MY LIBRARIAN MISTY

If you truly love a book, you should sleep with it, write in it, read aloud from it, and fill its pages with muffin crumbs.

—Anne Fadiman

I confess, I did not grow up with a love for books. In my youth I struggled with focusing and retaining the material in them; therefore, books intimidated me. And now I’m surrounded by them!!! So then, how do you not fall in love with or want to read them?!! In my adult life, I have found that I love reading psychology books written from a religious aspect. I especially favor books authored by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. A couple of my favorites are Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No, to Take Control of Your Life and Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give up in Order to Move Forward, both by Henry Cloud. I also like to read books that focus on leadership training, such as The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow, Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping-Stones for Success, and Becoming a Person of Influence, which were all written by John C. Maxwell. And most recently, I’ve discovered that I enjoy reading biographies for four reasons: they promote self-discovery, they allow you to see the world in new ways, and can sometimes serve as an inspiration and/or mentors at a distance, and whether you admire or revile the individual they’re about, I personally want to know how a “normal” person became a world-changing figure.

On Misty's Bookshelf

Embraced by Lysa TerKeurst
Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson
The Wonder Down Under by Ellen Stokken Dahl
Change Your Words, Change Your Life by Joyce Meyer
No More Faking Fine by Esther Fleece

Misty's Top 10 Favorite Books

The Celebrate Recovery Bible is a remarkable recovery tool for anyone who struggles with any kind of hurt, habit, or hang-up. This bible has great daily devotionals, great biblical character stories and everyday people's testimonies of how God and Celebrate Recovery has healed and changed their lives.

The Body Keeps the Score explains in detail the brain's reaction to trauma and how it effects the body focused around Dr. van der Kolk's work throughout his career on the issues of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as it relates to combat veterans, victims of accidents and crimes, abuse victims, etc.

I really valued that the workbook not only gave a lot of helpful information and advice about depression, PTSD, sleep, nutrition and wellbeing, but how it also gave the reader activities in the form of assessment quizzes and writing exercises to help with the process of recovery.

This book is a real eye-opener. It gives several accounts of men and women who were sexually assaulted on college campuses and what happened afterwards. Institutions they thought would support them and guide them turned their backs on them.

Please be safe while reading this book. It's full of people courageously sharing some of the most difficult life experiences anyone can go through. If you want to understand what leads someone to want to take their own life or what life is like for the friends and family members of those who have, this book will do that.

The notable allure of Barbara's latest book is her ability to transport the reader to a place, time, and a set of circumstances that the reader is compelled to stay with until the very end. The plot's surprises and developments create tension and emotional concern for the characters.

The Alchemist is one of those books that has the potential to change your life. It may cause you to reflect on your own Personal Legend as well as the next steps on your journey. The story is engaging, insightful, and a simple and quick read.

What endears the late Mary Kay Ash far beyond cosmetics, business genius, or financial success is her role as a champion of women. She wrote this autobiography to provide a personal perspective on that remarkable journey.

This book addresses the enormous and complex journey that survivors of traumatic events face when they begin - as all survivors must - coming to terms with what has happened to them.

Christian Life - A Journey of Faith

Liz Curtis uses examples of "bad girls" from the Old and New Testaments to show how bad choices and actions can affect our lives, and how we can be healed and forgiven by God despite them.

This album spoke to me in the deepest of ways regarding forgiveness, redemption, restoration, TRUST, and freedom from guilt. Lauren also has a very distinctive voice. She sounds like a mix of Adele and Amy Winehouse, which for a contemporary Christian artist is refreshingly rare.

If you feel at all insecure in your relationship with God, or if you've ever questioned how He really feels about you, I urge you to read this book. Joyce has an uncomplicated, straightforward writing style that is easy to grasp. This book is for you, and for me, and for anyone who doubts God's unfailing love.

This book is a great tool for explaining all areas of purity - emotional, mental, physical and spiritual. It focuses on putting God first, has realistic advice and applies to young people over the entire spectrum of the purity matter.

