0 New Year, New Books!

People who Love me know that I Love to Read, & that I Love Books! As I'm sure, does anyone who reads my Blog! I guess you could say I am an open book! :) So for the Holidays I received some books. (One of my favorite gifts!) The hard part is always deciding which one to read first! A good problem to have in my opinion.

My oldest son, Kyle bought me a large volume containing 7 Jane Austin Novels! Love her, but I've only ever read Pride & Prejudice. It's such a nice addition to my collection of books. My other son, Zach got me the book Lisa Ling wrote with her sister who was captured in North Korea, I've been wanting to read it & of course picked it out myself! :)

What I decided to read first is a book my Husband got me, that was the Oprah's Book club selection! Freedom By: Jonathan Franzen. An epic family saga that Oprah calls Exquisite, a Masterpiece. Says it will be "one of the best novels you have ever read." That is saying a lot coming from Oprah. But, if you look it up on Amazon it has just as many 1 star reviews as it has 5 star reviews. Interesting. I guess it could go either way. We'll see. I'll let you know.

And I can't wait to tell you about this next book! I'm so excited! When I first started Blogging I joined a couple of Blog groups. One of them was called Blogs Around the World. They would feature a different Blog each day & everyone would go read that Blog & comment. I "met" many interesting people from all around the world. But 1 in particular I really connected with. A young Blogger from The Philippians commented on my Blog the day I was featured. And I on hers the day she was featured. To look at us we didn't have much in common. Here I am in the states, raising 4 kids & trying to find the humor in life. She, living a much more glamorous life, traveling & finding the beauty the world has to offer. But we really hit it off & genuinely just liked each other. We continued to read each others Blogs & leave our comments. Even becoming Facebook friends! I think to her, I was an anomaly, having had a grandfather, I believe, who was a minister, she couldn't believe I, as a Pastor's wife, celebrate Christmas with Santa Clause & like U2! And I got to live vicariously through her fun & fashionable lifestyle!

Though we've never met in real life I consider her my friend. Her name is Charity. I've Blogged about her when her country was dealing with devastating floods. She writes Beautiful poetry & short stories. You should check it out here. (and there is always a link to her Blog on my sidebar) Well she recently had a book of her poetry published! How Awesome is that?! I'm so proud of her. I told my husband I wanted Charity's book for my Birthday. So, being the good husband that he is, he ordered it for me. I unwrapped it on Christmas night (which happens to be my Birthday!) & was looking through it. And as I read the Acknowledgments in the front of the book, in the very first sentence I find this: "My deepest gratitude to Koe Whitton-Williams and Jilly Nines for helping to make me a little wonderful, Star Forbis, Joy C. Brasington, Stacey R. Cannon for supporting my writings for so long and for encouraging me and loving me always," Wow! there it is, my name! I couldn't believe it. Zach said "wow mom, your the first one of us to get our name in a published book! your famous!" :) I couldn't believe it when I read it. I'm so honored. And I haven't really done anything other than like her & her writing. Which trust me, both of those things come easy. I know you will love her too.

It's a beautiful book, called The Sun Is Snowing, Poetry & Prose by C. JoyBell C. It's one I know you will want to have. And not just because my name happens to be in it! :) Some day Charity & I will meet face to face, and I will have her autograph my book for me! Here's a link to order it for yourself. I know you will love it & her as much as I do.

Tell me what you are reading this year!