Book Review: Reading for the Love of God

About the Book:

What if we viewed reading as not just a personal hobby or a pleasurable indulgence but a spiritual practice that deepens our faith?

In Reading for the Love of God, award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson does just that--and then shows readers how to reap the spiritual benefits of reading. She argues that the simple act of reading can help us learn to pray well, love our neighbor, be contemplative, practice humility, and disentangle ourselves from contemporary idols.

Accessible and engaging, this guide outlines several ways Christian thinkers--including Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Frederick Douglass, and Dorothy L. Sayers--approached the act of reading. It also includes useful special features such as suggested reading lists, guided practices to approaching texts, and tips for meditating on specific texts or Bible passages. By learning to read for the love of God, readers will discover not only a renewed love of reading but also a new, vital spiritual practice to deepen their walk with God.

Contents

1. What Kind of Reader Are You?
2. Why Read Anything but the Bible?
Bookmark 1: Reading like Augustine of Hippo
3. What's the Difference between "Use" and "Enjoy"?
4. Do Good Books Make You a Good Person?
Bookmark 2: Reading like Julian of Norwich
5. What Does the Trinity Have to Do with the ART of Reading?
Bookmark 3: Reading like Frederick Douglass
6. Why Do We Need Four Senses to Read?
7. How Can You Remember What You Read?
Bookmark 4: Reading like Dorothy L. Sayers
Conclusion
Appendix A: Twofold Reading of Flannery O'Connor's "The River"
Appendix B: Frequently Asked Questions
Appendix C: Reading Lists of Great Books

Read an excerpt from Reading for the Love of God on the publisher's website.

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My Thoughts:

Reading for the Love of God by Jessica Hooten Wilson starts off with descriptive imagery of the Apostle John in Revelation as he consumes a book. I continue to sit with this depiction after finishing Reading for the Love of God because it arrested my attention and Wilson’s related thoughts are incredibly applicable to reading most any book. The rest of Reading for the Love of God is just as interesting and challenging as the start.

Reading for the Love of God is academic in tone, style, and complexity. Wilson often refers to ancient literature and medieval monastic practices as she explains how to consume great literature and apply its lessons to a modern spiritual life. I confess, I did not completely understand “use” and “enjoy” in chapter three, but that is simply a reason to reread and learn. My favorite chapters were “Reading Like Frederick Douglass” and “How Can You Remember What You Read”.

I recommend Reading for the Love of God: How to Read as a Spiritual Practice by Jessica Hooten Wilson to Christian readers who desire to learn from great works of literature and apply those lessons to enhance one’s spiritual life. Naturally, Wilson stresses the importance of regularly consuming Scripture as well as literary works. A list of suggested reading for all ages is included. Four stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Mighty Reader Workbook: Grade 1 by Heidi Cooley

In the Mighty Reader Workbook for Grade 1 by Heidi Cooley, students can practice their reading skills while learning about popular Bible stories. There are thirteen stories and six work pages for each story. The work pages focus on different skills such as: comprehension, context clues, problem/solution, visualization, writing, and more. The repetition of just one story per week allows the child practice and explore the story from different angles.

I am homeschooling my daughter for first grade and using the Mighty Reader Workbook to supplement our curriculum as my daughter loves to read and we're a bit ahead of the curriculum. My daughter enjoys reading the stories, but I expected the stories to be longer than three-fourths of one page. The words are suited to a first grade level. Some harder words are included in the text and these are addressed in a helpful vocabulary section that proceeds the main reading page for each story.

I liked that each day's workpage calls for a different reading strategy (echo read, choral read, partner read, independent read, etc.) and my daughter enjoys it. Most of the workpages involve the child writing out some sort of answer. I wish all of the pages had lines to help with neater writing. Many pages have big boxes to write in. Even though I am there to guide, her sentences tend to get a bit messy.

The Mighty Reader Workbook is designed for parent and child to do together. My mommy heart loves that we are smiling over reading and Bible stories. I recommend this book to parents of first graders who are looking for extra reading and comprehension practice. This book is not limited to homeschool use. I think it would be good practice for any child in first grade.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of the Mighty Reader Workbook by Heidi Cooley from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson

In the introduction of Book Girl, Sarah Clarkson states that this book “celebrates not just the gifts of the reading life, but also the rich life of the reading woman (pg. xv).” It's a broad statement that covers the next 200+ pages and it delivers on the promise. Repeatedly, Sarah shows through her personal story as well as research and careful observations, what a gift that reading is. There's a strong emphasis on reading to children and passing on the joy of reading.

Book Girl has ten chapters, most of which have two or three sections. Each section pertains to a general idea or topic and often begins with an introduction including personal examples or research. The reading lists cover many topics including: books about reading, biographies, girlhood classics, spiritual classics, poetry, books about the arts, and much more. There are over twenty reading lists. Each book title listed includes at least a brief description of the book, and often, considerably more, but no spoilers.

As soon as I saw Book Girl, I was immediately interested. The cover is as classy as the content inside. This book was pure joy for me to read because I love books and I love being introduced to new books. Sarah's writing style was lovely, likely influenced by the amazing writers she has been reading all her life! Sarah shared much of her personal life and it felt like she was a friend by the time I was a few chapters in. I have read only a handful of the books on her lists, but I felt that I could trust her judgment to point me in the right direction of a good book.

In the first chapter of Book Girl, Sarah states that she lists what she loves (pg 3). She unabashedly proclaims her love of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Wendell Berry, and the Anne of Green Gables series. While her lists are written from a mindset of “this is what I love” instead of “this is what might interest my audience”, I found her book descriptions helpful and it was easy to determine if a book she recommended might be a good fit for me. To that end, I've already purchased two books that she recommended when I happened upon them at my local used book store:

I loved Book Girl and I recommend it to all women, especially Christians. There is a definite Christian worldview. I am not sure if the book would be enjoyable to non-Christians as Sarah discusses her faith frequently. However, the topics cover a wide range of books, many of which are classic books that are not expressly Christian, but from which a Christian may derive a spiritual truth.

Read an excerpt from Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson on the publisher's website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

To Review or Not to Review......

Every week Coffee Addicted Writer hosts the Book Blogger Hop. Participants answer a question and then visit other blogs of fellow participants to chime in on the discussion. This week's question is:

“Do you write a review for every book you read or only review copies from publishers?”

My answer:

It's a given that all the books I receive from publishers get reviewed eventually... otherwise they'd stop sending me books.

As for books that I buy or rent from the library, I review them if I have the time and desire. Extra time is often in low supply around my house, but I will make time if I feel the book warrants the effort. If I find an amazing book, I'll definitely share how much I enjoyed it. If the book is disappointing, I'll warn others to rent before buying.

What about you?

It Started With The Babysitter's Club

Every week Crazy-for-Books hosts the Book Blogger Hop. Participants answer a question and then visit other blogs of fellow participants. This week's question is:

"When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life?"

My answer: I have loved to read since I was a young girl, but it really became a passion when I started reading The Babysitter's Club books as a teenager. I couldn't get enough of those books! Every week my grandpa would take me to Books-A-Million and I would pick out two or three. My grandparents still have my collection of those books at their house. There's over 100!  

What about you?