I read some really great books this month! Not only did I finish The Restoration Series by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley, but I also consumed some great nonfiction, including, The Lazy Genius Kitchen, Soul Shift, and Roar! Thank you, library holds for coming through for me!
110) Perfectly Unique: Love Yourself Completely Just as You Are by Annie F. Downs—Written for teen girls, this is really a great book for anyone. Going head to toe, Downs writes about how God created each part of the body, and intends believers to use each part for His glory and the good of others. Each chapter ends with a “Chew On This” section complete with questions and scriptures for further study. Excellent for reading as a stand-alone book, or as part of a group study, I recommend this one!
111) The Promise by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley—Jim and Marilyn Anderson are healing their relationship, and on their second honeymoon, but things are not right at home. Their oldest son Tom lost his job and has been living a lie. His wife finds out, and in the process, Uncle Henry helps the family uncover a negative family legacy being passed down from generation to generation. This is a good book about the importance of patient work towards reconciliation, the importance of speaking affirmation, and sticking together as a family. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!
112) The Lazy Genius Kitchen by Kendra Adachi—The is a really great book! Written in Adachi's signature personal style (with a side of sarcasm), it is easy-to-read, and clearly organized for easy accessibility. In the book, Adachi gives pep talks about focusing on seasons of life, and what really matters, rather than trying to do everything. Adachi encourages readers to be themselves and let everything else go. While Part 3 of the book does give specific kitchen tips, this is more of a book about life, and as Adachi says in her Lazy Genius podcast, "be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't," or as I would say "learn to let things go."
113) The Desire by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley—Another one down in the Restoration series! This one follows Jim and Marilyn's daughter Michelle and her desire to be a mother. It parallels the story of Christina, an unwed mother in a crisis pregnancy, whom Marilyn is mentoring. The book exposes the struggles and trials of infertility, its effects on marriage, and more. It also shows the inner workings of individuals on both sides of adoptions. With a few twists readers might not expect, this is a sweet story that leaves room for further growth in book four!
114) The Legacy by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley—The long awaited finale to The Restoration Series, this book follows Jim and Marilyn Anderson's son Doug, with a little bit of resolution to Allan and Michelle's story from book three. This book follows Doug as he makes poor choices and runs from his upbringing. Meanwhile, his friend Christina continues to walk the path of redemption while living with his parents. This story has all the elements I want: plot twists and turns, redemption, family, and a bit of romance. The book nicely concludes the series without tying up all the loose ends, but still sets the stage for the new Anderson family legacy. I think this was probably my favorite book of the series!
115) Prep and Rally: An Hour of Prep, A Week of Delicious Meals by Dini Klein—This is a cookbook I can get behind! Ten weeks of four meals to feed four people, centered around an hour of prep? Seems doable! Yes, there is some assembly required for the nightly dinners, but with lots of produce, good meats, and other whole food ingredients, it’s to be expected. There are SO many recipes in this book, too. With not only the meal plans, but leftover recipes, dessert recipes, and swap suggestions in the notes, this is really a treasure trove! I like making my own meal plans, so I probably won’t purchase this book, but for those who want all the steps of meal prep laid out, from shopping lists, to prep, to service, this is where it’s at!
116) Cimarron Refuge by Margaret Daley—Laura Williams comes to Cimmaron to start over. Her husband has been dead for almost a year. Her four children need a new start. Unfortunately, her son Sean’s anger quickly gets him into School Principal Peter Stone’s office. This starts an unlikely relationship with the man, for both of them. Peter has a past. Laura has a past. They all need forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing. Peter’s ranch and its abandoned animals bring some of it. Both adverse and awesome events bring the rest of it. With a few unexpected plot twists and a fairly cohesive storyline, this was a refuge of a short read.
117) A Family for Thanksgiving by Patricia Davids—Clay Logan left his family, and the girl he loved, Nicki Appleton, years ago. Now he is back, believing that God led him there. Nicki, meanwhile, has become the foster mother of Kasey, a child found abandoned after a tornado. Nicki is getting attached to Kasey, and trying to trust God. Clay is still attached to Nicki, and trying to trust God. There are other storylines involving loss, love, foster care, and adoption in this story as well. It isn't much about Thanksgiving, but well, it reminds people to be thankful for family, and that makes it a sweet read.
118) Soul Shift: The Weary Human’s Guide to Getting Unstuck and Reclaiming Your Path to Joy by Rachel Macy Stafford—This is a different kind of book—not spiritual, but not, not spiritual; not self-help, but self-help; not therapy, but therapeutic. In it, the author shares some of her own personal struggles to be present and collected. She suggests that by pushing boundaries, we devalue ourselves and those we love. By practicing self-care, we preserve what we have to offer the world. Each of the eight soul shift practices in the book contains questions to ponder, stepping stones to practice, and action steps to consider. Stafford’s writing is at times poetic, at times convicting, and always gentle. Like I said, this is a different kind of book, but maybe that’s because it’s about making a shift, and shifts feel a little uncomfortable at first.
119) Deck the Halls by Arlene James—This book’s title insinuates a Christmas tale, but really, it starts with Thanksgiving. Low and luck and low on love, Jolie Wheeler meets Vince Cutler first because she received his mail, and then because she needs his auto shop to work on her car. They develop a friendship that stretches and grows them in more ways than one. The Cutler family invites Jolie first to Thanksgiving, and then to more and more family functions. Meanwhile, Jolie is working her way into Vince’s heart, and his into hers. This is sweet tale about food, family, forgiveness, and love. It’s a very sweet read to prepare for the holiday season.
120) Roar: How to Match Your Food and Your Fitness To Your Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life by Stacy Sims—“Women are not small men.” This is the famous quote from researcher and author Stacy Sims. There is a lot more to it than that, though. This book shares lots of research about how women differ from men, and how, as a result, they need to care for themselves and train differently. Sims shares specific ideas for fueling, dealing with GI issues, maintaining mental health (spoiler alert, women need carbs) and more. Though some of the research is a bit too high level for me to want to apply, this book encouraged me to consider my unique physiology instead of just following general recommendations which generally, are based on male needs.
121) Building a Perfect Match by Arlene James—Petra Chatam is trying to make her way in life. Meanwhile, she has two men who want her attention, and they couldn't be more opposite. Dale Bowen is a handsome hometown carpenter, and Garth Anderton is a wealthy hotel owner, and Petra's boss. Petra will have to choose between them, literally, but first she has to decide what she wants out of life. The author tried to infuse this one with meaning, but it seemed trite and too much like soap opera to me. The attempts to depict a good working wife and mother seemed inauthentic and a bit forced. I would like a little more substance, and I guess a little more substance with the takeaway message, too. This one did not sell me.
122) The Body Revelation: Physical and Spiritual Practices to Metabolize Pain, Banish Shame, and Connect to God with Your Whole Self by Alicia Keeton—I tried to like this book. Really, I did. I do believe that trauma manifests in the body, and that connecting to God and the whole self can help in the healing process. Somehow, though, I could not really get into this book. I had a hard time reading about trauma from someone who is not a certified professional. Yes, Keeton referenced therapists, but as a personal trainer, the discussions seemed a little bit outside her scope. She also made a lot of Bible references that came across like theological statements, rather than references made for encouragement or study. I guess I felt duped into thinking that this would be a holistic healing book, and instead, it felt mostly like an attempt to preach the health/wealth/prosperity gospel from a trauma-informed lens. While I did glean a few insights in reading, this book was not the revelation I hoped it would be.
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