Untroubled: Devotions and Prayers for Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Marian Leslie

Untroubled: Devotions and Prayers for Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Marian Leslie

2 stars (DNF @ 34%)

Untroubled is a devotional book that is marketed as focusing on escaping chaos on refocusing and centering yourself in the calm that Jesus provides. I really wanted to like this book. From the start I struggled. I struggled to connect to the devotionals and often found myself becoming frustrated with the abrupt ending of each devotional. I have read a couple of devotional books now and I must admit I've read devos shorter than this that lead me to feeling more connected to God's word and challenged in the areas where I was lacking and needing more of Him. Sadly, this book left me frustrated because I noticed this pattern of storytelling that leads to nowhere. Leslie often provides stories that at first seem to be in alignment with Scripture at the beginning of the devotional, but quickly peter off into random questions and then a prayer that is as long as sentence fragment. It left me feeling uncertain of whether I was reading the full devotional. I guess my own personal opinion is that Leslie would stop the Spirit from moving because she met a word count or page quota for the devo and it just didn't feel right. I sought the Lord's advice and He told me to leave this one behind. I don't think I'll be returning to it due to my own personal preferences in devotional books. I think there is something to be gained if you are looking to supplement your Bible reading with a devotional book, but this one was not for me.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2

Plotastic Scale: 2

Cover Thoughts: I really love this cover. It's eye-catching and kind of cheesy, but I love the colors.

Thank you, Netalley and Barbour Books, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

 

Have you read Untroubled? What devotional books do you enjoy? Let me know down below in the comments! 

Disciple Her: Using the Word, Work, Wonder of God to Invest in Women by Kandi Gallaty

Disciple Her: Using the Word, Work, & Wonder of God to Invest in Women by Kandi Gallaty

4 stars

“Discipleship is intentionally equipping believers with Word of God through accountable relationships empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to replicate faithful followers of Christ.”

Disciple Her is a novel different from most Christian disciple books because it specifically looks at how to disciple women. Women and men are very different, which means discipling is different. Some advice and tricks that work for men are not always successful with women and some that work for women don’t always work for men. The Gallaty’s are known for Replicate Ministries and their Disciple program which they call “D-Groups”. Gallaty’s husband has written countless books on discipleship, but Disciple Her is one of the first discipleship novels published specifically for women. Kandi Gallaty is doing something great here with being openly bold about sharing her own discipling techniques with the women in her life and what works and what doesn’t. I love discipling women! I have been blessed with the honor of discipling three women and seeing numerous other women come into a Life Group I co-lead this past year and give their life to Christ and be challenge to expand their view of what they thought their relationship was versus how they could strive to know and walk in deeper relationship with Jesus. I also had the privilege and honor of following Jesus’s final commands to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Discipling is doing this exact command (I also baptized two of the girls I disciple- PRAISE THE LORD) and these experiences changed me completely. My girls that I discipled were all so different from each other in how they saw, spoke to, and understood Jesus and this was the greatest challenge for me. None of my tricks or preparations worked because I had to learn through the guidance of the Spirit how one thing works in prayer for two girls, but not for another (just one example). Because of my own discipleship experience I was open and curious to hearing and seeing what Gallaty had to say.


Gallaty is a relatively strong writer. There are a couple of hiccups and a few questionable passages, but they aren’t consistently prevalent and I, overall, enjoyed the experience of reading this novel. I was challenged in a lot of the areas I failed in my first year of discipleship (which was creating women who were ready and prepared to disciple others- they are ready, but still hesitant of their own knowledge) and this convicting moment while reading was so enlightening and challenged/inspired me to pray specifically for women who will become disciple-makers after our time together, which I had never thought to pray for before. Her discipleship process is very similar to the one that I learned through the college ministry I serve and I saw that she references some books that we read or have been recommended, so it’s cool to see that the discipleship process crosses over in so many different ways outside of a college campus.


Personal qualms: Gallaty is obsessed with memorizing Scripture, which is great but I think the more you memorize Scripture the less it imprints on your soul. What I mean by this is that intake of large quantities of memorizing Scripture becomes more of a game or challenge instead of a meditating experience on what work God or the Holy Spirit is doing in your life or current season. Memorizing is important, but I don’t know if I think it should be done weekly. Personally, I think it has merits, but it also gets lost in the shuffle. I personally care more about the Word being spoken to me in context of someone’s life instead of a verse being recited for the sole purpose of checking a box and patting yourself on the back. She also doesn’t consistently do one-on-ones which I think is important to the discipleship process. Anyone who wants a one-on-one and is consistent in showing up the small group, Life Group, or D-Group should get this opportunity and it shouldn’t be a “only if our schedules sync up or if you are living in sin and we need to discuss it” thing. Combatting living in sin consistently can be done through consistent one-on-ones and being accountable in a personal individual setting. I am also not okay with people being given the ultimatum of confess your sin to the group or be kicked out. Being kicked out of a discipleship group should not be an option. I’m going to use Judas Iscariot as an example. Do you think that Jesus wasn’t aware of Judas stealing money from his ministry and planning to kill him? No, he makes it abundantly clear that he knows as they are breaking bread before his arrest when he says that one who sits and eats alongside him will betray him. JESUS DID NOT KICK JUDAS ISCARIOT OUT DESPITE KNOWING HE WAS A SINNER. He let Judas make the ultimate decision to follow through on this betrayal and sell Jesus out for money and basically leave the disciples by his own choice. Leaving a group has to be by someone else’s choice and not because their sin is weighing down a group and making things complicated. That’s when you need to get with your girl and pray and pray hard for chains to be broken. If after that she chooses to leave, then let her go. Jesus will guide and heal her in His way and not yours.


