10 Things Saving My Life Right Now

What Is Saving My Life Right Now

Last week was rough – and not just for me. It was a week that left me reeling. But, it was also a week filled with innumerable gifts. For instance, in the midst of a tragic week where many people senselessly lost their lives, I got to celebrate the upcoming arrival of new life at dinner club.

So, anyhow, I thought I would post a few of the things that helped me get through last week and I hope they may help you too.

1. My new pink hair. Now that I have accepted that I will be working from home, I no longer feel the need to look professional. And, it’s fun.

2. Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks by Annie Spence (the audiobook). This book is a collection of love letters and break up notes to books. You guys, if there was ever a more enjoyable audiobook for a book nerd like me, I don’t believe it. It has made me laugh and made me clap.

3. Blue Q Socks. I love socks. I love when my socks can convey a secret only I know. And, Blue Q socks are perfect for hiding a little subtle message under your jeans. *Some are inappropriate. There's your warning.

4. The Mindy Project. I have a love/hate relationship with this show. But, this is the final season, and Danny is back, so I am ALL IN.

5. Broadway tickets. On a bad day this week, I took five minutes to go ahead and purchase excellent tickets to the upcoming production of the Phantom of the Opera for my husband, myself, and our son (who LOVES the musical). It’s not until February, but I am already excited.

6. The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers: Spiritual Insights from the World's Most Beloved Neighbor. Y’all, this book spoke to me on so many levels and it provided some needed healing to my soul. I had no idea prior to reading this book that Mister Rogers was an ordained minister or that he used his tv show as a way to spread Christ’s message of love. I want to be Mister Rogers when I grow up.

7. New Fall TV Shows. My husband and I are steadily making our way through the new fall television shows and eliminating and adding to our watch list. He loves Orville – I HATE IT. But, we both agree The Good Doctor is excellent.

8. My job. I know that sounds silly, but I have always said “If they would pay me to go to school, that’s what I would do.” And I feel like I am kind of doing that now – researching, learning new stuff, and writing essays all the time. And, I found out I am a "Top Rated" freelancer through Upwork!

9. LUSH has a subscription service. Do I even need to explain this? Just click here to find out more.

10. My dinner club. We started meeting for a Bible study, which evolved to books about faith & dinner club. There is something really awesome about meeting together with women from different backgrounds with different beliefs and breaking bread together. I think that is a little bit like what heaven will be like - a mishmash of people, laughing, crying, and eating together.

So, what about you? What has been saving your life lately? 

Do One Thing Every Day That Makes You Happy - A Review

Fun, scripted journals are not typically the type of thing I buy for myself; however, that does not mean I have never wanted them. I just felt a little silly treating myself to this type of thing. So, when Blogging for Books generously offered a review copy, I jumped at the chance.

And, you know what the Do One Thing Every Day That Makes You Happy journal showed me? I should have just bought the cute journal for myself because it makes me happy! Treat Yo' Self. 

This bright colored journal is a compact size, but it packs a big punch. As a firm believer that we can change our attitudes by showing gratitude, this journal is an easy reminder that we are in charge of our outlook. By helping the writer think about one thing every day that filled him/her with happiness, it reminds the writer to stay positive.

Filled with inspiring quotes and thought-provoking short writing prompts, it is an effective tool for seeking the positive in each day.

But, if I am to be honest, my favorite prompts were the ones that included lists. I am a list lover. So, I am happy to find there are several pages for lists, such as your Top 5 songs, Top 5 books, Top 5 shows, etc. I also loved the pages where you were prompted to use some creativity to draw something or think outside the box.

There are some things that are not traditional for a journal. First, you are prompted to do tasks (i.e., smile at someone in a restaurant), so it cannot simply be filled out in the evening before you go to bed. Additionally, the journal has space for you to fill in the date, but it seems like it will be easier to jump around rather than go through the journal page by page.

Finally, I am looking forward to using this journal in the new year alongside my family. I think it has excellent prompts for discussion around the dinner table. Now that my son is journaling, I think it will be a tool he can use as well.

