January Book List

Quitter: Turning Your Job Into a Dream and Your Dream Into a Job by Jon Acuff
I felt like this book was written directly at me. Sometimes that encouraged me, and sometimes it made me a little angry. It's insightful, and because it's Jon Acuff, also hilarious. I don't know that ALL of his dream-chasing career advice is applicable to me - it seems more geared toward entrepreneurs or Real Artists - but it definitely gave me food for thought. I recommend it to anyone fed up with their current situation, but not sure what to do next. I'm glad I read it.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Things get more complicated in this second Infernal Devices novel. The secret of Will's jerkiness is revealed, Tessa receives Shadowhunter training and is torn between Will and Jem, and Charlotte has to track down the evil Magister or lose her leadership of the Institute. Plus some other surprises. I devoured this in about 24 hours. I sigh to wait another year or more for the next one.

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos
Why did I wait so long to read this sequel to Love Walked In? The story reconnects with Cornelia, Teo, and Clare several years after the first novel. Cornelia and Teo have moved to the suburbs and are having trouble fitting in with their neighbors, especially WASPy queen bee Piper (whose best friend is dying of cancer). Cornelia befriends another new woman in town, Lake, but is puzzled by her sudden mood swings, especially on the subject of Lake's teenage son. It all leads up to a shocking twist that I, at least, never saw coming. De los Santos is a genius at writing realistic relationships, and characters you wish you could be friends with.

Basketball Made Simple: A Spectator's Guide by P.J. Harari and Dave Ominsky
Since I love my Tiger basketball, I wanted to better understand the elements of the game. So I checked out this very earnest, but informative, guide. It covers basic player roles, strategies, and common fouls, and includes a general history of the game, NCAA and NBA. I also liked the profiles of famous players at the end.

The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules by Carolyn Custis James
I already talked about this one here.

Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster
This volume of Jen's memoirs covers her childhood, teenage years, college years, and early 20s... through fashion. :) As usual, she's very funny and likable!

A Praying Life by Paul Miller
This is a book I'll come back to many times. It's about prayer, but it's also about hope and honesty and disappointment. The main point is that prayer should be a natural part of all those things, integrated into our lives, not a separate item on a spiritual checklist. I've read some books on prayer that were pretty dry, but this one is almost as engaging as a novel. I can't recommend it enough. It's already changed my prayer life for the better.

Books for January/2012 year to date: 7