Tag: Help Thanks Wow

Reading 8 Books at One Time

~ K ~ Leave a comment

For someone who reads as much as I do, I have a blank brain for writing my own story. I am reading 8 books at one time:

  1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
  2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew
  3. Wicked Girls
  4. Princess Elizabeth’s Spy
  5. I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had
  6. The Art of War for Writers
  7. The Essential Rumi
  8. Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith

Continue reading “Reading 8 Books at One Time” →

10 Things I Learned in 2012

~ K ~ Leave a comment

Looking back on previous blog posts, I’ve learned 10 things about myself and other things in 2012.

  1. Jesus prayed, and God said “no.”
  2. There are at least six ways to be considerate of childless couples.
  3. America is a culture of judgment.
  4. I loathe Downton Abbey.
  5. I have with chronic mononucleosis.
  6. I struggle with shame.
  7. Francine Pascal was the author who encouraged me to write stories of my own.
  8. I am a soft Democrat.
  9. The library is not what it used to be when I was a kid.
  10. Help, Thanks, and Wow sum up prayer pretty well.

My Top 10 Books of 2012

~ K ~ Leave a comment

It’s no surprise that as a person who works at a library that I love to read. And I’ve read more than 80 books this year. Here’s a list of the top 10 books (in no particular order) that I absolutely loved and would recommend to others:

  1. Knuffle Bunny (children’s book): A heartwarming book by Mo Willems about a toddler who loves her stuffed bunny.
  2. Help, Thanks, Wow (non-fiction/religious): Anne Lamott (my new favorite writer) discusses three words she believes comprise essential prayers. Although Ms. Lamott is a Christian, the book is not limited to Christian thought.
  3. We Are in a Book! (children’s book): Another book by Mo Willems about an elephant and a pig who discover they are in a book! It’s clever, well-written, and funny.
  4. A Discovery of Witches (paranormal romance): Liked Fifty Shades of Grey and Twilight? Then A Discovery of Witches is for you. I thought it was a Harry Potter-like story for women.
  5. Jack 1939 (mystery): An alternate historical fiction reality set in 1939, this book explores what might have happened if FDR sent out JFK as a spy during the rise of the Third Reich.
  6. Mr. Churchill’s Secretary (mystery): The World War II era is my favorite time period in history to study (hence my recommendation of book #5), and Mr. Churchill’s Secretary does not disappoint with the main character, Maggie Hope, interacting with Winston Churchill.
  7. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (non-fiction): A gripping true story about Henrietta Lacks and her family, and what became of the HeLa cells that were taken without Lacks’s permission.
  8. Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson (non-fiction): This book explored Michael Jackson beyond the media circus and the allegations of child molestation—it explored his life as it should have been about: his music.
  9. The Search for Significance (non-fiction/Christian): This book emphasizes finding worth and significance in God rather than in people.
  10. A Praying Life (non-fiction/Christian): A down-to-earth book about prayer the includes personal anecdotes by the author and helpful tips on establishing an effective prayer life.