Ten Books I'm Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Thanksgiving Freebie.

So I decided to go with ten books that I'm thankful for.

1. Twilight (Twilight, # 1) by Stephenie Meyer - To be honest, Twilight is what rekindled my love for reading. I loved reading in high school but stopped until I picked this book up. And I haven't stopped since.
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Started my love for historical fiction as well as my willingness to give the Classics a chance.
3. The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, # 1) by Carrie Ryan - My first zombie book.
4. Harry Potter (the series) by JK Rowling - Because who knew that a book series could be this epic?
5. The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian - The book that changed my prayer life for the best.
6. Crazy Love by Francis Chan - Changed the way I thought about a lot of things related to my faith.
7. Slammed (Slammed, # 1) by Colleen Hoover - Sparked my love for her books. As of now she's an auto-buy author.
8. Boundaries by Henry Cloud & John Townsend - This book...It is Christian based, but there's so, so, so much that anyone could get out of it when it comes to setting proper boundaries. I cannot recommend this book enough.
9. Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassins, # 1) by Robin LaFevers - This series has it all. Strong female characters. History and strategy. Twists. Romances. And SYMBOLISM!
10. Captivating by Stasi & John Eldredge - This book broke me a little bit. It made me cry more than once. This book revealed my heart to me.

Which books are you thankful for? Let me know!

Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors.

Ok so I don't COMPLETELY have auto buy authors where the description of the book doesn't matter. Even though there are authors that I've loved every single book I've read that they've written, I still know my reading preferences well enough to know that some subjects are just not enjoyable for me. And so barring any crazy jumps into these territories, here's a list of authors that come closest to being considered "auto-buy" authors for me.

1. Colleen Hoover
2. Richelle Mead
3. Maggie Stiefvater
4. Katie McGarry
5. Jamie McGuire
6. KA Tucker
7. Francis Chan
8. Stormie Omartian

There are a few other authors that I contemplated adding to the list, but I thought these were really the closest to a true auto-buy author list. What about you guys? Who are your auto-buy authors? Let me know!

Erasing Hell - Review

Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up

By: Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle

Published: July 5th 2011 by David C. Cook

208 pages

Genre: Christian, Religion, Non-Fiction, Spirituality

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--How could a loving God send people to hell? Will people have a chance after they die to believe in Jesus and go to heaven?

With a humble respect for God's Word, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle address the deepest questions you have about eternal destiny. They've asked the same questions. Like you, sometimes they just don't want to believe in hell. But as they write, "We cannot afford to be wrong on this issue."

This is not a book about who is saying what. It's a book about what God says. It's not a book about impersonal theological issues. It's a book about people who God loves. It's not a book about arguments, doctrine, or being right. It's a book about the character of God.

Erasing Hell will immerse you in the truth of Scripture as, together with the authors, you find not only the truth but the courage to live it out.

I've had Erasing Hell in my possession for quite some time, but considering the topic I've put off reading it. Who wants to read about hell? I really didn't. But Husband and I have been talking about how there is a general lack of the fear of the Lord in our country lately it seems, and how it would do us both good to spend some time dwelling on this subject. What better subject to instill some Godly fear than hell? And so thus I decided it was time to pick this one up.

Francis Chan...wow. He certainly has a way with words. In all of the books I've read by him, I'm always impressed with his ability to be honest with himself, honest with his readers, and honest with God. He's not afraid to put himself and his short-comings out there on display in order to learn something about himself and in order to use that as an example to teach others. It's really impressive.

Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle admit upfront that truthfully they do not want to believe in hell as a real place. They don't want to think about people that they know and love possibly ending up there after this life is over. But they don't stop at what they wants to believe. No, they move into the Scripture and search it for what God says about hell and about eternity.

What was really impressed upon me while reading Erasing Hell was how much this subject is dependent upon a proper understanding of God. The authors do a great job of showcasing God's character and nature throughout this scary and unpopular topic. While the first several chapters truly focus on the Scripture surrounding the topic of hell, the last two chapters had the most impact upon me. These chapters focused on some difficult questions concerning God and how we interpret God with our limited human minds. These chapters forced me to be honest with myself about how I think I have a right to determine what is right, and just, and loving.

Erasing Hell really does dwell on some tough subjects, but as the authors say and is listed in the description above, "We cannot afford to be wrong on this issue." I highly recommend this book to anyone who is undecided on this topic, to anyone who needs a look at the deeper nature and character of God, to anyone who needs a good dose of the fear of the LORD. To well...anyone.

Please note that of the other books by Francis Chan that I've read, Erasing Hell seems to be the most academic in nature. The authors obviously put a lot of research into this topic, but truthfully, you need to be willing to do some research on your own, specifically from the Bible, to form your own beliefs from God's Word.

Erasing Hell gets a good 4.5 stars from me. Have you read Erasing Hell? If so, what did you think? Let me know!

Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition.

1) Carrie Ryan - Granted I've only read her The Forest of Hands and Teeth series, but I really enjoyed the voices that she gave to her characters--specifically Gabry, in book 2, The Dead-Tossed Waves. I know there are quite a few people who have read her stuff, but not enough man. Not enough.

2) Jessica Sorensen - Everything I've had a chance to read by her has been really good. I believe she self-published a lot of her novels and so they don't get as much press as the books from the bigger publishing houses.

3) Priscilla Glenn - Seriously, I couldn't put Back to You Down. I've recommended it, but I don't know that anyone I've recommended it to has actually picked it up. PICK IT UP PEOPLE!

4) Erin McCarthy - I've only read True by her, but I enjoyed it so much more than I expected. I've only seen a couple of people review this one. But it's worth checking out for sure.

5) Jay Crownover - I enjoyed Rule, but Jet was even better for me. I finished Jet over a week ago and I still can't get it out of my head. I want more.

6) Sophie Jordan - I've only read her Firelight series, but Sophie Jordan hooked me with book 1 and her unique look at dragons. I haven't seen many people fawn over these books either. Shame.

7) Katja Millay - The Sea of Tranquility was awesome. And I've seen tons of praise for it, but I want more--maybe I'm just anxious for her next book or something.

8) Cath Crowley - This Aussie author really impressed me with Graffiti Moon. I don't know how come more people aren't all over both Cath Crowley and this book.

9) Gina Holmes - I've only read one book by her, Crossing Oceans, but it was majorly emotional. She deserves much props and for me to check out more of her work.

10) Francis Chan - I know he has tons of fans out there, but I think many more people could be inspired by him if they gave his work a chance. Start with Crazy Love.

I tried to really focus on authors that I haven't seen the love that I think they deserve. Which authors do you think deserve more recognition? Let me know!

Crazy Love - Review

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

By: Francis Chan

Published: May 1st 2008 by David C. Cook

205 Pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Christian, Spirituality, Religious

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads Description—Have you ever wondered if we’re missing it?

It’s crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E minor—loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss.

Whether you’ve verbalized it or not, we all know something’s wrong.

Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn’t working harder at a list of do’s and don’ts—it’s falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same.

Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.

Learn more about Crazy Love at www.crazylovebook.com.

There is a whole lot of punch packed into this little book. Giving it a 5 star rating. This book really inspired me. I’ve been looking around me wondering about the state of the world lately. How we’ve gotten where we are. How we’ve forgotten to give glory, and honor, and praise to our God. How we forget who He is and who we are in comparison to Him. How we have taken on the role of creator (or tried to) and have fallen miserably short. This book is about coming to see God, an accurate picture of God. It’s about praising Him. It’s about coming to a love for Him that will move you to action. It’s not just about loving God, it’s about being IN LOVE WITH GOD! (There is a difference.) And Francis Chan challenges you to take a look at yourself to see what it is that you’re expecting out of your relationship with the Almighty, Creator God. Are you only looking for the blessings He has the potential to bestow upon you? Do you realize that none of this is about YOU but it’s all about HIM?

I have to say, I NEVER highlight in fiction books. I rarely highlight in non-fiction books. Update: I now highlight through all kinds of books, but mostly only kindle versions. I do, however, highlight all throughout my Bible (personal preference and decision of mine), but I also have to say that I highlighted all throughout this book, as well. Of course that was somewhat easier and less messy because of it being a kindle version. Yet, highlighting wasn’t enough. I found myself copying sections of this book into a notebook because they were powerful, they moved me, and they made me take a hard look at myself. Am I lukewarm? All who are godly in Christ will suffer persecution—where is my persecution? Will I follow if God calls me to do something radical with my life? And do I have a love for Him that is passionate and evident to those around me because I just can’t contain it?

I appreciate the amount of Scripture used in this book. Also, there are at least two videos that he requests you go to the website and watch. I wasn’t able to do it at the exact moment I came to those passages in the book, but I did make time to go back and watch them later, and I am really glad that I did. I highly suggest that you incorporate those videos into your process through the book.

Francis Chan left me with a lot to think about, but he challenged me not to stop there. He challenged me to move myself into action. If you need a good kick in the butt, a refresher on what it means to love a Holy God, or you just want to see what all the talk is about, I suggest you check out this book. It will always be my reminder to you on any post I do of a book that has any religious subject that you check out what the Creator has to say for Himself. The Bible is and always will be the Source of all information that we have about our God. It is the Living-Word and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is a love story from the beginning to the end. And Francis Chan reminded me of that. My Abba Father has an a crazy, radical love for me. And I’m just as giddy as a school girl when I stop and think about it.

Have you read Crazy Love? What did you think? Let me know!

*Updated: February 9, 2015