What I'm Reading April 2018 (book reviews & recommendations)

Because I always enjoy seeing what other people are reading, I thought I’d share with you what I’m reading. So, here’s my What I’m Reading April 2018 edition! In the comments, share what you’re reading!

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Reading Goal for 2018

My reading goal for 2018 is 70 books. So far I’ve read 12/70. Have you set your reading goal yet for this year? Click on the image below to grab a FREE Reading Log to track your books this year!

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What I’m Reading April

So here it is, my What I’m Reading April edition. And, these are the books I’m planning to read this month:

Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby (on-going Bible Study – read chapter 11)

The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith (on-going Bible Study – read chapter 9)

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

What I read last month

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This FREE book will be used, but in good condition!

Make Things Happen in 25 Talks! by Tricy Cheloni This book was also given to me by a blogging colleague.

This is a really great book! I’m not sure if this book is intended as a daily devotion, but it’s set up perfectly to fit into your day that way.

This book is set up to make you more productive and purposeful by the end of it. So, each day there is a different topic of something that might be stealing your time or hampering your productivity. There is usually a bible verse, a “talk” about the topic and actionable tools to help you tweek, change or add some habits to your life.
A few of the topics I really enjoyed are mindfulness, clutter, and worry. These are all topic that spoke to me in particular, but each is well done. The practical tips and tools are easy and make sense. I also really enjoyed ending each topic with a prayer.

There are 25 different talks, so by the end of a month, you should have a great tool box to really help your productivity and focus! You will be well on your way to making good things happen!

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

With all the hype I’d heard about this book, I’ve got to be honest I was a little disappointed! The premise is really cool! Julie, a somewhat downtrodden NYC working wife is in need of an identity. She comes up with going through a Julia Child cookbook in a year and writing a blog about it ~ The Julie-Julia Project. And mostly, I enjoyed it.

What I didn’t enjoy was that she drinks A LOT. I enjoy drinking, but it seems at some point you have to grow up and grow out of the drinking and getting drunk on a very regular basis.

I really appreciated her adventurous spirit and willingness to try pretty much anything that Julia Child (or her cookbook) put in front of her. Prior to her challenge, she had a whole list of foods that were things she just didn’t eat. And, she didn’t allow herself to not try recipes just because they had weird ingredients or ingredients she didn’t like.

In the end, I think if I had gone into this book with no expectations, it would have been fine. It’s a mostly enjoyable book, an interesting journey, a range of quirky characters, and a whole load of interesting sounding food!

The Five Invitations by Frank Ostaseski

The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Fully Living! I have to say this was a hard book to read. Because the topic is a heavy one, I realized I had to take it in small chunks! But, it is loaded with great information. Mr. Ostaseski is the co-founder of Zen Hospice in California and has helped thousands of his patients through the last phase of their lives, he has learned a lot about dying and therefore, a lot about living! You can read my review of this book!

Living the Five (a 5-week Lenten Study) by Jim and Jennifer Cowart

This was a really good Lenten study. The Cowart’s walked us through what it really means to live out the Great Commission (go and make disciples) and the Great Commandment (love God and love your neighbor).

These two commandments are broken down into 5-weekly lessons: You can’t do life alone, Growing people change, Saved people serve people, Found people find people and Worship is a lifestyle.

If you’re looking for a simple but challenging study to make the Great Commission and the Great Commandment real in your life, this is a good book to look at.

What Are You Reading?

So, I hope you enjoyed my What I’m Reading April edition! Remember to share what you’re reading in the comments below! I always enjoy getting new recommendations and sharing them!