Welcome to Down the TBR Hole #141-160! What is Down the TBR Hole? It is where I grab 20 books from my insanely long TBR list on Goodreads and decide if I am keeping or removing the books. Need to catch up? Click here to go to the previous post. As a reminder, here are the rules:
I am starting with 4,668 books this week on my To Read shelf on Goodreads. I literally just added two new books, thanks to the YouTube video I am watching in the background while typing this up. (Edit: before I finished this post, I added another book thanks to my reading last night. Do you see why I have to do this post every week? My list is ridiculous!) Let’s get started.
1. The Runaway Bride: Are you living for Jesus or are you running away from Him? by Heather Lindsey
The cover of this book makes it seems like it is going to be a fiction book, but it’s not. This is entirely the wrong thought, but man, I feel like so many people should read a book about being a Sunday only Christian. I’ve been there, and although things are far from perfect and let’s be honest, sometimes I feel like I struggle more now, I can’t imagine how people get through Monday through Saturday without the help of Jesus. Now, with all of that said, I no longer feel like I need a book like this. So I am going to be removing it.
2. The Pressure Trap: Breaking Free from the Pressures of Society to Become Who God Called You To Be by Heather Lindsey
I may need to actually buy this book and read it now because I feel like this has been my issue for the past few months. With that said, I am keeping it.
3. Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist
I actually own this book and feel like it has been recommended to me a bunch of times. This is probably a book that I should have read when I was experiencing burnout. Both when I was traditionally working and when I had my own business. I do believe this is something that I could still struggle with, so I am keeping it.
4. One Minute Business Woman’s Devotional by Mike Murdock
Obviously, the cover shows how dated this book is, but it was recommended on one of my business lists. It would be interesting if someone were able to update this based on today’s business world. Because I feel like it may be dated and this isn’t my current season, I am removing it.
5. The Perfect Find by Tia Williams
This seems like a quick, quirky little romance that I wouldn’t mind reading in between my self-improvement books. Those books can sometimes be a bit heavy, so reading about a woman who is working on a second chance in her career with a side of romance sounds like it would be the break I need. I am keeping it.
6. You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by Francis Chan & Lisa Chan
I will say this with every marriage book on my list. Marriage is hard, and therefore I am keeping this book. I absolutely love Francis Chan (check out my resource page on him) and have already read a few of his books. So a book on biblical marriage is a no brainer for me to keep. I also had this downloaded on Hoopla, but I had read quite a few Francis Chan books by this point and wanted to switch it up.
7. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Ellie Claire
So here is some honesty. I love buying these journals. Yet I have not finished one at all. I barely do them. One of the goals I want to set for this year to help improve the health of my spiritual life is to add these types of devotionals for me to do each day. But I do have a ton and don’t need to buy anymore until they are done. So I will be removing this one.
8. The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy J. Keller
Like I mentioned with the marriage book above, marriage is hard, so I will be keeping this one. I need to read a book on marriage each month. I’ll probably add this to my list of goals soon.
9. Gods at War: Defeating the Idols that Battle for Your Heart by Kyle Idleman
I added this book because I was going through a season where I was allowing some pretty good and Christian things to become idols in my life. Like going to church each week, serving at church, people, etc. I struggled with seeing these things as idols until I realized that anything that is taking God’s place in my life is an idol. So I am keeping this one.
10. Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide by Linda Babcock
There are certain topics that to understand them truly, we need to read the most up to date information. So while this is still a significant issue in today’s workforce, I would want to read a book a little more recent. So I am going to remove this one.
11. The Career Code: Must-Know Rules for a Strategic, Stylish, and Self-Made Career by Hillary Kerr & Katherine Power
I love a good women’s empowerment and success story. And I am so thankful that these women are willing to share what worked and didn’t work for them. This book is apart of a series, and I would like to read them all. So I am keeping this one.
12. Wild and Free: A Hope-Filled Anthem for the Woman Who Feels She is Both Too Much and Never Enough by Jess Connolly
I bounce between feeling like I am doing too much and that I’m not enough to do the things I want to do. It’s a struggle, and I’ve realized that the more I don’t take care of my mental health, the more I struggle. I own a copy of this book, and I look forward to reading it. So I am keeping it.
13. How to Be Here: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living by Rob Bell
One verse that has made me realize that I deserve so much more in life is John 10:10b (CSB) “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” This tells me that Jesus gives me an abundant life. I should be living my life that way. So because of that, I am keeping this book.
14. May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness by Gabrielle Bernstein
This is probably one of those books I need to read during my Year of Healthy while I am working on building better habits. Anything that helps with unlimited happiness is something I need to look into. I am keeping this one.
15. Adventures for Your Soul: 21 Ways to Transform Your Habits and Reach Your Full Potential by Shannon Kaiser
Another book I should look into reading this year. I think I tried to listen to the audiobook version, and I prefer to have my self-improvement books in ebook or physical book form because I love taking notes and highlighting. But I am keeping this one.
16. The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte
I’m a little torn about this book. A life planning tool sounds like something right up my ally. But it seems like this book may be borderline mystic, and those types of books can some times conflict with my faith, and I prefer not to read them. So I will keep this one and give it a try. I can always mark it as DNF (did not finish).
17. Healthy Happy Sexy: Ayurveda Wisdom for Modern Women by Katie Silcox
The first thing I needed to do was google Ayurveda. I needed to make sure this wasn’t anything that was going to go against my faith. I was stumped at first because the first articles that pop up are WebMD, National Institutes of Health, and Johns Hopkins. But when I dig deeper, I see that it has its origins with Hindu gods and is based on holistic healing. I can get down with Holistic healing, but I’m not about to open the door for any other “gods” to have any access to my mind, body, and spirit. So I will be removing this one.
18. Miracles Now: 108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow, and Finding Your True Purpose by Gabrielle Bernstein
I stress and worry way too much to be as blessed as I am. It’s definitely something I want to work on this year. I also like the fact that these are small tidbits of info and practices for someone with only a minute or two. I am keeping this one.
19. 100 Ways to Love Your Husband: A Life-Long Journey of Learning to Love by Lisa Jacobson
Again…marriage=hard. Any book that I can read that can help me be a better wife, help me understand my husband more, help me love him more, I am all for reading. I am keeping this one.
20. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
I read the plot of this book, and my first thought was awww in such a sad way. Have I ever shared how randomly emotional I am? I cry very frequently when things get sad in a book, tv show, movie, or with a random thought. And it’s usually boohoo crying. It’s terrible but I chalk it up to feeling deeply. I feel like this book will make me do just that. So I am keeping it.
Final Count: Removing 5; Keeping 15
TBR Down to 4,663
Have you read any of these books? Think I made a mistake removing one? Leave me a comment below and let’s chat.
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