.Emily Dawn.

What I think, what I dream, what I believe, what I experience.

[odysseyofemily]

About a week and a half ago, I finished reading Technically Yours by Denise Williams. Short answer: don't waste your time with this one. It was an easy book to read, and so that made it easy to get through. But at the same time, there was not really much depth to it and the story itself didn't feel very original. Kinda overall boring and surface-level. It's a rom-com type novel, so if that is what you're looking for, maybe it'll check the boxes for you. But I've read much better and would not recommend.

[odysseyofemily]

It's been about three weeks since I finished reading Longbourne by Jo Baker, but I couldn't go without writing up a short review for it. I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did – I thoroughly enjoyed it! For those unfamiliar with the premise, it is essentially the story of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, but from the servants' point of view. It's really more about the servants' lives, but details of the other Pride & Prejudice characters' lives do play a significant part in the story. The story really pulls you in and invests you into the character's lives, and the way the author writes about the characters and what they feel and go through makes them feel real and very relatable. I wouldn't say it's a light book, but it's not particularly heavy either – though there are some heavy parts. All in all, if someone's looking for a good book to end the summer with, go with this one!

[odysseyofemily]

I just finished Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng this evening. It was fine. Not nearly as good as Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, but still good enough. Though it was sadder than I'd expected. But still an easy and quick read. I was hoping for more mystery in the story, given that the entire story surrounds a teenager's unexpected death, but was not really satisfied with how things end. It wasn't terribly disappointing though, as you for some reason don't feel very attached to the characters like you do with some books. Would I read it again? No. Would I recommend it to someone else? Depends. If you're looking for an easy read, this will fit the bill. But if you're looking for a fun read, maybe skip this one, since the story isn't a very happy one. It won't make you cry, but it won't make you laugh and feel great either.

[odysseyofemily]

Last night I finished Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right by Jamie Glowacki. As you might be able to tell, we are gearing up for potty training with our toddler. Because of this, a friend had recommended this book to us, which was really helpful to her and her family. So I gave it a shot, and I'm glad I did! There are lots of tips and tricks in here from an experienced potty training expert, and once we really begin with potty training, I'm sure we'll be putting a lot of them to the test. Whereas I know potty training will be rather exhausting, after reading this book I'm also kinda excited too! I feel like I'm not going into it blindly now and have some good tools to help us be successful with it. For anyone with a baby/toddler in their life, I'd recommend giving this a read!

[odysseyofemily]

Last night, I finished reading Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. To be honest, I didn't really know much of what this book was about when I started it. And also if I'm honest, the first half of it felt really slow and boring. But about midway through, it finally got a little more interesting. The story itself was rather simple and old school. And while it was rather funny in places, it was also kinda racist and prejudice too (again, that old school kind). You could call the story adventurous, which it is, but it's really slow to get to the good stuff. But will I read the sequel at some point? Yes, probably. So I guess I liked it enough.

[odysseyofemily]

Over the weekend, I finished The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. If you've seen the movie on Netflix, you'll know this is just a simple romcom story of how two couples who seemingly hate each other end up falling in love. It's not overly creative, though I guess the idea of the book is that this couple keeps getting into different "games" with each other, of which there are many. It was a super easy and quick read, which I appreciated. Since it wasn't overly complicated, it was easy to sail through and not pay attention too hard. It had some very steamy scenes too, if that's what you're into. All in all, I think the book is better than the movie, though if you like one you'll probably like the other. Not a book I'd recommend to everyone, but if you're wanting an easy summer romcom beach read, this would probably fit the bill.

[odysseyofemily]

Over the weekend, I finished Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. The minute I started this book, I was hooked. It was so good! The murder mystery, the detailed descriptions of nature that just brought it alive to make you feel like you were there, the painfully real look into what a live of seclusion -- and poverty -- can bring, as well as the beautiful unfolding of how someone with no power could make something of themselves. I had seen the movie years ago and really liked it, but the book is also very good. It's hard to tell which I like more -- maybe the book. But all that to say, if you liked the movie than I can all but guarantee that you'll also like the book. A great summer read, or anytime read, really. I'd definitely recommend!