For those needing a helpful tool for staying positive in these turbulent times, this journal is a great choice. It is fun, and you may even find it helps you change your attitude.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. You can purchase the book from Amazon here or by clicking the image. 

Book Review: Church of the Small Things

Church of the Small Things by Melanie Shankle

I have read every book Melanie Shankle has written, so I was thrilled beyond thrilled to be chosen to be on the Church of the Small Things launch team. Melanie came to fame as a blogger. Her first book, Sparkly Green Earrings, is about motherhood. It knocked me off my feet. Then, she wrote a book on marriage (Antelope in the Living Room). Next, she wrote a book on friendship (Nobody's Cuter Than You).

Now, she has a written a book (Church of the Small Things) that contains aspects of each of these themes. The book is just as great as her previous books, and you are going to wait to add it to your bookshelf. Let me tell you why.

Or let me allow Melanie to tell you why this book matters: “We are a generation of women who have never worked harder to have it all, yet go to bed most nights worrying we aren’t enough.”

In Church of the Small Things, Melanie tells story after story where she recognizes that the everyday, small, often unrecognized things are actually the things that make a life. It is easy to wonder if what you are doing really matters. Melanie assures us, yes, it matters. The small things build a life.

The book is a joy to read because Melanie is so relatable. She made me laugh out loud several times, and she made me cry. She made me think about the meaning of things and delve deeper into my faith. Just last night, I was discussing fear and faith with my girlfriends – and especially how easy it is for me to not trust God with the small stuff. But, this book reminds me that God is even in the midst of those small things and He is using them in ways I fail to see.

She believes that God continuously uses the small things to shape us and prepare us for the big things. It is all those daily mundane things that make us who we are. It is the small things that shape our children (changing diapers, making meals, giving kisses). It is the small things that shape a marriage (holding hands, forgiving stupidity, sharing a dessert). According to Melanie, “The church of the small things is where the majority of us live every single day.”

Thank you so much to the Melanie Shankle and Zondervan for providing me with a copy of Church of the Small Things to review! For more information about the book and the forthcoming Bible Study, visit the website.

*You can purchase the book from Amazon here (or by clicking the image of the book cover). These are affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Book Review: Love and Other Consolation Prizes

Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford

Confession: If a book is about a fair, a carnival, or a circus in the past, I will read it. So, when I read the description of Love and Other Consolation Prizes, I immediately wanted to read it. The First World's Fair in Seattle plus a brothel? Yep. I'm in.

And this novel did not let me down. If anything, it is even better than I anticipated. This book is a sorrow-filled portrait of the lives of Asian immigrants that is so incredibly well-written you will want to savor reading it rather than rushing to reach the end. I spent the whole week reading a few chapters at a time and enjoying every minute, which is much different than a book that is primarily plot-driven that sends you rushing through the pages to reach the conclusion.

The novel tells the story of a young Chinese boy who has been sent to America and goes from one children's home to the next until he ends up the winning item in a raffle at Seattle's World Fair in 1909. Who buys him? A madam of the most prestigious brothel in Seattle. He enters a world of sin, but he winds up finding a family and falling in love.

This novel has amazing characters that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. The various working women are not caricatures but are individual and layered. The settings also come alive - they are not simply backgrounds. The Tenderloin and the World's Fair become characters themselves.

And, the writing. Oh, the writing. Tha author, Jamie Ford, has a gift for evocative language and storytelling. For instance, his writing includes lines like:

• "As Ernest baptized himself in memory" 
• "He chose his words the way a man on thin ice chooses his footing"
• "Ernest struggles to process the ugly details while gazing down on such a beautiful place. His heart felt torn between the two worlds."
• "Girls were complicated, women confounding, their challenges almost insurmountable."

I could go on and on with all the beautifully written lines I underlined as I read. Basically, this novel is wonderful. I highly recommend it and think it will be a great choice for book clubs. 

** I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

* This book will be released from Amazon tomorrow (September 12, 2017). You may purchase the book by clicking here or the picture. These are affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Book Review: Evicted

Evicted by Matthew Desmond

Well, this is a book I had high hopes for that did not quite live up to my expectations. However, that in no way means it was a bad book. I simply was looking to be moved by it in the same way I was by a handful of other nonfiction titles this year (Just Mercy, Hillbilly Elegy, American Fire), and that just did not happen.

Evicted by Matthew Desmond is an incredibly detailed behind-the-scenes look at poverty, rental properties, and evictions in Milwaukee. It has won numerous awards and is being heavily praised. For me, the most interesting part of the book is the ending when Desmond tells you how he approached this work as a journalist. Learning how he got close enough to learn the secrets was truly fascinating.

However, the stories themselves were not as interesting to me. I believe this is because it was the same sad story told over and over again. This is probably part of the point though - this is an ongoing battle in a vicious system, so we need to acknowledge that these problems are recurring and the cycle is continuing. But, reading the different stories over and over again was not as moving as I expected it to be.

With that being said, while I might not have been moved to tears, it was clearly eye-opening. I learned quite a bit I did not know (and most probably turned a blind eye to). For example, I had not stopped to think about the people who make money off of those living in poverty. Desmond refers to one individual as an inner-city entrepreneur. She owns their crumbling homes and offers transportation to visit family members in jail. And, then, she kicks them out when times get hard.

This book delves into the bleak world of poverty, evictions, welfare, and city planning. Desmond carefully demonstrates the struggle to pay the rent and feed your family - especially when the rent takes up most of your pay.

I won't say it is a must-read, but it is an illuminating and challenging read.

To learn more, please see:

• More Info
• Author Bio

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

Book Review: The Tragedy of Brady Sims

The Tragedy of Brady Sims by Ernest J. Gaines

Y’all. Ernest J. Gaines is back with his first book in over ten years. For those who think his name sounds familiar, he is the genius behind A Lesson Before Dying, A Gathering of Old Men, and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. In other words, he is one of the very best around.

Since I read my first book by him in high school, then another in college, and then taught one of his books to my students, I have always held a deep appreciation for his style, his characters, his settings, his use of dialect, his words, and his themes. And, his newest novella, The Tragedy of Brady Sims, is no different.

Well, except for the fact that it is a novella instead of a book. But, this will make all the people (especially the students) rejoice! In a little more than one hundred pages, readers will be transported to a black barber shop in Louisiana where they will learn all about the life of Brady Sims.

You see, this is the genius of Gaines. He is able to tell a whole story within a few pages mainly in one setting – a barber shop. His use of characterization, but most importantly, the way he brings the character’s dialogue to life with brilliant dialect and colorful idioms, set him apart from other writers. When you read this novella, you will feel as if you are sitting in the barber shop listening to the men reminisce about the main character and their town.

Also important is the theme. Gaines has always handled race issues with honesty and grace. In this case, the story opens with a father shooting his son in the courtroom after his son was sentenced to prison in Angola (the historically brutal prison in Louisiana). After the shooting, the white sheriff then gives Brady Sims two hours before he will pick him up to take him to jail.

So, the story revolves around two things. First, why did Brady Sims shoot his son? Second, why did the cop let him leave the courthouse after the shooting and give him two hours before he picks him up?

In this story, the theme delves into race issues within society and the justice system. Who does the system help and who does it fail?

I cannot recommend reading a novel by Ernest Gaines enough, but if this is your first time entering his world, this novella is the perfect start. New fans and old fans alike will be happy with the latest from this living legacy.

* I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

* You may purchase this book from Amazon here. This is an affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Book Review: Fierce Kingdom

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips

Well, if how quickly you finish a book is any indication of how much you like a book, then I think it is safe to say I “liked” Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips. However, it is certainly not a “fun” read as its topic is horrifying and little too close to home.

This is another Book of the Month pick that I would have never chosen on my own, so I am once again, thankful for them presenting me with new options. I don’t know why I decided to bravely choose this one as it was sure to make be uncomfortable, but I did. Why?

Well, the basic premise is a mom is with her four-year-old son at a local zoo around closing time when it is taken over by shooters. As the mom and son head to the gates, they hear the shots and she sees the bodies. And, so she runs with her child and hides. It is basically every mother’s worst nightmare scenario come to life.

True confession – this is the type of thing that keeps me up at night. Unfortunately, we live in a world where this kind of violence is happening more and more. And, I will not deny that I have tried to exert some control over possible scenarios by imagining what I would do in these situations.

Which is why I decided to read this one. I did put it off until my kids had been safely in school a few weeks, because, well, I just couldn’t bring myself to go there.

But, after a week of slogging through a boring book, I knew I needed to jumpstart my reading, so I picked this book up yesterday at nap time and proceeding to devour it in one 3-hour sitting. It is extremely fast-paced. You want to know what is going to happen, why it is happening, and who all it is happening to.

While it is certainly horrifying to imagine, I did take heart in reading about the efforts this mother goes through to hide and protect her child in this nightmare scenario. And, it possibly gave me some things to think about should I ever be in a similar situation, God forbid.

I will say that while I read it in one big gulp, I was left with many questions. And, they are the types of questions I think are left to be unanswered, such as in any tragedy.

LIGHT SPOILER - One particular one is haunting me – what about the baby in the trash can??

Ultimately, if a mom who has family safe words and has discussed similar family safety routines in various scenarios can read this without needing to breathe into a paper bag, I think you can too. 

* You may purchase this book from Amazon here. This is an affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog!

* If you want to give Book of the Month a try, check it out here! 

Book Review: If the Creek Don't Rise

If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss

So, I feel like a jerk, but I just did not care for If the Creek Don’t Rise by Leah Weiss. I recognize that it may just be where my mind is at currently, but this book, while well-written, was incredibly depressing and slow moving. Those who have been following me know that I do like my share of depressing novels, but I need a little bit of happy so my tears are worth it.

I had to force myself to keep reading because it did not capture my attention. Then, the plot and characters were so sad that I did not find many reasons to want to keep reading it.

For example, the characters live very hard, poor lives in rural Appalachia. However, they do not seem to learn from their choices and just continue living the same sad lives – getting beaten, alienating others, hurting relationships, etc.

I really wanted to like this book more since I have heard so many rave reviews and it is set in time/place and a genre I usually enjoy reading about (Southern fiction). In this case, it just did not happen for me.

However, I will say that for a character-driven novel, the author does a nice job of creating a vast array of characters. I did not like or relate to many of them, which made it difficult in a character-driven novel. But, if you like novels more focused on character than plot. And novels that are gritty, realistic, frank, and depressing, then you will most likely enjoy it.

I do believe I am the weird one here as the book is getting quite a bit of praise, but I just couldn’t wait to finish it so I could read something more enjoyable. Sorry! 

* I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

* You may purchase this book from Amazon here. This is an affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Book Review: Jane of Austin

Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge

Well, this book was just delightful. After reading some heavier things lately, I was due a nice, sweet book. And, Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility was the perfect book to curl up with and watch the day go by.

I am a big fan of modern adaptations of the classics. When you can bring the plot and characters of Jane Austen into our world, I swoon. Seriously, Bridget Jones' Diary is my all-time favorite movie. So, it should come as no surprise that I was excited to read this modern adaptation with a clever title.

Jane of Austin is a modern take on Sense and Sensibility bringing sisters who have lost everything due to their father's poor choices on a move from San Francisco to Austin, Texas to run a tea salon.

Tea, pretentious wealthy people, female quarreling, swarmy guys and romantic heroes - all the stuff Austen is made of. Plus, add in plenty of discussion about both tea and Texas and the novel delivers an entertaining and engaging plot.

I loved the characters - another key Austen trait. I wanted to see them resolve conflicts and overcome obstacles. Taking the cues from Austen, the romantic hero is a true hero who readers will fall in love with. The sisters, Jane and Celia, are both women I could imagine being friends with.

Of course, since you know Austen and you know standard romantic comedies, you will know how this novel ends from the first page. However, that does not make it any less enjoyable. I could not stop reading the novel because I was anxious for my happy ending.

Sometimes you read a book and you just see a movie jump off the pages...well, this is one of those. I could easily imagine them turning this into a movie. Hallmark fans would eat it up.

For more information, please see:

• More Info

• Author Bio

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

You may purchase this book from Amazon here on by clicking the picture. This affiliate link - thank you for supporting my blog! 

How I Read More Than 50 Books a Year

"I put the Lit in Literature" - Poe (jk - once a Poe fan, always a Poe fan)

I get asked all the time how I read so many books each year. I often joke that I am just a bad mom and neglect my children – those of you who know me in real life know this is not true. However, there have certainly been occasions where I have not paid them as much attention as I should have because I was stuck in a good book.

Aside from my weak parenting, here is how I get so many books read each year:

1. Since I work from home, I read during nap time. Now that my kids are no longer napping for two hours a day, this is harder. However, I do have an enforced quiet time in my house. This is when I read during the day
2. I always have a book with me. I have books stuck in the side consoles of my car, in all of my purses and totes, on my phone’s Kindle app, and in most rooms of my house. There is always a book within arm’s reach.
3. I choose books I enjoy reading. Far too many people do not like to read because they just don’t like the books they are reading. When I worked in the library surrounded by more books than I will ever read, someone told me that there were simply too many good books in the world for you to waste your time on one you do not love.
4. I read before bed often. Just reading a chapter before bed is enough to help you finish a book within a month (sometimes even a week). Plus, reading before bed helps you get better sleep.
5. I surround myself with people who encourage my love of reading. The people who fill me with the most joy are the ones who do not make me feel weird for spending my extra time with my nose in a book.
6. I am a fast reader. I always have been, but I do not have any tips to help you read faster. Sorry! Though I think there may be a correlation between how often you read and how much you read…
7. I am involved in a book club – actually, two fantastic book clubs. Books clubs truly encourage you to read so you can discuss life & books while you eat delicious food and drink wine. 
8. I listen to audiobooks if I am in a position where I cannot sit and read (i.e. when I drive, clean, do laundry, etc.).
9. My house is seldom cleaned from top to bottom. If the downstairs is clean, the upstairs is a mess, and vice versa. Why? Because I’d rather read than clean.
10. I prioritize reading. Like those who prioritize working out, I read to work out my mind and heart. So, I make it a priority.

A book reading friend of mine recently told someone who was explaining how hard it is to read with kids and housework that she should make those kids do more so she could read more. I could not agree more. 

This Might Have Been My Best Book Week of 2017...

I am not exaggerating. I read three excellent, extremely different books over the last 8 days. All courtesy of Book of the Month Club (BOTM). I do not work for BOTM. I am simply a recent subscriber, and I am sharing my love for the service with all of you because I love it (and you will too).

To be fair, I am posting a referral link to BOTM which offers new members 3 months for $9.99 each – that equals 3 new release hard back books for $29.97. If you so choose to click on the link below and give it a try, I will get a free month.

Book of the Month 3 months for $9.99 each

Now that the nasty business stuff is out of the way, let me tell you about the 3 incredible books I read this week. I have one for nonfiction lovers, one for realistic fiction lovers, and one for the horror lovers. It’s been a strange and delightful week.

American Fire by Monica Hesse

Whoa. I didn’t choose this as one of my BOTM pick because I knew another friend choose it (we plan our months accordingly), but when I saw it pop up on my library’s Hoopla app, I downloaded it immediately. And, holy smokes (ha), is it good! I started listening and could not stop. I felt like I was listening to a Serial-like podcast.

American Fire is the true story of a couple that goes on an arson spree in a rural town in Virginia destroying more than 80 residences. The firefighters are depleted. The community is reeling. The couple is on fire.

I had the opportunity to go hear Monica Hesse speak at Hub City Bookshop this Tuesday after listening (reading? Do you we call it reading if you just listen to the audiobook? What verb is more appropriate?) to the book over the weekend. She was wonderful. Her experience as a journalist and her passion for the story was evident. She lived in the town for months at a time – and she grew to know the members of the community.

It is a must read. I did buy a copy and asked her to sign it at the event.

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

The next book I read was Goodbye, Vitamin. This was one of my BOTM selections. This story focuses on a 30-year-old woman who returns home after breaking up with her fiancé to help take care of her father who is starting to show signs of Alzheimer’s.

Written in a sort of diary format, this book made me laugh and cry within pages of one another. Ruth’s journey back home reveals truths about her father and her family and herself. As she struggles to come to terms with the father she thought she knew and the one she learned he is, the reader is right alongside her on the journey.

No one in the book is evil. No one is perfect. The characters are all real. The situation is realistic. You will feel frustrated and hopeful just like you would in real life.

It is one of the books you read that you are immediately glad you read. It was highly satisfying and one I think those who like family dramas, diaries, and heartbreak with laughter will love.

Final Girls by Riley Sager

Confession – I have not read a horror novel since I read R.L. Stine. I chicken out anytime I start to read Stephen King (just ask my book club). I have nightmares from shows like Criminal Minds. So, this novel was far from my usual reads.

 But, with all the positive reviews for Final Girls, I decided to pick it as one of my BOTM selections. I put off reading it until last night. And I started it when we put the kids to bed and did not put it down until I finished it around 1 AM.

Because, while it was horrifying, I had to know what happened and what was happening and why it seemed like it was all about to hit the fan.

Final Girls refers to the final girls that somehow survived bloodbath style massacres (think movie style massacres – college students in a cabin, sorority girls in their sorority row house, a cheap motel). The comparisons to slasher films is what ultimately made me buy it.

When one of the three nationally recognized final girls dies of an apparent suicide, the other two final girls meet in person. And, all hell breaks loose.

Told with flashbacks to the original Pine Cottage massacre and present day, you do not find out what happened or is happening until the final pages of the novel. It is a page-turner with entertaining plot points and quirky characters.

I am surprised (and happy) to announce I not only read the entire book without hiding it in my freezer, I enjoyed it and I did not have nightmares! (That may also be because I made my husband talk about all sorts of bright and shiny things like unicorns to take my mind off it before sleep).

Again, I think BOTM is great because it has introduced me to books I would never have picked on my own, but books that are some of the best I read this year – and this is just July’s book selection. However, if getting fun book mail monthly is not your thing, these books can be purchased on Amazon by clicking the pictures or links (or from your local library’s hold list).

*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog!*

Book Review: The Glorious Heresies

Hmmm…The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney is an exceptionally well-written novel about bad people in even worse situations. The novel won the 2016 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction – and I can see why. McInerney is a crazy talented writer. The novel was originally published in Great Britain (the story takes place in Ireland), but it is now making its way to the US.

Unfortunately, I do not know if I have ever read a more depressing novel. And I like Hemingway! I knew I would be reading about people in bad situations, but I didn’t realize there would be very little redemption. The characters continuously make poor choices and do not learn valuable lessons from their mistakes. (Choices include alcoholism, murder, prostitution, drugs, physical abuse, arson, etc. - you get the idea.)

Generally, I enjoy stories where different plot points and characters are interwoven. In this novel, the characters are connected through an unplanned murder. However, these connections prove to be weak and even prove perilous.

The book blurb suggests the book has loads of dark humor, but I did not laugh ever. I was too pained by the characters decisions and their relationships to laugh. However, I was quite impressed by all the points about religion and heresy the author so cleverly brings to the surface through the characters.

The novel is also hefty. At almost 400 pages, the novel is slow moving, and since the characters do not change and repeat their behaviors, it seems even longer.

Again, the characters were not my favorite and the plot was too rough for my tastes, but McInerney is a talented author. If you enjoy dark tales with twisted characters and heartache, then you may enjoy it more than I did. I wish I liked it more. 

* I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. If you want to know more about this book or the author, you can check out:

• More Info
• Author Bio

10 Books to Help Reshape Your Faith

I have a lot of church baggage. I’m talking giant trash bags full of garbage that sometimes rips the plastic and falls onto the sidewalk. Locked luggage that only a few people have keys to open. For most of my adult life, I hid this part of myself. But I’m learning that I am not alone. And, more importantly, my church baggage is no reflection of Jesus.

