I've always been a huge reader. In elementary school, library days were my favorite days. The book fair week was the best week of the school year. I'd circle books in that Scholastic book catalog like I was making a Christmas list. Junie B. Jones was my girl. I read every one of those books twice. The B. stands for Beatrice, amiright. Anyway, lately it feels like all I read are Nursing textbooks. Worry not, they aren't included on this list :). I still try to make time to read books I want to read, and these are a handful I've enjoyed soo much recently. I hope you check them out! The Light Between Oceans is a hauntingly beautiful novel. It's the kind that draws you in slowly and wraps you up into the world of the characters. It takes place in Australia and tells the story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife. Their story mesmerizes you and makes your heart ache. They are shocked by an unexpected circumstance and forced to make a decision that changes their family and their community forever. Several times throughout the book you'll ask yourself what you would do if you were faced with the decision that they are faced with. That's all I'm sayin' on the plot. But trust me friend, this book tells a powerful and immersing story. So good. Orphan Train is a book that I honestly had low expectations for, but I loved it. It's one of those books I could reread many times. It sheds light on a part of history that I was previously unaware of. Between 1854 and 1929, "orphan trains" traveled from the East Coast to the Midwest. They carried thousands of orphaned children from orphanages on the East Coast to different towns throughout the Midwest. The children would be lined up in each town; displayed for community members to assess, and hopefully be adopted. There was no certainty that they were being taken into safe, loving homes. Many were taken in solely for labor purposes, and several were abused. Those that were not selected were transported back to the East Coast orphanages. This novel tells a story of a young Irish immigrant, Niamh. After she survives a horrible tragedy at a young age, she is placed on one of the trains. She leaves everything familiar behind, and her life is forever changed. The story follows her through her childhood and into her adult life. It's suspenseful and moving. I could not put this book down. I read it in three days, people. Read it Read it Read it. And last but certainly not least, Wild and Free. This one's nonfiction. Oh goodness, this book. I read it along with a dear friend, and to say it changed our hearts might be an understatement. I've highlighted, underlined, circled, and flagged so many pages of this book. This is a book I wish I could hand out to every woman I know, no matter her age or season of life. I'd leave them in coffee shops, place them around Target to be found, and pass 'em out on the sidewalk if I could. It's that good. This book challenged and encouraged my heart in so many ways. Guys reading-give it to your friend, girlfriend, or wife. Trust me. Y'all, give this to your sister, cousin, mom, aunt, neighbor, hair stylist, barista, idk- just everyone. I'll leave you with my favorite quote from the book. Or the anthem of Wild and Free, as it's called:
The world may tell us that we're too much and never enough. But we can walk wildly in who God created us to be and rest freely in the work Jesus did for us. We do not have to be confined or conformed by cultural expectations. We are unchained from our past and unafraid of our future. We choose compassion over comparison. We love without condition, without reserve. Our eyes are on God, we hold nothing back; we run fast and strong; we do not hide our light. We aren't wild and free for our sake alone; rather we sing life, hope, and truth over the world with abandon- just as our God sings over us. We are wild and free. and we are poised to do mighty things, in Christ alone. yes & amen
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Hey there, I'm Courtney.
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