At the Library - February 2019 Reading

I am happy to report that I completed 5 books this month!  Really loving this pace and working on a couple more as we speak.  My brief reviews are below, and yes, we are still on track with our Bible reading :)

Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain is a household favorite of ours.  Crude, dry, sarcastic and really compassionate.  He saw the world in a really unique and his writing style, while slightly offensive, is also very captivating.  This book was the first I have read of his, and I already have another in my line up.  If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry, I'd highly recommend it.  It captures the essence of so much and it made me laugh out loud multiple times.  Five stars to be sure. 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - This was a recommendation of an old friend and I liked it, but I didn't love it, but I recently realized it was the first in a series, so perhaps I need to read the next couple books.  I also listened to the audio book, and I came to find out part of its charm is that it is littered with interesting photography.  I will report back if I pick up the next in the series, and I will try to do so in hard copy next time around, but for now, I would say it was absolutely entertaining, just not groundbreaking.

Love Warrior - This memoir was really riveting to me.  It was, in many ways, like watching a train wreck for and knowing the person survives and then suddenly she builds in all these life lessons she gleaned over the course of her existence and you are left a bit perplexed in a good way.  I really had to digest the last quarter of the book and extend her all the grace she learned to extend.  I loved how she processed through all her realizations and I loved what she shared with her daughters about what beauty looks like.  A great read and one I would recommend to those pushing through a tough season of marriage.  I definitely learned that we all have to get to the bottom of our personal "stuff" to begin to repair what we have together.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - I finished the second Harry Potter and am about 1/4 of the way through the 3rd currently.  I had never read any of the books or watched the movies and I am reading through the books before I sit down and marathon the movies :)  Do I really need to review this book?  So many of you have probably read it.  What I will say is that I am loving this series and feel totally like a kid while reading it and getting sucked into the Wizarding World.

The Practice of the Presence of God - I wrote a separate post on this wonderful little book if you scroll back to January 18, but I need to include it here as well since I completed it this month.  It is really such a gem and a book I will constantly be going back to as a gentle push towards simplicity and a reminder of God being as close as the air that we breathe.  

I also want to mention that one of these books was gifted to me, one I borrowed from a friend and three I got from the library.  You don't have to buy every book y'all!  Find ways to borrow and don't let money be a reason not to read.  The library has become my best friend.  Learn how the system works and reap all the benefits :)  

Have a lovely weekend!