I have continued my resolution to read more this year, and I am so excited that I have been able to do this.
I will include links to the books which are my affiliate links on Amazon. I am including them so that you can see the covers and click through to get more information, if you want. If you end up making a purchase by clicking on these links, familiesformissions will earn a tiny commission that will cost you nothing extra. 😊 (Please do not feel obligated to purchase, though…I checked out several of these at my local library.)
First, I’ll start off by telling you about the nonfiction books I read this month:
The first book I read this month was At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider. This book was very interesting from a Missionary Kid standpoint, as it featured a family with 3 children that decides to sell their home and spend a year travelling around the world from place to place. It seems they never spend more than a few weeks in one location. I thought it was probably a great experience for their kids, but something I could not ever do. Also, I wondered about whether the kids would suffer from feeling like they were drifting and had no roots or routines.
The second book I read this month was checked out from my church library. It was called How and When to Tell Your Kids About Sex by Stan and Brenna Jones. I have to say I was disappointed by this book. I did like that it encouraged parents to talk about body parts using correct words, and to start talking about our bodies early and often (as the subject comes up at bath time, etc.). I did not feel that it actually told the reader how to tell their kids about sex, though, so I thought the title was a bit misleading. If you are looking for a step-by-step guide for how to talk to your kids about sex, this is not it. The authors kept mentioning some of their other books and recommending them to the reader for more information. This kind of turned me off and was annoying.
One book I listened to this month was More Than A Carpenter Today by Josh McDowell. I had heard of his books before, but I had never read any of them. This was a quick listen, and it was packed with information about Jesus and his deity, life, claims, and resurrection. If you have any doubts about Jesus being God or rising from the dead, I would highly encourage you to get ahold of a copy of this book that millions of people have read around the world.
I also listened to The Inheritance: A Family on the Front Lines of the Battle with Alzheimer’s Disease by Niki Kapsambelis. This was a longer audiobook, but I used time in the car driving back and forth to knock it out. This book peaked my interest because of my family history of 2 grandparents having dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. It was very interesting to hear about the history of Alzheimer’s research, and to hear how families with genes that cause early Alzheimer’s have been instrumental in furthering that research. I felt it was a little long and had many details that were not important to the overall story.
Peaceful Parent, Happy Child: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting by Dr. Laura Markham was an interesting read. It gave me some good ideas of how to respond better to my kids when either I or they are frustrated. I have a child that resorts to yelling very quickly, and I find myself losing my patience and responding in kind. I am hopeful that I can put some of this advice into practice in the coming weeks. 😊
In January, I started the book Puppy Training: Owners Week-By-Week Training Guide by Charlotte Schwartz, and I finally finished it this month. This is a Kennel Club Book and walks you through how to begin to train your puppy from the time you bring it home. Now, if I can only put it into practice and manage some consistency. 😉
I’ve mentioned before that I love historical novels, and I think my favorite this month was To Wager Her Heart (A Belle Meade Plantation Novel Book 3) by Tamera Alexander. This book is set in Tennessee 1870’s and helps the reader learn about Fisk University and the Jubilee Singers. I loved learning about how freed slaves were educated and how the Jubilee Singers helped Fisk University in a time of social and financial turmoil. You can learn more (and even watch some videos) by looking at the author’s website. (This book was recommended by the manager of Faith and Life Bookstore in Newton, KS.) I am going to have to look up the first two Belle Meade Plantation books.
I enjoyed reading the previous book so much, I also read Rekindled (Fountain Creek Chronicles, Book 1 ) by Tamera Alexander. This is the author’s first book in the Fountain Creek Chronicles Series, and is a heartwarming story about a struggling marriage, love, and showing the love of Christ to those less desirable. I’m looking forward to reading the next two books in the series!
Second Opinion (Healing Touch Series #1) by Hannah Alexander was a Christian fiction, medically-oriented book. I enjoyed reading it, and I thought that the medical aspects of it were pretty realistic.
What have you been reading lately? I would love some good recommendations!
