BOOKS, WONDERFUL BOOKS



I've meant to write about the books I've been reading this year but the time has gotten away from me. So here's an end of the year list of the books I've read and some of the books I will attempt to read in 2008. I got some great ones for Christmas but they will require some serious effort to get through.



2007 Books



Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney - very good book. I've read a lot of books on biblical womanhood and this one was special.



Tired of Trying to Measure Up by Jeff VanVonderen - I didn't think I'd get much out of this book but as soon as I started the second half the Lord proved me wrong. I've been living half the gospel. I'd like to write about this soon.



Free At Last by Tony Evans - Again, I didn't think there was anything new in this book for me but God has used it in a powerful way. I've loved Tony Evans for a long time and he nails it in this book on who we are in Christ.



The God Who Pursues by Cecil Murphy - Very powerful book explaining how God has pursued various people throughout the Bible like Moses, Jacob and David. He still pursues us today.



Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss - very good book defining what forgiveness means and what it doesn't.



The Heritage of Lancaster County Trilogy by Beverly Lewis - I didn't read much fiction this year but this series I just couldn't put down. It got a little trite by the end but it was a good easy read overall.



Raising Your Children Without Regrets by Catherine Hickem - I'm almost done this book. This lady is great and I've met her personally. Her main point in this book is to be an intentional mother who is aware of her children's value and potential.



Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper - This is the only Piper I read this year! I love biography and Noel Piper did a great job telling the story of some fantastic and godly women from Sarah Edwards to Helen Roseveare.



Tears in a Bottle by Sylvia Bambola - If you don't have a heart for the unborn you will after reading this passionate and well researched novel.



The next few books in the list may surprise some but I had a definite reason behind reading them. I've recently become convicted that I need to have a firm foundation underneath the beliefs I have. My oldest son and I have been following the '08 elections and decided to follow a specific candidate - Hillary Clinton. I wanted to have an accurate assessment of her so I wouldn't just be spouting something I heard Hannity or Limbaugh say. So I read four and a half books about her in about a two month period. It was very enlightening and I think I have an objective opinion about her now.



Hell to Pay by Barbara Olsen - This book is quite partisan in its tone but I trust the author who happened to be a lawyer on one of the many investigations into the Clinton administration. Tragically, she died on 9/11 when her plane crashed into the Pentagon. Her insights would be very interesting now.



A Woman in Charge by Carl Bernstein - This was the first book I read. I was hoping it would be objective but I soon learned otherwise. Mr. Bernstein attacks George W. Bush any chance he gets and prematurely decides that the Bush administration is the worst in history. I did get a very thorough history of Hillary's childhood though. Very enlightening.



The Case Against Hillary Clinton by Peggy Noonan - I really like Peggy and found her book to be well written. There's an especially great section where she writes about a meeting Hillary supposedly had with Hollywood elites telling them how they could clean up their act. Peggy is supposedly listening in on this conversation. The whole thing is so believable until the last second when she says it never happened. She wrote that pretend incident to show what Mrs. Clinton could do if she wanted to.



The First Partner by Joyce Milton - I found this to be the most objective book of the bunch. Mrs. Milton starts out as a fan but after her research she becomes very sour on the Clintons. I would recommend this book out of all the ones I read if you wanted to get a good background on the Clintons.



All Too Human by George Stephanopoulos - What's refreshing about this book is the humility and candor that is expressed by the author. George did not know the Clintons until 1992 and so he came into a relationship with starry eyed optimism for all he hoped Clinton could be and do. I only got halfway through because I realized I wasn't really getting much on Hillary. Plus, I had waded through the sewer enough and needed to get clean, if you catch my drift.



Christian in the Wake of the Sexual Revolution by Randy Alcorn - this book was great for me to renew my mind about how little the world understands sex the way God created it. Great book full of practical wisdom.



Well, that's 17 books. I know I left some out but I can't remember them right now. I'll do another post on books for 2008 and maybe another one on the read alouds I've done with my kids this past year. Blessings to all!