Summer Reading

I love to read, but nursing school can really get in the way. By the time I am finished with the required reading and studying from textbooks my eyes and my brain can not handle any more. Although I am in classes this summer, they are a little different than normal. There is less reading/memorizing involved. Unfortunately this means more group projects and presentations which are some of my least favorite things to do, BUT the good side of this means I have more time (and brain power) to read books that I actually want and choose to read.

I have had this book (When People are Big, and God is Small) for a long time, but I have been unable to read it. I started a few nights ago and I have been reading a little at a time before I go to bed. I think this will be an EXCELLENT book for me to read. Even reading the first chapter made me want to raise my hand and say "oooohhhhh yeah that's me" when reading some of Welch's descriptions. Has anyone else read this book? Did you like it?? I have read another Ed Welch book called Running Scared: Fear, Worry and the God of Rest and it was AMAZING. I read that book with my friend Dianna and we would get together to talk about it every week. I would recommend that to anyone and everyone, especially if anxiety is something you struggle with. That book came at a great time in my life: Ben newly diagnosed with MS, uncertainty about school, uncertainty about living situation, etc. I love being able to look back at marvel at God's timing.

I had to read the secular version of this book, Melodie Beattie's Codependent No More, for my psychiatric nursing class last semester. I understood what she was saying but I was frustrated by her answers to solve the problem. She thought that in order to change yourself you should worry about and focus on just YOU. In my paper about that book I spent some time explaining my opinion on why that is not a sufficient way to "solve your problems." Apparently my teacher is a fan of that book because I got a B (totally deserved an A).

We leave for the beach (bring on the oil, we are going anyways!) in a little over a week with my family. I anticipate plenty of book reading time in between intense night crabbing, sea food feasting, and lounging in the pool of course. Do you have any recommendations for new books? I like to take a variety of books so I can chose whatever I feel like that day. Cause hey-it's vacation. I am in need of some new ideas. I have read every Karen Kingsbury, Francine Rivers and Liz Curtis Higgs book ever written. At least twice. Some of the River's books have been read so many times that I could probably quote them for you. So please, new authors or book recommendations are very welcome!

Speaking of reading, I have a final on Thursday morning. I work all day tomorrow and we have our parenting class tomorrow night so I have no business being online right now. Back to studying!