So of course I strayed from my reading list for the year... I always do. Well I had three books lent to me and needed to read them and get them returned. Here are my reviews on them:
FOUR by Veronica Roth
Spoiler Alert: If you haven't read the Divergent Trilogy and plan to, don't read this review.
This book was a special addition to the Divergent Trilogy; I can't really call it a sequel because it really starts in the time line of the series before hand. The book is about the character Four, who is my favorite character, and how he came to be FOUR. It was fun to read a book from his perspective and to learn more about him. The only thing I didn't like was that the book ended abruptly; I felt like the author was like, "Oh, I met my quota, good enough," but it really wasn't a smooth ending. If you were just reading the book on it's own without the trilogy you would have said, "What the?!" (I did). The book begins before the Divergent book but then it starts to write parallel to it but it doesn't finish. I wish it would have gone through the end of Divergent with the attack on Abnegation and riding off to escape on the train. Four gets very involved in this book about trying to figure out what is going on with the possibility of an attack, it would have been nice to see it through to the end.
For just a fun and easy teen read, I loved this and wouldn't mind reading it again.
The Great Gathering by Chad Daybell
This was a church fiction book and it was about when we are nearing the "last days." I have mixed feelings about this book. I really like that the book made me think about how I would react if the things in the book started to happen today; would I pick up and leave everything because the Prophet asked me to even though in that moment it didn't seem there was any threat, I hope so. I wasn't a fan of the fiction part of making up church policy changes and "future leaders;" it was just a little weird for me. There was also one tiny slip in of a jibe against "Utah Mormons" and that really annoyed me because I think that happens enough as it is (and the last I checked we were on the same team so why I we trying to bring each other down) and so why put it in a book. Lastly I wasn't a fan of the grammar; there were a few mistakes.
Overall, I would say this is a take it or leave it book. It's not one I would say you HAVE to read but I also don't think you would want to poke your eyes out if you read it. It kept my interest for the most part.
Calling by Jeff Thompson and Stuart Bunderson
This book was recommended to my by a friend who had to read it for a class in her MPA program. I really liked it because it addressed how we are sometimes perplexed as to what we should be doing with our life in the workforce and if it is meaningful enough or what we "should" be doing. I feel like I am constantly struggling with this and it was nice to have a little perspective.
One chapter talked about how the two biggest mistakes we make in deciding what to do with our life is taking a job because it pays a lot of money or taking a job because you feel pressured or because it is expected of you. I completely agree with the money thing; taking a job just for the money is not worth it. And the second, I trap myself into often and need to stop doing it.
The book also talks about how we perceive work and how to determine what you really should be doing with your life. For example: what did you do a lot of when you were a kid? When we were kids we were probably at our most true to our self states. I played school, A LOT, and danced around the house, A LOT. Maybe that will help me on my path of figuring out what to do next.
One of my favorite quotes from the book was, "Spiritual gifts, it turns out, are not so much gifts to us from God, but rather gifts for us to give away." It's the idea that we are here to serve and it is in everyone's nature to want to serve. We are given spiritual gifts so we may serve each other in unique ways for all types of people. I also liked, "Giving ignites our imagination." I'm always a sucker for imagination.
I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. I liked that it had everyday advice intertwined with eternal religious perspective.
This book was recommended to my by a friend who had to read it for a class in her MPA program. I really liked it because it addressed how we are sometimes perplexed as to what we should be doing with our life in the workforce and if it is meaningful enough or what we "should" be doing. I feel like I am constantly struggling with this and it was nice to have a little perspective.
One chapter talked about how the two biggest mistakes we make in deciding what to do with our life is taking a job because it pays a lot of money or taking a job because you feel pressured or because it is expected of you. I completely agree with the money thing; taking a job just for the money is not worth it. And the second, I trap myself into often and need to stop doing it.
The book also talks about how we perceive work and how to determine what you really should be doing with your life. For example: what did you do a lot of when you were a kid? When we were kids we were probably at our most true to our self states. I played school, A LOT, and danced around the house, A LOT. Maybe that will help me on my path of figuring out what to do next.
One of my favorite quotes from the book was, "Spiritual gifts, it turns out, are not so much gifts to us from God, but rather gifts for us to give away." It's the idea that we are here to serve and it is in everyone's nature to want to serve. We are given spiritual gifts so we may serve each other in unique ways for all types of people. I also liked, "Giving ignites our imagination." I'm always a sucker for imagination.
I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. I liked that it had everyday advice intertwined with eternal religious perspective.
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