Besides those few problems, Gallaty’s discipleship method is sound. I received a lot of new ideas and promptings from the Spirit, so I’m excited about a new year of discipling. God is so good and amazing and it’s awesome to see His hand upon a woman’s life whose purpose is to faithfully disciple women. It’s inspiring. I pray that it’s something I can consistently do throughout my life. I recommend this novel to anyone who feels a tugging on their heart about discipleship or who wants to learn more about it.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 4

Plotastic Scale: 4


Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. It’s simple, but the pattern is so pretty. 

 

You can purchase this novel on Amazon here! (I'm an Amazon Associate and do make a small commission if you purchase anything with this link.)

Thank you, B & H Books, for providing me with a physical copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Have you read Disciple Her? What do you know about discipling people or have any experiences? Share your testimony about discipleship down below in the comments! 

The Body in Question by Jill Ciment

The Body in Question by Jill Ciment

1.5 stars

The Body in Question opens up follow an unnamed woman who we only know as Juror C-2. She is a juror on a high-profile case concerning the murder of a baby boy who is alleged to have been set on fire with his diaper by his older adopted sister who is autistic. C-2 has developed an interest in Juror F-17, a younger man who works with cadavers at the local university as a professor. He offers a more promising escape from her husband who is on the brink of death due to all of his aging health issues. This story centers around two plots: the trial case and deciding on the conviction of a suspect and the secret love affair between two jurors that can compromise the case. Ciment’s writing style holds a lot of promise and her overall writing was intriguing and gripping enough to capture me as a reader. Her character development is strong enough to carry a story while attaining a sense of allusiveness that prompts the reader to carry on reading about this chaotically twisted scenario. She is very talented, but this talent did not save the overall story itself because the story and the characters we follow is what lacks her. The writing for me really went downhill in the second act, mainly because we were not longer following secret jurors but openly horrendous people. The mystery was gone and the truth ruined the novel for me.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2

I’ll be honest I was so intrigued by this novel at first. The story telling aspect of all of the identities of the jurors being secret from the reader in the first part and the case that we follow in the court room were fascinating. But this book made me angry. This book made me angry because it shows how incompetent our juror system is in the United States. How prone the jury is to bias as well as how easy it is for jurors to fall asleep or be caught up in their own lives instead of paying attention to the case. This court case was a mess held by an incompetent jury that was too focused on getting fed, laid, and having fun on the government’s dime. I walked away from this book annoyed and angry at the direction the book took in the final part. I really did not like the character direction of the C-2 and F-17 when their identities are revealed. I particularly hated the treatment of C-2’s husband. This woman was a stone-cold sociopath with little emotions towards others because her own personal gain was more enlightening and important. I won’t reveal the characters’ names or the cases important facts because I think those are fun to discover on your own (stay away from the synopsis).


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 1

Swoon Worthy Scale: 1

Character Scale: 1.5

I was unimpressed with this novel. I wanted more and I expected more, but it didn’t live up to what I wanted (especially in the second act). Overall, if the concept intrigues you and you enjoy reading about court cases, then The Body in Question may be for you.


Plotastic Scale: 1.25

Cover Thoughts: I like the cover if I glance at it, but the longer I stare at it the more I don’t like it.

Thank you, Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

You can purchase this book on Amazon here! (I'm an Amazon Associate and would get a small commission if you use this link to purchase anything on Amazon.)

Have you read The Body in Question or have you heard of it? Are you interested in picking it up? Let me know down below in the comments! 

May Reading Wrap-Up + June TBR

Hey, everyone! I feel like it's been forever and a day since I wrote a blog post, but it was just last week. The month of May was exciting for me. I finished my junior year of college with all As for the spring semester. I found out my score for my PRAXIS Content English exam and I made a 180. I also somehow managed to score an 11 out of 12 on the essay portion (#blessed). I started a job this summer at a store in the mall and I've been enjoying it so far. I think it will be a good summer job. It's weird to be busy but also not. I did a lot of reading in May because moving meant audiobooks while packing and unpacking.

Books Read in May:

   

Bird Box by Josh Malerman- 5 stars I finally finished the audiobook of this after it came back to me after a couple of months and I loved it. This one is so intense and chilling. Listening to it was scary and at times unsettling.

A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community by John Pavlovitz- 3 stars I liked this one. It wasn't a bad book, but I thought a lot of Pavlovitz's arguments were lacking in Biblical backing. It's a great book for personal testimonies, but I was unimpressed overall and felt like it could've done so much more. I do recommend it though. Check out my review here.

