Turn The Page ... Tuesday

From the Shelf TBR

 

 

I had bought Give Them Grace some time ago and began reading it only to get distracted and never came back. I was so excited when my Sunday school class decided to read and discuss it! It certainly is a book one could read on their own but I found it great to bounce ideas off others in the class. Especially when you read suggestions and thought 'No way - this would never fly in our house' - I could express that in a loving Christ centered environment and have some blessed soul more experience than me say 'we tried this at home'. A great book that I highly recommend. We all could use a little more grace.

 

From Amazon:

 

"So many Christian parents fall into the trap of asking the law to do in the hearts of their children what only grace can accomplish. Armed with threats, manipulation, and guilt, they attempt to create change that only the cross of Jesus Christ makes possible. It is so encouraging to read a parenting book that points parents to the grace of the cross and shows them how to be instruments of that grace in the lives of their children. Paul Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries In our human attempts to raise good and godly kids, we often forget that God extended his best grace to us. We are not full of grace on our own; we desperately need his grace. Elyse Fitzpatrick and her daughter, Jessica, provide a great tool to guide parents down the road of gracious parenting. I commend it to you. James MacDonald, Senior Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel, Chicagoland Area; radio teacher, Walk in the Word Elyse Fitzpatrick continues her never-ending quest to churn out grace-filled, Christ-centered, gospel-saturated books. And now she s done it again with her daughter, Jessica, coauthoring this excellent parenting book! If you are a parent, get online and order your copy of Give Them Grace today! --Deepak Reju Pastor of Biblical Counseling and Families, Capitol Hill Baptist Church"

 

 

On the Kindle TBR

 

 

Oh oh OH!!! I loved this book! I cannot believe I let Minding Frankie sit on my kindle for so long. This is not an everyone is happy sweet book. There is a lot of conflict with the characters (within themselves and with each other) that makes this book that much more real. I liked that it wasn't tied up in a neat bow and everything is always ok. You really need to add this to your summer reads. It's that good - even with the drama.  Trust me. Oh and did I mention that it's set in Ireland so you will be dreaming with an Irish accent for a bit ;-)

 

From Amazon:

 

"Maeve Binchy is back with a tale of joy, heartbreak and hope, about a motherless girl collectively raised by a close-knit Dublin community.

When Noel learns that his terminally ill former flame is pregnant with his child, he agrees to take guardianship of the baby girl once she’s born. But as a single father battling demons of his own, Noel can’t do it alone.

Fortunately, he has a competent, caring network of friends, family and neighbors: Lisa, his unlucky-in-love classmate, who moves in with him to help him care for little Frankie around the clock; his American cousin, Emily, always there with a pep talk; the newly retired Dr. Hat, with more time on his hands than he knows what to do with; Dr. Declan and Fiona and their baby son, Frankie’s first friend; and many eager babysitters, including old friends Signora and Aidan and Frankie’s doting grandparents, Josie and Charles.

But not everyone is pleased with the unconventional arrangement, especially a nosy social worker, Moira, who is convinced that Frankie would be better off in a foster home. Now it’s up to Noel to persuade her that everyone in town has something special to offer when it comes to minding Frankie."

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Book vs Movie

 

 

Henry brought home this HUGE book one day after school and said "Look mom!". Well, I did. And I read and I loved it (and so did he). There is a reason The Invention of Hugo Cabret book won several awards. I just cannot say enough good things about it. Despite the fact that the age is listed for 8 and up - no matter - pick it up. It is a site to see and  read. There are beautiful black and white illustrations all throughout the book. Definitely a book you want to read ... and then see the movie ;-)

 

From Amazon:

 

"Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery."

 

 

 

Soooo ... if I didn't give it away in the book review - watch the movie. It is awesome. Nuff said.

