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A Women After God's Own Heart

Elizabeth George

Recommended by: Laura (my Life Group leader)

Dates: 2/2-4/27

Make His desire your own...
Become the woman of excellence God designed you to be
Genuine peace and joy come when women follow God in every area of their lives-and become women after His heart. With warmth and grace, Elizabeth George shares practical, scriptural insights on how you can pursue God's priorities concerning:
   > your husband-foster a deep commitment to serve and honor him
   > your children-pray faithfully for them and teach them God's Word
   > your home-create a nurturing atmosphere and a tapestry of beauty
   > your walk with the Lord-grow through love of Scripture and in discipleship
   > your ministry-learn to reach out and become an encourager
Let God fulfill His greatest desire for you. Allow Him to transform you by preparing you hear and mind to embrace His incredible work. You'll find lasting joy and peace in a life of prayer, a life of priorities, a life as
 A Woman After God's Own Heart

My Thoughts: I enjoined this book very much. It was the study for my life group at church. We read 2 chapters a week then got together and talked about it. It got a little overwhelming at the end, I'm still trying to "work" on my husband and then clean my house. This book would be good to pick up every now and then to review. To work on it always. God has a great plan for everyone. This book really tells you that. God says "Well done" at the end of each day. I love that.

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Weddings Can Be Murder

Christie Craig

Recommended by: thegoaliegirl (from http://www.bookcrossing.com/)

Dates: 3/17-3/27

Till Deaths Do You Part...
Katie Ray was about to marry a man she didn't love-- and who didn't love her. Even losing her $8,000 engagement ring wasn't enough of a sign to call things off. What did it take? Being locked in the closet with a sexy PI, and being witness to murder.
... Or They Bring You Together
Carl Hades hardly wanted to be shackled with another man's soon-to-be wife, especially when the gorgeous redhead stirred emotions he'd avoided for years. He'd been hired by an elite Houston wedding planner to investigate some missing brides. When those brides turned up dead, Carl saw where the whole situation was headed: just like Katie's wedding ring and her ceremony, right down the toilet. Because, while Katie was suddenly and delightfully available, he had a feeling she was next in line to die. And before he could ask her to say "I do," he had to know who would say "I did it."

My thoughts: Loved it! After some serious read this so mindlessly good. More on the mystery side then romance side, which was nice.Not much else to say. Good book. :)

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Jesus Why the World is Still Fascinated by Him

Tim LaHaye coauthor David Minasian
Recommended By: Staci (One of the clever craft ladies at MOPS)
Time it took to read: 2/9- 3/17

Jesus. Love Him of hate Him, He's everywhere. On our T-shirts, bumper stickers, and even the covers of leading news magazines, year after year. We see Him on the silver screen, in the headlines crawl on the TV news, and on the homemade signs held up at ball games. Hotly debated, He remains the most conspicuous figure of all time, even twenty centuries after His inglorious death.
Best-selling author Tim LaHaye and coauthor David Minasian look back through history and peer into the prophetic future to show us why the world's "Jesus fascination" should come as no surprise; every generation since Christ has grappled with the question, Who was He? What does He mean to us  here, today?
After reading about Jesus' life, legacy, and pervasive influence, you may find yourself connecting the dots of your own spiritual journey and answering the timeless question that came from the lips of Jesus Himself: Who do you say that I am?

My thoughts: I found this book to be very interesting, but a very long read for me. Could be timing. I think I was wanting mindless read and this is NOT mindless. Written very well and makes you think. The history is good. I've heard LaHaye's other books are very good.

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The Well-Versed Family

Caroline Boykin

Recommended by: The author herself.

