Book Reviews: I Sit All Amazed and Austenland

I'm slowly but surely plugging along on my reading list for the year. Here are two more books:

I Sit All Amazed by Steve Mikita
Oh my goodness, this is an amazing must read. I highly recommend it. This book is written by and is about Steve Mikita who is a paraplegic. Mr. Mikita talks about the power of the atonement and how Christ is there with you and knows the good and hard times. He also talks a lot about the power of a mother's love and how much his mother sacrificed for him so that he may have that much more of an enriched life. It was very humbling to read about this man who looks at his life, not by what he can not do but, by what he is able to do and what possibilities he has reached.

The book itself was an easy read and only 130 pages. I read it on a flight from Salt Lake City to Boston and it really shouldn't have taken me that long. I loved it because it was thought provoking, humbling, inspiring and an easy page turner. I bought this at Deseret Book and have no regrets about owning it.

Quotes I liked from the book:

"I cannot repay my mother. Can anyone? I can only give thanks and honor her by living the principles she taught me and by loving others as she loved me."

"Brigham Young once explained, 'Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world's work, and the power to appreciate life.'"
"With Education comes information and choices and preparation, all of which provide an increased awareness of who we are and what we can become. Education draws us closer to the truth of all things. It also makes us useful to other people rather than a burden to them. In spite of my physical disability, I knew I had something to contribute and that education would be the means of delivering it."

"Change provides us with the opportunity to learn more about our Lord and to trust His love and promises for each of us.... But we are not left alone; we are not abandoned. Our loving Godhead is there to comfort and guide us through these changing times."

"Faith is an active thing. Faith requires confidence and effort. Faith requires courage, research, and sacrifice. Faith demands that you and I act."

Talking about being accepted to Duke University and how the Dean of Students was excited and willing to prepare a smooth pathway for Steve Mikita's higher education. "Once again, Mom was right. So long as we had active faith, it only took one -- one extraordinary university and one understanding heart -- to open the way."
(Not only do I love that he is quick to give thanks to his Heavenly Father for this opportunity, give credit for the blessing and recognize the blessing of having active faith but I love that this is an example that Heavenly Father blesses us through other people at times and we too can be making a difference in other's lives when we are listening to the spirit.)

"When we were children, Dad would often remark, 'The greatest gift that a father can give his children is the knowledge that he loves their mother.'"

"my body is destined to fail me. But what won't fail me is my attitude, my family, my friends, and my Savior. Those are the things and the people I can count on and trust. Those are the things that fill my life with hope, happiness and strength."

"it is because of Him that joy is attainable each and every day, wherever we find ourselves and whatever we are experiencing.... Humor does make a difference in our lives. One cannot live a full life without being touched by life's ironies and comedies. Being able to laugh at one's self or at life's paradoxical turns makes every day more enjoyable."

Austenland by Shannon Hale
This book was fun. It wasn't a major page turner like it was for my friend but I still enjoyed a little guilty pleasure of getting slightly wrapped up in a chick flick. I liked that the book was clean and a light easy read. It is about a girl who is obsessed with Pride and Prejudice and she has a wealthy great aunt that sends her off to this resort that is set up to be as if you are living in the time period of Pride and Prejudice. The great aunt sends her there to get all of the Pride and Prejudice fantasies out of her system because it's beginning to take over the reality of her life. The book continues on to have twisted romances and in the end everything works out and she finds herself. Again, nothing amazing, but just light and fun.