Book Girl - One Author's Recommendations of Books Essential for A "Reading Life"

Sarah Clarkson's take on the gift that is reading and writing spoke directly to my soul so many times on so many levels that I was truly astounded. Not only does she write effortlessly and personally to her readers, her verse undeniably conveys her passion for the written word and the way that she views literature to be one of the purest gifts from God for his children to better connect and understand him and the Bible. I felt myself getting chills at so many different truths that she was able to beautifully and simply express, ranging from the way that books can inspire, confuse, and lead us to God in our good times as well as the bad. The best part of this book I have to say are the numerous lists of her recommendations of books that shaped what she calls her lifestyle of the "reading life." Clarkson's lists range from prayer and theology devotionals to fantasy/mystical novels to powerful memoirs that she read in all different parts of her walk of life so far, with added commentary, insightful opinions, and synopses of the titles for the reader's information (If you are a fan of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and other similar writers, you'll be hearing a lot about them and finding recommendations of their works and similar anthologies left and right!) I personally connected to this book and its author through the articulation of what it means to be a "book girl".  It is apparent through every chapter and on every page that books and writing are Clarkson's passion and life work as well as her way of spiritually connecting and living for the Lord. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to every Christian woman and every woman who feels a slight tugging on her heartstrings to delve deeper into literature and the transforming power it can have on the way we all live our lives. 

I couldn't choose just one quote to highlight from this book, so here are a few of my favorites (and the ones that I believe to be among the most insightful):

1) "Words make worlds, and the more words we encounter, the richer our concept of the world becomes, the more we are able to see what is possible" (42-43).

2) "To be a book girl is to own the identity of holy learner to the full" (43). 

3) "Word by word, the narratives we read equip our hands and broaden our imaginations for the real and daily narratives of our lives" (69). 

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