Every few months, I create a TBR list, or to-be-read list, for myself. Sometimes I'm able to stick to it, other times I go to Barnes & Noble and end up leaving with new books that bump the older ones down a peg. However, more recently I've been determined to keep my TBR list concrete and at least make some effort to conquer it. This semester I haven't bought as many books as I usually do because I don't work when I'm at college and my money has to go to more important things. I've purchased a couple with the help of gift cards and gracious parents who fulfill my book-buying tendencies sometimes when they come to visit. The books on this TBR are a product of the more recent books I've hauled:
1. "Love Defined: Embracing God's Vision for Lasting Love and Satisfying Relationships" by Kristen Clark & Bethany Baird
I've wanted to read this book SO MUCH since I bought it. Singleness can be lonely at times, but it doesn't have to be upsetting or daunting. I've heard a lot of sermons on relationships; it's one of my favorite things to hear about because I love seeing Godly relationships. That's one of the reasons that I can't wait to read this novel, and also because it's geared toward girls my age. Just because I'm single doesn't mean I can't dream for my future or prepare myself for when I'm not single.
2. "The Shack" by William Paul Young
"The Shack" is one of the more emotional, if not the most emotional, reads I have on my TBR list. It's centered around a family, specifically the dad, Mackenzie, who's just lost their youngest member when she's murdered whilst on a family trip. The family is Christian and the two parents have raised their children in Christ, but the dad has been struggling even more since his little girl's death. When an invitation arrives inviting him to the very cabin in which his daughter was murdered, he goes expecting to kill the murderer or be killed himself. Once he gets there, however, he encounters the Trinity of God.
3. "Becoming Mrs. Lewis" by Patti Callahan
I saw this book for the first time a few days ago when I was at Barnes & Noble and was drawn to it by its cover. It looked, upon first glance, absolutely British and that's what attracted me. Come to find out it's about C.S. Lewis' wife, Joy. When she began writing to Lewis, she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Her crumbling marriage was enough to keep her from thinking about that. However, as their relationship over letters grew, her heartbreak at one love's failed endeavor resulted in another love's strength and helped produce the fantastical stories Lewis is best known for today.
4. "The Distance Between Us" by Reyna Grande
This is another novel I saw when I was at Barnes & Noble. It's a memoir written by a girl who lived in two different worlds, America and Mexico. Her parents would trek across the Mexican border in search of the American dream while she and her siblings were forced to stay behind with their stern grandmother. I find immigrant stories very interesting and, even though I'm a Republican, I'll be honest that I don't agree with "the wall." I know our safety is important but many families, like Reyna's, only want the chance to make a better life for themselves - and who are we to deny them that?
5. "The Magnolia Story" by Chip & Joanna Gaines
Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE Fixer Upper and the Gaines family! It's not only their major decorating skills, but it's also the way they live their life. They are an openly Christian family who've shown God's love through so many outlets they've been blessed with. I started reading this book when I first bought it a while back, but for some reason (probably school), I wasn't able to keep reading at the pace I wished to. So now, I want to start from square one and actually finish it!
6. "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
As always, my reading list consists of several that have film or television adaptations. I love the fact that my generation has made it such a priority to get movie ideas from books; there's so many stories to tell and details within books that translate onto the screen well. If you haven't heard about this story, it's a coming-of-age tale about two teenagers with Cystic Fibrosis who meet and fall in love, despite having to stay five feet apart all the time.
7. "The Sun Is Also A Star" by Nicola Yoon
I have to give it up for YA authors in the past couple of years. They are kicking butt at writing culturally diverse stories! This novel is about a girl named Natasha who doesn't believe in fate and a boy named Daniel who does. They meet and it's the classic love story of "boy and girl fall in love," with a twist of course. Natasha's family is being deported to Jamaica in twelve hours.
Those are seven books that I plan to read during the spring and summer months! Stay tuned and maybe I'll do a wrap-up article after I finish them all! And go see the movies too, obviously!
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