Books Archives - Kristin Saatzer

My Best-Loved Books of 2020

January 2, 2021 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

Hello, friends!

I read quite a bit in 2020, as you can see by the pictures of the fifty-two books I tackled (copied from Goodreads). I reread seven from my shelves at home because of quarantine and the library was closed and I blew my book budget.

I would like to highlight some of my 2020 favorites for you bibliophiles (and wanna be’s) as I do each year on the blog. So, here we go…

Non-fiction:

Chasing Vines by Beth Moore: I deeply enjoyed the lessons on viticulture and the tie ins between the Old and New Testaments. Great questions for readers about the fruitfulness of our lives.
Doing Life With Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut & The Welcome Mat Out by Jim Burns: So… funny timing… I read this book just before my three adult children moved back in for quarantine! There were no big light bulbs here for me, but it is all practical, doable, encouraging, and engaging.
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation by Miles McPherson: This book is my favorite out of all I have read on this difficult subject. The author (a beloved San Diego pastor) brings much hope and positivity while writing through a biblical and practical lens.
Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World by Andy Stanley: This is a controversial book. I find myself still thinking about it often and I read it over two months ago. There are points the author makes that are hard for me to swallow. Then, other points that challenge me in the deepest parts of my Christian soul and cause me to embrace the New Testament and Jesus as never before.
The Path Between us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanne Stabile: An Enneagram book by my favorite Enneagram teacher. If you know your number and the numbers of those with whom you do life, you will find this book an invaluable tool. I refer to it often.

A Book to Keep, A Book to Share

November 26, 2020 By Kristin Saatzer Leave a Comment

Hello friends,

Many of you know that I published a book last year called Savor the Savior: Twenty-Five Devotions for Advent and Christmas Inspired by the Names of Jesus. For those of you new here, you may not yet have heard.

I can’t think of a more meaningful way to end this crazy year than to spend twenty-five days of Christmas and Advent learning about the names of Jesus and drawing close to Him…through a series of short and biblically deep devotionals.

If you purchase it now, you will get it in time to begin on the first day of Advent, December 1, 2020. It also makes a great Christmas gift.

Order a copy today (also available as an eBook):

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/savor-the-savior-kristin-saatzer/1134738504?ean=9781683149200

www.amazon.com/s?k=savor+the+savior+Kristin+Saatzer&ref=nb_sb_noss

https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=savor%20the%20savior

Blessings and thanks,

Kristin

PS. If you read and enjoyed the book, I (and my publisher) would deeply appreciate a rating and/or a review on one of the above sites. It means a great deal in the book world. And it means a great deal to me!

My Best-Loved Books of 2019!

January 7, 2020 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

Can we talk about books – 2019 edition?

T’was a rich, deep, and fun year of reading. I read 44 books and enjoyed most of them, so it was tough to scale my list down to 13 for this one.

This is year number 5 of doing the books blog. I always appreciate the feedback and it is a joy to write. Enjoy!

*Please note that I rate my books in part on their clean-read value.

So here we go:

Hard to put down. An unfathomable life and extraordinary success story. Brilliant writer. Brilliant woman! 4 and a half stars because of violence and language.

Loss, abandonment, and God’s healing redemption. A beautiful narrative of God’s power in our lives. God can make a life His masterpiece. Four and a half stars. Fabulous writer and storyteller. I’ve loved her books for many years. Clean-read with inferences and adult subjects

I love Bob Goff! His books are inspiration and motivation to just go out and love! I had the pleasure of hearing him speak in September and he is beyond wonderful. My favorite section is the end (witch doctors, oh my!).

I’ve read quite a few books about the Holy Spirit and this one is my favorite. 5 stars! Francis Chan is intense and oh so sold out for God. Powerful personal stories.

Loved. Loved. Loved. For such a time as this. This book spoke to me right where I was, just when I needed it. Sheila Walsh is authentic and so stinking funny. She blankets this book with grace. My favorite story is at the end. Five stars.

A book club book. Impossible to put down. The ending… wow! I give this a four-plus instead of 5 because of sex and violence. It is powerful! Beautifully written by a daughter of Palestinian immigrants. Etaf Rum takes the reader to a world of women who are second class (or last class) in their culture. We read a second book along this same vein for book club called Inside the Kingdom by Carmen Bin Ladin.Continue Reading

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.