Story in Review

Story in Review: The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst

February 5, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 2 Comments

The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa TerKeurst is a book that I could have used last year. I was overwhelmed, trying to do too much, and at the end of the day my heart felt empty in a way that I couldn’t describe. Rushing from activity to event to meeting with no time in between any of them left me feeling hollow. I never got the chance to reflect on a good moment because I was too busy rushing out the door to the next. I was never able to look forward to anything with anticipation, because I was still reeling from the to-do list of the last project to which I had committed my “yes”. In short, I had no margin.

Six months later, after reevaluating what I want my daily life to look like, saying “no” a lot, and leaving some space in each week to breath and create, my heart feels full again. I feel good about where I am at, and getting out of bed each morning is easier (not easy, because it is so comfortable, but easier).

In The Best Yes, TerKeurst walks the reader through the decision-making process, helping them discover that there are three answers to any new opportunity: Yes, No, and Best Yes. She emphasizes serving out of love and not obligation, and how living a life less rushed will allow you to be present with those around you. The downside to this book (for me) was that it contained those little “catch phrases” here and there that pop up in Christian nonfiction aimed at women – a literary trope that I can never get behind. Lots of rhyming phrases to help you remember points, lots of “dear sister,” etc. It’s not my thing.

Favorite Quotes:

“A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.” – p. 21

“…the decisions you make determine the schedule you keep. The schedule you keep determines the life you live. And how you live your life determines how you spend your soul.” – p.27

“Wisdom makes decisions today that will still be good tomorrow.” – p. 39

“It’s about learning today yes to those things that are truly meant to be our assignments… That’s the only way to ensure there’s space to run and take that leap of faith toward the best things.” – p. 62

“Our decisions aren’t just isolated choices. Our decisions point our lives in the directions we’re about to head.” – p. 68

“But not making a decision is actually a decision. It’s the decision to stay the same. And staying the same when I know I need to change is a choice that carries consequences with it.” – p. 98

Should you read it? If you are feeling overwhelmed, like you have no time to stop and breathe and enjoy life – Yes, pick up this book. If you have a hard time saying “no” to all the good opportunities in front of you, even when your gut tells you that if you add one more responsibility to your plate you are going to go into the closet and scream – Yes, read this book. Preferably soon. If you are comfortable with where you are allocating your time and have no trouble saying “no” to good opportunities that just aren’t right for you – then you’re good! And please tell me your secrets…

What about you? Have you read The Best Yes? What did you think?

Story in Review: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

January 6, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 2 Comments

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan is the sweet story of Willow Chance, a young girl who has had a rough life. Adopted at birth, Willow is now in middle school, and doesn’t really fit in. The problem is, she’s a genius. Bright beyond her years, she has a hard time interacting with kids her own age – or people in general. When her parents die suddenly in a car accident (this happens very early on, not a spoiler), she winds up living with a family she barely knows, trying to establish roots in a place that might just be temporary.

The novel tackles some tough topics: the death of both parents, not fitting in, cultural and socioeconomic barriers, and problems with the foster system. At the same time, it does so with a lot of heart, making it accessible and easy to follow. The characters are entertaining and engaging. Watching Willow evolve throughout the book is kind of like watching Sheldon Cooper fall in love with Amy Farrah Fowler – slow, humorous, and heartwarming. The rights have been optioned, and I am excited to see how they turn this into a film.

Favorite Quotes:

“I would live here at Beale Memorial Library, if it were any kind of viable option… I do wish that it were possible. Because: books = comfort
To me, anyway.
And comfort is a thing of the past.” -p. 151

“The idea of something for nothing is appealing in some visceral way.
Even if free things are never free.
The burden on ownership means everything has a price.” – p. 297-298

“So we need an adult, a credit card, and a car?” – p. 300

“A second can feel like forever if what follows is heartbreak.” – p. 351

“If the last few months have proven anything, it’s that I don’t need more theory, but rather more experience with reality.” – p. 364

“Pattie says nothing is for certain.
That is the truest statement I’ve ever heard.” – p. 376

What made this a good story? The book had a way of unfolding that felt you were tumbling along – it was quickly paced and entertaining the whole way. The characters were, for the most part, lovable. The ending was perfect.

What could have made it a better story? I disliked Dell Duke, the guidance counselor. I felt that for a book aimed at middle school readers, he was a hard personality to understand or identify with – and while I am no prude, the way in which his relationship to women and with Quang-ha develops is problematic for me. The upside to Dell is that he is the character most redeemed by the story line. By the time the book ends, he has undergone a significant shift – and that is nice to see. Aside from that, I wish we would have gotten to know Pattie more – she was the most under-developed character, and possibly the most interesting, having migrated to Mexico from Asia, and then to the states. She is an immigrant who owns her own nail salon and is raising two teenagers on her own. I would like to read her story.

Have you read Counting by 7s? What do you think?

Story in Review: “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel

December 11, 2014 by Abbigail Kriebs 4 Comments

Scott and I are in Chicago for a few days, spending some time together and resting up before I start a new job on Monday. It’s been awhile since I’ve done a short book review, so I thought it was time. I got this recommendation from the lovely Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus (which you should read if you haven’t – it’s one of my favorites), via her Twitter feed. The book did not disappoint.

Well-woven with intrigue, bits of philosophy, and characters as unlike one another as can be, Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven is a fast, yet thought-provoking read. What would happen if a flu epidemic wiped out 95% of the population on earth? St. John Mandel explores what that would look like through the eyes of several main characters: Jeevan, a paramedic-in-training; Kirsten, a young child actor before the epidemic and later a survivor in her mid-twenties; Arthur, an aging celebrity with a lot of ghosts; Arthur’s first wife, Miranda, a graphic novel artist; and Clark, Arthur’s best friend from before he was famous.

The novel follows the lives of these main characters and others, unwrapping the story across continents and decades and slowly unraveling the mystery of how they are all connected and how they did – or didn’t – survive the pandemic.

Favorite Quotes:

“Hell is the absence of the people you long for.” – p. 144

“I look around and sometimes think–this will maybe sound weird–it’s like the corporate world’s full of ghosts… I know academia is no different, so maybe a fairer way of putting this would be to say that adulthood’s full of ghosts. I’m talking about these people who’ve ended up in one life instead of another and they are just so disappointed. Do you know what I mean? They’ve done what’s expected of them. They want to do something different but that’s impossible now, there’s a mortgage, kids, whatever, they’re trapped… High-functioning sleepwalkers, essentially.” – p.163

“If she weren’t so tired, if it didn’t take all of her strength to keep breathing… she could have told him what she knew: it is possible to survive this but not unaltered, and you will carry these men with you through all the nights of your life.” – p. 296

“He likes the thought of ship moving over the water, toward another world just out of sight.” – p. 333

What made this a good story? The plot is fascinating, and the I loved how St. John Mandel wove the stories into each other, slowly and with great care. Small moments become bigger as the story goes on, and I love a book where I have to consciously be present as I read it in order to fully understand. Her language is top-notch: it’s always the right word, always. I especially enjoyed the moments of self-reflection tucked into Clark’s story, how young Kirsten is so much older than her age. It was a beautiful and haunting story to read.

What could have made it a better story? The ending didn’t feel like the end to me. Even though you know how everyone makes it through, it wasn’t a satisfying conclusion: some story lines are obviously at an end, but others aren’t. Please write a sequel, Emily St. John Mandel. Please.

Also: I would have loved to have seen some of the fictional illustrations by Miranda. That would have been a beautiful addition to the text.

What do you think? Have you read Station Eleven?