I know this does not count as a book, but I recently went to the library and came home with a few treasures. I have not studied or read anything about Catherine the Great since sixth grade. What a fascinating (and sometimes depressing) story of what goes on in royal families. She was a strong woman. I was reading a book about Catherine I, and how she and Peter the Great started transforming St. Petersburg into what it is today. They started building it in the 1700's, which is newer than I would have thought for a Russian city. It makes me happy that my library has great information on historical figures.

Keeping with the biographical theme, I picked up two books about Corrie ten Boom. This book is written by Corrie, but it is more about her father, Casper ten Boom. The ten Booms were a family who, during WWII, hid Jews in their house. Corrie's father, sister, brother, and nephew all died shortly after being arrested. But reading about this great man of God was an encouragement to my faith. It seems that Corrie's Father and Mother were made for each other and a great team. It is so insightful to read about where she came from in her family history as I read the biography of her now.

"Every single person is so important in God's eyes. In the eyes of God, it could be that what you are doing now is the

most important work in the whole world" (84). ~Casper ten Boom