In Trouble and Joy, Sharon James
I picked this book up years ago at a conference and remember starting it but never finished it. Weeks ago, Hannah asked me if she could read it and in the process of checking it over for her, I ended up reading the whole thing! The book is about 4 women in history who loved and served God wholeheartedly. My favourite chapters were the ones about Sarah Edwards (wife of theologian Jonathan Edwards) and Frances Ridley Havergal (who wrote “Take My Life and Let it Be”). I agreed with the author’s conclusion that all four of these women modelled complete submission to God and His will, obedience to Him, and had deep experiences of the love of Christ in their lives. I found it inspiring to read about their lives and enriching to my own walk with God to read about these women who lived so fully for God in other eras. Oh, and yes, I am going to let Hannah read the book.
Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books, Tony Reinke
Peter told me that I might like this book and he was right, I really did! This book is for you if you are a voracious reader or even if you hardly ever read. The author is himself an avid reader and in the book he makes a case for the value of reading, especially versus spending time online or with other forms of entertainment. I was fascinated by his point that written words are much more powerful and beneficial than visual images. However, this book is not anti-internet or anti-film/television, it’s just very pro-reading. The author believes that Christians should read all types of books, including fiction. He gives lots of practical tips for how to read books and more importantly, how to make the time to read that most people don’t think they have! There is also a great chapter on how to raise children who love to read. You’ll find that Lit! is an easy and inspiring read and I would highly recommend it.
