#annualbooksblog Archives - Page 2 of 2

My Best-Loved Books of 2018

January 12, 2019 By Kristin Saatzer 9 Comments

Can we talk about books?

Hello friends, this marks the fourth year of the books blog. I experienced a rich year of reading and enjoyed 39 (counted) books. One of my goals for 2018 was to start a book club. So, along with my dear friend, Sarah, we launched our cozy club called Books With Friends. Before I get to the books, I’ll share a few ways that I keep track of and enjoy my reads.

Firstly, I use the library. It’s one of my favorite places and it is FREE!

Next, my family has a subscription to Audible. If you enjoy listening to audiobooks, this is the way to go. I often listen to Audible or Podcasts on vacations or long car trips.

And finally, I use the Goodreads app to keep track of my books and see what my friends are reading. Feel free to follow me if you use Goodreads. You can also check out the Books page to see some of my all-time favs on this site: https://kristinsaatzer.com/books-that-have-changed-me/

Now, how about I share some of my choice wins from 2018?

Self-help and inspirational:

This book. Wow. It is deeply personal to the author, she is real and vulnerable, and shares parts of her story. Oh, how it spoke to me. It is Scripturally solid and relatable and hope-filled for anyone struggling with grave disappointment and the pain of a life that has not gone as desired. Five stars.

I read three Mark Batterson books in 2018. This was my favorite and I like it as much as the book above but for different reasons. God used these words to pull me out of discouragement and I continue to return to it. I am praying boldly again!

Imagine Heaven is a book I picked up after a dream of two brothers saying goodbyes before one enters Heaven. I wanted to learn more and hold on to this beautiful dream. This book is a mind-blowing, faith-filled and radiant look at Heaven with story upon story. I will read it again.

Another book that came at the perfect time. I read a few Brene Browns this year, but this one was spot on in my healing journey. I love this quote, “You have to be brave with your life, so that others can be brave with theirs.” I am slowly learning to be whom I’m supposed to be. This book has a blog-like feel with social science led research that I found fascinating.

Memoirs:

This is the second memoir written by this remarkable young woman. Daring to Hope contains more of the author’s heart struggles (tied to scripture) than the first book, and not as many stories (although the ones included are amazing). It is somewhat of a Bible study and illustrates the heart of the gospel. This inspiring woman is a model of the hands and feet of Jesus.

Kelly Corrigan is the new Erma Bombeck. She is funny and poignant. I was moved to tears and laughed out loud during my reading. This is a mother-daughter story with heart and humor. Love the metaphors! PG-13 for language and sexual innuendo.

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My Best-Loved Books of 2017

January 21, 2018 By Kristin Saatzer 4 Comments

Best-Loved-Books!

Can we talk about books?

What fun. This subject is one of my favorites and this is the third year of writing the “Books” blog.

The beginning of 2017 was dry as novels go. I read and read hoping for a delicious novel to sweep me away. It took heaps of reading to get there.

Because I don’t read many current Best-Sellers (I wait until they land in my library, a friend loans one to me, or prices drop), the books shared here have been around awhile.

I adore the Goodreads app. When I hear about an interesting read, I look it up on Goodreads and put it on my list. Goodreads also notifies its users when Amazon holds Kindle sales.

Another way to enjoy books is by listening. Our family subscribes to Audible (mobile.audible.com). I have spent hours driving to my dad’s these last eight-plus months during his illness. Listening to books and podcasts helps brighten the drive time.

I found some jewels I’d like to share with you.

Now, let’s talk books…

Non-fiction:

This was my favorite, favorite non-fiction book of 2017! I am a big fan of the author; he is deep and funny and loves God. The premise of this book is that we can live life without taking offense. Yikes! A challenge: we have no right to get angry, to take offense, and “righteous anger” is not justified. Hansen backs his suppositions with scripture. What a perfect time to embrace this virtue (offense is everywhere these days). The virtue of “unoffendableness”.

This one was on my list for a few years. Malcolm Gladwell writes beautifully. I enjoy his podcast and his use of language. Brilliant man. Gladwell has chosen stories and interviewed a mix of people to support his theory: the underdogs, less fortunate, less gifted, and misfits often have an edge and therefore win, succeed, and flourish in life. *Strong language in some of the quotes.

I read this Beth Moore book for the second time. An intimate peek into the life of Jesus based on the book of Luke. This walk through the life of Jesus is a deep one and granted me a greater understanding of my Savior. As usual, Beth is humorous and authentic.

Oh, rejection, you stink and you have tried to define me. Lysa Terkeurst did it again. The author truly speaks to where so many of us live and directs us to God’s inviting love for us. I needed this and God used Lysa to speak to me.

~Biography:

An amazing, inspirational girl is Malala! She is the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate. My mouth was on the floor for much of this sometimes-intense read. I learned the history of Pakistan and the Taliban. My heart broke for this brave, sweet girl and the millions of girls who cannot attend school. Malala was an activist with her father from her earliest days. A long, but worthwhile read. *There is an abridged version for younger readers.

~Marriage:

The authors have a beautiful, biblically charged redemption story. The tale oozes in inspiration and hope. Even further, they believe God has called all married couples to thrive and have “beyond ordinary” marriages. No matter what our story is as couples, we can move beyond selfishness, immaturity, and ordinary to extraordinary.

My Best-Loved Books of 2015

January 29, 2016 By Kristin Saatzer 4 Comments

Can we talk about books?

I adore reading and discussing books. Feel free to hop over to the “Books I Love” page on this site and check that out. Some of my reads from this past year fall into categories from that list. It was a year of many “chick authors”. I began a few I had to force myself through (or didn’t finish). Some beloved ones I read yet again.

Here are a few worth mentioning:

Purpose~Priorities~Time:

The Best Yes (a reread with my Mom’s group at church) by Lysa Terkeurst) : An easy read by a witty, relatable author. Examine your decisions by choosing the BEST YES, which is sometimes a “no”.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo: A cultural hurdle for me at times. A funky but surprisingly logical plan for getting decluttered. I’m reading it for the second time because I can’t seem to get my mojo going to get started with her plan. Second times a charm?

Spiritual Healing and Prayer:

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp: Poetic author. She chronicles her journey of healing life-change that came by recording one-thousand blessings. This woman has a spellbinding gift of stringing words together.

Novels:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford: Somehow I missed this book when everyone was reading it years ago. I loved the sweetness and intensity of the story of a Japenese American girl and Chinese American boy in the 1940’s. One of the highlights for me was the wholesomeness of this book. PG rating.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: Besides that she spells her first name correctly… WWII France, two sisters, love, parallel story in modern times and French war history. Historical fiction at its finest! PG-13 here and there.

All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: Another story of WWII France, a blind French girl, and a Nazi soldier. I couldn’t put it down. This author tells a beautiful tale. This book becomes PG-13 (wich surprised me!)

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: A classic gothic tale. This novel starts with my favorite opening out of all the books I’ve read: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…” I’ve read it multiple times. I LOVE IT.

Apps and Websites:

~Amazon Prime of course! http://www.amazon.com

~Goodreads app

~http://www.bookbub.com Thank you, Mom! Daily email of ebooks on sale.

Books on my list for 2016:

Art of Work by Jeff Goins ~follow his blog, like his style

Love Does by Bob Goff ~follow him on social media, love his perspective and attitude

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee ~can’t believe I haven’t read this yet

Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner ~looks like my kind of delicious

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo ~maybe if I keep reading about it, my house will magically become clutter free?