I sucked at this last year. I stopped logging in the middle of the year and then read a TON of books, the titles of which I cannot remember.

SO. This year will be better cataloged. *nod nod* Thank you to rei_c for reminding me to start this post, even though I have not finished anything yet this year.

1. Sex God - Rob Bell
- Excellent book. A non-fiction book about the role of sex and sexuality in the life of Christians. Was not what I was expecting. I found myself reading sections out loud to Bear, oddly enough. Made me feel more comfortable with the urge I've been feeling to go back to the church.

One of Bell's main points is that while he believes in abstinence only, he feels that we need to teach girls and young women WHY they need to abstain, outside of just "because God said so". Most importantly, young people need to know that they are WORTH DYING FOR. Men are told to love their wives as Jesus loved the church. As we all know, Jesus died on a cross for the church, to save it from itself- to take away its sin. If men are to love women as Jesus loved the church, that means they are expected to LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES for the women they love.

Women are WORTH THAT MUCH and they NEED TO KNOW IT. Most don't and, Bell says, that leads to early sex, sex without love, etc.

His message is important and worth hearing. This is only one of a number of his books that have just BLOWN ME AWAY.


2. Seeing Me Naked - Liza Palmer
- This technically is a chic lit novel. Like most chic lit novels, this is a book about the heroine and her trials and tribulations, mostly in love. However, the romance here is so closely tied to the main characters connections with her family, her childhood sweetheart, her career, her future, etc. that it becomes so much more than a story defined by getting or not getting the guy.

I really connected with Elisabeth's (our heroine) relationship with her father- lord knows I have daddy issues- and I could understand where she was in her career. I didn't put myself in her shoes, per se, but I did empathize with her in ways that I generally don't do in books of a similar genre or nature.

Bonus for me was that the author spoke at the latest LARA meeting and was AMAZING. She;s funny, smart and fascinating enough that I could have listened to her speak about Jane Austen (whom I don't much care for) for hours. I have a girl crush- i can admit it. *snerk* Worth picking up.