Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship, and Life Together

Dates Read: October 2013
Bobby and I started attending Mars Hill Church with Pastor Mark Driscoll. So far we love it! I love hearing Mark speak and we have both found that what he says has been exactly what we needed to hear. Bobby bought several of Mark's books and while we were at the bookstore the other day, I saw this book and decided to pick it up. Let me preface this by saying that Bobby and I are doing great, there's nothing to be concerned about - but we also feel like our marriage could be even better, even stronger, and we want to have a strong and healthy marriage for Taylor so I was hoping that reading this book would challenge us to get our marriage to that point. Let me tell you, this book was great! I loved that Mark and Grace (his wife) wrote it so you got two perspectives. I loved that they were open and honest about what has and has not worked for them. I also love that it's not a "how to" manual but instead it presents thoughts, suggestions, challenging questions, etc., that you're supposed to use as a starting point to have a conversation with your spouse so that as a couple you can figure out what will work best for you. The main theme of this book is friendship, which I think is sooooo important for a marriage. I think the underlying main theme of the book is communication - every single chapter has pointers and questions that you should use as a starting point to have a conversation (sometimes a difficult one) with your spouse. I honestly haven't read any other marriage books so I have nothing to compare this one to, but if you're looking for a book to challenge or encourage you to be a better spouse, I strongly encourage you to pick up this book!!
 
Summary: (from amazon.com)
Most marriage books assume the author did it right. Most marriage books barely mention friendship. Most marriage books use “intimacy” as code for “sex.” This is not one of those books.

In Real Marriage, Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, share how they have struggled and how they have found healing through the power of the only reliable source: the Bible. They believe friendship is fundamental to marriage but not easy to maintain. So they offer practical advice on how to make your spouse your best friend – and keep it that way. And they know from experience that sex-related issues need to be addressed directly.

Five chapters are dedicated to answering questions like:

• Should I confess my pre-marital sexual sin to my spouse?
• Is it okay to have a “work spouse”?
• What does the Bible say about masturbation and oral sex?

Stunningly honest and vulnerable, Real Marriage is like a personal counseling session with a couple you cannot surprise, you cannot shock into silence, who will respond to every question with wisdom, humility, and realism.

If you want to have a long-lasting, fulfilling marriage you should read this book. Wrestle with this book. Pray over this book. Share this book. And discover how God can use it to change your life.

The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Built a Dynasty

Dates Read: September 2013
After reading Sicology and Happy, Happy, Happy, I finished out the month by reading Willie Robertson's book. This book was a little different from the previous two as it told more about the history of the company and the history of Willie and his wife. Again, some of the stories overlapped with the stories told in the other two books, but I still thought it was a great read and I enjoyed the additional perspective on the stories. As with the other two books, if you enjoy the show, you'll enjoy reading the history and learning more about this great family.
 
Summary: (from amazon.com)
Faith. Family. Ducks—in that order.

This book gives readers an up-close and personal, behind-the-scenes look at the family in the exploding A&E® show— Duck Dynasty®. This Louisiana bayou family operates Duck Commander, a booming family business that has made them millions. You’ll hear all about the Robertson clan from Willie and what it was like growing up in the Robertson household. You’ll sample some of Willie’s favorite family recipes from Phil, Kay, and even some of his own concoctions; and you’ll get to know the beautiful Robertson women. You’ll hear from Korie about the joys and hardships of raising a family, running a business, and wrangling the Robertson men while staying fashionable and beautiful inside and out. Discover more about the family dynamics between brothers Willie, Jase, Jep, and parents Phil and Kay. You’ll even meet a fourth brother who isn’t in the show.

Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander

Dates Read: September 2013

After reading Sicology, I decided to keep with the Duck Commander theme and read the book by Phil Robertson. It was great to read this book after Sicology because the stories overlapped slightly but were told from a different perspective so that was fun to read. As with Sicology, I highly recommend this book if you enjoy the series - it's a great, low key and fun read!
 
Summary: (from amazon.com)
Duck calls—though the source of his livelihood—are not what makes Phil Robertson the man he is today. When asked what matters in his life, he’s quick to say, “Faith, family, ducks—in that order.”

It isn’t often that a person can live a dream, but Phil Robertson, aka The Duck Commander, has proven that it is possible with vision, hard work, helping hands, and an unshakable faith in the Almighty. Phil’s is the remarkable story of one man who followed the call he received from God and soon after invented a duck call that would begin an incredible journey to the life he had always dreamed of for himself and his family. In the love of his country, his family, and his maker, Phil has finally found the ingredients to the “good life” he always wanted.

If you ever wind up sitting face-to-face with Phil, you’ll see that his enthusiasm and passion for duck hunting and the Lord is no act—it is truly who he is.

If you’ve watched the exceedingly popular A&E® program Duck Dynasty®, you already know the famed Phil Robertson. As patriarch of the Robertson clan and creator of Duck Commander duck calls, he fearlessly leads his family in a responsible work ethic and an active faith.

But what you don’t know is his life before the show. In the pages of this book, you’ll learn of Phil’s colorful past and his wild road to the “happy, happy, happy” life he leads today. Before the “happy,” Phil’s passion for the outdoors and wild living led him down some shady paths. As a young husband and father, he became the proprietor of a rough bar and lived a life, as he says, of “romping, stomping, and ripping” for a number of years. He even left his wife and young boys for a short period of time.

Through it all, Phil Robertson has lived his life as a “called” man. Called to live off the land, called to leave a starring role in Louisiana Tech football (playing ahead of Terry Bradshaw) for duck hunting, called to wild living, called to create a new kind of duck call—and finally, called to follow God and lead a life of faith.

In this eye-opening and rousing book, you’ll find stories that will shock you, as well as those that will inspire you. You’ll get to know the man behind the legend, and you’ll come away better for it.

Sicology 1: Tales and Wisdom from Duck Dynasty's Favorite Uncle

Dates Read: September 2013

The other day, Bobby and I wandered around Barnes & Noble. We happened to see this book by Uncle Si and we couldn't resist, so we bought it and then I went home and started reading it and loved it! It's not the world's best writing, but it is full of great, funny, family-friendly, motivating, and wonderful stories. It's stories from his childhood, from adulthood, and from recent years. I highly recommend this book if you want a good, clean, relaxing, fun read. 
 
Summary: (from amazon.com)
As you read this book, there are a few things you have to understand: 95 percent of my stories are truthful. Every member of the Robertson family has the God- given gift of storytelling. Hey, when you’ve sat in a duck blind for more than half of your life, you have to figure out some way to pass the time! It’s better than looking at Willie and Jase for six hours! Many of the stories I like to tell happened when I was a young boy or when I was in Vietnam. At my age, a few of the details are cloudy, but I’ll recollect the coming stories as best I can. Hey, just remember it isn’t a lie if you think it’s true! It’s up to you, the reader, to figure out what’s truth and what’s fiction. Best of luck with that, Jack! May the force be with you.

Hey, another thing you have to know: my stories are kind of like my vocabulary. You might have noticed I like to say “hey” quite a bit. “Hey” can mean anything. It can mean “yes,” it can mean “maybe,” and it can mean “no.” Hey, it could mean “next week.” The bottom line is, you have to understand “hey” to understand me.

And if you know anything about Silas Merritt Robertson, you know I’m a hard rascal to figure out.

—From the Prologue

Calico Joe

 Dates Read: July 2013
As with Where we Belong, I picked up Calico Joe at the airport, but didn't start reading it until I was home and needed some nighttime reading material. This book was very short and sweet. I wish I knew more about baseball, just to even better understand the story, but my lack of baseball knowledge did not hurt my reading or understanding the book. I loved it! A great story set with a baseball scene.

Summary: (from amazon.com)

Whatever happened to Calico Joe?

     It began quietly enough with a pulled hamstring. The first baseman for the Cubs AAA affiliate in Wichita went down as he rounded third and headed for home. The next day, Jim Hickman, the first baseman for the Cubs, injured his back. The team suddenly needed someone to play first, so they reached down to their AA club in Midland, Texas, and called up a twenty-one-year-old named Joe Castle. He was the hottest player in AA and creating a buzz.

In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen.  The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records.

Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…

In John Grisham’s new novel the baseball is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes CALICO JOE a classic.

Where We Belong

Dates Read: July 2013
On the way home from my business trip, I was not in the mood to do technical reading, but I wanted something to read to kill time at the airport and on the plane so I picked up Where We Belong (and Calico Joe). I ended up talking to coworkers while killing time at the airport, so instead this was a great night time reading book. And it was great - except that I stayed up waaaay too late for a few nights because I couldn't stop reading. 

The story alternates between two perspectives and I found myself constantly reading one perspective and then wanting to read the next chapter to get the other perspective. Definitely a fun, girly read!

Summary: (from amazon.com)

Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six-year-old television producer living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and picture-perfect relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . . only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had locked away forever.

From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian’s meticulously constructed world will be shaken to its core, resurrecting memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her. For the precocious and headstrong Kirby, the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to reevaluate her family and future in a wise and bittersweet light.

As Marian and Kirby embark on a quest to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find ourselves. A place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that the heart remembers forever.

Quintana of Charyn

The three books in the Lumatere Chronicles.

Dates Read: June 2013
This weekend I read the third and final book in the Lumatere Chronicles, "Quintana of Charyn". First, let me say that I read the first two books a few months ago, so I didn't remember all the details. With that said, this book was still wonderful and outside of a few, minor, insignificant points that I probably didn't connect because I didn't remember what happened in the earlier books, I had no trouble finishing this book and understanding how the story concludes. I'm not sure this book would be good for middle school students (due to some of the sexual references and scenes) but I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend this series to someone who wants a toned down version of a book that's along the lines of Lord of the Rings or something along those lines - with multiple lands, territories within the land, battles, friendships, a kingdom struggling to rebuild, etc. 

Summary: (from amazon.com)

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi and his companions travel through Charyn searching for Quintana and building an army that will secure her unborn child’s right to rule. While in the valley between two kingdoms, Quintana of Charyn and Isaboe of Lumatere come face-to-face in a showdown that will result in heartbreak for one and power for the other. The complex tangle of bloodlines, politics, and love introduced in Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles coalesce into an engrossing climax in this final volume.

The Complete Sherlock Holmes Volume I

Dates Read: March to May 2013
Bobby and I have been gotten hooked on BBC's "Sherlock" series and CBS's "Elementary" series so I decided to stick with the Sherlock Holmes theme and read the stories. I finished Volume I (of II) this month. It was absolutely wonderful! The short stories are the perfect length and are absolute page turners. The longer stories are also page turners and the chapters are the perfect length, too. Even after reading 700 pages about Sherlock and Watson, I find that I still want to read more (yay for Volume II) and am not at all sick of reading about their adventures.

Summary: (from barnesandnoble.com)

The Complete Sherlock Holmes comprises four novels and fifty-six short stories revolving around the world’s most popular and influential fictional detective—the eccentric, arrogant, and ingenious Sherlock Holmes. He and his trusted friend, Dr. Watson, step from Holmes’s comfortable quarters at 221b Baker Street into the swirling fog of Victorian London to exercise that unique combination of detailed observation, vast knowledge, and brilliant deduction. Inevitably, Holmes rescues the innocent, confounds the guilty, and solves the most perplexing puzzles known to literature.

Splendors and Glooms

Dates Read: March 2013
Continuing with my Young Adult reading, I decided to read Splendors and Glooms, a 2013 Newberry Honor winner. I thought the book started a little slow, and it was a little hard to get into the book (in fact, at one point, I almost returned it to the library without finishing it). I'm glad I kept going with the book, though, because the ending was great and was a definitely page-turner. I could see why this book was a Newberry Honor winner - the writing was great, the plot was unique and interesting, and overall it was a great story.

Summary: (from Amazon.com)

The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants. 

Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall. 

As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late. 

The One and Only Ivan

Dates Read: March 2013
I don't know why, but I'm on a big Young Adult kick right now. I think it's the appeal of having quick, easy, thoughtless books to read that take my mind off of work and allow me to relax. Most of my YA books have come from recommendations from the Everyday Reading blog so when she recommended The One and Only Ivan, a recent Newbery winner, I decided to give it a try. And oh my goodness this book did not disappoint!! I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down! Ivan is wonderful and the story is gripping, and sad, and exciting, and just an overall joy to read!

Summary: (from Amazon.com)

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

The Secret Prince

Dates Read: February 2013
This is the second book of the Knightley series (I read the first book earlier this month). Although it was the second book, it started a little slow. Once I got to the halfway point (about 200 pages in), I was hooked and couldn't put it down. The first book felt very Harry Potter-like. This one still had a Harry Potter feel, but it started to stand alone and take on its own non-Harry Potter storyline. The nice thing about these books is that they don't have a cliffhanger ending. So although I'm anxiously awaiting Book 3, I don't regret having read the first two books in the meantime. 

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
Knightley Academy is back in session, and Henry Grim is confident that nothing else can prevent him from earning his knighthood. But Henry and his friends quickly discover that their professors have made some troubling changes to the curriculum—and there’s an old classroom filled with forgotten weapons. It is the discovery of this classroom that prompts Henry and Valmont to become the unlikely leaders of a secret battle society. But disaster strikes as Henry, Adam, and Frankie find themselves stuck as Partisan School servants—and something is rotten in Partisan Keep. When Henry is discovered by a secret society of outlaws with a sinister purpose, he must come to terms with a great sacrifice that will take him away from everything he has ever known and wanted. The stakes get higher and tension mounts in the second installment of Violet Haberdasher’s fresh, fast-paced, and always surprising Knightley Academy books.

Sparkly Green Earrings

Dates Read: February 2013
I read this book in under 24 hours - both because it was a relatively short book and because it was sooo good that I could not put it down. I am not a mother, but I still found this memoir about motherhood very endearing. It might have made my baby fever a little worse, but at the same time, I very much appreciated her honesty about the highs and lows of motherhood. I think all women who are mothers or want to be mothers should read this book!

Go here to learn more about the book from the author's blog (and she included a short video).

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
Written in the familiar, stream-of-consciousness style of her blog, Big Mama, Sparkly Green Earrings is a heartwarming and hilarious look at motherhood from someone who is still trying to figure it all out. Filled with personal stories—from the decision to become a mother to the heartbreak of miscarriage and ultimately, to the joy of raising a baby and living to tell about it—Sparkly Green Earrings will make you feel like you’re sitting across the table from your best friend. A must-read for anyone who’s ever had a child or even thought about it.

Building Mathematics Learning Communities

Dates Read: December 2012
My adviser at Teachers College was Erica Walker. While I was there, I had the pleasure of working as a mentor for a peer tutoring project she was developing. Last year she published this book, which is about that project. I LOVED this book! So many educational books have a doom and gloom feel and ramble on and on about the problems in education. Erica does a great job of saying "here's the problem, but look, here's a way to fix it." I found this book to be very motivational. I also loved how real it was - although peer tutoring is great and can have some wonderful results, it is not a process that will be implemented without bumps along the way and Erica is very honest about that aspect. Teachers are often told to implement strategies that will work, improve test scores, yadda yadda, but teachers aren't told how to get past the hurdles or the low times and are led to believe every day will be a good day. I truly appreciate the honesty in this book. In fact, the only downside of this book is that it made me sad that I don't currently have a job where I can implement some of the strategies she recommends.

