Love Does - Book Review

Book: Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World

Author: Bob Goff

Genre: Christian, Non-Fiction 

Publisher/Publish Date: Thomas Nelson / January, 2012

Source: Public Library

Pages: 240

Rating: 4.5/5

GoodReads  •  Amazon

I've put this book on the back burner for awhile, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. It's inspiring and full of stories that made me smile.

It's a quick read, with lots of good content and I think most people would really enjoy this book. I liked that the chapters are short, most with a personal story and then what Bob learned from his experience.

While Bob is a Christian, and he does speak about spirituality, I think there is inspiration in this book for all people. He reminds us invest in other people, tell a good story with your life, and fight hard for things that are important to you.

what I've been reading....

Hi. It's nice to be back from my little break. Life got in the way of blogging and reading. It was all good stuff, but I have missed sharing here what I've been up to.

I was over on GoodReads.com the other day, listing some books I'd finished reading, and decided to check out how I was doing on my goal of reading 75 books this year. Well, the news was bad. While I've read 13 books, I'm 17 books behind... yikes! Not sure if I can catch up, or if I even care to try, but I want to get back on the horse and read more the second half of the year. I also have piles of books in my room to read:)

Books I've read since I last posted...

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis, by Lauren F. Winner
I picked this up since I loved her first book Girl Meets God and this didn't disappoint. Winner honestly shares her struggles with God and Christianity, and where she sees her self in the Christian story.

Here I Go Again, by Jen Lancaster
A hard book to explain without giving too much away, Lissy Ryder returns to her high school for her 20th reunion to discover that her memories were a little rose-tinted, and she may not be as successful and beloved as she once thought.

The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World, by Nancy Jo Sales
While not the most well written book, it's an interesting look at the headline catching story of six LA teens who burglarized celebrity homes including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Orlando Bloom. This book attempts to discover the motivation behind the break-ins and what lead to their obsession with celebrity.

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories, by B.J. Novak
Random, odd, funny, heart-touching. A mix of short stories, Novak does an amazing job of fabricating unique stories, characters and places.

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell
I've heard about how great this book is, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. It is definitely a young adult book, but is a beautiful story of two high school misfits finding love and seeing if they have what it takes to make it last.

Help Thanks Wow: Three Essential Prayers, by Anne Lamott
One of my favorite authors, Lamott shares the three prayers that get her through tough times, and shares personal stories that lead her to these three prayers.

The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer
I read this book with my church's small group. Tozer does an amazing job at identifying and expounding on God's attributes, such as wisdom, grace, mercy and justice. There was a lot of content that was new to me, and it's a dense book, elegantly written, and I probably re-read in a year or two.

July - What I Read

After a really slow reading month in June (only 3 books), I kicked it up a notch in July. Though it helped that one is a photo book, another I only read part of, and yet another was short stories.

Coyote Lost at Sea, by Julia Plant 

I really enjoy adventure books and this was no exception. It's a look at the life of Mike Plant, seen through the eyes of his younger sister Julia. He's a solo sailer, willing to risk his life for the sport he loved. [my review]

Kneading to Die, by Liz Mugavero
A good beach read with a bit of heart. Luckily the pet parts didn't over power the other good qualities of the book. [my review]

Vanishing Portland, by Ray Bottenberg
A photography book, showing historical architecture in Portland Oregon, along side a bit of info. Fun way to see and read about the history of this city.

Portland in Three Centuries, by Carl Abbott
Another history book about Portland Oregon, but with a lot more words. I only made it through half of it. It found it interesting, but it had a lot of details and I felt ready to move onto another book.

The Short, Strange Life of Herschel Grynszpan, by Jonathan Kirsch
While I really liked this book and learned a lot from it, it wasn't the most fun book to read. I powered through it and was glad I did. [my review]

Seaside Harmony, by Evangeline Kelley
Another good beach read or summer read. Lighthearted and made me wish I could take a trip to where the book was set.

Accidental Time Traveller, by Janis Mackay
A pretty decent Middle Grade book about a young girl who travels and gets stuck in time.

A Dangerous Fiction, by Barbara Rogan
A really great mystery novel. Well written with a plot that is layer though not too complicated to get confusing. Expect a review for this soon.

The Winds of Marble Arch and Other Stories, by Connie Willis
A collection of short stories. I read four of them, and really enjoyed them. Mostly I am not a huge fan of short stories though, would rather have something around 300-400 pages with a good story I can get lost in.

May - What I Read

Thanks to a cold and a lot of time spent sick in bed, I plowed through a lot of books this month. I feel very accomplished:) Working on some longer reviews of some of these, so expect those soon.

