Media Matters

 Nonfiction book by Arthur C. Brooks This is a fascinating book that would be great to read and discuss with teenagers and adults alike. It uses various scientific studies and personal anecdotes to teach the most healthy and effective ways to interact with the people around us. I cannot recommend it enough! 

 Nonfiction book by Brene Brown. Self-help is not my favorite genre, so I found myself occasionally bored. However, there were some interesting and insightful points I want to remember: The way we learn to swim is by swimming. Likewise,  the way we learn to courage is by couraging. The way we learn to compassion is by compassioning... The original meaning of the word couarge: to openly speak all that is in your heart. Don't minimize things that are important to you; then others will follow your lead and minimize them too.  Technology tricks us into mistaking communication for connection. They're not the same.  Fake it til you make it is a way of practicing imperfection. This is good for you! Spirituality is a critical component of resilience. Hope is setting reachable goals, seeing a path to success despite setbacks, and believing in ourselves, using our agency to move forward on that path to reach the goal. Hope is and can be learned. Entitlement and feeling powerle...

 Book by Amanda Dykes. This book contained two engaging stories that intertwined by the end, and served up a hearty helping of mystery and romance. The writing was lovely, but the pacing was a tad slow for my tastes. I really appreciated having a mystery story that had nothing to do with murder, and romance that was clean and slow building. There is a sense of wonder and delight in God’s creations that comes through, as well as a theme of sacrificial love that is shown as a type of Christ.

Book by Kristina Kuzmic.  I haven’t experienced a lot of the things Kristina has: I’ve never lived in a war zone, emigrated to a new country, been sexually assaulted, gotten a divorce, or lived in poverty. I’ve also never been on a TV show or rubbed shoulders with Oprah.  Despite our dissimilarities, however, we have some really important things in common: we are both women of faith, mothers who love their children, wives who appreciate their husbands, and people who believe goodness can change the world. This book is part memoir, part parenting tips, and part life coach. It is often hilarious, at times heartbreaking, and overall hopeful and encouraging. Some of my favorite things in the book: —The story about pulling herself out of depression by finding a way to serve others, even though she was living on food stamps at the time. I loved everything about those Wednesday dinners! — Resolving arguments by switching sides and having to argue the other person’s point of view. She...

 Novel by Terry Pratchett. This was clever and darkly humorous, with an interesting lesson about being in control of your own mind and rising above the natural man (or rat or cat). Teens and adults will enjoy this most, but non-squeamish tweens could listen in. It is a bit creepy in the reality of rats eating other rats. I listened to the audiobook and it was pretty good, but I imagine the book would be great too.