readerturnedwriter's reviews
1080 reviews

What We Wish We'd Known When We Were Newlyweds, by Kimberly Bytheway, John Bytheway

5.0

So fun to read! I have been married five years and we have a couple kids, but I still found the book interesting and useful. I think it's always good to be reading marriage books. You know most of what they are talking about, but it's a good reminder on how to be a better spouse. It was also fun to read it and think about my own time as a newlywed. Very well organized and thought out, with fun and personal stories throughout.

Glimpses into the Life and Heart of Marjorie Pay Hinckley, by Virginia H. Pearce

5.0

The more I learn about Marjorie Hinckley, the more I am in awe of the kind of woman she is. I loved hearing about her from the people who knew her best, it left me inspired to be a better person. And I cannot even say enough good about her own words. Every time she was quoted and each talk I read by her blew me away. She has a way of speaking that makes you feel like you can be the kind of person she is talking about, that you already are if you simply choose to be. Reading this book has helped me strive to be more optimistic, selfless, aware of those around me, and working to make the world a better place. I will always be grateful for the life Marjorie Pay Hinckley lived.

Dear Mr. President Abraham Lincoln: Letters from a Slave Girl, by Tom Stechshult, Sisi Aisha Johnson, George Guidall, Live Oak Media, Andrea Davis Pinkney

4.0

I thought this was well done. It is for a younger audience, so it is an easier and quicker read, but I did learn some things about the Civil War and I think it's an excellent resource for kids learning about the Civil War.

The Overton Window, by Glenn Beck

4.0

For me, this book was not bad. I am not huge into political thrillers, though I do want to get more involved in politics (even if it's just knowing better what is going on). I enjoyed it for it's educational value and the story was fine. I didn't feel pulled along to find out what happened next and there were quite a few places I felt were very difficult to push through (maybe it's because I don't know as much about politics as I should?). There were also a few parts (depicting torture, police brutality, etc) that bothered me, but I am bothered more easily than most. I enjoyed it enough that I will *probably* read the sequel at some future point.

Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life, by Gladys Hunt

5.0

I absolutely LOVED this book! I think this is the perfect companion book for the Read Aloud Handbook. This book is focused on the importance of creating a family atmosphere around books and why you need to choose the best books to expose your kids to. I know that reading to our kids is so important and that making books a way of life is the best way to set your kids up for success in life. I love how this book discusses that, brings God and morals into the picture, touches on the importance of scripture reading, and really just the general way the author talks about books. If you have kids, go read this book (and the Read Aloud Handbook).

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch

3.0

The book was okay. There wasn't anything wrong with it, there were some good life lessons throughout the book and the writing was well done, but it didn't blow me away or anything.

Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God, by Jamie Glenn

4.0

I enjoyed this book. I think I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I had read it in high school. I felt the writing was well done and organized, though I also think it was too long, it could have been shorter and given the same value to the reader. I enjoyed her stories and the Spirit her words brought.

Way to Be!: Nine Ways to Be Happy and Make Something of Your Life, by Gordon B. Hinckley

5.0

I loved this book! I hope all my kids read it as teenagers. I love Gordon B. Hinckley's optimistic outlook on life and people, while still managing to be realistic. I love how much faith he has in future generations and in God, and I love how easily he shares that with the reader. I finished this book feeling uplifted, inspired, and wanting to be a better person.

The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis

5.0

I have yet to read anything by C.S. Lewis that I haven't loved. Because of the format of the book, I felt this book was one his hardest to understand. I had a hard time following at some parts, it took a lot of effort to really get what he was saying. While it is a short book, it's not a quick read. It is well worth the effort, though. C.S. Lewis logically and brilliantly defends morality in science. I also appreciated the way he talked about educating our youth, because I agree with a lot of what he said.

Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke

4.0

I liked it, but didn't love it. I felt the book was too long, that if she'd introduced her characters at the beginning, skipped to the middle and picked up the story there, it would have been a better book. It had the same problem as the seventh Harry Potter to me--the characters were just kind of wandering around, not sure what to do, never really making a plan (and when they did, they didn't tell it to us, so we were still just wandering around with them). It also felt like she did things just so she could get to where she wanted in the plot and the "bad guys" didn't really feel real or like a real threat to me, because it was obvious they weren't going to hurt or kill the protagonists.

I really liked the way they talked about books and words and stories, in a magical way. I like the premise and I really liked the protagonists (especially the aunt). I also liked the ending for the most part. She left it happy but open (for sequels, I found out later). The writing was well done. I liked it enough that I will probably read the rest of the series.