Requiem (Delirium #3), by Lauren Oliver
[my review]

What Good Is God?: In Search of a Faith That Matters, by Philip Yancey
I listend to this as an audiobook, read by the author. And since much of the book is based on his sermons, it was an enjoyable and inspiring listen.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
So good! Everyone should read this. [my review]

The Mystery of Mercy Close (Walsh Family #5), by Marian Keyes
[my review]

Queen of the Air: A True Story of Love and Tragedy at the Circus, by Dean N. Jensen
Thanks to the publishers who were kind enough to send me an Advanced Copy of this book. I really, really enjoyed it. This book will be available June 11. [my review]

Screwed, by Laurie Plissner
Also got an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher. I may not be the right audience for this book (I'd recommend for high school and college age), and I had some issues with the writing, but the story was interesting.

Absent, by Katie Williams
Thank you Chronicle Books & NetGalley for the ARC, I really enjoyed this. [my review]

The Last Summer of the Camperdowns, by Elizabeth Kelly
Such a great book! Was so glad yo get it as an ARC. I often value books based on how much I like the cover, and this one held up to my high standard. [my review]

Storybound (Storybound #1), by Marissa Burt
Cute story about a normal girl who is reading one day, and is sucked into Storyland. Sometimes felt that it was trying too hard to be a great series like Harry Potter, but I'd recommend for elementary and middle school kids. (I got an ARC from NetGalley)

April - What I Read

April was a great month. Lots of beautiful sunny weather here in SF, both my sisters came to visit for a week, and I somehow still read 6 books this month.

Bitterblue, by Kristin Cashore
A fantastical novel, about a distant and mysterious kingdom. For fans of The Infernal Devices & A Song of Ice and Fire. [post]

Winning Balance, by Shawn Johnson
Johnson shares her early gymnastic years, her experience at the Olympics, and how how her life has changed since then. Easy and fun to read.

Clockwork Prince, by Cassandra Clare
Just as good as all of Clare's other books, she creates great characters and plots to pull the reader in. [post]

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, by Barbara Demick
Good, but not my favorite book on North Korea. [post]

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, by Lawrence Wright
Amazing book. Read my review for more thoughts, but I recommend you read it and decide what you think about Scientology. [post]

Scarlet, by Marissa Meyer
This sequel was better than the first, go read it!

Only 4 months into the year and I am 50% done with my goal of 50 books this year. I guess I underestimated myself. Maybe I should aim for 100 next year!

February - What I Read

Boy did March sneak up on me, but I think I did a pretty good job this month considering it's a short month.

At the beginning of the year I made a goal to read 50 books this year, which I though was a conservative goal. I may have underestimated myself. So far I've read 13, and according to GoodReads I am six books, 11% ahead of schedule. Maybe I can get that percentage up for next month.

More Or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity, by Jeff Shinabarger
A recently published boom and my first ARC review. My review (FYI: I really loved it!)

Disco Bloodbath, by James St. James
I blogged about it last week.

Prodigy, by Marie Lu
I have a review of this coming out later this month.

Forgotten God, by Francis Chan
A book I've been wanting to read for awhile, and I got my hands on the audio book at the library. While I don't love listening to audio books that often, it's great how quick it is to get through a book. This book focuses on the neglect of the Holy Spirit in today's church. How it's the true true source of the church's power and calls for us to refocus on the forgotten God.

Cinder, by Marissa Meyer
Loosely based on the story of Cinderella, though in this story she's a cyborg. As crazy as that may sound, this was actually a really great book. And unlike most other dystopian novels, this wasn't based in North America, but in New Beijing. Scarlet, the second book in this series (Lunar Chronicles) was published February 5th and I am looking forward to reading that soon.

Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West, by Blaine Harden
I have a review of this coming out later this month. I highly recommend reading this.

This Book is Not Good For You, by Pseudonymous Bosch
How can you not love a title like that. This is the third book (out of five) in the New York Times bestselling Secret Series. Two adventurous 11-year olds, Cass and Max-Ernest head off to track the Midnight Sun organization, after they kidnap Cass' mother. While I enjoy this series, the plot tends to be pretty shallow and repetitive, but I really enjoy the characters. And they are easy and fun to read, so I think I'll stick with the series. Recommended for 3rd - 5th graders (or thirty-somthing adults).

In process...
Infinite Jest: going to work on this book a little at a time. Only 51 pages in so far, but I am really enjoying it.
Red Carpet Burns: a memoir about moving to LA for love.
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict: one of my favorite contemporary series which I consider a cross between J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl.