January Reading

 I purposefully made time to read this month and I think it shows.  I set aside time each morning to enjoy the quiet of the house and read my daily devotional readings as well as at least one chapter in my January goal books.  I will admit, it was easier to read extra chapters in the fiction than the non-fiction :-)  

You can see all the books I've read this year HERE.  (Since it is just January - these are the only books in that Pinterest Folder currently) 

I am continuing to read through all of Julile Klassen's books and they never disappoint.  This book tells the story of the daughter of the town Apothecary and how she learns to not only enjoy her life but also to love those around her.  She begins be searching for something different but in the end, returns to what has always been in her heart. Julie Klassen writes with heart and has a way of drawing the reader into the life of the characters until you feel like they are your friends.  I always hate seeing a good book end and would like to continue on to see where their lives travel to next!  

Just Look Up  is a book on my January "to read" goals (I did not post a photo of the Fiction books I wanted to read - but my goal is to read two off of my shelf each month)  Once I started this book I realized I had actually read it before but it's been long enough that I didn't remember it all so I went ahead and read it.  It's a great story of learning to forgive past hurts and trusting those around you.  

I'm nearing the end of Julie Klassen books and I've really enjoyed them.  Lady Maybe was published in 2015 and it shows how much Julie's writing has improved.  Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as much as the others but the writing itself wasn't quite as good and the story had many tangents that sometimes got a little tangled.  There were also a lot of flashbacks in this book and, honestly, that is one of my least favorite things in a story.  I skipped quite a few pages in this one just to get past the fluff and get to the real story.  BUT with all of that said, this was still a great book that had me guessing all the way until the very last page on what was going to finally happen!  

This is one of my "January Goal" books.  This is a pretty easy read overall.  The author takes on the topic of whether we are really ready to give up everything for God.  Are we really willing to pray "God, anything."  Are we willing to give up our scrapbooks of what our lives should look like to follow wherever he would send us or do whatever it is He calls us to do. Really, most of what was presented are truths I've heard before but in chapter 14 she hits on the topic of God's Glory.  What does God want most?  God is most after his glory.  Glory is the evidence of God so where do I see God's glory - I should be seeing it in everything yet often we only see it in the magnificent - the sunset, a beautiful lake, or the birds singing.  What if we wanted God's glory above everything else?  Some great questions to ask and seek after.