Becoming Real by Steven James

Becoming Real: Christ's Call to Authenic Living by Steven James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have been reading the Patrick Bowers' series of suspense novels by Steven James and have loved them! The writing is excellent and I have been really drawn into the stories. So when I discovered the author also wrote non-fiction, I wanted to check it out.
Becoming Real is about taking off the mask that we often hide behind and becoming transparent and vulnerable as we seek to become more like Jesus in our daily lives.
"Step off the treadmill, slow down, and take a time-out...The shores of your heart have been ravaged long enough by your attachments to the world and entanglements in its frenetic ways."
"When you're still enough and your soul is contemplating him, you will hear God whisper words like these in your soul: 'I'm in control. I'm at the helm. I haven't fallen asleep at the wheel. Don't fret. Don't worry. And don't panic. You have nothing to fear, nowhere else to be, nothing else to do but invest this moment in your relationship with me.'"
"Consider who God is, what he's done for you, and how you fit into his plan."
Great book and encouraging!

Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter

Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Another fantastic read by Denise Hunter! A while ago I read her book The Convenient Groom and totally loved it! Really pulled me into the story. This one took me a little while to get into, but once I did I had a hard time putting it down. I found myself wanting to shake Sam, the main character, for her constant rejection of Landon. Though I have suffered loss in my life multiple times, I have not endured the type of loss that Sam went through and had to bear the dark secrets that she carried. So I can't really put myself in her place that I would have reacted differently than she did. The ending was a bit abrupt and I would have liked maybe 1 more chapter.
Highly recommended for romance fans.

The Speed of Reading

There are times when I feel like I'm not getting much reading done. Where I go for days and even weeks without finishing a book. Then it seems that within a few days I finish several. When I look back at the end of a month, I still seem to be reading plenty of books. It just seems like I'm not getting anywhere when I go for days without finishing anything.

So far this year I've read 60 books. 2 of those were re-reads and 1 was a book I may have skimmed part of it. It's not a competition to see who can read the most, though. It has more to do with the sheer amount of books out there that are begging for me to read them. And the daunting task of trying to whittle down the books I want to read without adding too many more to the list.

Book Quotes

Addiction & Grace by Gerald May - this book was quoted in several other books that I read and seemed to be something that would be right up my alley so I was eager to read it. I found it quite boring, however, so was a bit disappointed in it. A couple quotes from it though,
"...we repress our longings when they hurt us too much."
"...we naturally look for the least painful ways of living."

It's Not My Fault by Henry Cloud - a Christian self-help book about taking responsibility for our choices and actions.
"...you will have to let go of the control you have, or attempt to have, over others."