September Book Review

I (almost) read 3 books this month, so yay for more than 1! 😜 Here's a look at what I read in September.

First up is "Blessed are the Born Again" by R. Kent Hughes, and I'm not going to lie....I didn't actually finish this book. I borrowed this from my mom back in July, and it has been a struggle to read ever since. It's a study of the Beatitudes, and how they can be used as a gauge for distinguishing those who call themselves Christians from those who are actually "born again". This is something I really related to, especially being from the South; this idea that some people call themselves Christians based on their heritage and traditions, but without ever laying down themselves to take on the identity of Christ. But I really found the book to be very dry and hard to read. I read most of it, but just never could make myself finish. 

I LOVED Belgravia, my second book of the month! Julian Fellowes was the sole writer of Downtown Abbey (one of my favorite shows!), so I was really excited when I found this book at Barnes and Noble. The story opens in Brussels on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, where many English aristocrats have fled during the war with Napoleon. The Duchess of Richmond hosts an extravagant ball, after which follows the battle that takes the lives of many, including soldiers who were in attendance that evening. The story picks up 25 years later in London with the story of the Trenchard's who were guests at the now legendary ball. There are secrets from that night that connect them to a powerful aristocratic family, and that's all I can say without giving too much away! The story, the writing, the character development; it was all excellent! The whole time I was reading this, I couldn't help but compare it to Jane Austen's novels. It was romantic and redemptive, and ended in the best way possible. I highly recommend this one!

Bébé Day by Day is a book that I picked up at a consignment sale for a couple dollars, and I really enjoyed it! It's a very short, easy read and is really just a list of 100 French parenting tips. I didn't know this until I had a kid and started reading about parenting styles and techniques, but the French are known for raising excellent children. French children are generally very well behaved, obedient, neat and tidy, and to top it off, they eat stuff most American adults would never touch. 

This little book is written by an American who lives in Paris with her husband and 2 children, and she gives a little insight into how French parents do it. What I gathered from this book is essentially that the French are much more laid back parents than Americans typically are. They love and protect their children, but they never hover over their kids. They let their children fall, get hurt, try things and fail, work out disputes with other kids on their own, etc. They believe that it's part of learning to be human, and that kids need to learn to be independent and self-sufficient from a young age. Druckerman says that by the age of 5, French children are expected to be able to help with anything around the house that pertains to them, including helping prepare dinner. I absolutely love the French philosophy on child rearing, and actually knew this was the kind of parent I wanted to be before I had kids or had ever read a book about French parenting. It's just what makes sense to me!