September Book Nook

I am an avid reader. I am neurotic about carrying books around with me because I might have downtime somewhere in my daily schedule that will be wasted if I don’t have a book in which to absorb information/utilize my time/kill my time. Of course, these habits have been slightly altered with Isabelle, because I don’t have as much downtime, but we still frequent the public library and I still have a 2 foot stack of books by my bed.

This month I thought I would recommend two books I recently finished reading that have really challenged me and I hope I can absorb enough of the principles to make changes in my life! (By the way, I almost always read the books that my friends recommend on their blogs. I LOVE doing that! So recommend away!)

Not For Sale
This non-fiction book by David Batstone is about modern day slavery. How it is more prevalent now in the world than at any point in history. Shocking? Yes! You should read the stories of children taken from homes in Africa to perform in “African Children’s Choirs” in the US only to be exploited by the managers, or the child soldier slaves of Northern Africa, or the rice slaves of India. Unbelievable and difficult for the middle class American mind to absorb. Many of these people are in bondage to slavery because of $3 loans or less. Or young girls kidnapped from bus stops in Cleveland Ohio and sold into the sex industry. It happens right under our noses, as well as all around the world. I’m still really processing what this means for me and for our family and HOW we can help.

Safely Home
This fiction book is based on a lot of real facts about the current situation in China. Randy Alcorn’s “hero” is a middle aged American Businessman, who is doing business in China, and comes face to face with the harsh realities of Christian persecution through his old Harvard roommate, a Chinese citizen. The book vacillates between what’s going on in character’s lives on earth and Heaven’s perspective on the situation, as Christ and the Saints look down and respond and intercede for the “Shadowlands.” Being pregnant and prone to weird dreams, I had to stop reading both of these books at night before I fell asleep because of the crazy dreams they gave me. But I walked away from this book asking myself if I were really a Christian. If what I was living my life for was really God’s priorities. I’m still struggling with that.