Reading List

So, Joshua and I- as I am sure that many of you are aware of- are huge book nerds. We both love reading immensely whether it is fiction or non-fiction, but we especially love stories. We are easily drawn into books, television shows, movies, comic books, anything that tells a good story. I think that there is something so magical about storytelling. I love the way that we were created with an imagination to be able to picture things in our heads that don't actually exist, that we have the creative ability to craft people and places and events that have never happened in a way that is thrilling, horrifying, sad, joyful, suspenseful, and inspiring. You can tell a story to teach a lesson, entertain an audience, make a point, share information, or simply touch somebody.

I wanted to share with you a story that we've been reading this past week: The Host.

It's easy (and somewhat justified) to be weary of any book penned by Twilight author, Stephenie Meyer, but I find that this novel has slipped somewhat under the radar of the crazed Twihard nation. Perhaps it's because Meyer slipped this book in during the middle of the Twilight series release, before even the movies were made, or maybe it's because this book has an older target audience and isn't sold in teen fiction sections of bookstores. Even the upcoming movie release (March 29) of The Host has been somewhat subdued, in my opinion, in comparison to the in your face every-where-you-turn advertising of the Twilight movies. Whatever the reason, I absolutely love this story. I first read it years ago when it was first released, but I convinced Joshua to open it back up and read it with me.

The story picks up after the Earth has been conquered by an alien species called the 'Souls' who inhabit the bodies of human beings. The Souls are a peaceful people as they live their lives inside of their human hosts. We follow a Soul named Wanderer as she is inserted into a host body that was part of the human resistance before the body was captured. She is supposed to search the body (that used to belong to a Melanie Stryder) for memories of information about the remaining resistance, but Wanderer discovers something unsettling: Melanie is still there. Inside her body. Wanderer and Melanie embark on a strange journey of hatred, understanding, friendship, and love as they try to adapt to society and figure out their place in the world.

I like this book more than the Twilight series because it's more story than romance. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind romance, but it bothers me when a story is written solely for the romance and the only plot devices are to add pining and angst to that relationship. I much prefer a well told story that contains elements of romance. I also think that The Host raises a lot of really interesting commentary on morality and the nature of being human. It's likely that Meyer includes these interesting questions by chance instead of design, but I enjoy them just the same. Anyways, the book can be a little slow in the middle but it is completely worth it in my opinion. You should pick it up before the movie is released in late March.


On a non-fiction side, the other book I just finished is called Your Money Counts (Now More Than Ever):

Managing finances was probably one of the areas I was most nervous about in beginning our marriage. I had never had a steady income before and never lived on a budget, paid taxes, handled medical care, invested, or anything like that. But, surprisingly, our finances has become one of my favorite areas of our life together. This book was super awesome and I recommend it to anyone learning to manage their finances for the first time (or anybody really). Dayton offers a lot of wisdom with what it means to be a good steward of your resources.