Books I Read In May

Oh my goodness, I read the most fun combination of books ever this month. I've heard a couple of times recently that people have discovered the freedom of not having to finish books they don't like. I definitely didn't have that problem this time!

The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear Into Your Superpower by Michelle Curran. When a woman who has broken barriers and ceilings and flies military planes upside down gives you advice, you listen. Just reading the stories about Mace's in-flight experience in the Air Force Thunderbirds would have been enough to be a page-turner, but then she adds in life-altering insights about silencing your inner critic and surrounding yourself with the right wingmen, and there was no way I could put this book down. Fabulous!

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. I'm usually hesitant to read a new book by a new author, but I'm so glad I grabbed this one on impulse. It's a page-turning whodunit that kept me on the edge of my seat - so much so that I had to read it all in one day! And no, I was completely wrong about the killer...which made the last chapters so much more fun. It's the beginning of a series, so I'm excited to find the next installment after reading the excerpt at the end of this one.

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. I grew up on musicals, everything from Camelot and My Fair Lady to The Sound of Music and West Side Story. Being an Iowa girl, The Music Man was always my favorite - I can still sing the entire score. Hamilton is the Broadway musical that 10 years ago changed the landscape of what the stage and music and history could do when combined, and the book tells the inside story of how this revolution came to be. Side note: Christopher Jackson's portrayal of George Washington is what spurred my obsessive curiosity about our first president.

Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt by Kenneth McKenzie and Todd Harra. I'm always excited to read about my husband's profession and get some more insight into what he goes through on a daily basis. (We have some amazing dinner conversations!) This book is a collection of short stories written by funeral directors from across the country, telling just a few of the poignant, funny, heartbreaking, and always memorable moments of their chosen profession. Several times I had to ask if something like that would really happen ... you'll have to read it and decide for yourself.

The Richest Man Who Ever Lived by Steven K. Scott. The youth group asked for a lesson on money last month, so I reread this in-depth study into the success strategies of King Solomon. It talks about how wisdom, mentorship, partnership, and communication lead to success is every area of life, not just finances, which was exactly what our teens needed to hear. It's a wonderful book to dive into the life of Solomon, the book of Proverbs, and the fruit we need to be cultivating in our Christian walk to be a blessing to other people.

Flying Companion: A Pilot-Friendly Manual by Pilot Workshops. In preparation for my first flight as a pilot's wife, Danny gave me this fun and educational book on getting ready to be a passenger. Not only am I in charge of snacks, packing the bags, and helping plan the trip on the computer maps, I get to help with preflight checks, looking for traffic, and understanding at least a little bit about weather patterns and what to look for on the gauges. I will need to reread it frequently as we continue to fly over the years, just to make sure I'm doing everything I can to help Danny be the best pilot he can.

What was on your reading pile in May?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holland Creme - That Amazing White Stuff In Donuts

Image
I remember going to the grocery store every Saturday morning when I was growing up, and my favorite place in the entire store was the donut case. All the glazed, powdered and filled baked goods drew me like a magnet. My favorites, far and away, were the ones filled with that beautiful white, fluffy creme. At the time I didn't know it was called Holland Creme - I just knew it was the most amazing concoction ever. Ever. Here is my version of this sweet treat. You can make your own fried donuts and fill them, or like I did here, you can cut a crevice into store-bought donuts with a knife and fill them with creme in a piping bag. Either way, you're going to love it. Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup shortening 1 cup butter 1 Tbsp vanilla 7 cups powdered sugar 1. Make a simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool complet...
Read more

Recovering An Old Card Table And Making It Usable Again

Image
This card table recover project has been on my to-do list for months. I've been using it as my workspace in the craft room for quite some time, and it sees a lot of abuse. Here it is now, with a neutral cover on it so I can take better pictures for my tutorials. There were dents and dings in the old blue covering from metal tools. And yes, I've used my embossing heat tool on it several times, leaving pretty good scars. The padding underneath the blue cover also made it difficult to keep paper crafts flat when adhering them together, so it was time for something new. That's where a simple vinyl tablecloth comes in handy. The process to recover the table is pretty simple, but I learned a couple of lessons the hard way. I share them with you now. First, don't do this on any surface but a carpet. I tried it on the deck int he sunshine to get better pictures, but all it did was tear up the cover. Second, get a second pair of hands to help you kee...
Read more

Crafts For Teen Girls To Make

Image
In our teen girls Bible study, we're studying our way through the Proverbs 31 woman and it's been such a blessing to me, as I hope it's been to them. Every month we spend an afternoon or an evening together studying Scripture, making something amazing in the kitchen and creating something that corresponds to the verse we're in. Choosing the crafts each time can be a challenge for several reasons. It needs to be something they can completely finish (or do most of) because once they leave they're probably not going to work on it themselves - that's just the nature of teenagers. Remember? It also needs to be a project that keeps they're attention, is age-appropriate and is cool enough that they'll want to keep it or give it to someone special. But hey, no pressure on the Bible study leader, right? Here are just a few of the projects we've done together in the year we've been meeting. * This month's craft will be the adorable cross stit...
Read more