Met her at a workshop last year in Florida
during a MOPS convention. Nice lady.
Took me this long to read it: 2/18-3/16

Finally! A fresh approach to Scripture memory that really works! The Well-Versed Family is a powerful, one-of-a-kind resource designed to inspire and equip your family to know and love God's Word. Filled with original insights and clever ideas, this book is sure to bring the Word to the heart of your home with joy and ease. The Well-Versed Family makes Scripture memory do-able for your family-- with practical memory tips and tools, fun and easy memory games, quick family devotions, and 80 preprinted Scripture verse cards. You CAN raise strong kids of faith through the power of Scripture memory! Let The Well-Versed Family show you how!

What I thought: I think this is a great book. It was simple to read, even though it took me awhile. The ideas are easy. She held a great workshop that was way better then the book. We as a family have been working on it. My daughter's memory is better then mine by far.

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The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

By: Dorothy Gilman

Recommended by: Rella (the sweetest MOPS mentor ever)

Also recommends: Star Dust on my Pillow by Patsy Clairmont
Dates: 1/25 (i think) - 2/8

     Although the young C.I.A. man who interviewed her seemed rather startled, Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, saw nothing extraordinary about her desire to become a secret agent. She was a widow with grown, married children; she was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings; and she did want to do something for her country.

  Thus begins an utterly charming tale of suspense, as Mrs. Pollifax finds herself being briefed on her next "job". Her assignment in Mexico City didn't sound dangerous-but that was before something "went wrong," and Mrs. Pollifax became embroiled in a quite hot Cold War. Of course, that was also before her country's enemies became entangled with Mrs. Pollifax...

My thoughts: I thought is book was cute. I didn't know till I was done that there are others. I'll have to read them later. I wish I knew someone like Mrs. Pollifax. I love older people who kick butt. Especially when you think they can't. A charming book I would recommended to people.

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Under the Tuscan Sun

By: Frances Mayes

Recommended by: Tracy (the coolest librarian I know)
Also recommends:
Trail of The Lonesome Pine by John Fox
Agony and The Ecstasy by Irving Stone
The count of Monte Cristo by Dumes
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
A Walk in the Wood by Bill Bryson
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Took me this long to read it: 1/1/11 - 1/24/11

Frances Mayes--widely published poet, gourmet cook, and travel writer--opens the door to a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. In sensuous and evocative language, she brings the reader along as she discovers the beauty and simplicity of life in Italy. An accomplished cook and food writer, Mayes also creates dozens of delicious seasonal recipes from her traditional kitchen and simple garden, all of which she includes in the book. Doing for Tuscany what M. F. K. Fisher and Peter Mayle did for Provence, Mayes writes about the tastes and pleasures of a foreign country with gusto and passion. A celebration of the extraordinary quality of life in Tuscany, Under the Tuscan Sun is a feast for all the sense.

I thought: I thought it was long. Some of the description was long. A whole chapter on a town, or a plant didn't seem necessary. But I think the problem is I saw the movie first. Now normally I think the books are better. And I'm sure a writers point of view the book is better, but I felt like the movie was better. And I think maybe I've seen the movie one to many times, so when the book was nothing really like it I didn't know what to think. I would love to visit her in her house and she can cook for me. That would be very cool. :)

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The Last Sin Eater

Francine Rivers

Recommended by: Jill (the greatest workout

instructor ever)

12/20/10 - 1/1/11

"The first time I saw the sin eater was the night Granny Forbes was carried to her grave."

Cadi Fobes knows it's forbidden, that it will bring curses down on her. But something deep and instinctive moves her to look upon the sin eater anyway. And now the thought of finding him again consumes her.

According to custom, only the sin eater can set her free from the sin that plagues her days and nights, the sin that has stolen her mother's love from her....Must she carry her guilt forever? Or is there Another who will atone for her?

A skillful blend of realistic characters, historical accuracy, and compelling mystery, The Last Sin Eater is a story that will capture the heart and spirit.

My Thoughts:

The above about the skillful blend is so true. This book really showed me that some people live the way they live because they might not know any different. This small village was so far form the rest of the world that the children didn't know any better. Until the Man of God shows up and Cadi believes what the man says. She's scared but with the help of a friend and God she changes the town. It's a great story.