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
Drawing on perceptions, behaviors, and experiences of students at an urban high school--both high and low achievers--this timely book demonstrates how urban youth can be meaningfully engaged in learning mathematics. The author presents a ''potential'' model rather than a ''deficit'' model, complete with teaching strategies and best practices for teaching mathematics in innovative and relevant ways. This resource offers practical insights for pre- and inservice teachers and administrators on facilitating positive interactions, engagement, and achievement in mathematics, particularly with Black and Latino/a students. It also examines societal perceptions of urban students and how these affect teaching and learning, policies, and mathematics outcomes.

Knightley Academy

Dates Read: February 2013
After finishing Emma, I decided I wanted a quick and fun read so when I saw this book recommended on a blog, I decided to check it out from the library. It wasn't as good as some of the other YA books I've read lately, and although there are some similarities, it's definitely no Harry Potter, but it was a good, quick, fun read and I've already placed the second book in the series on hold at the library. (Sadly, the third book is not out yet.)

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
Henry Grim is a servant boy at the Midsummer School—until he passes the elite Knightley Academy exam and suddenly finds himself one of the first commoners at the Academy, studying alongside the cleverest and bravest—and most arrogant—young aristocrats in the country. They thwart Henry’s efforts to become a full-fledged Knight of the Realm, but he and two commoner classmates are determined to succeed. In the process, the boys uncover a conspiracy that violates the Hundred Years’ Peace treaty—and could lead to war! Can Henry manage to save his school and country from their enemies—and continue to study at the Academy?

Emma

Dates Read: ??? - January 2013
I started this book sometime in 2012 (perhaps in the spring). I wanted to join Elaine on her quest to read all of Jane Austen's books and this was the last one. I loved all the other books but sadly, I had the hardest time finishing this one! Perhaps it's because I was reading it on my phone so it felt like I wasn't making any progress (no pages to flip through) or perhaps it's because I was too into the other books I was reading at the same time. I'm glad I was finally able to finish because the third volume of this book was quite entertaining and a wonderful read - it's just too bad I didn't enjoy the second volume (or the end of the first volume) as much.

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
Sparkling comedy of provincial manners concerns a well-intentioned young heiress and her matchmaking schemes that result in comic confusion for the inhabitants of a 19th-century English village. Droll characterizations of the well-intentioned heroine, her hypochondriacal father, plus many other finely drawn personalities make this sparkling satire of provincial life one of Jane Austen's finest novels.

The Racketeer

Dates Read: January 2013
After hearing this book, I immediately added my name to the library's wait list - I was number 684. I knew it would be a while. Finally, around Christmas, it was my turn to read it. Yay! I've been busy with work so it wasn't until this week (of course, the due date) that I finally sat down and started ready it - and then three nights later I was done. I love Grisham's books because they have wonderfully short chapters (perfect for public transportation), are slow at first but then pick up the pace without you realizing it and before you know it your 150 pages in and don't want to put it down. This was another great Grisham book (with wonderfully surprising twists) and I'm glad it was finally my turn to read it! (And it was definitely worth the $2+ that I will owe in late fees.)

Summary: (from the amazon)
Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five.

Who is the Racketeer? And what does he have to do with the judge’s untimely demise? His name, for the moment, is Malcolm Bannister. Job status? Former attorney. Current residence? The Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland.

On paper, Malcolm’s situation isn’t looking too good these days, but he’s got an ace up his sleeve. He knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and he knows why. The judge’s body was found in his remote lakeside cabin. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied.

What was in the safe? The FBI would love to know. And Malcolm Bannister would love to tell them. But everything has a price—especially information as explosive as the sequence of events that led to Judge Fawcett’s death. And the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday . . .

Nothing is as it seems and everything’s fair game in this wickedly clever new novel from John Grisham, the undisputed master of the legal thriller.