




Letters to my Daughters by Barbara Rainey
I think we all know the quote from C.S. Lewis about friendship: “Friendship … is born at the moment when one man says to another “What! You too?” –that’s how I felt when reading The Art of Being a Wife. There were so many times when Mom shared stories from her own experience of over 44 years of marriage to my dad and I thought, Oh thank goodness, it’s not just me that feels this way. Even though I’ve only been married a little over 2 months, I’ve gone back to her words for encouragement and comfort. I know I am incredibly biased when it comes to this book, but it was essential as I entered in to marriage because it not only prepared me for some things I might experience, it gave me the language to be able to express how I was feeling and why I might have felt that way.


Sometimes I’m too hard on myself. Even in the areas where I’m supposed to be having fun! This book taught me an easy process for how to improve at a task without using negative self-judgment.
The Skin You Live In: Building Friendships Across Cultural Lines
by David D. Ireland, PhD.
Bridging the cross-cultural gap is important to me. It’s also my responsibility, as it is each of ours, if we want to see change. This book exposed me to additional techniques for improving my skills as cross-cultural reconciler.
What are some of your recent favorites? We’re looking for new ideas for books to read in 2017!
**You should know that we really read these books last year! And we’re not receiving anything for telling you we loved them. In case any of them sound interesting to you, we included the link to Amazon. We do not accrue anything from your purchase.
Dear Barbara,
How thoughtful of you to list your favorite reads for 2018. So appreciate you and all you and Dennis do to make a wonderful difference in so many lives! We’ve been on two Weekends to Remember and helped out of one of the Getaways.
I just wanted to mention a few books that I have been blessed to read also. I, too, found Rosaria Champagne Butterfield’s books, especially the first, Secret Thoughts of a Reluctant Convert and another excellent read called The Gospel Comes with a House Key. She is a very bright, lovely pastor’s wife who loves Jesus with her whole heart and blesses others by telling her very compelling story!
Nick Foles book “Believe It” was beautifully written and gripping to learn of all this fine young man and his family have been through and how he became the Super Bowl Champion quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, giving all honor and glory to God!!! Loved it and everyone I know who has read it felt the same way:)
I enjoyed When God Weeps by Joni Eareckson Tada, Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini, and am reading and enjoying Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O’Reilly. Thanks for sharing your ideas. I excited to have some new ideas.
Oh my goodness!!! I love recommendations for good reads!! Books are my all time favorite gift to give and to receive!! My favorite and most transformational reads of 2016 were HOPE HEALS by Katherine and Jay Wolff and SECRET THOUGHTS OF A RELUCTANT CONVERT by Rosaria Butterfield. Both books were introduced to me through the Family Life Today radio broadcast, and I am ever so grateful! I will be checking out some of the books on the above list you just posted and also hope to read Rosaria Butterfield’s second book, OPENNESS UNHINDERED. Happy New Year!
I loved that you posted a list of recommended books! So many are published it’s hard to know which ones are worth reading. Thanks!