all about books

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone texted me and asked me about books.  It's no secret that I love to read, and I do love sharing with people which books they might love.  My list is so long, of good books and authors, but I thought I would share about my best hobby today.  I know a few people who are going on vacation soon, so if that's you, then here you go.

I'll start with the genre of Christian fiction.  I have several authors whom I love, some I like, and two all time favorites. 

My two favorite authors in this category are Robin Jones Gunn and Neta Jackson.  Robin Jones Gunn has written a series of books called Sisterchicks, and these books are like comfort food for my soul. I pull them out all the time and read them all over again.  I'm missing some in this series, so if that is you and you have mine, may I have them back?  I'm missing one or two.  I think I know who has them, though.  Anyway, I never tire of these.  I have read her books since I was in high school.  She wrote a series of books called The Christy Miller series, and she is still adding to them.  Of course, Christy is a married woman with kids now, but I love it when series go on and on like that.

Neta Jackson wrote my other favorite series of books, The Yada Yada Prayer Group series, and I read those every two years all over again as well. 

Other authors I love are Karen Kingsbury (though she can be really repetitive), Melody Carlson, and Robin Lee Hatcher.  I get all those from the library.  Some I like are Dee Henderson, Terri Blackstock, Lori Wick, Katherine Reay, Jan Karon, Francine Rivers, Angela Hunt, Denise Hunter, and Debbie Macomber.

If this is your category, you would do well with any of these.

Because of how much I read, you have to know I do not just read that category.  A favorite fiction author I've read for years is Danielle Steel, but her books are so much better than they used to be.  There are no sex scenes (I really cannot do that at all, and have put books down because of it), the language is mild, meaning there is some but it's not terrible and I can skim over it, and they're just always interesting.  I need to be pulled in with a book right away.  One rule of thumb I live by with reading is that life is too short to read books I don't love.

I've read one book that I loved by Dorothea Benton Frank (Same Beach Next Year), and every book I've picked up by her since then I've stopped reading. 

I enjoyed this book last week by Elin Hilderbrand, and my friend gave me two more by her.  I've tried to read some of her other books, but I've stopped with them as well.

I love Sally Hepworth, and have loved almost every book I've read by her.  She's not written that many, but I'm currently reading one of her newer ones, The Family Next Door.  It's good so far!  I can tell it's going to be kinda creepy, though, but in a good way. 

I had such high hopes for this book earlier in the summer, but it majorly disappointed.  The back description said, "For the Nora Ephron fan!", but it was all lies.  Nora would have done so much better.  (For anyone who doesn't know, she was the brain behind You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and a few other greats.)

I love Emily Giffin, but some of her books are a little more risque than others.  One that I loved by her was her newest one, All We Ever Wanted, one that was so relevant to this day and time and where I am in life with my teenage sons that I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks. 

Another set of authors I love who co-write, are Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke.  I just got their newest in the mail yesterday that just released, The Two Lila Bennetts.  I have loved most of what I've read by them, except for one, which was Girls Night Out.  I think the plot just disturbed me, and I had two nightmares during the time I read it, so I know it made me lose sleep, and not in a good way.  That being said, I've loved all the other books they've written so much that I will always keep reading.  My favorite by them was The Year I Turned 40, which I read the year I turned forty.  Appropriate, right?

I need to wrap this up because I have to leave in an hour, but I hope this inspires someone to turn off the television and put down the phone and pick up a book.  I make time to read, which is how I read so many books.  I'm currently reading number forty two of 2019.  That's a lot, even for me.  I also read fast, but mainly, I just make the time.  I'll have time today while I'm running an errand, so of course I'm taking my book with me.  I mostly borrow from the library, and I read actual books.  E-readers are not for me, though I do use one occasionally.  I love the look, weight, feel, and smell of books.  I'll never stop as long as I live.

Now, if I read all these books and don't read the most important one, then there is a problem.  The bible is my favorite of all time, and I've read it cover to cover many times.  I'll keep reading it that way until the day I die.  I read in 1 Corinthians this morning, along with my church family, and am looking forward to maybe reading chronologically again next year. 

This is the only life changing book I'll ever read.  The more I read it, the more I see how much I need Jesus, and it helps me grow in my relationship with Him.  Thanks for reading!  Love to all.