2013 July Bookmarks

*Bookmarks is an online book club hosted at Creative2xmom. Here we discuss the books we've read in the past month as well as the suggested reading. Our suggested reading for July was Forgotten God by Francis Chan.

These are the books I read this month:

Let Love In by Becca Fisher-- This was a fast read and I used it as a fill-in between a couple of books.  Jenna looses her husband in an accident and is left to raise her two small children on her own.  She eventually runs into and falls for a stranger with a past, but will his complicated relationships threaten their love?  It was a cute love story, nothing up to the standards of Lewis or Woodsmal, but sweet.  I got this one free at the beginning of the year.  It's not worth the $2.99 price, but well worth it if on discount.

The Family Camping Handbook: Real Food in the Big Woods by Katie Kimball--  Camping generally means junk food and sodas in our family so I was curious to see how Kimball would make it with a real food menu.  This handbook includes lots of different real food ideas that are quick, easy and able to be prepared ahead of time.  Additionally, it's a good resource for a first time camper, including a check list of necessary, and some luxury items, when camping.  I love the real food ideas and find them versatile enough to include many of them in our day to day lunch menu as well.

Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson--  Ever heard of the Robertson family?  How about Duck Commander?  Or Duck Dynasty?  It's not often you see a family on TV, let alone reality TV, that stands so strongly for what they believe.  Love them or hate them, they're not afraid to pray on national television.  And that one gets a nod in my book.  Robertson invites readers into a closer look at the family, including his ups and downs of life before Christ.  Coming from a modest background, it's easy to see that the Robertson clan isn't very far removed from their past.  And it's also easy to see that Phil Robertson's real passion goes beyond duck hunting and commands him to preach the word at every turn.  The final chapter takes a decided political turn and could be considered offensive to some.  However, on the whole, this book only encouraged me to look for God in every opportunity.

Our suggested reading for July was Forgotten God by Francis Chan-- The focus of Chan's book is our neglect of the mysterious, often forgotten Holy Spirit.  While we so often walk through our day acknowledging the working of the Lord and Jesus in our personal lives, what do we do with the Holy Spirit?  Most of us don't know.  Chan attempts to systematically take us through the Holy Spirit's place in history and in our daily lives.  While I thoroughly enjoyed Crazy Love, Forgotten God felt dry and too cerebral for me.  The chapters lacked focus and new ideas.  The best part of the book was the vignettes between the chapters in which Chan describes people he knows who embody a spirit filled life.  Sorry, this one was a miss for me.

So what are your bookmarks this month?

Tell us in the comments about the books you're chewing on. Or link up a review from your own blog. Let's share the books we're finding, good and bad. And give us your thoughts on Forgotten God by Francis Chan.

Don't forget to come back Aug 30th when we discuss Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner and other books you're reading.