Cursed by Marissa Meyer is the second in a fantasy duology. Here is a link to my review of the first, Gilded. Meyer commands the story arc so well. There are zigs and zags that I didn't see coming but were within the realm of the story. This second book fits well with the first, and I wonder if it was all one work at first. Being a fairy tale, I believed it would have a happy ending, but Meyer didn't shy away from dark, dismal places. I asked myself if this fairy tale was more of the Grimm variety.
🏰⚔️🧌🦄
I had never read the book by Lauren Weisberger, The Devil Wears Prada, which spawned the movie, so this week I did, and I also rewatched the movie (SO GOOD!) The book shows Andy giving up her soul a piece at a time, much like the movie. However, the book has several subplots that the movie doesn't, and the ending is changed. I thought the book would be an easy, breezy romp, but it delves into a body-shaming culture and a not-at-all-cute abusive relationship. I found it worth the read because what was kept and ditched was surprising..
🍿 😈👠🗽
I recently attended a Marriage Enrichment Conference sponsored by the Allender Center. I decided to read Bold Love by Dr. Dan B. Allender and Dr. Tremper Longman III, a book that's been on my shelves for years. I'm not sure how to classify this book--Christian self-help is probably the closest to what it is. Allender and Longman make the case for a love that isn't meek in its approach to loving difficult people. It's not tough love, per se, but more about valuing yourself in the equation. The cover (see above) boasts, "Know the difference between loving an evil person, a fool, and a normal sinner." Ouch. This book is helpful and challenging. I felt convicted about how I've failed to love others but also encouraged that there are hopeful pathways toward healing. It took me several weeks to read it, and I'm glad I took it slowly to absorb it and think about their proposals. I would like to reread it because the material does not have the usual message of "forgive and forget." It's made me think.
❤️❤️🔥❤️🩹
No comments:
Post a Comment