My last posting mentioned that I had read 28 books last year and many of them were memorable. On the fiction side, choosing my favorite was a no-brainer. Absolutely the best fiction book I read was Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It is a re-telling of the story of Hosea set in the old west. It was creative and very well written. It is also probably they only work of fiction that has ever compelled me to cry out to God in repentance. I suppose this should not surprise me since the story is based upon a story right out of the Bible. If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it.
The non-fiction side proved more difficult to choose one favorite. Almost every one of them gave me something to think about. In the end, I have chosen two. The first is Now and Not Yet: Making Sense of Single Life in the 21st Century by Jennifer A. Marshall. This is probably the best book I have ever read that is discusses being a single woman in contemporary society. It is not a “how to” or “what you are doing wrong” type of book. She writes about how things have changed since our parents were dating and how various things in contemporary American life affect us. One reviewer on Amazon.com wrote “Jennifer takes an honest, clear-eyed look at the gap between where so many of us are and where we had expected and hoped to be, and the struggles we face while trying to make a life in that place.”
If you are a single woman navigating life in this day and age, I commend this book to you as a source of insight and encouragement. I would also recommend it as a good read for those who are married and have single friends. This book will give you insight that will help you better understand them.
The second book on the non-fiction side is Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton. I picked this up after our Single Adult Minister recommended it. I found it fascinating. It is a book based on Gallup research which has showed that those who have had the most success in their fields have focused on their strengths rather than their weakness. I took the strengths finder test myself and felt that it explained a lot about my interests. For those interested, the following is a brief summary of my strengths:
- Learner
People strong in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
- Intellection
People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
- Input
People strong in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.
- Empathy
People strong in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations.
- Connectedness
People strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
These are my top books of 2007. I’m already looking forward to what 2008 holds in store. Gotta go now…time to read another book.
I am intrigued with these books. And just for the record, I’m learning that everyone, married or single, over-run with children or no children, has to learn to live where they are in life rather than where they hoped/ dreamed/ thought/ expected they’d be.