Be forewarned that this post is mainly going to be about books and that is a subject I am SO passionate about sooo... haha!

First off, I finally caved in to all my friends and family who have been trying to get me to read The Shack. I'm a little over halfway through it and WOW, it is a definite must read for all Christians (or non-Christians too) because I feel like it has just opened my eyes. I'm not a person who has had a really strict definition or preconception of God, like His form and appearance. One of my favorite shows used to be Joan of Arcadia and if you watched that show you know that God turned up as the cafeteria lunch lady, homeless panhandlers, etc. So that isn't a big leap for me - but if you haven't thought of that before it's going to be interesting.

I know for me, I have a "shack" - a great sadness that hangs over me and sometimes dominates my thoughts and my life - if I let it. This book is helping me deal with that and I really think it's bringing me closer to the kind of relationship I want with God - and the kind I presume He wants with me.

I think for non-Christians it would be an interesting read too - even just to see a book that doesn't have the God of the Bible portrayed with a big booming voice coming down from the sky, or a behind a burning bush, or Jesus as a white man with  blonde hair and white robe.

OK enough about The Shack - although I really have to say that I don't read Christian fiction very much at all because it all comes across so patronizing or preachy and to me, this book just makes you really THINK about the nature and wonder of it all.

Next - I am SO excited because  I just finished ordering a shipment of books from Barnes and Noble. I received a 25 dollar gift card a few months ago from my aunt and I've been holding onto it until I had some books in mind that I REALLY wanted to own, not just pick up from the library. This is new to me because I usually don't get books, I buy them without thinking and they sit on my shelves, but since I don't have much space anymore and all our stuff is still in storage, and money is tight - I want to only buy books that I REALLY want to have around and share too.

SO- everyone knows how much I rave about The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - a book I read in 2006 and STILL tell everyone to read. It is probably one of the best books I've ever read, with a little bit of everything, mystery, romance, suspense - all in perfect quantities. As soon as I finished reading it I searched for another Zafon book and was sorely disappointed to find that that was his debut and hadn't authored anything else. UNTIL NOW!! I was on facebook and saw an ad on the side of the page (which I usually ignore) but it got my heart racing as soon as I saw it! The Angel's Game.

The other book is a book I also read in 2006 (which 2006 is like one of the best years of reading for me apparently, because I really recommend almost everything I read that year) called The Ghost Writer by John Harwood. If you love a GOOD ghost story don't miss this book. Anyways, it's so hard to find a GOOD ghost story and it was beyond good. But that too was John Harwood's debut novel!! So I decided on the off chance that I'd look him up and hope with all my might that he'd have something else penned too. And he DID! The Seance.

I am SO excited for this order, to read this books than anyone can probably imagine. If they are anything on par with the first books by these authors I am in for one heck of a TREAT!

I also snooped around and found another book that looks really good called The Practice of Deceit by Elizabeth Benedict. I've never heard of her or this book before but I am usually pretty good about picking books I like.

For me, I think I've figured it out - to me books are like people - I always look for the best and can usually find it in every one of them. So when I pick books I hardly every can say "oh wow, I hated that book!" I just have books I like and books I LOVE.