Saturday, August 5, 2017

Books and youtube channel faves



I haven’t done one of these in a long time! It is a little different this time, instead of only books, I threw in a couple YouTube channels I watch in here just to change it up. I know I am always appreciative of good tips for new things to read or watch or listen to- so here are some of mine!

The Kennedy Stern series by Alana Terry- Alana Terry is a new favorite author of mine! This protagonist is a missionary kid returning to the states for university, she gets tangled up in mysteries and dilemmas as she settles into life in the states. She also grapples with lots of questions about American culture that we as believers should be thinking about. Terry does a great job of expressing different sides of each issue but not giving a specific answer to the question. The books were hard for me to put down, they are page-turners!

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis- Brittany recommended this one to me, I am glad she did! C.S. Lewis really was a genius. He made me think about my faith and my doubts and how I present the Gospel to those in my life, all with a fairly short, engaging, beautiful story.

The Bible Project YouTube channel- These guys create videos giving teaching on God’s Word in an approachable and engaging way. They have videos on every book of the Bible, as well as videos on the different literacy styles, different themes in the Bible, and more. The videos are generally 5-15 minutes long. https://www.youtube.com/user/jointhebibleproject

Dear Mr. Darcy by Katherine Reay- This is not in fact a regency love story. If you have read Daddy Long- Legs, it is a modern-day telling of that story. But it has deep elements exploring the main character’s growth, processing through trauma and letting healing into her life. Also, Katherine Reay is one of these authors who name-drops other good books throughout her book, and I always love that. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010R8UXKQ/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Lutheran Satire YouTube channel- Best known for their St. Patrick’s bad analogy video (if you just watch one, I recommend that one), this channel is always good for a laugh, if you like satire about church history/theological issues in rather poorly made videos, which just adds to the charm for me I guess. https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLutheranSatire

The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book: 500 Easy Recipes for Every Machine, Both Stovetop and Electric by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough- Between this book and Pinterest, I have been trying a lot of things in my pressure cooker and I just love it! I guess in America we don’t think about how much gas or electricity we use to cook, but here the pressure cooker helps my gas bottle last much longer with way shorter cook times. I also love the whole just one pot to wash aspect, and it is apparently a healthier method of cooking vegetables too.

Cries of the Heart by Ravi Zacharias- Ravi Zacharias breaks down the book into chapters themed on the basic emotional needs we humans have or our heart cries, and how God answers those cries. I could probably read this one every couple of years and be blessed from it each time.

Chop, Chop- The Series of a Lifetime by L.N. Cronk- I get the same feeling about this series as I do about Les Miserables- like my heart just felt like a wrung out washcloth by the end. That’s good, that means I felt a lot while I was reading. I laughed, I cried- I really did. The series chronicles a group of friends through their lives as students, then parents and foster parents- so much real life inside this story. The writing is witty while dealing with some heavy issues.