Chosen

This book, Chosen: Birth and Faith Through a Doula Lens, is a short but powerful book.

Katherine Newsom walks you through eight chapters with important factors of the pregnancy and birth process and how the Bible and the Gospel speak to each of these categories. I love her heart in simple wording to express deep truths that women need to hear in this journey of motherhood and how to apply them in a general way. 

For example, " To put it in a greater Biblical light, we can see childbirth as God's mercy for us. For in Genesis, we read that God chose to give Adam and Eve the gift to multiply, even after the sinned against Him, although they deserved death." This quote come from the chapter "Understand and Prepare" and gives us perspective on childbirth and how to view it no matter how we feel. We are confronted with the truth that bearing life is God's mercy and we can view this when we're frustrated or tired in the midst of the pregnancy and see the beauty in what is happening in our bodies. 

I highly recommend this book to every woman to encourage you on your journey no matter where you are in it. Even if you are through childbearing years, there is life in this book to help you think back and embrace the journey you have been on and share it with the women coming up behind you in need of your support during her season of childbearing. 

5 stars for this much needed book!

Reading Challenges:

In the 2021 Reading Challenge with Tim Challies- A book of your choice in the light section

In the 2021 Christian Reading Challenge with Jami Balmet- Parenting/Family Life category

In the 2021 Intentional by Grace Reading Challenge- About an interest of yours in the level 1 section

Secret of the Andes

This book is part of our Core D curriculum with Sonlight.

Our family really enjoyed this historical fiction read aloud. A beautiful story about a llama herder and his apprentice who live high in the Andes mountains, follows Cusi as he goes on his journey to manhood in choosing the path he needs to take. 

Secret of the Andes is slow moving and very detailed in the events that it depicts, but even still it kept our attention as we read. Every piece is deliberate and important to the story that is unfolding before you. It is an interesting look into the Inca culture and religion. You also have the opportunity to see the ancient collide with the new in Cusi's journey. It is fascinating to see through the eyes of the young llama herder what life is like and his understanding of the important tasks that make up each day.

If you enjoy a good cultural story, I definitely recommend this book. 

I will give it 4 stars. It was beautiful and well told, but not earth shattering in anyway.

Reading Challenges:

This book doesn't fit with any specific category and will be considered a book of choice on those challenges that have them. 

I was surprised to see that this is a classic book. I will be using it in the category of 20th Century Classic.

Pedro's Journal

This book is part of our Core D with Sonlight and was read aloud to our children.

Pedro's Journal is a piece of interesting fiction that follows a young cabin boy on the voyage with Columbus across the Atlantic Ocean to the Islands in the Atlantic. It starts as they are setting out and ends before they get back to Spain but does have a little conclusion at the end. 

You can tell it is written from the perspective of someone young and ready for adventure but who is still unsure of the world and what is going to happen to him. Pedro is very relatable to other children and even to adults as we think about our own decisions and remember growing up and how we processed things. It was interesting to talk through some of the things Pedro was experiencing with our children and how they might respond. 

I appreciate that this book did not shy away from hard things and realities, but that it was written in a way that it wasn't too much for our little ones. Our older ones really enjoyed this book and the adventures of Pedro. There were times they were laughing and times they were sad as they followed his journey across the Atlantic and back.

I would give this book 4 stars for what it is, though it's not one I would want to read over and over again. 

Reading Challenges:

This doesn't really fit into any of the categories, so with it being the end of the year I'll count it as a book of my choice, though it's not necessarily one I would choose. 

Gentle and Lowly

I bought this book right before the beginning of the pandemic to read with our Bible study group. Then everything shut down and so I waited to see if we would begin this group again. As things slowly opened back up I was encouraged by one of our pastors to read it and have heard amazing things about it from everyone who's read it. After reading it I wish I had not waited and that I could say I've read it three times already!

This book is a MUST READ for every single person who calls themselves a Christian! While many of the truths discussed in this book I have heard on some level before, the depth to which Dane Ortlund goes into the heart of Christ I have never seen before. He takes you on a journey with Christ to see who He is as He describes Himself. 

How does Jesus describe Himself?

As gentle and lowly!

Reading this truth over and over and how it is shown throughout Scripture gave me a deeper knowledge and understanding of my God and who He is! God has used it to shape me in many ways over the past month and has given me some much needed perspective to help conquer many thoughts and feelings I've been wrestling with. It was a solid reminder that God draws near to us when we're broken and sinful instead of pushing us away. He understand more deeply than we every could the struggle and the heartache. 

This book helped me to draw near to my Savior and it continues to grow as I reflect on what I've learned. I highly recommend you read this book as soon as possible and read it again and again. I know I will be reading this one again in the next year as I need these reminders constantly!

5 stars for this amazing book!

Reading Challenges: 

2021 Reading Challenge with Tim Challies: A book your pastor recommends in the obsessed section

2021 Christian Reading Challenge with Jami Balmet: One of the Christian Living options

2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge: Recommended by your Pastor on Level 3

Eldest

This second book in the "Inheritance" saga was an interesting read. 

We follow Eragon on his journey to becoming a Rider and figuring out how to defeat the King of Alagaesia who is the only other Rider and evil in every way. This is written in a classic fantasy form, which makes it even more enjoyable if you really like fantasy writing. I really liked how we learned even more of the peoples of Alagaesia and the history of this fantasy land as Eragon learns what he needs to know as well as learning things to give him a better understanding of the history of the groups of people he is defending. 

Overall this book is very well written and flows well. There were a couple of spots that, in my opinion, dragged a little and possibly could have been done without. (I'll evaluate this again once I finish the series.) The lessons Eragon learns are extensive and run deep. Even though this is not at all reality, it is still possible to sympathize and empathize with him and feel deeply for all that is going on in him and around him. 

Even with the slower parts, the story is engaging and for the most part I wanted to keep reading and find out what happens. I also had made some suppositions as I read and I wanted to see if I was right! Even with guessing a couple of things, there were definitely surprises along the way ant that made the book even better for me! I like being right, but I also like when I can't figure out everything. That's when you know you've got a good book. 

I give this book 4 stars and definitely recommend it, especially if you love reading about fantasy worlds. 

Reading Challenges: 

This book is A Book With Magic in the Obsessed section of the 2021 Reading Challenge with Tim Challies.

I'm using this one as my fantasy book in Modern Mrs. Darcy My Reading Life Challenge.

In the 2021 Intentional By Grace Reading Challenge this book is for the category of Longer than 400 pages on level 3.