Last week I finished:
Valentine, Elizabeth Wetmore
Isn't this one of the most beautiful covers you've ever seen? I've been drawn to this book since it came out last year, and while I'm glad I read it, I also have my reservations about it. On the one hand, it was beautifully written. Truly, this is a first-time author to watch. On the other hand, though, it was a much rougher plot than I would prefer, and I don't feel that there was any meaningful resolution at the end. It's a rather hopeless book, which I find troublesome. Why bother writing or reading a book that ends as it began? Also, I think there were too many missed opportunities for the plot to deepen. I kept expecting the book to go somewhere and become extraordinary, but it always stopped short. Lastly, I'm just worn out over books about the victimhood of women. Where are all the books about the strong women we want our daughters to grow up to be? So, I was conflicted over this one. My rating: 3 stars.
It's Never Too Late, Kathie Lee Gifford
I'm so glad I listened to my gut and bought this book and then moved it to the top of my TBR. It definitely won't be a book for everyone, but it was an absolute gamechanger for me. GAMECHANGER. It is the only book I have ever finished only to begin reading again. I'm at a point in my life where I'm searching for strong, happy, wise, creative, Christian women role models, and believe me, there just aren't a lot of them out there. Too many are writing their "wise memoirs" way before they're ready to. But this book came to me at exactly the right time for it to have resonance in my life. The way I pray has changed, the way I think about creativity has changed, the way I view the next phase of my life has changed. May we all find a book like this when we need it. My rating: 5 stars.
America's Reluctant Prince, Steven M. Gillon
You all know that if there's a book about a Kennedy, I'll read it. I have read a few books about JFK Jr., and of course, he's been a part of every book about his father and mother that I've read, so I know a fair bit about him. Unfortunately, at least 80% of this book was a regurgitation of all of the books I've read before this one. All of the information about John's childhood came from books I've already read. The 20% that was new to me was welcomed. In this part of the book, Gillon writes about John's magazine, George, and his attempt to create a place for himself in a world that never stopped wanting him to be his father's legacy. Gillon, a friend of John's, interjects himself into the book, and I could never tell if it was reluctantly, and therefore, halfheartedly, or if his relationship with John was so slight that there was just no story there. All told, I found the book rather mediocrely written and not terribly interesting in its lack of new information or insight (something a friend of John's should have been able to supply, no?). One last note, I listened to this on audio, and I would not recommend it. The reader sounded perpetually bored. My rating: 3 stars.
Make Something Good Today, Erin & Ben Napier
This is a re-read (or re-listen). I originally listened to the book last summer, and it just went by so quickly I wanted to revisit it. Unfortunately, it went by just as quickly this time! I adore the Napiers and their HGTV show, and I am in awe of Erin's design ability. We have very similar styles, and I just wish I had her vision. This is their sweet love story, how they stepped out on their own to work creatively for themselves, and how they landed their television show. It's a sweet and hopeful book for anyone wanting to leave a soulless job to do something that nurtures their creativity. I will return to it again and again, perhaps even again this year. My rating: 4 stars.
This week I'll be reading:
I began this book last fall but abandoned it because it just wasn't much fun then. I have renewed interest now, as I'm doing "research" on marriage. It's a series of interviews with celebrity couples about their marriages. So far I know I would not want to be Rosalynn Carter.
My next audiobook:
This is another book I read last year, but this time I'm listening to the audio, read by the author.
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