Kim Reads
I’ll Be There (But I’ll Be Wearing Sweatpants)
Finding Unfiltered, Real-Life Friendships In This Crazy, Chaotic World
Authors: Amy Weatherly & Jess Johnston
Friendship can be a beautiful thing and friendship can be a difficult thing. We as women are always looking for that perfect friend. In the book I’ll Be There But I’ll Be Wearing Sweatpants, Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston discuss topics like loneliness, the longing for friends, insecurities, qualities of a good friend, feeling left out, being a bad friend, having a bad friend and so much more. I love their perspective on friendship and I think this book will encourage you while giving you freedom from past friendship failures and hope for new friendships to come.
Genre: Christian Growth/Nonfiction
Unoffendable
Author: Brant Hansen
How just one change can make all of life better. That is the tagline below the title of this book. This statement sounds huge but it is true. By becoming an unoffendable person we can truly change the outlook of our life.
Until you read this book, you don’t really understand how offendable we all are. Someone cuts us off in traffic and we are offended. Someone knocks into us in the grocery store and doesn’t apologize and we get offended, someone doesn’t return a phone call or text and we are offended. But what if we thought about the fact that maybe that person has something going on in their lives that is so much bigger than a text from us.
He poses this question: What if Christians were the most unoffendable people on the planet? He talks about humility, letting our anger go, and not wasting the energy it takes to be angry, and forgiveness is a biggie to help us be more unoffendable.
He blends this book with truth and humor and honesty and I loved it so much. I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read, entertaining, and packs a punch!
Genre: Christian Growth/Nonfiction
Don’t Give The Enemy A Seat At Your Table
Author: Louie Giglio
Do you struggle with negative thoughts? Can they monopolize your mind and bring you down on a regular basis? Does it affect how you live your daily life and does it stop you from living a full life? Don’t Give The Enemy a Seat At Your Table addresses these issues.
Louie Giglio does a wonderful job of showing you how to take those thoughts captive and win the battle of your mind.
Louie takes you through Psalm 23 and breaks it down in a way that is illuminating and enlightening. I absolutely love his take on this psalm.
In 2023 my New Years resolution was to eliminate negative thoughts and my word for the year is joy. Not letting satan have a seat at my table is crucial in achieving that goal. Jesus wants to be at your table. Louie teaches us how to take our thoughts captive and embrace the grace through Christ that we have access to.
Genre: Christian Growth/Nonfiction
Jotham’s Journey
Author: Arnold Ytreeide
If you are a parent of children in the age range of 5 to 15 years of age. I highly recommend this book. We read this with our children when they were young and it was the highlight of our day during the advent season.
Jotham’s Journey is the story of a young boy who runs away from his father’s tent in a moment of anger and loses his way and his family. Jotham’s adventures fill the small chapters of the book as he crosses paths with various people. As he wonders from place to place he comes to discover the meaning of the first Christmas. Your family will be on the edge of their seats.
This is a beautiful story where your children won’t want you to stop and will ask you to keep reading the next chapter to find out what happens to Jotham.
Jotham’s Journey is one of a four part series; all of which are related to advent. You can read one book a year and repeat every four years.
Genre: Christian Fiction/ Advent
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
Author: John Mark Comer
I listened to this book a couple of years ago. I absolutely loved this book. I loved it because I needed! In fact, I believe we all need it, at least most of us that is. We rush through our hours, days, weeks and years. Our relationships with God and others suffer because we don’t have time for them.
Never enough time. I have often found myself saying I need more time in a day. But do I? God gave us 24 hours in a day for a reason.
John Mark Comer was a pastor of a large church in Oregon. His life became so busy as a pastor that he was found snapping at his staff and those around him. He was losing who he was.
His conclusion was that he needed to quit and get himself back and have time for people and even himself. This is his story. There is so much wisdom and scripture in the pages of this book. I highly recommend it. And it is definitely one you want for the bookshelf. It’s a keeper.
Genre: Christian Growth/non-fiction
Win The Day
7 Daily Habits To Help You Stress Less and Accomplish More
Author: Mark Batterson
We have a choice every morning to have a fresh start. I have always loved this blessing from God. One of my favorite verses to quote is Lamentations 3:22&23. Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Win the day brings my mind to this verse.
This book is what I would term a Christian growth book. Batterson goes through 7 Daily Habits to help us win each and every day. His illustrations and stories make the book memorable and identifiable. His first two habits deal with the past.
The other steps talk about the power of a 24 hour day, tomorrow, how every day is a gift from God and finally, seizing the day. This book is easy to read and even more enjoyable to listen to.
The author reads it and his voice is endearing and empowering and encouraging. This is a good one and I highly recommend it. Not only that, it will help you change your perspective of each and every day.
Genre: Christian Growth
Doing Life With Your Adult Children:
Keep your Mouth Shut & the Welcome Mat Out
Author: Jim Burns
Jim Burns is a well-respected Christian counselor and speaker. This book is practical and full of wisdom. Parenting adults is wonderful but different. I am continually growing as a parent (even though my children ARE adults) and anything I can read to help me maintain a good relationship with them I am all about!!
Honestly, it is hard to know sometimes, but this book has really helped me to discern a little better when to speak and when to “keep my mouth shut.”
