majority of the world's.  Where our money all goes, dang it! How busy our lives are and how we can make it more peaceful.  Her section on stress and keeping the Sabbath as a holy day really reminded me about how much I love Sundays and how powerful it is to have a day to rejuvenate and spend time with my family.

I enjoyed this read immensely.  She is quirky and witty and sometimes just laugh out loud funny.  Her desires to be MORE that is REAL really resonated with me.  I have had several interesting conversations with my family and friends about her ideas.  She clearly wants to be the type of Christian that Christ wants her to be and I feel like her thoughts helped me to organize my own thoughts a little bit.  

I'm glad I read it.

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

genre: young adult historical Christian romance

Annabel was raised the fine daughter of a merchant - educated and well-mannered, life was good until her family lost everything.  Now, to pay off her family's debts, she has been indentured to the Lord le Wyse, a reportedly cruel man who is both scarred and fierce.  Not only is she becoming a servant, but she feels her own safety is at risk because the one man she truly fears - her medieval town's bailiff -is a member of the Lord le Wyse's household.  How could a loving God deal out such a cruel fate?  Annabel truly wants to understand and longs for a real understanding of God's word and how he deals with his children.  Soon, she has a chance to learn all about forgiveness, love and second chances.

It took me a while of reading before I figured out that hey, this is just really a clean and Christian romance novel.  There is nothing wrong with that, it just wasn't quite what I was expecting.   While the setting is clearly medieval, mostly it is the story of two hurt people who fall in love.  It was the internal drama that finally tipped me off that this wasn't supposed to really be more than that - and once I realized it, I just zipped through it without being so frustrated by the slow pacing of the story.  I did like the Christian angle (being a Christian myself), so it was nice to have a female main character that wanted religion and God to be a part of her life - and a romantic story that isn't graphic is nice too.  It certainly wasn't a waste of time, it just isn't one that will necessarily stick with me either.

note: if you're interested in the content of the books I read, please go to http://ratedreads.com

Review: Emily Ever After by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

genre: Christian fiction

Growing up in sunny California, Emily always knew that she belonged somewhere else: New York City. She finally makes her way to the streets of Manhattan when she lands a job at a big publishing house. Rarely does life live up to our fantasies, though, and between being across the country from her family, her crazy boss and trying to be true to her faith without seeming too different, Emily's new world is a big adjustment. Emily has a lot of lessons to learn about who she is and what she really wants.

While this is a rather predictable coming-of-age story, I have to admit, I ended up pleased with it. Emily makes some mistakes, falls in and out of love, makes friends and, really, a few more mistakes. But she does know what's right and I appreciate the message that it's worth it to stick up for what you know is right. It's the kind of book I'd like my daughter to read in high school because in the end, Emily finds just the right kind of happily ever after.

The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

genre: Christian Young Adult chick lit :)
rating: 4/5
however, for the genre - I'd give it a 5/5 (it's just not life changing for me, but a fantastic read for teens)

This is the first novel I've read in the Christian Young Adult genre - and what a breath of fresh air it was.

Ana's parents have moved her to Half Moon Bay - into a huge house that feels like its all for show. Her relationship with her parents is strained at best. Her first weeks at her new school are lonely and she manages to make enemies, just not any friends. One fateful mistake, however, lands her among three classmates she would never have chosen as friends - but they find out that they all have something in common that takes Ana's freshman year in a whole new direction.

The writing of The Miracle Girls is fresh and realistic. Ana wants so desperately to do what is right and live her faith while still making a place for herself and learn to stand without her parents constantly dictating her choices. The friends she makes are complex characters with their own set of issues that help Ana realize that maybe her life isn't quite as hard as she thought. And while Ana works through her first real crush, prepares for her Quinceañera and navigates high school life - her God is always on her mind, reminding her of her responsibilities and helping her cope with the pitfalls that inevitably come.

The authors have captured the teenage spirit and experience without compromising their character's values - not an easy feat. I'd gladly and without reserve put this book in the hands of any teenage girl I know.