[odysseyofemily]

A couple days ago I finished The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. Essentially, it looks at how childhood has changed from being play-based to smartphone/screen-based. And how that, in turn, is impacting the development and wellbeing of the generation that has grown up with smartphones and much more sheltered lives than previous generations. This is a very good book. It looks at the science, the evidence that is out there on this topic. It presents things in a very logical manner and makes a very convincing case to parents on just why it's so important to keep your children away from smartphones for as long as possible. It even provides specific suggestions of what individuals, schools, communities, and even governments, can do to ensure children are protected and have the healthy childhoods they need to develop in a healthy way. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to anyone who is a parent -- particularly of young children and young adolescents. As a parent of a toddler (and soon to be expecting another later this year), it was very eye-opening and has already changed the ways I let my child interact with screens.

[odysseyofemily]

Yesterday I finished Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. This is the sequel to Firefly Lane, which is currently a show on Netflix. The show is actually how I found out about this book in the first place. I watched the show first which I very much enjoyed, and then without reading the Firefly Lane book, I decided to go straight ahead and read this sequel, Fly Away. Now, as with most shows that are based on books, I discovered very soon at the beginning of this sequel story that the show does not fully depict the original story as it's written in the first book. So I had to piece together some of the story that was missed or different in the show, but it wasn't hard. The book overall was okay. I read it as an audio book, so it certainly kept me company as I did chores around the house, exercised, drove to work, etc. However, most of the book was pretty depressing. There is a very redemptive ending, but much of the beginning and middle of the book is pretty depressing and sad, so be forewarned if you choose to read it. And also, trigger warning -- there are topics of self-harm and suicide in it, so that's something to keep in mind for people sensitive to those topics. I don't know that I'd read it again, but it's certainly a quick read. And it unpacks the story of Cloud a lot more, which I think I enjoyed the most, so other readers might like that part of it as well.

[odysseyofemily]

Jesus' Harshness

Let's face it: Jesus' words sometimes feel a bit harsh. While I often think some of the bluntness of Jesus' words in the Gospels is due to the specific version/translation that's being read, it still does seem that Jesus was often very frank – and sometimes even insensitive – about things. Sometimes His words even feel downright unloving and mean.

For example, today I was reading some passages in the book of Luke, where we see some of this language. As Jesus is going along feeding, and healing, and teaching, we see this interaction:

"To another he said, 'Follow me.' But he said, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59-62)

Isn't that kinda wild? In the midst of a person's stressful and heartbreaking loss of a parent, Jesus is essentially telling this man to not bother with providing a burial – something that was not only respectful and proper to do, but also something that could provide healing and closure to this person. No, instead Jesus rather insensitively tells this man to focus on that, and instead focus on the kingdom of God.

In the second example, it's also just as surprising. This person is willing to follow Jesus! He just wants to tell his family goodbye before doing so – probably because he loves his family. So to not honor this person's love for his family is kinda crazy to me. And honestly, if I were that person's family, and they just up and disappeared one day because they decided to just go off and follow someone without even saying goodbye, I don't know how I'd handle that. I'd probably be sad, scared, worried, maybe angry. You'd think the loving and respectful thing to do would be to allow this person to simply go say goodbye to his family, but Jesus doesn't do this. He instead tells this man that, because he wants to go say goodbye, he is not fit for the kingdom of God.

Ouch. What is wrong with burying one's father? And what is wrong with saying farewell to one's family before leaving for (possible) forever? Nothing! There is nothing wrong with these things at all. And in fact, these things are acts of love and care. So why is Jesus being so stern with these people for wanting to do the right thing for their family members?

Honestly, I don't think it has anything to do with the specific actions these people wanted to do. I don't think Jesus had a problem with people burying their dead or wishing their families farewell. Rather, it was these actions in comparison to following Him that were the issue. These men were keeping their families before Christ in their hearts, and THAT was the problem.

Jesus is to come first and foremost before anything else in life – even things that are good and wholesome. If they are placed before Christ in our hearts, it means we aren't full followers of Jesus and therefore are unfit for the kingdom of God. It sounds harsh, but it's what God requires – He wants our full selves. It doesn't mean He doesn't want us to love our families and do right by them, but it means that even they shouldn't come before Him in our hearts.