This is why, as an adult, I have had to reshape my faith. I knew I wanted no part of any legalism that tried to draw a line between me and Jesus. As an adult, I now understand that I do not have to be so sure about everything “God-related.” I am 100% at peace with admitting “I don’t know” and I don’t think that makes me loved any less.

For many years, I tried to follow the rules and not do the things they said I should not do. No bikinis! No yoga pants! No wine! No Halloween! No cuss words! I also tried to do all the things they said I should do (believing it would make me look better in their eyes and closer to God).

While I do not think most of these things started with bad intentions, here’s what I finally realized. That was them. Not God. God does not love the person who reads their Bible every day any more than the illiterate woman who prays fervently. God does not love the person who does not drink or cuss any more than the person who cusses like a sailor but loves others deeply because of his faith. “They” may, but God doesn’t.

With that being said, here are some books I have used to help move away from the religion of God-in-a-box and allowed me to ask big questions. Again, many of which I do not have the answers. But, I finally feel safe both asking questions and not knowing the answers. I can fully accept that God is simply too big for me to comprehend, but I know he loves me. So, if you are struggling with the church and wrestling with your faith, here are some of the books that have helped me. I hope they help you too. 

10 Books to Help Reshape Your Faith

The Message by Eugene Peterson

The first time I read the entire Bible was after I had my first child and right about the time when I realized I needed to start revisiting my long-held beliefs. So, I started with the Bible. This version was one that I could understand.

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller

Popular back when I was in college, Donald Miller's classic is a must read for people considering why they believe what they believe. 

Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving and Finding the Church by Rachel Held Evans

I am a huge Rachel Held Evans fan. I loved A Year of Biblical Womanhood that she also wrote, but this book spoke to me in many ways. It is a collection of essays on her ideas on faith along with research about why people are leaving churches today and what is bringing them back.

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life In An Ordinary World by Bob Goff

Bob Goff is fun, and he reminded me that a life following God should be fun! Believers have the opportunity to see beauty in each day and to share it with others. 

A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon by Sophie Hudson

Sophie Hudson has the ability to make me laugh and cry within the same page. She is honest and open about her life and faith in this memoir. If you were raised in the South (especially in a church), you don't want to miss this one.

Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity by Jen Hatmaker

The title is totally true for this one - Jen Hatmaker's book shook me to the core. I go back to it often. Here is one quote to give you an idea: "“My people are crumbling and dying and starving, and you’re blessing blessed people and serving the saved.” It radically changed the way I give and how I serve.

All the Pretty Things: The Story of a Southern Girl Who Went Through Fire to Find Her Way Home by Edie Wadsworth

Edie Wadsworth's memoir is beautiful. She tells the story of growing up poor in the Appalachian mountains with an alcoholic father. It is incredibly moving. I could not put it down and have been recommending it to everyone. Through her story, readers see how her faith grows and evolves. 

Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible's View of Women by Sarah Bessey

I know some people are put off by the term "feminist" in the title - don't be. Bessey handles the topic with sensitivity, as well as discussing how we interpret the Bible. Anyone who has had the Bible used as a weapon against them will appreciate her words. "People want black-and-white answers, but Scripture is rainbow arch across a stormy sky. Our sacred book is not an indexed answer book or life manual; it is also a grand story, mystery, invitation, truth and wisdom, and a passionate love letter.”

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

Oh, Anne Lamott. She is such an amazing writer and her thoughts on faith often cause me to stop and consider why I believe the things I do. To give you an idea, here is one of her most famous quotes: "You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."

Love Story: The Hand That Holds Us From the Garden to the Gate by Nichole Nordeman

I knew Nichole Nordeman as a singer. It wasn't until I heard her speak at an event that I realized she is an incredibly gifted speaker and writer. I loved this book where she intertwines her personal experiences along with the stories of some of the most well-known Bible characters to focus on God's love for his creation.

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