Book Review: The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages by Shaunti Feldhahn

I recently had the chance to read The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages by Shaunti Feldhahn. I don't read many non-fiction books and rarely anything to do with marriage. I'm pretty lazy about reading marriage books because my marriage is easy and good so I focus on other areas that are more of a struggle for me. I chose this book though because I love Shaunti Feldhahn and when I saw she'd put all her research power into finding out the secrets of happily married people I was intrigued.

As usual Shaunti delivered! I absolutely loved this book. It's full of common sense secrets that when put into action can truly change any marriage.

A large part of the reason I was so eager to read this book is because I wanted to know if these "secrets" were things I was already doing. I've often been stumped when people ask me why my marriage is good. I say things like we both have the same primary love language of quality time and we communicate very well. Really though it's been hard for me to figure why marriage is easier for us.

When I dove into this book and read what the research revealed I found out that Joe & I are doing most of the "secrets".  Not all, but most of them are things we've been doing our whole marriage. For example in chapter three the secret is that happy couples believe the best of each other and assume that their spouse cares deeply for them. YES, we do that! Even when we legitimately hurt each other we refuse to believe it was an intended hurt and instead look for the most generous explanation.

Even after 15 very happy years of marriage I learned so much. Every married person should read this book. If you are interested in checking it out you can Read Chapter One  for free.

If you'd like to know more about Shaunti and her books check out these links:

Author's Website

Twitter

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More Info

Read Chapter One

Author Bio

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review

Book Review: Modern Life Study Bible (NKJV)

I had the wonderful opportunity to review a copy of The Modern Life Study Bible which is a full-color NKJV study Bible. I grew up using the King James version at my very strict Christian school and I don't care for it at all. Thankfully the NKJV is a modern version and much easier to understand and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Study Bibles bring such depth to understanding the ancient context of the scriptures. I love digging deeper and getting beyond my own world to what the writers meant in their place and time and this Bible makes that easy.

Things I loved about this Bible:
Focus sections.  Whereas the Life Application Bibles will normally give background on a single verse, the Modern Life Study Bible focuses on a section of scripture.
Timelines. In Daniel the reign of Nebuchadnezzar is laid out with major events included on the timeline. I love understanding how different Biblical characters fit together in the historical timeline.
Full-color illustrations
Maps and diagrams
Special information on occupations of the Bible

66 inspirational biographies of believers who put their faith to work including Corrie ten Boom, C.S. Lewis, Eric Liddell, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Amy Carmichael, and Augustine.

Overall I found this Bible very easy to use and I'm pleased to use it for my personal devotions. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good study Bible.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

My Favorite Reads of 2013

Instead of blogging for the last few months I've been spending my time reading books. I mean voraciously filling my Kindle with a variety of genres and picking up lots of bestsellers at the library. I've also been keeping a much better record of what I read on Goodreads and even writing a few reviews.

In the past I'd pick up a novel from the library, read it in a day or two and then promptly forget about it. I have no idea how many books I read in a month or year. Since July, 2013 I've been doing my best to remember what I've read in the last few years and recording it on Goodreads and also setting lists of what I want to read next. Part of my 2014 plan is to be more organized, be more deliberate in my reading choices and read more of a mix of non-fiction and fiction from a variety of genres.

As always, non-fiction is hard for me as I have to read it slowly, put it down often and take time to process what I've read. I speed through fiction purely for enjoyment and to find out what's next in the story so consequently I read MUCH more fiction.

So here's my list of my favorite reads of 2013. Not all were published in 2013 but they were the books I loved most. You can see my full reading list here...at least what I remember.

My dear husband bought me Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by
Susan Cain for Valentine's Day. He knows I'm a Super Introvert and he thought it looked good. I gotta say at the time I wasn't impressed but by June I started reading it and couldn't put it down. Quiet helped me to better understand my natural introverted personality. I "discovered" I'm a highly sensitive person and found a self test by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D and also a test you can take for your child. I have one highly sensitive boy and Quiet is also helping me understand and parent him better.

I discovered that I love the Young Adult genre in 2013. I also enjoy dystopian, science fiction a lot although it does mess with my mind a bit. I loved Divergent and read it in a day. The characters were vivid and intruiging and the setting of a futuristic yet very different Chicago was exciting to me. I quickly devoured the second book Insurgent too although I didn't care for the third book in the trilogy and in many ways it ruined the story for me...I like to just pretend it doesn't exist.

 

Partials by Dan Wells is another Young Adult dystopian science fiction novel. I loved the tv show Battlestar Galactica and you can feel the heavy influence it had on this book. Partials has many twists and turns to keep readers intriguingly off-balance. It takes place in a fantastically complex post-apocalyptic landscape, and is full of thought-provoking twists to a classic story of humanity creating its own doom. I also enjoyed the sequel Fragments and I'm anxiously awaiting the upcoming final book of the trilogy Ruins.

Until WOOL I wasn't sure I even liked science fiction. I absolutely love WOOL and it's sequels Shift and Dust. The main character Juliet is a strong, independent, intelligent woman who carried the story for me. The mystery of what the silos are, how the people ended up there and how the world ended is fascinating. This was another book I could not put down. WOOL is frightening, exhilarating, and addictive.

Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together.  It's about the ways God teaches and nourishes people as they nourish the people around them. This book is a funny, honest and vulnerable spiritual memoir that I enjoyed very much. You can read my full review here.

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism is a fascinating non-fiction book that gives a peek into the mind of Naoki Higashida. Using a special keyboard this Japanese autistic boy who is barely verbal demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions like: “Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?” “Why don’t you make eye contact when you’re talking?” and “What’s the reason you jump?” (Naoki’s answer: “When I’m jumping, it’s as if my feelings are going upward to the sky.”) This book took me less than 2 hours to read but the insights it gave me into my own child on the spectrum are priceless.

I've read some amazing books in 2013 and I'm eager to get reading for 2014. I'd love to hear more book suggestions to add to this years list so offer me some in the comments or friend me on Goodreads. 

Time to go read!

Book Review: Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist

Author and blogger Shauna Niequist writes her latest book for those who love food and value community around the table. Bread and Wine is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together.  It's about the ways God teaches and nourishes people as they nourish the people around them. 

This book is a funny, honest and vulnerable spiritual memoir that I enjoyed very much. I bookmarked just about every recipe and often felt hungry as I enjoyed this book. I was challenged to try these recipes when I cook for others. I especially want to try the bacon wrapped dates next time I bring an appetizer to a party.

I usually read non fiction very slowly but found myself reading this one quickly as I so enjoyed each essay/chapter.  I also found it sometimes easy to pause and reflect as each chapter is a different topic along the same theme of life around the table. Since each chapter is different it was not a problem to set the book down for a couple days and then pick it up and go to the next one without loosing continuity like you can with other books.

Bread & Wine is about hunger, both physical and otherwise, and the connections between the two. One chapter in particular I really connected to is titled Hungry. Shauna writes of always thinking about what her next meal will be. I certainly relate to that as I'm often thinking about what's next and anticipating a good meal. 

My other favorite chapters were Feasting and Fasting and Present Over Perfect. I loved the recipes at the end of each chapter and since her husband is gluten free she has many recipes that fit my family.

Bread and Wine is a celebration of food shared, reminding readers of the joy found in a life around the table and I highly recommend it as an easy & enjoyable read.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: The Briarpatch Gospel

I've been reading a lot lately. I mean more than usual and way beyond my 2013 reading list. This year I discovered that some book publishers will give free copies of new books to bloggers in exchange for an honest review. After much research I began requesting some exciting books. The Briarpatch Gospel by Shayne Wheeler is my second non-fiction book to review and I found it a fascinating read.

"Hasn’t Jesus called us into the thorns and thistles with Him to love what we find there? What if we had the courage to follow him into the briarpatch and discover life as we were always meant to live it?"

