BOOKS I FINISHED - NOVEMBER 2018

*****

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction, written by David Sheff

It wasn't until I was almost through this book and was looking up a totally unrelated blog post from the past that I discovered I'd read this book a decade ago. I rarely read a book more than once, but it appears ten years is enough of a gap for me to completely forget every detail of a story. I'll just copy below what I wrote about it way back in October 2008, as my thoughts are the same now.

The thing that I loved most about this book was that it was just real. There wasn't the doom and gloom that says addicts will never recover. There wasn't false hope given to people by saying "if you just choose the right program, then the addict will live happily ever after". I recommended it to a friend whose son is in rehab right now and she confirmed how great the book was. The author really draws you in and you feel like you're riding the emotional roller coaster with him. Excellent book for those who love someone, particularly a child, who's battling drugs. Also a good read for any parent, as drugs know no boundary. They reach kids in public, private and home school, those raised in families that are devout Christians and those who are atheist, kids who are athletic, artistic, or intellectual, the loners and the popular kids, those who are rich, poor, and middle class, living in inner cities and tiny towns.


*****

The Eleventh Trade, written by Alyssa Hollingsworth

A boy and his grandfather, refugees from Afghanistan living in America, have their most treasured possession stolen. It's found at a pawn shop, but the cost to purchase it back is far more than they have. A wonderful story of loss, courage, determination, and the beauty of friendship.

p. 253, "There are no replacements for the ones we lose. But there are abundant additions."


*****

The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life's Hard, written by Kara Tippetts

A book about finding goodness when life is overwhelmingly difficult, Tippetts writes as a mom of four young kids, a happily married woman, and a cancer patient looking death in the face. Her down-to-earth approach and transparency about her own life combine in a way that makes you want to view your own troubles from a healthier perspective.

p. 48 (speaking of a couple who were their mentors in their first year of marriage), Weekly they met with us and asked us about our most recent fight. They weren't looking to pick sides - they were looking for places they could encourage us us to fight with more love and care the next time around. Fighting with your nearest neighbor is going to happen, but fighting with kindness? That's art. Beautiful art.

p. 52, Marriage never seemed to afford me very much privacy from my own unkind struggles. Marriage is a beautiful unveiling of the real me - no hiding. That is scary, and that is amazing.

p. 86, What God has patiently taught me over the years is the difference between pretty and beautiful. Pretty is what was valued in my childhood home, something that involves primping and painting and covering over so as to be acceptable in society's eyes. Beautiful, on the other hand, is the revelation of what is truly and naturally there, often through suffering.

p. 121, The heart of our meals is to know the hearts around the table.

*****

Homer Price, written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey

Fictional stories set in small town America that are humorous and sometimes thought-provoking. This was a school book for Tyler that I read to all the kids during lunch for a few days.

*****

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living, written by Shauna Niequist

I read this for the first time last month, then bought my own copy to mark up my second time through after I returned the library's copy. This month I went back to October's post and added some of my favorite quotes.

*****

Where Hope Begins, written by Catherine West

Retreating to her parents' vacation home after her husband's betrayal and abandonment, a woman discovers peace and joy in her surroundings and with the people who enter her life. Eventually she has to deal with the grief and hurt from her past and choose how to move forward.

*****

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