Top Ten Tuesday – Thankful

1. The Blue Sword  by: Robin McKinley

My mom recommended this book to me when I was a teenager and I loved it!  It is the book that started my ongoing love for the fantasy genre.

 

2. Beauty  by: Robin McKinley

This is one of my all time favorite books.  I’ve read it countless times and have lent my copy to several friends to read as well.  Thankfully it’s always been returned to me, so my well loved copy is still on the shelf so that I can enjoy it in the future.

3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar  by: Eric Carle

This is an adorable book and I’m very thankful that we own it because I’ve read it hundreds of times over the years to my 2 boys.  They’ve outgrown it now, but I still have it memorized!  One year for Halloween my oldest (2 at the time) was the Very Hungry Caterpillar and my younger son (6 months at the time) was an apple with a hole.  Yes, I made the costumes with the help of my mom and her sewing machine.

4. One Thousand Gifts Devotional: Reflections on Finding Everyday Grace  by: Ann Voskamp

This is a Christian devotional/Bible study book, but the concept of being thankful for something every moment is one that anyone, regardless of beliefs, can appreciate.  I have a tattoo that says “eucharisteo” which is Greek for Thanksgiving.  This devotional helped me adopt the habit of counting the things for which I’m thankful, the big and the small.  It really is a habit and now I can try to find the good in every situation.  I don’t think the religious aspect is overwhelming, but if you don’t want to read it the concept is to make a list of 1,000 things you are thankful for.  Just start writing them down.  Keep your notebook somewhere handy and a few times a day write them down.  Or put them on your smart phone notepad.  Or just think them in your head.  It’s been life changing for me.

5. The Birth Order Book: Why You Are the Way You Are  by: Kevin Leman

I’m the oldest of three kids, an introvert, a perfectionist, I could go on and on.  I was raised thinking that being an introvert was a bad trait and never understanding the depression and anxiety I experienced in jr high and high school.  I didn’t even know the shortness of breath I had problems with were caused by anxiety until I was 22.  I read this book around the same time and was amazed to discover that a lot of people are similar to me….and it’s normal!  And okay!  Understanding my personality more has enabled me to treat myself better and accept myself.

6. Shadows and Monsters: Stories for Halloween  by: Grace A. Dow

The author of this book of short stories is one of my best friends!  Books brought us together (she was a friend of a friend and noticed my Goodreads account and asked if I’d like to be in a book club) and after I found out she had published a book of short stories I was intrigued.  I wondered if I should look on Amazon to see if there were any copies for sale but I never did.  Of course I’d never ask her for a free copy, but she gave me one as a gift a couple of months later!  I love them all and have read a few several times now.  So I’m thankful for this book because of the great stories, but also because of the friendship behind the gift.

 

7. The Book Thief  by: Markus Zusak

This is a powerful book and my overall thought after reading it was that the narrator Death made me more comfortable with the thought of my own death.  Read my review of it HERE.

 

 

8. Call the Midwife  by: Jennifer Worth

This was a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I laughed out loud at times and had tears in my eyes at other times.  I’m also thankful to have read it because it introduced me to the show that I’m now watching.  I just started season 2 and it’s really great too!

 

9. Chocolat  by: Joanne Harris

This was a good book, although not super amazing or even one of my all time favorites.  However, I’m thankful for this book because of the memories that I have of quality “girl time” with my mom.  She read the book at the same time and then we watched the movie together while drinking hot chocolate.  We rarely do that kind of thing together so I treasure that time.

 

10. A Monster Calls  by: Patrick Ness

After I finished this beautiful book I thought, “I’m so glad someone wrote this.”  I ugly cried for a long time while reading and after finishing.  It’s a hard subject, but sometimes reading that kind of stuff is good for me.