 In The Briarpatch Gospel, dynamic pastor Shayne Wheeler presents a radical message of grace that calls all Christ followers to travel through the thorny thickets of the Briarpatch and love people where they are. He shares his own journey and his church’s experience of creating a community in which people walk through many difficult issues together.

I loved so much about this book. First and most basic, it was organized well and broken into 4 sections with 2-4 chapters in each section. The book spent the first 3 chapters by exploring the Problem of the Briarpatch and looking at what people may be afraid of. In chapter 1 Shayne states "...I don't want you to think you have to be a Christian superhero in order to walk through the briarpatch. All you need is the courage to be yourself..." 

Other sections are about examining the Briarpatch Within ourselves and then moving Into the Briarpatch. Shayne shared many fascinating stories from his experience as a pastor and also as a neighbor, father and friend. The final section is on Transforming the Briarpatch and living for Jesus beyond the walls of your church or home and striving to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth in how we live here and now.

Shayne tackles today's big issues and looks first to the life of Jesus and the Bible. For example chapter 10 is entitled Looking For The Rainbow: Does God Really Hate Gays? This chapter is perhaps the most controversial and most intriguing to me. I won't reveal all that Shayne says on the topic but I loved how he confesses he doesn't have all the answers. Instead he & his church lean into this difficult topic with the heart of Jesus and love people as they are.

This book didn't take me long to read but it did delve into some deep, important issues in the church. I read about a chapter a day to give me time to process each one. I recommend this book to anyone who is a follower of Jesus or even people who aren't Christians but are interested in knowing more about a pastor's take on the messy issues of life and faith.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes from Tyndale House.
This post was shared at: Teach Me Tuesday

Book Review: Pursuing Justice by Ken Wytsma

The Call To Live & Die For Bigger Things

Pursuing Justice by Ken Wytsma covers the weighty topic of justice in the body of Christ. Not just pursuing justice but being willing to live and die for bigger things. Ken gives a thorough explanation of biblical justice and draws a connection between my joy, the joy of others and the transforming gospel of Jesus.

It took me a couple months to get through all 19 chapters due to the depth of subject matter. I felt like I was reading for a graduate level class so after each chapter I had to pause and consider the topic. Sometimes I had to put the book down for a week or two. The first 100 pages were the toughest for me to get into as it felt like an intro to a subject I was very familiar with already. Once I got to chapter 7 the book picked up the pace and I had a much tougher time putting it down. 

Some of my favorite parts of the book were when I was challenged with new ideas and perspectives about biblical justice today and from the past. I learned about the historical aspects of social gospel and social justice and how the church has viewed those different ideas.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to any Christian looking to become more like Jesus. Pursuing Justice talks about justice not for the sake of discussion but as a bridge to God, full life and happiness.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
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This post was shared at: Small Footprint Friday, Your Green Resource

Book Review: Wheat Belly

Wheat Belly takes a comprehensive, witty examination of the effects of wheat on the human body. The author, William Davis MD, is a preventive cardiologist and begins the book by reviewing the history of wheat and it's relationship to primitive and modern man. He relates that modern wheat is far removed from the wheat our ancestors first cultivated thousands of years ago.

Today's wheat has been altered by intensive hybridization to provide processed food manufacturers the greatest yield at the lowest price. Now this grain has been transformed into an ingredient that causes blood sugar to spike more rapidly than eating pure table sugar. It also has addictive properties that cause the body to cycle through hunger, overeating and fatigue. Dr. Davis exposes the connection between wheat, weight gain and fat buildup in all the wrong places.

I often find non-fiction books will draw me in for one or two chapters and then bore me too much with repetition of the same point to continue. I did not have that problem at all reading Wheat Belly. Each chapter disclosed another piece of the puzzle of wheat which kept my interest.

I was impressed with all the scientific and academic language Dr. Davis used. It was obvious that he wasn't just relating his own conclusions but thoroughly researched each point he made and backed up everything he said. Dr. Davis witnessed over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat and came to the controversial conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic.

