Book Wish List

Yes. Yesterday I wrote a post about downsizing my books, and today I'm talking about books I want to read. No. It doesn't make any sense. 

I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on the books yesterday! Between comments and emails, I definitely felt challenged to think about what I want my books to represent about me and what matters most to me. Thanks for helping me think through that!

I do have a few books that intrigue me (and these are going to be ALL OVER THE BOARD in topic, so just be warned) on my wish list, so I thought it might be fun to talk about some of those today.

These, by the way, are in no particular order at all.

1. Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman. I read about this book on social media somewhere, and now I don't even remember if it was a blog or Instagram or what. (For all I know, it might have been on the Saturday Six - ha!) But whoever was writing talked about how we can all create our own unique recipes if we learn the basic ratios that go into every type of cooking. I thought that would be an interesting topic to learn more about. Though I feel I'm a good cook and baker, there is much about the craft/science of being in the kitchen that I really don't understand. 

2. The Bible Recap: A One Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Whole Bible by Tara-Leigh Cobble. I am pretty sure Leslie first told me about this book. I believe she sent me a screen shot of a page she was studying that coincided with something I wrote about here on the blog. I asked her what it came from and she told me about this book. It caught my attention, because it seemed like something that might help us teach our tenants more about the Bible - in a way they can understand. (Many have minimal background in church/the Bible.) So I put it on my list!

3. Roaming America: Exploring All the National Parks by Renee Hahnel. It's not a cheap book, but it looks amazing. I read about it in a blog post and stuck it on my wish list for someday. If we ever get to realize our dream of traveling regularly, I'd love to explore as many of the national parks as we can, and this seems like a comprehensive guide!

4. Life on the Death Beat by Alana Barnick, Jim Sheeler, and Stephen Miller...Obit: Inspiring Stories of Ordinary People Who Led Extraordinary Lives by Jim Sheeler...Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives by Jim Sheeler. Weird choices, right? As you know, Allen asked me to write Nita's obituary when she died, and then Ryan and his siblings asked me to write Allen's when he died. I talked to my fellow-writer-friend Amy after I wrote the second one, because she has written some beautiful and unique obituaries. I've read them and found them to be so well done! She recommended all three books to me as great resources for writing an above-average obituary.

5. Devotedly: The Personal Love Letters and Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot by Valerie Elliot Shepard. I have been deeply and personally impacted by the writing of both Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, so reading this book compiled by their daughter would be a treasure for me. (Jim and Elisabeth, if you're not familiar, were missionaries. When they were still very young, Jim and a group of fellow missionaries were murdered by the very people they were trying to reach. Elisabeth stayed on the field and continued ministering to the people who murdered her husband. I own the book of Jim's journals, which are powerful and convicting. I've read more than one of Elisabeth's books. Passion and Purity is one of my favorites.

6. Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg and Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg and Ray Vander Laan. I have read Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus and have come to respect Lois Tverberg and her research into the culture of Biblical times. I have these other two on my list because I'd love to learn even more! I've watched a few video teachings by Ray Vander Laan and find him to be a brilliant scholar and relatable teacher. If you ever get a chance to watch anything he's done, I highly recommend.

So those are some of my book wishes!! What has happened to the girl who used to only read fiction????