First Quarter Reading Reviews

Since our time in Korea is gone, and no offense to Kentucky not being as exciting, I am trying to type up more brief book reviews and wrap-ups throughout the year. If you are not the biggest reader, sorry! I hope you still enjoy learning about what other people are reading. Or maybe it will help spur a love for reading when you are given reviews about books you have not heard about yet! Either way, this blog will still have the occasional post about what adventures or traveling we are up to, with regular book updates.

Even though we now have our own library, I still find that my car has an issue with ending up at the public library too many times! Earlier this year, I brought the issue of reading too many library books to Daniel, and he gave me a 90 day public library ban. The next time I will be able to step foot in the library on or off base, will be in May! (Oh yeah, and it has not helped that after moving to Fort Knox, I have access to two public libraries!) Back in January I shared the list of book genres that I am trying to read each month, and so far I have really enjoyed this type of reading challenge! To recap, the genres that I have to read from each month include:

• missionary biography/autobiography

• C.S. Lewis book

• psych thriller or mystery

• historical fiction

• non-fiction

• Theological

• Book of the Bible

• Book about unbiblical beliefs

• Book on a topic I am studying

To save some time, I included the books I have read so far (that aren’t library books) as the blog post picture. Or, if you want to know every book I read, you can find me on Goodreads! (My account name is just “Kait Steffen.”) In this post I will go over my favorite books so far, hitting several of the genres that I am trying to read more in to be a well-rounded reader. The first category of favorite and recommended books come from the non-fiction books I am reading to study non-toxic, healthier living.

• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (really taught me the importance of eating produce seasonally, and making the most of buying local, having your own garden)

• To Dye For by Alden Wicker (eye-opening read on how different man-made fabrics
  

• and dyes can negatively affect our skin and health)

• No Grain, No Pain by Dr. Peter Osborne (helpful understanding of grain, gluten, and why it can negatively hurt some people’s health)

• Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (good information on the start of fast food restaurants and general information about the ramifications)

(Personal note about reading books on topics like non-toxic living, health, and more natural ways of life: it is important to not let these types of books dictate how you live because we cannot live in a constant state of fear. I find it helpful to read these kinds of books so that I am informed and can make the right decisions for our family and lifestyle. For example, To Dye For was a great shorter read, but I am keeping all the clothes I currently have, and am leaving it in God’s hands!

The second batch of book recommendations contain the missionary biographies/autobiographies and theology genres! 

• The Lust of the Flesh by Jared Moore (great, short- but heavy- read on the topic of temptations and thoughts)

• A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot (thicker book- biography of Amy Carmichael, great read about her missionary work)

• Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot (you will need to have tissues close by when you read this one- Elisabeth and some of the other wives of the martyred men write about their husband’s work and final days)

• The Lie by Ken Ham (Ham dives into the importance of believing and teaching upon a literal 6 day creation)

• Authentic Worship by A.W. Tozer (read this for a school assignment- convicting heart check on worshiping God in everything we do)

• A Call to Prayer by J.C. Ryle (very short but helpful book on working on praying regularly)

And the last category of books that I recommend from this first quarter contains any books that I learned a lot from or enjoyed in general!

• Battle for the American Mind by Pete Hegseth (historical lesson on the public education system in our country today)

• The Story of the Shakers by Flo Morse (short book on the history of the Shakers- I got this book on the girl’s trip- see previous blog post)

• If Walls Could Talk by Lucy Worsley (good historic look through the history of the home and life in the home)

• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (Apparently this book started the environmental movement. I do not agree with this movement but this book was helpful in understanding the harm of pesticides on crops.)

• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (The first book that I have ever read by Christie! Read it in one sitting, and it was amazing!)

• I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys (I have always loved her books- this one is about the communist rule in the Soviet Union back in the 1980s)

And as always, I am open to any book recommendations!