The most disturbing things I learned from Wheat Belly:

• Common wheat, upon digestion, yields polypeptides that possess the ability to cross into the brain and bind to opiate receptors which demonstrates wheat is addictive. 
• When administered to typical people or people with uncontrollable appetites, opiate-blocking drugs yield reductions in appetite, cravings and calorie intake, as well as dampen mood, and the effect seems particularly specific to wheat containing products. 
• Wheat is an appetite stimulant so when you go off wheat your appetite stabilizes and there are no more constant hunger pangs. 
• Wheat is directly linked to many adverse health effects like diabetes, heart disease, immunologic and neurological disorders like celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis and dementia. 

The final chapters of the book offer readers a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle. Many recipes are listed and a week long sample menu is also included.

My biggest take away from the book- I'm now wheat free and transitioning my family that way as well. It wasn't so long ago I never could have imagined even trying a gluten free diet for a month. After all I've learned about the ill effects of wheat I'm resolved to stay wheat free for the rest of my life.

This post is shared at: Natural Living Monday, Living Green Tuesday
(Note: This post contains referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

My Top Books of 2012

I love to read. Mostly I love reading escapist fiction books that take me away to a different world but I occasionally venture out of my comfort zone into non-fiction too.

I've often thought if I had to give up my TV stories or books which would I be willing to loose. I love a few TV shows and Joe & I often enjoy them together along with movies. Every time I contemplate this conundrum (of my own invention) I realize that books win. They take me away into my own imagination- one of my favorite places to be- and open new worlds up to me.

So without further ado here are my favorite books that I read in 2012:

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

This was my beach read in June while my boys took swimming lessons and it was awesome. 7 is the true story of how Jen took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence. At the heart of the book was a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that draws you to a radically better existence. I love Jen's snarky voice that questions, challenges & invites you to consider your own excess and what changes you can make. This is a topic I'm well acquainted with but still felt I learned more about from Jen. 

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death and hope in a Mumbai undercity by Katherine Boo

This book reads like a novel about the poorest slum dwellers of Mumbai. From Pulitzer Prize-winner Katherine Boo this amazing work of narrative nonfiction tells the dramatic and sometimes heartbreaking story of families striving toward a better life in one of the twenty-first century’s great, unequal cities.
This was another beach read for me during my spring break trip to Florida. I read that this was one of the best books of the year so I thought I'd give it a try and I ended up absolutely loving it. Boo introduced me to a world I knew nothing about and made it real and sympathetic. With intelligence, humor, and deep insight into what connects people to one another in an era of tumultuous change, Behind the Beautiful Forevers carries you headlong into one of the twenty-first century’s hidden worlds, and into the lives of people impossible to forget.

Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions  by Rachel Held Evans

I love Rachel Held Evans. I started reading her blog and found her a fresh voice about faith. Evans adds her unique perspective to the ongoing dialogue about postmodernism and the church that has been going on in the Christian community in recent years. She's not afraid to ask the tough questions of the Bible and the church. She doesn't have all the answers but in our culture where new ideas threaten the safety and security of the faith, Evolving in Monkey Town is a fearlessly honest story of survival.
As a result of reading this book I considered my own doubts and found my faith renewed.

Gone Girl: A Novel by Gillian Flynn

Dark, disturbing, compelling- just a few words that come to mind when reading this book of a marriage gone terribly wrong. I saw Gone Girl in many a magazine before I gave in to reading it. I thought I'd just give it a chapter or 2 to see what the fuss was about but once I started I couldn't put it down. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed this book “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” That was definitely what happened to me as I stayed up way too late reading this one. Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn. 
I was disturbed in only the way a great book can get me.

Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey

I have a little used degree in art history so just the title of this book was enough to intrigue me. Throw in some Nazis, spies and the French liberation in 1944 and I was hooked. Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler are racing to rescue DaVinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands. The authors and main characters are Christians and their faith is a subtle theme in the book.


I read a lot more in 2012 than five books but I narrowed it down to just my favorites. Now I'm working on my list of books to read in 2013 and I'll share that soon.

What were your favorite books of 2012?
(Note: some links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)