Top Reads of All Time - February

Let's just pretend, yet again, that this post went up on Friday like it was supposed to!




Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Sorry for the haters out there, but I loved this series.  I got into it a little late in the game...borrowed my little brother's books whenever I was home from college.  Loved it then, love it now.  Classic.







The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber

The first of another terrific series.  SO good.  Mysterious and historical and a little bit romantic.  J'adore.

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
This is such a lovely book.  I like to read at the the beginning of the summer, just to prep myself to enjoy everything about the season...and to try to do it with the wonder of a kid.








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Top Reads of All Time - January

Okay, so yesterday was a really exciting day for our family.  My sister-in-law came home from serving an 18 month long mission for our Church.  I don't talk about this much on here partially because I want to keep my blog DIY and partially because I don't want to put anyone off by talking religion, but I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Otherwise known as a Mormon.  My beliefs are very important to me; in fact, they are the guiding force in my life.  If you are interested in knowing more about what Mormons believe, please visit mormon.org.  Or email me (diykindagirl@hotmail.com), and I'd be happy to talk to you about it.  Just no mean emails, okay?

So ANY-way, in honor of my dearly beloved sister-in-law coming home, I thought for today's Top Reads of All Time, I'd share my favorite Mormon religious books.

Just Hold Me: Embraced by the Savior's Love by Don Staheli

One of my personal spiritual epiphanies came while reading this book.  It is about Jesus Christ, and His ability to comfort and uplift us.  Poignant book.

Believing Christ by Stephen E. Robinson
This is a really wonderful book about the Atonement of Christ.  The author has a beautiful way of explaining the Atonement and why we should trust in it, "Believe Christ."  It really helped my understanding of both the Atonement and Jesus Christ.







Small and Simple Things by Marjorie Pay Hinckley

A lovely book written by a lovely woman.  It is a collection of bits of wisdom and encouragement gleaned from a lifetime of experience.  The author, Marjorie Pay Hinckley, was the wife of the last prophet of our Church, Gordon B. Hinckley.  She was gracious and kind and loving, someone I truly admired.





Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
I couldn't make this list without including this book.  The Book of Mormon is holy scripture, a record of God's dealing with the people of ancient America.  It was translated by Joseph Smith by the power of God and published in 1830.  It is truly another witness of Christ, that He is the Son of God, that through His Atonement, all mankind may be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of His Gospel.




Thank you for allowing me to share something so deeply personal.  And please, if you email or comment on my Facebook page, remember to be kind.

Tomorrow, I'll be throwing a baby shower for my sister-in-law, so I'll be back next week with all the details, from food to decorations to games to prizes.  See you then!

Top Reads of All Time - December

From a tired mommy who reads for entertainment, not enlightenment

This was supposed to be last Friday's post.  Oh well!  :)

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
For all the hype over The Forgotten Garden, I actually didn't like it that much.  I DID, however, REALLY like this book.  Both the historical context and the mystery of the story fascinated me.  I have only read two of Kate Morton's (though I have another sitting on my bookshelf!); I definitely want to read more.






The Awakening by Angela Hunt
Christian fiction, but pretty subtle.  I don't particularly enjoy in-your-face Christian fiction.  This is a story about a woman who, upon the death of her mother and a new neighbor moving in, discovers the most important things she thought she understood about her life may be wrong.  Mysterious and utterly captivating.  And a pretty great take home message, of course, seeing as I AM a Christian.  :)





The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald's masterpiece.  (Anyone see the movie?  I really liked it...it obviously sought for a certain feel over absolute historical accuracy...I liked the interpretation.)  And a masterpiece it is.  Truly thought provoking.  Loved it the first time I read it when I was young, and love it still.

Tops Reads of All Time - November

From a tired mommy who reads for entertainment, not enlightenment

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Apropos, considering the movie for numero dos just came out.  Anyway, have you read this?  Are you one of the few people out there who hasn't?  I LOVE it.  LOVE IT.  (Of course, it wouldn't be one of my top reads of all time otherwise.)  I loved the whole series.  I know a lot of people hated the last book, but I didn't.  I think it is a series definitely worth reading.  (And I liked the first movie too....haven't seen the second yet.)






Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Okay, so I am not a Mitch Albom fan.  I don't like those inspirational novels he's come up with.  They just rub me the wrong way.  This, however, is a wonderful book.  Because it's TRUE.  It's not some stilted forced pseudo-inspirational story that triggers my gag reflex.  It's real.  And moving.  You should read it.







These is my Words by Nancy Turner
GOOD book.  REALLY good.  Set in the Arizona territory in the late 1800's, it's a story about a woman surviving...and triumphing.  SO enjoyed it.  Earthy and detailed and authentic and memorable.

Top Reads of All Time - October

Late getting this up!  (And actually, this particular entry was supposed to go up last Friday, but I didn't realize that would be the last Friday in October!  Time is flying!!!)

The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
Oh how I love this book.  If you have little girls, they need to read it as soon as they are old enough.  Princess Amethyst, blessed with special fairy gifts like her beautiful sisters, was also given one different gift: to be ordinary.  Such a lovely story.  I think I should reread it.  :)







The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
This is an incredible book.  Thought provoking, as classics should be.  Dorian Gray, the picture of goodness and innocence.  But what happens when he discovers that the choices he makes will show up on the countenance of his portrait rather than his own face?  An interesting examination of human nature, among other things.








I Am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson
This is a book about the importance of being a mother.  It is written from the perspective of an LDS woman, the former network news correspondent Jane Clayson Johnson.  It is....wonderful.  Well researched, thoughtfully written.  Uplifting and encouraging.  I can't say enough about it, so I'm not going to try!