Cloak & Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon- 4 stars It's been forever since I read a Sherrilyn Kenyon novel and it was fun to be back in the world of The League. I really enjoyed being immersed in the world and the battle that is about to go down has me ready to keep reading. Check out my review here.

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi & Curt Gentry- 3.25 stars I finally finished this book!!! I've been reading it since sophomore year, but I was intrigued by the way the story and it left an impression on me. Being more aware of the real and complete story of the Manson Murders is so important because it's more than just the famous Sharon Tate and LaBianca murders. They killed people (a lawyer went missing and was found dead) and there were a lot of smaller character moments and witness statements that are normally glossed over in quick summary YouTube videos.
Searching for Spring: How God Makes All Things Beautiful in Time by Christine Hoover- 5 stars This book was beautiful. I was a fan of how Hoover went through Ecclesiastes and seamlessly ties the themes of cold and harsh Earth seasons to our own hard seasons of life. It was beautiful and brought a lot of solace. Plus there are some very convicting chapters.
Nocturnal by Wilder- 3 stars I like this poetry collection, but it's nothing special. It wasn't horrible and it didn't make me angry, but it didn't bring me joy or really resonate with me. It was just okay. Check out my review here.
Here, Now: Unearthing Peace and Presence in an Overconnected World by Kate Merrick- 4 stars This is a good book for checking yourself when it comes to how plugged into the online world and how unplugged you are to your life around you. Merrick walks readers through her family's trip to Israel in search of medical help for her daughter, Daisy, and how they all decided to unplug and become apart of the Israeli culture and bond with the people. I really enjoyed this one. Check out my review here.

With Gratitude by Marala Scott- 3.25 stars This poetry collection takes a look at gratitude and how it's important to implement the practice into our own lives. It's a nice collection and I enjoyed the collection overall, but I wanted more from it overall. Check out my review here.
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman- 5 stars I love Fredrik Backman. This book further cemented my love for this author and I can't wait to read (or listen) to all of his other books. This sequel is so fantastic and is one of the most hard hitting novels I've ever encountered. It is painful in all ways and absolutely heartbreaking in many of the stories it follows. I cried a lot. The ending... my soul still screams. It's so sad.
Between You and These Bones by F.D. Soul- 3.5 stars I am quite impressed with this collection. It has a lot of soul and grit in the poems. It's a very well-done collection. I had some issues with it, but it's one of the few that I would recommend above others. Check out my review here.
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid- 4.25 stars This audiobook is AMAZING. One of the best productions I've ever listened to and I really enjoyed the story, but it was anticlimactic. It's definitely one of those books that's more of a character study than a plot driven novel and in this case it worked to some extent, but I also wish there was more.
A Cloud by Day, A Fire by Night: Finding and Following God's Will for Your Life by A.W. Tozer- 5 stars This book was amazing. It was one of those fantastically convicting pieces and it just proves how talented Tozer was at delivering sermons. I'm so glad they decided to put together a collection of these sermons on this topic because it was exactly what I needed in this season of my life. Check out my review here.
Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker- 4.5 stars This thriller is brilliant. It's one of the best thrillers I've ever read (or listened to), but I was a little baffled by a certain reveal and I wasn't completely sold on one of the last chapters before the end, but the deception of this book in its use of storytelling was amazing. It's one of my favorite books in the thriller genre and I can't recommend it enough.
The Body in Question by Jill Ciment- 2 stars I hated this book. The minute I scrolled to the last page on my laptop I said, "Well, that book sucked." It was a solid three-star book for a large portion of the novel, but it went down hill real fast. I was disappointed by this one because the concept of following an unknown juror on a top case who decides to start a love affair with another juror has some promise. I will probably lower my rating after I write my review.

Overall Thoughts:

May was a fantastic reading month for me. I read 14 books and found some great ones in the month (and some not so great ones). Here are my 5-star reads:
1. Us Against You
2. A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night
3. Bird Box
4. Searching for Spring

2019 TBR:

*Searching for Spring
*Cloak & Silence

Total Read: 11

Currently Reading / Hoping to Finish in June:

 

Books I Finished: Spinning Silver, Disciple Her
Netgalley ARCs: What the Wind Knows, The Invited, A Darker Shade of Magic, DEV1AT3, Untroubled, Kingdom of Exiles
Audiobooks: Not Forsaken, Good Omens
Books I Own: Misery, Gone with the Wind, Vulnerable, The Spiritual Gifts Handbook, Always Enough Never Too Much, Moments of Grace, The Purple Book, East of Eden

E-ARCs:

June ARCs: I have 14 ARCs listed here. That's a lot. I won't be reading all of them this month, but I do have a couple that I want to make a priority or at least dip my toes into. I'm excited about a lot of these, but I'm really interested in the new Blake Crouch and Mira Grant book.

Audiobooks: 

Books I Own: 

I am really hype for the Doctor Sleep film and it's been a year since I've read The Shining. I'm also wanting to get to these other three, but they are just kind of ideas in the back of my mind.

What was your May reading month like? What was your favorite book / the book that you recommend the most? Have you read any of these books? Let me know down below in the comments!