You know what else is interesting here? If these men truly desired to follow Christ and His ways, why didn't they see that the actions they hoped to do for their families were actually not Christlike? While they weren't bad or harmful actions, they weren't what Jesus would've done. For instance, there was no saving the dead father. He was already gone and "unsaveable" – but there were still others in that man's life that he could influence to bring to Jesus. Likewise, why didn't the man who wanted to say farewell to his family instead ask if he could go invite them to come along with him to follow Jesus? Christ was and is all about bringing others to Himself. If these men truly desired to follow Christ and His teachings, they would have also desired to bring others to Him as well. And the fact that they didn't seem to get that may also have been why Jesus said they were unfit for the kingdom.

So, conclusion? Put Christ first and bring others to Him.

Have a happy day!

[odysseyofemily]

A few days ago, I finished Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance. Let me be clear -- I am NOT in support of J.D. Vance being the Vice President of the United States. However, I didn't really know much about him, other than what we see in the news. So I decided to read this to find out more about who he is and better understand the character of who may be the next second-in-command. With politics aside, I found myself feeling really sorry for Vance. He had a hard start to life, being raised in a culture of poverty, drugs, and violence. Yet he was able to rise above all of that, which is very commendable. However, it seems he contradicts himself a bit -- he talks about how lazy the hillbilly culture is, how they don't really ever amount to anything, and how they are so far removed from the rest of society in so many respects. But he himself, who is from that very culture, is also a very well-educated Yale Law School graduate and Marine veteran, but still identifies as a hillbilly. Maybe that's where he comes from, but it's hard to see him as truly representative of the low-income, low-resourced communities of hillbilly country today when he runs with quite a different and highbrow crowd. That said, he does talk about how he still struggles with how to behave outside of the hillbilly culture -- as evidenced in his tendency to be quick to hate and incite violence in response to a challenging situation (such as with small traffic disputes). Thank God for his wife, who seems to be a good balance against this anger, but it is frightening to think that these character flaws may potentially be part of our new Administration. And while this book is about him and his life (a memoir!), he paints the picture of hillbilly culture primarily on his own experience instead of bringing in some solid evidence-based and objective data to complement (or disprove) it, which I believe makes things rather misleading to the reader. Anyway, all in all, I wasn't very impressed with the book. Was it terrible? Not at all. Was it a little boring and somewhat misleading? A bit. That said, if you want to learn more about who J.D. Vance is, go ahead and read this -- especially if you are against him, politically. It will help you view him more as a real person, and not just as a political enemy who is trying to ruin the country. But be forewarned, as books go, I wouldn't put it on my list of favorites.

[odysseyofemily]

Finished All The Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership by Darcy Lockman today. Man oh man, right with the introduction, I was hooked. This spoke to me so strongly; I felt so seen. And I don't mean to put down my own partner (he's amazing and so involved!) or any other good-intentioned married men/fathers that aim for equal partnership at all. But even in the most well-intended partnerships that place value on equality, they often aren't actually equal. Culturally and systematically, things are just not set up for equality, especially when children hop onto the scene. And sometimes we women don't even notice it! For instance, it wasn't until I read this book that I realized how many specific things I do for my son that my husband almost never does, ever -- not just the actual physical tasks, but all the mental tasks as well (the whole concept of "maternal mental load" is real). And it's not because he refuses to, but more that he simply doesn't think of it, whereas I do. This book unpacks these types of dynamics and much much more. It is so good and will make you mamas out there feel so validated. But this book shouldn't just be for mothers; fathers should read this too, as it may help them see the culturally and systematically unequal patterns that exist within and beyond their own households. The point isn't to make the wonderful men in our lives feel bad in any way, but it is more about getting them to understand what their wives actually go through that they may be (and often are) oblivious to, and may help present things in a more objective manner than if their wives brought it to their attention. :) So! Everybody -- especially married men and women with children -- go read this!

