One day when my sister-in-law asked if I was reading anything (we love to talk/share books) I had to laugh to myself. Yes, I was reading something. A lot of things. I had to come home and count everything I was reading. This is one of my problems. I want to read EVERYTHING! Sometimes I can't wait to finish one book before I start another and other times, I need a book depending on my mood. BUT this is ridiculous. I have reading
ADHD. I did finish all of these - except the "Calm and Compassionate Children" which I didn't finish before sending back to the library.
You can tell my theme at the time was trying to be a better mom and homemaker. Thus the self-help books "Steady Days", "Organized Simplicity" and the "Calm and Compassionate Children". That last book Sarah saw and was offended that I was reading it. She said, "Hey, does that mean you think we aren't calm and compassionate?" (o: I got something from each of these books and would recommend any of them. Steady Days has ideas on how to create rhythm and a flexible schedule to days while raising kids, Organized Simplicity had a lot of great ideas that, quite frankly, I really need to work on. As you can see by the number of books I read, simplicity is not one of my strengths! (Which is why I feel disorganized a lot of the time.) "Calm and Compassionate Children" had some great ideas for activities with kids that help reinforce the qualities in the title. I will be checking that one out again.
Then I have my autobiography by our former president. I loved this book, it was a real eye opener to get a glimpse into the life of a president. It was fascinating to hear the real story of what was going on as I remember my "take" on events that happened during Bush's presidency. I really grew to appreciate how thoughtful and honest he was as he looked at some of his biggest decisions during his time in the White House. He is not afraid to admit that he made some mistakes (as all presidents do), but he shares his thought process and the reasons behind everything he did. I really admire him as a person and believe he took every decision he had to make very seriously. I loved that he didn't make his decisions based on how it would affect his popularity. He had core values that he stuck to. He is a good man.
I believe this is a great book to read whether or not you like Bush. Ironically, this book made me appreciate our current President Obama more than before. It helped me appreciate the kind of pressure and weight that a president carries. I also learned that the media and the press have so much power to twist truth to accommodate their agendas. I always have, but even more so now - take what they say with a grain of salt. There is no way for us to know the information a president has to base their decisions on. While we may not agree on everything a president does, we have to have faith that they are men trying to do what they believe is best.
I also had one novel for when I just wanted something fun to read. "Rachel and Leah" interested me because I was curious how an author would portray this interesting relationship of these two sisters. I enjoy reading historical fiction. I'm sure this was a huge stretch from the way things really were, but it was still interesting.
While these are all good and interesting books, the one in the picture that really makes the biggest difference in my life are my scriptures. All the other books have some good ideas, fascinating stories and inspiration; however, none of them inspire me as much or help my days go better than my good old scriptures. It's really the only book I need, the other books are fluff and entertainment. I am a better person when I remember this and spend good quality time reading the scriptures. I learn more about my Savior and how to be more like Him, I learn how to be happy, how to have courage, how to address my problems and struggles in life and most of all I learn (and remember) that I am a daughter of God and can make a difference in this world. What other book can make that kind of difference in a person's life?
Two thumbs way up. (o:
And along those lines, our Sunday School teacher suggested reading this book, "Jesus the Christ" along with our New Testament studies this year. I started reading it a few years ago and never finished. So I started it again and LOVE it. If you haven't read it and want to understand the Savior, the culture of the Jews and politics of the time that He lived better - this is an amazing read. It isn't an easy or quick read by any means, but I have learned so much.
I love reading!
Well, writing this made me realize I've been slacking, so I'm off to read my scriptures! (O:
