Book Reviews

Last week my friend Carla brought me three new books to read...those days are like Christmas for me!  I sat in bed that night reading the covers and inside flaps, trying to decide which one to read first.  I could hardly finish the book I was reading because I wanted to start a new book!  It's like a big old bag of cookies for me!!!  Carla is my book source...she keeps me supplied!  I love a friend who loves to read, especially when we have very similar taste in books.  She is a blessing to me!  So...here's what I had to finish up so I could start the new stack.

"Death in a Prairie House...Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders" by William R. Drennan (+4.0)
If you have read "Loving Frank" I probably wouldn't recommend this book.  Both books are about Frank Lloyd Wright and the tragic murders at his home, Taliesin, in Wisconsin in 1914.  I absolutely loved "Loving Frank".  It was written more like a novel, based on the facts found in newspapers, etc.  "Death in a Prairie House" is very interesting as the author tries to wade through the myths concerning the murders in 1914, it is a little more research/fact-finding type writing, not a novel.  I was aware of Frank Lloyd Wright and his style of architecture.  But I honestly didn't know anything about his personal life or the murders that took place at Taliesin.  In fact, when I read "Loving Frank" I thought it was the most horrible ending, it surely wasn't true.  But I did a little research and found out it was.  Wright was a very eccentric and selfish artist, for me his life seemed very sad in many ways.  He was so caught up in his creativity as it related to nature, but never really seemed to get the magnificence of THE creator.  Joe and I visited Taliesin West in Scottsdale last year and it really is something to see.  I thoroughly enjoyed the sunset tour and unique, creative home and architecture school.  I would definitely recommend both of these books, but don't necessarily think you need to read both, they give very similar histories and details. 

"Your Boy, Raising a Godly Son in an Ungodly World" by Vicki Courtney  (+4.5)
I'll be honest....I don't read very many books like this.  I'm not a big "self-help book" kind of gal.  But I bought this a few years ago and I read the entire thing in a few days and then handed it to Joe and asked him to read it too.  I actually bought it to give to a couple of friends.  This is a really relevent book, pretty current and applicable to where we are living right now.  Courtney doesn't take herself too seriously, so it isn't a rigid "do it this way" kind of book.  She talks openly about challenges faced as we try to raise Godly sons in the world we live in today.  She addresses technology, dating, relating to parents, and so much more.  She has a book about daughters too, titled "Your Girl".  I pulled this book out (I keep it on my bedside table) to look at one particular area and found myself reading the book again.  The author is funny, honest, sticks to Biblical concepts, and admits that not everything she has done will be right for every family, but offers different ideas that still line up with Truth.  You won't see many parenting books on my review list, but this is one I will HIGHLY recommend!