My favorite books of 2011

I'm not much of a reader....but I really want to be.

I love a good story.

And I love getting completely lost in it. Sadly, other distractions like tv and the computer eat up most of my down time and that's something I'm trying to shift. Especially as I realize how much they drain me.

Anyway, this isn't a long list, but I did want to share with you some of my favorites from this past year. In no particular order...

1. The Help.

~~at this point, you've probably read it, seen the movie or at least heard about it. It was wonderful. I couldn't put it down. Saw the movie twice and blubbered through it each time.

2. The Hunger Games Trilogy.

~~I would have never read this if Josh hadn't talked it up so much. His students at school were reading it and he got sucked in. In fact, knowing the premise wouldn't have made me want to read it either...doesn't sound like it's really up my ally but believe me when I tell you.... could. not. putitdown. I was riveted the entire time, on the edge of my seat, unable to go to sleep until I knew what happened next. Oh, and there's a love story that will leave you hanging on until the end. The movie comes out in a few months and was filmed here! I've become a little obsessed, but seriously, if you're looking for something you can't put down...this is your trilogy.

3. One Thousand Gifts

~~Ooh. This one is hard to describe. It seems that people either love or hate her writing style. I think it's absolutely delicious. She can pierce your heart with the most beautiful little wisps of a sentence...kinda like an intricate, ornate little dagger that can cut to the very core of you. I could have camped out and spent weeks contemplating each chapter, but the overall message was really simple....each day, each moment is laden with gifts from our Father to us. An outpouring of love, even in the most painful moments... and learning to see them (and count them) is key to seeing and relishing His heart for us. Does that do it justice, friends that have already read it? I will read this one again.

4. Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ

~~I read this in a women's bible study at church and got so much out of it. We also watched the videos of him preaching. I have loved Piper's books and sermons for a long time so his writing style was already familiar and also seemed like one of his easier reads. The questions were great and I walked away feeling like I had truly savored more of Jesus through the study. It has definitely helped me love Him more. :)

5. The Mark of the Lion Series

~~Honestly, I can't remember if I read this in 2010 or 2011, but either way, it's worth mentioning. This is officially the BEST series I have ever read. I mean it. Francine Rivers is a capturing author so I already loved her, but this! The main character genuinely made me want to love Jesus more, but in a subtle way I didn't notice at first because I was so caught up in this artfully crafted story. It almost felt like a fairy tale...but a real one. There are painful moments, overjoyed moments, angry moments, soft moments...she takes your heart on a wonderful roller coaster. This might be the perfect winter reading and I'm really tempted to read them again. Josh complained that he never got to spend any time with me because I was so caught up in these books. So maybe set some limits for yourself if you decide to read them, ok?

I am currently reading....

Kisses from Katie

~~I'm so captivated by her, her life, her daughters, her heart...and mostly how God is working through her. I have already cried the ugly cry several times, smiled more than that and think about it constantly when I'm not reading it. She's a great writer, but the story He is writing is even more evident. Her blog is wonderful as well.

Organized Simplicity


~~Another book birthed from a fantastic blog. Tsh from Simple Mom has been one of my favorites for awhile so when I kept hearing about this book, it went on my Christmas list. Simplicity is something I crave, but I didn't expect it to go so deeply as I've found reading her book. I thought a lot about decluttering, living with less, etc but I hadn't thought about how it all ties in to what I believe is my life purpose and the purpose for our family. Lots of thinking in this ol' noggin.

So, what were your favorites this past year?

{Want to see more great book lists? Head over to The Nester.}