I love getting recommendations for books, movies, music and blog posts from people because it gets me out of my normal ruts and sometimes I discover new favorites! I thought I would offer the same here, with a few of the things flowing through my iPod, Kindle and computer. Feel free to comment with your own suggestions!
What I’m Reading
I’ve been making more time for books again this year, which makes my little heart happy. Here are a few I’ve read most recently:
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. I had no idea how much I would enjoy a book about rowing, which I knew nothing about, although I should have known since I’m a sucker for anything where the underdog wins! Brown did a fantastic job explaining the ins and outs of the sport, delving into the personal lives of the nine young men who poured their hearts into each race, and the cultural and political climate of the time which influenced the Olympics that year. This was a great way to get in the mood for the Games this year!
Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction by John Monaghan and Peter Just. This book was recommended by a friend and I was a bit worried that it would be way over my head, but I loved all of the real-life example the authors shared from their own fieldwork experiences. So much of the study of anthropology has application for my current work, and it ended up being a fun read!
Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstronecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon. I am currently working me way through all 672 pages of this book. I was drawn to it by the description of both mother and daughter standing up for women’s rights and stepping into areas that had previously been closed off to women- particularly writing and publishing. While I do think both of these women should be applauded for the work that they did, it has also been fascinating and eye-opening to see how far these ideals took them. Both desired to be completely free of the shackles of the traditional roles of women, which included leaving behind the commitment of marriage in order to pursue love however they saw fit. I’m not finished yet, but I feel like I am learning a lot about England in the late 1700s and early 1800s and about two women I really knew nothing about.
Find me on Goodreads to check out the other books I’ve read so far in 2016, and I’ll check out your lists too!
What I’m Listening To
I have slowly been discovering the group I Am They and their album with the same title this month. Each new song I listen to (thanks to Amazon Prime music) becomes a theme song for my day or week. I love the depth of the lyrics, the ways they point back to our Savior and to how much we are loved as His children. I highly recommend their album. Besides Amazon, you can also find their music on iTunes (and if you use YouTube they do have some videos on there). My current favorites are “King of Love”, “Amen” and “Even Me”.
My friend Katy did a fabulous podcast on American Church Stories dealing with depression and the response of the church. It moved me to tears (which was a bit awkward while riding in the bus home from Phnom Penh), and touched deep parts of my heart. She is honest and open in a beautifully refreshing way.
Where I’m Connecting on the Internet
Velvet Ashes is one of the sites I read every day. Their theme this week was on “What If”, exploring some of the deep ways this question sticks in our hearts and minds. Each post this week was great, but the one on Friday really helped me think more about perspective and how that affects the questions I’m asking.
I don’t keep up with Ann Voskamp‘s blog quite as often but one of her posts this week really encouraged my heart. So often I struggle with not feeling good enough and I loved how she pointed back to our Father whose power shines through in those weaknesses of ours.
That’s it for this time! I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
A Heart Like His 