The "It" in The Girl's Still Got It refers to value, significance, or worth - which God reaffirmed in Ruth's life. No matter where you've come from or what you've done, God still loves you and He has a plan for your life.

This CD is a recording of a "live" performance which made it feel more like a spirit filled and worshipful experience for me. Kari connects with people through her music as if she knows exactly where you are emotionally. These songs have very strong symbolism of all that Christ has done for us, His finished work, and above all God's unconditional love for us all.

Natalie wrote this album while she was feeling hopeless and overwhelmed. She shared that, "Hurricane' broke open wide the creative dam for me and began the process of knowing I could have hope that a better day is coming."

A reflection on how cats have evolved from predator into human companion and how they reveal their emotions. In a conversational and accessible tone the author draws on observations of his own five cats.

Healing IS Possible

This book documents the healing journey of numerous trauma survivors. Written for the general public, it provides an intimate view into the healing processes of people treated with EMDR.

It explains how the disorder is diagnosed and describes the symptoms --- both physical and psychological. It also covers the various disorders that can accompany and worsen PTSD: things like depression, substance abuse, and generalized anxiety disorder.

This book provides a courageous, inspiring, and radical message of the human capacity for self-healing. Mollica blends historical information, religious and spiritual practices with medical and psychiatric knowledge.

I found this book to be one of the best ones written on the loss of a pet. It covers every aspect of the grief process. I recommend this book for anyone having a challenging time with the loss of a best friend.

Everyone has some form of hurts, habits or hang-ups that they need help identifying. This book helps you do that in such a way that while you are identifying your flaws and character defects, you still feel encouraged and know that there is hope and freedom.

This book is a collection of letters, essays, and poems, written by survivors of sexual violence, to encourage and support survivors. There is healing within this book because it speaks to victims in a way that lets them know it wasn't their fault and that they are understood and validated.

Just as every trauma is different and every person's reaction to trauma is personal, treating and overcoming that trauma must be personalized. This book provides an array of ways to finding your way back to sanity after a significant traumatic experience.

The Royals

Margaret Beaufort fiercely sets her heart on assuring that her son reigns on the throne of England regardless of the cost to herself, to England, and even to her son. Margaret devises one of the greatest uprisings ever recorded.

The story begins with a young girl Jacquetta who meets Joan of Arc. She forms a friendship with Joan which sadly ends in her witnessing Joan's execution. The story goes on to include forbidden love, arraigned marriages, characters being exiled, battles, and the drama of court.

The Kingmaker's Daughter is the story of Anne Neville and her road to becoming queen. In Gregory's account, Anne emerges as an endearing and intelligent heroine, caught up in the snares of her father's politics.

Elizabeth, Henry VII's wife/queen has always known she would be a pawn in some way. So when Henry VII defeats her lover Richard III in battle and takes the title of king, she knows it will be her job to marry the victor.

This is the first of a trilogy taking the reader through Marie Antoinette's life and death. Told in the first person (mostly) from Marie's point of view the reader is submerged in history.

True Stories

This last book was my favorite. It has a very redeeming ending to the horrible true story of Dave Pelzer's childhood. This book series truly helps us to delve into the mind of the traumatized child and their emotional and mental journey into adulthood.

This book definitely needs a mature audience. Alice Sebold discusses what no one really wants to; that sometimes as a society, people don't want to be near those who have suffered terrible events for some unknown reason.

Lisa Beamer is a courageous woman with a strong faith in God. She shares her testimony of how her walk with the Lord has profoundly strengthened her and continues to guide her as she and her children carry on their lives without her husband, Todd.

This book is the true story of one child's life and the abuse he experienced growing up. While reading this I could feel the pain and fear this little boy was feeling. Pelzer has so much courage to tell his story, and he does it so well.

I read this book after reading the first book in the trilogy. Dave Pelzer has a way of connecting with the reader, especially those who have been through child abuse of some form.

Batavia Public Library
10 S. Batavia Ave. Batavia, IL 60510
(630) 879-1393

Batavia Public Library
10 S. Batavia Ave. Batavia, IL 60510
(630) 879-1393