Top Five Picks!

I'm a reader; A bookworm; Or, as my mum's latest favourite way to say it, a page mite. I enjoy reading, and I do it often. And, if you've had the least bit to do with me, you'll know all that already. Anyway, I decided to tell you about my five top picks out of the books I've read so far this year. Let me tell you, to narrow it down to five was hard work. Even maybe a little bit too hard for me. ;) Other people would call a post like this 'My Five Favourites' or something similiar, but I can't because I don't have favourites. I'm always discovering new exciting books, so I'm always getting new favourites. Then, have you ever read this quote? 'Asking a bookworm what their favourite book is, is like a mother who her favourite child is.' So, here they are, in the order that I read them, not necessarily in preference order:

'Bootprints' Wow. If ever a book had a chance to make it onto my top five picks of all time, this one does. In fact, honestly here, just thinking about it makes me want to reread it! It's the story of Jason Kauffman. He grew up with a healthy fear of his father - he never seemed to be able to please him. And when you didn't please father, there were consequences. The story continues, following Jason through his childhood, youth, and through the time he becomes a father himself, to a set of children that had a fear of him, just like he had of his father. That is, until Jason decides to make a change for the better. :) So, I really enjoyed this story – it was an easy and well-written read, and one that kept me well and truly hooked! [Find it here.]

'Search to Belong' This is written by Christmas Carol Kauffman, and if you've ever read any of her books, you'll know why this is on this list. I had to read it a couple of times before I returned it to the generous loaner - it was so good! It tells the story of David Grant, who grew up in a foster home. All his life he wondered about his real parents, particularly his mum. And unbeknownst to him, all his life his mum wonders about her little boy, until the day when... I won't spoil the story. :) I've read most of Christmas Carol Kauffman's books, and I would say this is one of the very best. It is a true story and well written, but more than that, it really helped me to somewhat understand, or sympathize with at least, the feelings of someone who is a foster child, or who grows up not knowing who their parents are, as well as making me extremely grateful for my family situation. :) [Find it here.]

  

'Night' This is the story of Elie Wiesel's life during the holocaust. He was a Jew, and was treated as such. It's one of those descriptive accounts of what it was really like to be in Auschwitz during the Second World War. As I was reading it, I wondered how Elie, who was at the time only a boy, could possibly have survived all that he went through, and yet I knew he did, because he wrote the book. I don't agree with everything said in this book, it is not actually a Christian book, the author's experience made him question his faith,etc, but it really showed me that we have it easy today. Things we take for granted, say food, warmth, friends, they would have died for. And, some of them did. So, this book was good. Not a happy or heartwarming story, actually quite horrific and sad, but still, it is worth reading. :)

'Returning Home' This is another one of those really, really good books. I'd been looking at it in the catalogue for years, until, just a couple of months ago, I decided i'd had enough of wondering what it was like. So, I bought it, and then I read it, and it really well and truly had me on the edge of the chair until the last page. :) It's the true story of Johann Plett and his family back in the 1700's. They struggled with poverty and grief, and Johann struggled with God, and his faith. Who will he choose to give his life to? You'll just have to read it to find out! :) [Find it here.]

'Uncle Tom's Cabin' This is somewhat historical fiction, although a lot of it is based on real circumstances. Back in the 1860's when America was fighting over the issue of slavery, one courageous women decided to educate people on what slavery was really like. A lot of people didn't know how the slaves were treated, or anything. They couldn't make informed decisions on which side to take. Harriet Beecher Stowe achieved her goal by writing Uncle Tom's Cabin.This book follows a number of characters, many of whom are slaves, but particularly one slave called Tom – how he was bought and sold, treated and mistreated, how he lived and how he died. It endeavored to prove to a disbelieving America, that negroes were humans too, with feelings and emotions, and the ability to think and reason. This book isn't specifically Christian, but I believe the author was a Christian, and it does show through in her writing. And although it's written in a slightly old fashioned way, it is still a really great read. :)

'Joey's Story' Last but not least! I wasn't sure whether this one was going to be a really interesting book or not, but once I got started...well, let's just say it was hard to stop! It's the story of Joanna Heger. She had a tough childhood, in fact the book starts when she was only young, but in a situation like hers she grows up fast, and always seems older than her age. It follows her as she continues to grow up, as she and her siblings are forced to leave their home and be fostered out to a number of different homes until finally they are adopted into another family. She struggles with various things, gives her life to the Lord, gets married, and begins a family of her own. This book makes me feel very thankful for my family, and grateful that I don't have to go through anything like what Joey faced. It also make me wonder how many other hurting people are out there, and how I can help them. Oh, and another side bonus to this book – it's 637 pages long! Anybody else like thick books?! [Find it here.]

So there you have it! What are your top five picks for the year? Have you read any of these? What was your opinion of them? Also...how's your maths? ;)

Bees...A Quote...And a Post with an Extremely Lame Title...

Well, I've tried for so long to think of something amazing and profound to put with these photos. And I have failed miserably. So, I'll leave you with a quote that, I found, really made sense. :)

'Joy comes to the strong when they serve the weak, not because they have done something grand, but whether they know it or not, their actions have aligned themselves with God. He's the happiest Being ever. When you do what He does, you automatically sense His pleasure. It's the way He made you.'  Bob Schultz

Book Review - Dannie of the Cedar Cliffs

This book is the true story of Dannie (Daniel) Martin. Dannie was the first child of Jake & Elizabeth Martin. He had a quiet and fairly peaceful childhood. His family moved a few times before their second child came along - Maria Elizabeth, whom they called Lilie. Dannie's most pleasant times were spent with his Granpap Roth. They were close from an early age, and Granpap often took Dannie with him on trips, both business trips and trips to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the poor and isolated folks around. Granpap made a huge impression on Dannie's life, and Dannie readily gave his life to God at an age earlier than most others in his church. A few years later, Dannie met and married a Christian girl by the name of Savilla Frances -  Villie, as he called her. They soon started a family of their own, and had ten children altogether, but unfortunately two of them died. Dannie continued following in his Granpap's footsteps, visiting people and encouraging them to give their lives to Christ, even after Granpap passed away. 'Whatever Dannie tried to do in life, he tried desperately to do it well. In great tasks or small, whatever he devoted his energies to, he devoted them completely.*' Dannie continued to serve his God, and his fellows, up until his death in 1950, at age 85.

'Dannie of the Cedar Cliffs' is written by Christmas Carol Kauffman. I have read a lot of her other books, so I was eager to see what this one was like. It's quite different from most of her others, such as 'Unspoken Love', 'Not Regina',and 'For One Moment', in that the main character, Dannie, does not have a difficult or troubled upbringing, or a sad journey through life, with the exception of a few deaths. Although written in the same style, this book lacks the suspense and drama of some of Christmas' other books, and the writing may not be as detailed. Because of that it is also ideal for family reading to a younger audience.

Christmas mentions three motives for writing 'Dannie of the Cedar Cliffs', all of which were very well covered. One of her motives for writing 'Dannie of the Cedar Cliffs' was 'to portray early Mennonite life'. It was interesting to learn how their churches worked back then. For example, most church services were still preached in German, (a language which Dannie's generation could not understand,) and Sunday schools were a new thing,- rejected by many members. The church services also went on for three to four hours!

All in all, this is a good book. It was an easy read, and I enjoyed it. It was inspiring to read about an ordinary Christian man, who was faithful and used of God, and to learn more about Mennonite life in the early to mid nineteen hundreds. :) 

*'Dannie of the Cedar Cliffs' page 246.