Reviews...

On this blustery and rainy afternoon, I'm huddled in my robe on our sofa, green tea in hand, scanning various news articles. And after being further convinced of how broken our world is, I'm feeling the need for a good book that will help my mind escape. While trying to come up with ideas for my next reading venture, I decided I should shortly list and review my most recent page perusals.

To Live is Christ: The Life and Ministry of Paul by Beth Moore: Since completing Unbroken, which is still #1B on my 'favorite books of all time' list (the Bible being #1A), this is the only thing I have read that swept me up entirely. It is a ten week study of the apostle Paul's life and writings. Everyday, it taught me something practical and applicable. This man became much more real to me, and consequently, so did the One he followed.

Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James: Written as a sequel to the classic Pride & Prejudice, this novel picks up a few years after Darcy and Elizabeth tie the knot. It's a murder mystery/court drama/love story that I think Jane Austen would approve of. The author is a darling 91 year-old British woman who is very well known and loved for her writing. I figured I needed to read some sort of English period piece while I lived here. Amazing how easy it was for me to imagine dreary old London and misty country estates while physically living near both.

Erasing Hell by Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle: (How I would love to have the last name Sprinkle!) Although this is not a particularly happy-go-lucky book, it is filled with humbling and sobering truth, and that makes it worth investigating. The authors attempt to address a lot of claims made by Rob Bell's controversial book Love Wins, while keeping the central issue at hand. We're talking about real people with real destinies, and we can't waste time heartlessly arguing our doctrinal points of view. Definitely made me think. And pray. A lot. Hell is one of those things we can't afford to get wrong.

Now begins the debate of what to conquer next. For whatever reason, I can't seem to commit to a series like The Hunger Games, no matter how good it is. Maybe it's because I know I can just watch the movies and get the gist of it as I have for The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, etc. On the opposite end of the spectrum from fantasy fiction is the biography/autobiography genre, which has treated me well thus far. A few candidates have arisen:

Each has its pros and cons. We shall see. I just want to be inspired! Oh, and speaking of inspirational things, I went to an aerobics class today with Xenia. The schedule said "Zumba," but instead, we got "The Swedish Way of Sweating," aptly named by our Swedish instructor. (The Zumba teacher was sick, so at the last minute, this Swedish student who loves aerobic exercising stepped in. She categorized her style of workout as "dance-y" with "lots of moving around.") From what I gathered during the 45 minutes of jumping wildly and laughing hysterically to the tunes of Katy Perry and The Lion King, the Swedish way sure is an enjoyable way! My dad has always encouraged me to dance like no one's watching and sing like no one's listening... Well, let me tell you, I lost all inhibition and did just that. My 'dancing' was appropriately erratic, and I may or may not have mouthed the words along with the music. I was sweating up a super Swedish storm! I desperately hope that no one was secretly videoing me, but I'm confident that the spectacle would go viral if posted to YouTube. That class and the fearless instructor definitely brought a dose of brightness to an otherwise cloudy day. She must have read Dr. Seuss while she was eating her Wheaties this morning: “I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny.” -The Cat in the Hat