Fair warning: thanks to the Lyme disease which causes my brain to tire quickly I don’t read the popular but often heavy, Oprah book club-esque books anymore. Nor can I handling reading anything too sad or too intense so I am mostly all about light and fun books right now. I have a subscription to Kindle Unlimited, which is a great place to find lightweight chick lit type reads. With that disclaimer, these are the books I have picked up recently that I loved enough to share.
I may be the last person on earth to read this book, but just this week I read The Magnolia Story by Joanna Gaines. As a huge Fixer Upper fan, I am not sure why I haven’t read it before? I truly loved it. I think I just expected it to be a- this happened/ that happened/ then we got a TV show story- but it was so much more. Joanna is so real in the book about how God shaped their path to where they are now with the show, books, store, products in Target and all that they do.
Reading about how they got to where they are was so interesting, but I also really enjoyed reading about her and Chip’s relationship. Chip is SO much like my husband :), I could literally see my husband doing so many of the same things Chip does in the book (even though he’s not at all interested in houses, but is just as big of a cut up as Chip– I promise you), and I got a kick out of Joanna learning to tolerate Chip’s antics. Most importantly, the book shows how they balance each other out and support each other, and how that contributed to their success. I immediately ordered Capital Gaines (Chip’s book), I think my husband and my sons will enjoy it too.
So I read cookbooks like novels, in fact, I probably prefer to sit down and ‘read’ a cookbook as much as I would a good book. I am always inspired to cook more and get ideas from perusing new cookbooks. My favorite ones are more than just books with recipes, they also reveal much about the author’s life beyond the kitchen. I recently found Amy Nelson Hannon (@Eunamaes) on Instagram and ordered her book, Love Welcome Serve. I haven’t found a cookbook I liked this much as this one since Pioneer Woman’s first book came out years ago!
I loved Amy’s testimony in the forward of the book about how she uses food as part of her ministry, plus her recipes sound amazing. Last night I made her Spicy Coffee Rubbed Steak along with her Gruyere Mashed Potatoes (Yes–ask me how to get your teenage boys to stay home on Saturday night! #ohyeah #momwin). My family said it was the best steak they have EVER had. That is a huge coming from my guys who think steak is the most important food group. So, please get this one, I know you will love it! I am looking forward to much more from her in the future 🙂
For whatever reason, I had never read the Madame Chic books that Christy has previously told us she loves. Of course, once I read it, I loved it! Madame Chic is filled with gems, it’s the perfect pick me up for this time of year. I can’t wait to read the At Home with Madame Chic next. These books are totally going to be the gifts for the ladies in my life from now on too 🙂
I have mentioned before I am enjoying the Savor Devotional by Shauna Niequist. I plan to order Bread & Wine next, I really enjoy her perspective on life as a mom, woman, and friend. It has been a nice part of my quiet time this winter. Funny story, when we were packing for our move and I was boxing up the many books in our library, I came across my copy of The Purpose Driven Life {which was a huge book about what, 10 years ago?} and felt urged to not pack it, but instead add to my nightstand pile to reread this winter. Then, just two weeks ago in church, our Pastor started saying he’d had a similar experience coming across that book again and encouraged us to re-read it during Lent. Totally one of those moments where you know God has just done something, but really, it’s such a foundational book. If you haven’t read it, I encourage you to do so and if you’ve read it, you might enjoy reading it again during this season, I just wanted to share that.
Finally, with absolutely no appropriate segue from the above-mentioned book, but for those of you hoping to find some mainstream fiction books in this post, I will share that I recently read the China Rich Girlfriend series. I liked the first one enough to burn through the series (ordering the next one on my Kindle as soon as I finished that previous one, there are three books in all). The storyline was entertaining but the look into the upper-class Asian culture was simply fascinating. Of course, the books are a glimpse of how the other half (or maybe actually the top 1%!) lives but you can definitely pass some cold winter days being lost in this series.
XO,
Amy
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Hi Amy,
Thank you for sharing your books and thoughts about them! I can read cookbooks like novels too. ???? In fact, when I moved recently it took me forever to get them put away. I would look through them and remember some of my favorite recipes and the memories associated with them. I’m so glad I did it! I have Amy’s cookbook also and I am really impressed! I love this form of ministry. I also have Bread and Wine. I think you will enjoy it! And, finally, I have been in a “light” reading mode lately too.
xo
Pat
I can’t wait to read Bread & Wine, thanks for the recommendation! Have a lovely week 🙂 XO, Amy
You will LOVE Bread and Wine. I have a quote from the book framed in our kitchen. It is one of my favorite books. I can’t wait to read Love Welcome Serve! Thanks for the recommendation.