One Thousand Gifts - Review

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

By: Ann Voskamp

Published: January 24th 2011 by Zondervan (first published December 1st 2010)

232 pages

Source: Borrowed from a friend and coworker

( Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository )

Goodreads description--Just like you, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists that have us escaping our everyday lives for exotic experiences. 'How, ' Ann wondered, 'do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long--and sometimes even dark? How is God even here?' In One Thousand Gifts, Ann invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts. It's only in this expressing of gratitude for the life we already have, we discover the life we've always wanted ... a life we can take, give thanks for, and break for others. We come to feel and know the impossible right down in our bones: we are wildly loved --- by God. Let Ann's beautiful, heart-aching stories of the everyday give you a way of seeing that opens your eyes to ordinary amazing grace, a way of being present to God that makes you deeply happy, and a way of living that is finally fully alive. Come live the best dare of all.

One day I'm standing in line in the cafeteria at work waiting to place my food order when a coworker of my husband's walks up behind me (we all work at the same place). She says "I see you have been doing reviews of the books you read. I've seen them on Facebook." And so we discussed my blog a bit. Then finally she says, "I've got a book you should read. It's called One Thousand Gifts. I don't really like the writing style of the author, but it's got a really good message." Now, I have to say that while I like book recommendations from people, I'm rebellious by nature and immediately went into defense mode. Aside from that, it wasn't exactly a glowing recommendation that she gave the book. I don't have near as much time as I'd like to read, so I don't want to waste it reading books that aren't really good. The next day she walks up to me in the cafeteria and hands it to me.

Now, I borrow books from friends and my sister-in-law frequently. But they all know that I could have their book for a year before I get around to reading it. I don't mean to. I just have a lot of books on my plate that need to be read. And I'm approaching 65 in my possession that I haven't read. So I took it home and sat it on my stack of TBR books. And there it sat for MONTHS! (Sorry Linette!)

Eventually, I did pick it up. I read the first three chapters and immediately saw what she meant about the author's writing style. It was difficult to read. Yet, I found the style to be somewhat poetic and even beautiful in places. Because it's written in a style different from the norm, I had to slow down to make sure I was actually reading the right words and soaking up the right message. Eventually, I ended up finding Ann Voskamp's writing style to be extremely beautiful and thought-provoking.

As the title suggests, I thought this was going to be about Ann's story of naming 1000 things she's thankful for, and possibly naming each of those things out one by one, however, not only does she not list each item she wrote on her list, the 1000 things wasn't even the focus of the book. Ann Voskamp quickly passes 1000 in the book and goes on to describe how she continued listing her gifts from God, how this became a lifestyle for her, and how her relationship with God changed because of it all.

One Thousand Gifts is easily a book I'd recommend to anyone willing to work on themselves. It's a book that's bettered my life and my relationship with my God. I've started my own list of 1000 gifts, and I challenge you to do the same.

One Thousand Gifts gets 4 stars from me. Thank you to Linette for letting me borrow this book and for enlightening me on a way to deepen my life and my relationship with a giving God. Have you read One Thousand Gifts? If so, what did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 39 & Stacking the Shelves - 12

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Well, this past week I've been on vacation with my in-laws. We left March 30th to travel to Florida--Port Canaveral to be exact. The next morning we borded a cruise ship--yes it was Carnival and we had NO problems with our ship--and set sail (so to speak, considering there are no sails on a boat that big) for Freeport and Nassau. It was a good trip overall, but I have to say that I'm glad to be home. It's nice to go, but it's nice to come back. We went to celebrate my mother-in-law's retirement.

I have to say that I enjoyed my week off, but I missed blogging. I did get one entire book read on this trip and about 20% of another. Not as much as I would have liked but still good.

THIS PAST PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead (4.5 Stars)

Tuesday: Top 10 Tuesday: Books I'd Recommend (couldn't stop at 10)

Wednesday: Waiting on Crossing the Line

Thursday: Review of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (4 Stars)

Friday: My going on vacation announcement and Review of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (3.5 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Tuesday: Top 10 Tuesday: Top 10 Books I Read Before Blogging

Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday: Review of Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I managed to keep the past two weeks down to only 1 new book since half of that was still the March Take Control of Your TBR Pile challenge and the other half I didn't really have internet access or come upon a book store. And I've also managed to already read the one book I got. Here it is:

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, # 2)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: May 28th 2013 by Harlequin Teen

462 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon)

Goodreads description--Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Also since the challenge I mentioned above ended while I was gone, here's my recap of that...

I've read 8 books from my TBR pile since the beginning of March. They are:

1. Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, # 1) - Robin LaFevers

2. The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, # 1) - Julie Kagawa

3. The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, # 1) - James Dashner

4. The Secret of Ella and Micha (The Secret, # 1) - Jessica Sorensen

5. Jenny Pox (The Paranormals, # 1) - JL Bryan

6. Rule (Marked Men, # 1) - Jay Crownover

7. The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden (The Coincidence, # 1) - Jessica Sorensen

8. Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid, # 1) - Richelle Mead

I finished Walking Disaster (Beautiful, # 2) by Jamie McGuire, Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, # 3) by Cassandra Clare and Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, # 2) by Katie McGarry also this month, but since these do not have a publication date before March they don't count toward this challenge.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

MIA Next Week

Just a quick post to say that I'll be MIA over the next week. I'm taking a vacation, and I haven't scheduled any posts for the upcoming week. I hope all is well and that you continue to make progress on your books and reading goals. I plan to do my Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves next week (4/7) recapping this past week and featuring the books I got this week (and if I get any over the next week). I look forward to catching back up with you when my vacation is over. Have a great week!