Jim Burns is a well-respected Christian counselor and speaker. This book is practical and full of wisdom. Parenting adults is wonderful but different. I am continually growing as a parent (even though my children ARE adults) and anything I can read to help me maintain a good relationship with them I am all about!!
I listened to this book on audible. It’s read by the author and a very good listen.
Genre: Christian Growth
Glad You’re Here
Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread
Authors: Walker Hayes & Craig Allen Cooper
I LUUUUUUUUUVED this book. If you like a sweet story that will have you laughing, crying and amening then you will love this book too.
Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone not loving this book. Walker Hayes & Craig Allen Cooper share their story of friendship in a unique way by alternating chapters with their version of the same story. I love how God can bring a friendship into two men’s life at the exact time each of them needed it.
Walker Hayes was far from God when he met Craig. I won’t give it away but this friendship is special and it reminds us how much we need each other in this world. Run, don’t walk, to get this book. It will bless you.
I listened to this book on audible and I would highly recommend that you do the same. The authors read their own stories and to hear them tell it makes it even better.
Warning: You will cry.
Genre: Biography
Redeeming Love
Author: Francine Rivers
I read this book just a few months ago but this book has been around since 1991. I have seen it over the years and just never picked it up, but when they made a movie I decided to read it before I saw the movie. I prefer reading a book before I see the movie. It is a long book but I read it in about two weeks because I couldn’t put it down.
The story is shocking and so sad at times and you long for Angel to accept Michael’s love throughout the entire book. The conclusion is worth reading the book to the end.
Redeeming Love is based on the story of Hosea and Gomer in the Bible, although much literary freedom is taken. It is a story of unconditional love and God’s redeeming love which we all need and can relate to.
This is a great summer/vacation read. It is not a light read by any stretch but it will suck you in and you will find it difficult to put down. I haven’t seen the movie yet but I plan on doing that soon.
Genre: Fiction
Educated
A Memoir
Author: Tara Westover
This was a surprise read for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am not actually sure how I discovered it but somehow I found it on audible. This is a story about a woman who was resilient, persevered, and never gave up trying to make her life better despite her eccentric family who raised her in rural Idaho with no formal education up through high school.
Tara lived a hard, difficult life but she persevered and brought herself out of poverty. She even studied at Oxford and remains there at this time. Definitely worth reading.
Genre: Memoir
Gentle And Lowly:
The Heart Of Christ For Sinners And Sufferers
Author: Dane Ortland
This book is one of my favorites from this past year. It is so good. It helped me have a clearer picture of who Jesus is. Jesus refers to himself as gentle and lowly in Matt. 11:29 “Take My yoke on you, and learn of Me, that I am gentle and lowly in heart. And you shall find rest for your souls”.
Jesus has a heart of love for sinful and suffering. We see Jesus from a different perspective. While we think we need to hide from Jesus because of our sin, he actually wants us to turn to him and seek rest in him. I felt like I really got to know the heart of Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit and the way they think.
I don’t recommend listening to this book on audible because it is deep and I needed to read it in little bits to digest all of its meaning.
This is a book I will read over and over again. There is a study pamphlet that you can buy with it to guide you through it. It gives questions to answer and allows you to process what you are reading a bit more.
Genre: Christian Literature
The Glass Castle
Author: Jeannette Walls
I read this book many years ago but it is one of my favorites. This story of resiliency in the face of an extremely difficult childhood is inspiring. Jeannette recounts her life with her dysfunctional family. She has an eccentric but brilliant father who struggles with mental illness, gambling, alcohol, and maintaining a job. They flee several homes to escape the law and debt collectors.
It is a story of love and forgiveness and family-and despite difficult life circumstances Jeannette manages to build a very successful life writing for the New York Times. The title comes from a dream of her dads to build them a house made of glass.
What I love most about this book is the ability of the the author to rise above difficult life circumstances. Despite her parent’s eccentricity she finds her own way. She not only finds freedom from the life she was given but she finds a way to continue to love her parents for who they are. The author does not play the victim but believes she is who she is because of her circumstances.
Genre: Autobiography
Before We Were Yours
Author: Lisa Wingate
This story got to me. In 1939 there was an orphanage that was abusing, neglecting and starving orphans to sell them to the highest bidder. While this is a fiction book, it is based on the very sad events that happened at that orphanage in Memphis, Tennessee.
This is the story of Rill and her four siblings. Five children who were raised on a Shanty boat. One night when their mother was delivering twins and had to be taken to the hospital against her will the children were taken by police. The police took them to an orphanage. They were never reunited with their parents and were raised by three cruel women.
Rill, the oldest, was put in charge when her mother and father left to go to the hospital. Part of this story is told from her perspective. This book takes you on their journey through life.
The dialect goes back and forth between the life of current day lawyer, Avery. Avery has an unlikely encounter with a woman in a nursing home. She eventually discovers there is a connection between this woman and her very own family. We walk with her through her search to find the truth. We see Avery’s life change drastically in many ways due to this chance encounter.
I love this story but it is also heartbreaking at parts. I didn’t realize when I read it that it was based on true events in history. This made it even more impactful.
Genre: Fiction