 

Bonus Books

Some how I stumbled upon The Last Resort and it peaked my interest. I love when someone writes about their life - how they survived - dealt - endured - and came out on the other side - often realizing that the grass is not greener on the other side. Growing up in Virginia puts me about as afar away from Africa one can get where the book is set but despite that I really enjoyed reading about this family.

From Amazon:

"Thrilling, heartbreaking, and, at times, absurdly funny, The Last Resort is a remarkable true story about one family in a country under siege and a testament to the love, perseverance, and resilience of the human spirit.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Douglas Rogers is the son of white farmers living through that country’s long and tense transition from postcolonial rule. He escaped the dull future mapped out for him by his parents for one of adventure and excitement in Europe and the United States. But when Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe launched his violent program to reclaim white-owned land and Rogers’s parents were caught in the cross fire, everything changed. Lyn and Ros, the owners of Drifters–a famous game farm and backpacker lodge in the eastern mountains that was one of the most popular budget resorts in the country–found their home and resort under siege, their friends and neighbors expelled, and their lives in danger. But instead of leaving, as their son pleads with them to do, they haul out a shotgun and decide to stay.

On returning to the country of his birth, Rogers finds his once orderly and progressive home transformed into something resembling a Marx Brothers romp crossed with Heart of Darkness: pot has supplanted maize in the fields; hookers have replaced college kids as guests; and soldiers, spies, and teenage diamond dealers guzzle beer at the bar.

And yet, in spite of it all, Rogers’s parents–with the help of friends, farmworkers, lodge guests, and residents–among them black political dissidents and white refugee farmers–continue to hold on. But can they survive to the end?

In the midst of a nation stuck between its stubborn past and an impatient future, Rogers soon begins to see his parents in a new light: unbowed, with passions and purpose renewed, even heroic. And, in the process, he learns that the "big story" he had relentlessly pursued his entire adult life as a roving journalist and travel writer was actually happening in his own backyard.

Evoking elements of The Tender Bar and Absurdistan, The Last Resort is an inspiring, coming-of-age tale about home, love, hope, responsibility, and redemption. An edgy, roller-coaster adventure, it is also a deeply moving story about how to survive a corrupt Third World dictatorship with a little innovation, humor, bribery, and brothel management."

If that didn't peak your curiosity - here is link to a website ... they are working on a documentary.

My Life As Emperor was the very first book on my amazon wish list. After reading it I have no idea why. I found the cruelty and selfishness to be too much. I finished the book but barely. Sometimes it just happens, you hit a dud. Oh well.

From Amazon:

"In this chilling yet enormously entertaining tale by acclaimed Chinese writer Su Tong, a pampered and nave 14-year-old prince finds himself, suddenly and unexpectedly, named Emperor and placed in the position of lord and ruler over an entire nation. A boy of few talents and limited interests, he soon grows drunk on his own power and learns to wield an iron fist in dealing with subjects inside and outside the palace. Narrated in retrospect by the ex-Emperor, this is a mesmerizing story of cruelty and decadence, of concubines and eunuchs, of lethal imperial rivalries and royal court intrigue. Su Tong is one of the most celebrated Chinese writers today. The New York Times calls him "an imaginative and skillful storyteller." The publication of this book -- his first in almost ten years -- was an international literary event. His innovative, deftly constructed novels remain at the forefront of a growing body of work by a coterie of writers who have exposed new facts about China's past and posed vital questions regarding the country's future."

OH but to end on a good note ... or book ;-) Another must read ya'll!  These is my Words is awesome. The author did such a great job of moving the characters along - one calamity after another. I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the series but I think it's gonna have to wait until the boys are back in school. Only so many hours in the day ;-)

From Amazon:

"A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author's own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier. Scrupulously recording her steps down the path Providence has set her upon—from child to determined young adult to loving mother—she shares the turbulent events, both joyous and tragic, that molded her, and recalls the enduring love with cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot that gave her strength and purpose. Rich in authentic everyday details and alive with truly unforgettable characters, These Is My Words brilliantly brings a vanished world to breathtaking life again."

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