Quiet...

Pros:
This is the third book I have read in the past couple of years on introversion. I am excited that it is a worthy subject for books. I am always interested to know more about how God has wired me as an introvert.

I appreciated Susan Cain's use of well-known historical figures to make her points. Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Ghandi were all introverts and discussed in Cain's book.

Cain addressed some large issues, such as environments in the workplace and school. America has an extrovert ideal, which I have seen not only written into job descriptions but also in the ways kids are forced to work together on almost every assignment.

My favorite chapter was Chapter 10: The Communication Gap. I am convinced that if people understood introversion/extroversion better, they would have better relationships. "This was a painfully common dynamic... the introverts desperately craving downtime and understanding from their partners, the extrovery longing for company, and resentful that others seemed to benefit from their partners' 'best' selves" (228).

Cons:
Cain addressed the 2008 stockmarket crash, one of the only chapters I was not really interested in reading. Maybe it was that I did not have anything invested that it did not capture my attention as much as the rest of the book, but it made the middle section of the book drag on for me.

I do not like it when authors constantly say "coming up in chapter xx", which Cain did quite a bit. Maybe it is my own personal displeasure, but I just want people to come out and say what they mean when they mean to say it.

Overall:
If you don't want to read it all, at least read Chapter 10 and the Conclusion. But I do recommend it for everyone. It will be insightful for both introverts and extroverts.

I reviewed this book for Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers Blogging for Books. I received this book for free in exchange for a review of the book.

To whet your appetite for the book/author: a TED talk by Susan Cain.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice is not my favorite book by Austen, but I did read it earlier in March. I think I have watched the Kierra Knightley version of that book hundreds of times. I am not a P&P snob thinking that the BBC version is better (I don't know that I have ever seen it, but I am perfectly happy with the 2 hour version).

I recently had a conversation with a friend about marriage. Usually it is either for love or money. Charlotte definitely chose a secure home over love. Very practical woman. I do not know if I could ever do that. Both Jane and Lizzie win out on this issue -- getting both the money and love of their lives.

I saw this commercial recently. Did not really make the connection until now that it is kind of like this story.

Reading this book made me want to go to England again. I love the Motherland. :)

reading fail

I just can't do it.

The Hunger Games don't capture my attention like the rest of the nation.

I've attempted this book twice. Once I got 40 pages in and stopped. This time I got to 180. But I just can't do it. It's kind of like the torture of watching New Moon. What a waste of two hours of my life.

Reading through the book I noticed some errors (and other errors were caught while listening to the cd -- they actually spoke different words than those in the book like lie vs. lay... i vs. me).

I went to see the movie last weekend with my stepbrother and his friend. I just wanted to see what all the hype is about. I know the premise is good that kids are realizing this is wrong, the lengths people go to in "reality tv". But I think it's morbid watching teens kill each other. I wanted to throw up watching the movie and even reading the book.

So there you have it.
My honest review of a book I read halfway.

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

The Jesus Mission

I had never heard of Steven K. Scott. I was hesitant to pick this book due to the narrowness of the title that Jesus's mission could be confined to a number.

Scott "spent two years doing what no other person had done before -- [he] organized all of Jesus' statements (more than nineteen hundred) into 225 topics and made them available in" The Greatest Words Ever Spoken.

Had I read The Greatest Words Ever Spoken first I might have appreciated this book more. I found it long and while I am sure other people might connect with his style of writing better, it was not for me.

I appreciate his studious efforts in making this available, and I can tell that his intention is to make sure that people truly KNOW Jesus. I liked that he gave action steps to his principles.

I reviewed this book for Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers Blogging for Books. I received this book for free in exchange for a review of the book.

When Work and Family Collide

Andy Stanley always impresses me. He is a man who knows how to put into words how to apply Scripture. This book is no different. I like Stanley as a speaker AND an author, which is a great accomplishment.

This short yet powerful book causes the reader to evaluate how they've been spending time. "In effect, you pledge your allegiance to the person or thing that receives your time" (76).

"Whereas work is task focused, the family is relationship focused.... In one environment we find our worth through accomplishment. In the other we find our value simply by who our relatives are" (22).

I recommend this book, especially to businessmen who think that work is their entire life. One day they will come home and not recognize the people in the own house. It is time to make some changes in order to save your family.

I reviewed this book for Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers Blogging for Books. I received this book for free in exchange for a review of the book.

January books

I read five books in January.
Besides Dug Down Deep:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull -- I got this book from Lucy. It was a quick, easy read and a good story.

Working the Angles by Eugene Peterson -- this was in my stack of books to read for the year. I got it from a friend in KY. I really appreciated the effort to check in on people in ministry. Just because we are seen as "professional Christians" does not always mean we are very good at reading Scripture and praying. It also helped me remember the importance of REST/SABBATH!

The Giver by Lois Lowry -- my BFF from HS said she read this book in HS. I did not, so I read it and LOVED IT! Apparently it's similar to the Hunger Games series, which I did not like my first time trying to read (only got 20-40 pages into it... I'll try again with book + cd).

Waking the Dead by John Eldredge -- also recommended by a friend. It helped me remember the importance of taking care of your heart, knowing that as a Christian, your heart is GOOD. I always like Eldredge and the way he ties things together.

I also had a book on my list that I decided to donate to the library instead. It was The Girl Who Could Fly. My mom got it free in the mail, but I just feel like giving it away instead. And if I ever have the desire to read it, I know which library to go to. haha...