(Photo Credit)

The Immortal Rules - Review

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, # 1)

By: Julie Kagawa

Published: April 24th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

485 pages

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you, Harlequin!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

 

Goodreads description--To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for…again.

Enter Julie Kagawa's dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.
 

The Immortal Rules is about a world that's dominated by vampires and creatures called rabids, that didn't quite make it into vampires. But don't get confused, this isn't a book about sparkly, animal-blood-drinking vampires. No sir (not that I mind that kind personally). There are no short cuts for these vampires. Sure they can physically down animal blood to the point of having a right sloshy belly, but animal blood in no way satisfies the Hunger.

Kanin, Allison's maker, tries to tell her this when she awakens after being turned. He tries to teach her all sorts of lessons ranging from vampire history to sword fighting to hunting and feeding. However, some lessons (most apparently) have to be learned the hard way. After Kanin and Allison get separated, Allison has to learn to make it on her own as a newly turned vampire. But what she finds is a reason to live--to keep pressing on. 

Allison was really the only character I truly connected with while reading The Immortal Rules. I wanted to like the others, even Zeke, but something just kept standing in the way for me. I pretty much hated Stick, and while I can applaud Allison for her compassion and I think it was necessary to show her humanity--that she wasn't a completely jaded human being--before her change, I would have thrown Stick to the wolves a long time ago. Kanin, I wanted to connect with more, and maybe that's going to be possible with book 2, The Eternity Cure, but I just didn't. And the same goes for Zeke. I can't really explain why, but I just didn't quite understand them. I can appreciate the reasons why Allison likes Zeke, but the emotions just didn't filter through the book and into me like they normally do. I don't think the reader was really supposed to connect too much to any of the other characters, except perhaps Caleb.

I definitely enjoyed the step away from the sexy vampire bad-boy who falls for the human girl. The Immortal Rules was certainly different from any other YA vampire book I've read, but it was very similar to the movie Daybreakers. So The Immortal Rules wasn't a completely new concept for me. 

Overall, I'd give The Immortal Rules 3.5 Stars. And I am interested in seeing what happens in book 2, The Eternity Cure. Have you read The Immortal Rules? If so, what did you think? Let me know!

Jane Eyre - Review

Jane Eyre

By: Charlotte Bronte

First Published 1847

507 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

Goodreads description--Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity.

She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield, falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman's passionate search for a wider and richer life than Victorian society traditionally allowed.

With a heroine full of yearning, the dangerous secrets she encounters, and the choices she finally makes, Charlotte Bronte's innovative and enduring romantic novel continues to engage and provoke readers.

My 5th and 6th grade reading teacher read Jane Eyre to us one of those years (I can't remember which), but she skipped some sections, and I truly didn't remember too much about the story. I remembered there being a crazy woman living in the house and I remembered Jane being a governess because that was the first time I learned what a governess was. So when I decided this year to add reading six classics to my goals for the year, Jane Eyre made obvious sense to me. Plus I saw the recent film adaption and loved it--which of course ruined any surprises for me, but that's okay. I'm not complaining.

It took me a while to get into the story. I guess it was really by the time Jane reached Lowood school that I really ended up getting into it. Helen is one of my favorite characters in a long time. While she doesn't have a huge part in the story, she makes a huge impact on Jane. She helps Jane to see past her anger and hatred. She tames her in a sense. Plus in a world that is so largely anti-Christian, I eagerly devoured a character that appeared to me to demonstrate true faith and true Christianity. Today's YA literature sorely lacks a representation of accurate Christian characters. Mind you, I'm not talking about Christian literature. While I realize this story takes place in an entirely different era than the one we're now living, it was entirely refreshing to find talk of God, religion, and spirituality so repeatedly mentioned, discussed, and indicated as part of their daily lives. Of course, we do have to throw in a Mr. Brocklehurst who completely misuses and abuses Scripture and religion. There must be one of those--and in truth there are many Mr. Brocklehursts alive today that give Christianity a bad name.

I applaud Jane over and over for making the hard choices. For sticking to her beliefs when the very core of her being wishes to follow after it's desires. She sees that she must respect herself because if she does not then no one else will. She sees that Mr. Rochester truly would have lost respect, admiration, and love for her had she indeed stayed, for she would no longer be who and what he fell in love with. And I can't help but wonder, if this book had not been a classic but a modern day story, how many readers would have thrown the book across the room and been utterly angry with Jane for not staying? For not satisfying her every whim and desire?

St. John was utterly confusing to me. While I appreciated how much Jane could still look at him as a brother and a good person, it was hard to watch that relationship develop. It reminded me of an emotionally abusive relationship and again I have to applaud Jane for standing her ground in not marrying him and being able to see that to do so would be to commit a suicide of sorts. I wish our teenage girls today were as self-aware.

Jane Eyre was another story where one party decides to better himself in order to be worthy of the other party. Yet again, another aspect I wish we saw in today's world more often. While Jane was utterly terrified of what would become of Mr. Rochester--what he would run off and do--after she left, he did nothing of which she feared, and it's because of her that he didn't.

I realize that reviewing a classic such as Jane Eyre is a bit risky and there's probably nothing I can say that hasn't already been said, but I enjoyed the overall story so much that I couldn't help but want to spread the love.

Jane Eyre gets 4 stars from me. Have you read Jane Eyre? What did you think? Let me know!