Even though I'm supposed to be studying for the Bar (I am actively doing this), I've also challenged myself to read as much as I can. When I first started working after undergrad, I don't remember reading very much. Then, when I had a baby I figured I wouldn't have time to read. I have lots of mommy friends who say that they don't have time to read. So I kind of put my love of books on hold. Until law school.
I don't know if it's because I have the freedom to read whatever I want now (as opposed to hundreds of pages of criminal procedure or ERISA law) or if it's because I've learned that I can learn a lot when I read, but I feel like I'm addicted to books. Dear Husband and I are total book nerds. We even go on dates to the bookstore. We go antique shopping to find books. And we have become book collectors. We're not open-minded enough to embrace the "virtual" libraries yet either. And our dream would be to have a house with its own library someday.
Anyway, I read a lot of nonfiction. (I know, I can hear you groaning.) And I tend to pick books based on topic or author. Or sometimes I just read random books that look interesting. Lately, I've been reading a lot of books about what it means to live as a godly woman. I think it's good for women to hear other women describe biblical womanhood. We're so inundated with feminism on a daily basis, that we sometimes don't even realize it. So finding biblically based books written by godly women has been refreshing.
This week I finished reading Nancy Leigh DeMoss' book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free. This book describes the importance of meditating on God's Word in every day life. Nancy reminds the reader that when we allow our minds to become numb to our own thinking, we slip into bad attitudes, despair, and sometimes depression. Each chapter is filled with statements of biblical truth and corresponding verses that she recommends her readers should memorize and meditate upon. I am confident that anyone who reads this book will walk away with a Truth and a verse in their heart. You really have to read this with your Bible, because she gives you homework at the end of each chapter.
This book referenced the writing of some Puritans, whose books I was able to locate on the Barnes and Noble market website. It looks like my reading is going to get a bit harder in the near future, because reading unabridged Puritan books is almost like reading English legal opinions--sometimes migraine inducing. But, I look forward to where this new literary journey will take me.
In case you're interested, I'm going to try harder to keep my BOOK REVIEWS up-to-date. In the event that you wonder why the topics, genre, or styles of books sometimes follow a pattern and other times wander off the grid, I just wanted to give you a peek inside my brain so you can see why I do what I do. Hopefully you will get inspired to follow your own literary journey. And if it's been years since you've been an avid reader, it's never too late to start. I'm a full-time mother, part-time legal researcher, almost daily blogger who is studying for the Texas Bar, and I still have time to read. Looks like you're out of excuses.
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