[odysseyofemily]

Finished Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influence Culture by Sara Petersen last night. To be honest, this book was VERY boring. It's exactly what you'd expect it would be – about how the momfluencers you see on Instagram are selling a fake story. They may seem perfect on the outside with their long billowy dress, perfectly-curled hair, clean countertops, and happy smiley children in all of their posts, but really all the majority of momfluencers are doing are perpetuating the unrealistic notion that mothers be perfect (and always happy and beautiful!) homemakers that work inside the home and that nothing is ever complicated or messy or hard. This book did point out an interesting idea that most of momfluencer culture just highlights those of privilege – white, straight, wealthy women. It doesn't take into account mom life in those with disabilities, those who aren't straight, those who are women of color, those who have to work multiple jobs and live in crappy housing, yada yada. And yet, even realizing this, it's still so easy to get sucked in to momfluencer culture and follow what they sell – not just the products that some are promoting, but the actual image and life they are seemingly living. It's so perfect, and sometimes it's just nice to escape the difficulties and nuances of one's own motherhood to embrace something that looks beautiful and easy, which the book discusses. So, there were certainly some relatable points made in this book, but honestly most of it was to be expected and there wasn't much insight beyond what most of us already probably know. All in all, it was pretty boring and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. But if ya'll want an easy book, then here you go.

[odysseyofemily]

Yesterday I finished Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry. I really enjoyed this book! As a long-time Friends fan, it was such an interesting look into the life of Matthew Perry -- I life we as the "audience" didn't get to see. While Perry describes his Chandler character as based off of his own life, there is so much in his real life that I was blown away by. I knew he had some addiction problems, but I had absolutely no idea how bad it was and how it consumed every facet of his life. I had no idea of the emotional pain he was going through feeling like he was never enough. I had no idea that he almost died multiple times. I had no idea that Friends pretty much saved his life. And I never knew he was a man who looked to God and had a relationship with Him. Even though Chandler was based off of his own character, these were parts of his life that we never saw on Friends. So it was really interesting to get this deeper insight into who he was outside of the fictional Chandler. It's painful to watch his absolutely lovable character on Friends and think about the immense struggles he simultaneously was going through within his private life while filming those scenes. We don't often think of our favorite actors as real people -- they're celebrities! They seem like they have it all! And yet, Perry was absolutely real, with real struggles, and with real complex emotions and decisions. For anyone who is a Friends fan, I'd highly recommend this book! It is a sad story, but also a good one as well.

[odysseyofemily]

Just finished Code Talker by Chester Nez today! I loved it! This wasn't something I'd normally pick, but it was one of the suggestions in our library's summer reading challenge, so I decided I'd check it out. And I'm not sorry! This is such a good story by one of the original 29 Code Talkers who were enlisted during World War II. Chester talks about his childhood, his family, his experiences at boarding school, and his time both during and after the military as a Code Talker. Something that struck me is how ironic it is that Chester's boarding school during childhood tried to eradicate his Navajo language from him and the rest of his Navajo classmates, and yet it was that very same language that ended up saving the United States during World War II. The book wasn't too long or too short and was a great read. I recommend!

[odysseyofemily]

Yesterday I finished Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller. This was a really good book, filled with such insightful nuggets about Sabbath that opened my eyes in understanding what Sabbath truly is and should be. It's not just a day of limitations and "don'ts," which I already know, but feel like is often the rhetoric within Adventism and other faiths that keep the Sabbath. This book unpacks the possibilities of what Sabbath could and should bring – whether you are a Sunday or Saturday or any-other-day keeper. And honestly, it was such a refreshing read. This is not an Adventist book by an Adventist author – and I really liked that. It takes a little more of an objective approach to Sabbath, not clouded by Adventist (or Jewish or any other traditional Sabbath-keeping faith) bias and legalistic notions. But I would honestly recommend this book to any of my Adventist friends nonetheless, and really to anyone that desires to find true rest.

[odysseyofemily]

A couple of weeks ago, I finished All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I really enjoyed this book. It follows the story of two very different people during World War II: one, a blind French girl who has been unknowingly entrusted with something incredibly sought-after. The other, an orphaned German boy who displays some valuable talent and eventually becomes part of the Hitler Youth, yet has a conscience that seems to win him over in the end. They both cross paths eventually, though most of the story follows them separately. I like how it unpacks the story from a blind person's perspective, because I've never read from that point of view before, and helps me see things in a different light -- no pun intended. I also appreciated how the book unpacked the inner workings of a normal and good-hearted, yet very vulnerable, person's mind and how they were forced to make hard decisions while in Hitler's Germany. There was a depth and seriousness to this book that made it rich, yet very difficult to get through in certain parts. But there were also some parts to it that felt magical and almost fairytale-esque. Now that I've read the book, I may try watching Netflix's version and see if I enjoy it just as much. For anyone looking for a good read, this is a solid choice.