Francine February!!!!

For the past year my reading has consisted of adoption and parenting related non-fiction books. Actually, overall I tend to favor non-fiction books. I like to learn about things I am passionate about and I like the finality of each chapter. Well... last year (July) I received Francine Rivers' books "Redeeming Love" and (September) The Atonement Child. Each of these books has been so highly recommended that I knew I needed to read them. Sadly, I never really got motivated to crack them open.
On Tuesday afternoon I was pondering what to do and I looked at my coffee table and saw "The Atonement Child" and decided to read the first chapter and see if I liked it. I was hooked immediately and ended up reading the whole book (400+) pages that afternoon/evening. This is an incredible story about unborn life, hard decisions, sacrificial love and more. It is so realistic and moving as well as frustrating and thought provoking at times. I would love to tell you all about the book, but I would rather you just read it!
On Wednesday Brandon ended up heading to the hospital after 10:00pm. I am not the best sleeper without my sleeping buddy, so I decided to grab "Redeeming Love" and read a bit until I felt sleepy. I finally closed my eyes at about 1:00am (an hour before Brandon came to bed). I read the book throughout the day on Thursday (Yes, I know this is unrealistic for most people to read so much during the week) and finished by Thursday night! This book is longer than the first, but SO good! Francine based the book off of Hosea (the prophet) and Gomer and the story will tear at your soul in so many ways. I really feel it has helped me to process my past and caused me cherish the present! It is an incredible story of God's grace and patience displayed by Michael and a story of despair and redemption for the female lead.
I SO HIGHLY recommend these books! I appreciated them so much that I will most likely ask you if you have read them next time I talk with you! Francine uses so much Scripture and creates such developed prayer lives of her characters that I truly ended these books with a deeper passion for Jesus!
*I also like the Scarlet Thread... Francine can write! She has a beautiful testimony and shares it at the end of Redeeming Love!
I checked out our church library and they have more Rivers books. I decided I need to finish up the grant stuff and work on a few more projects around the house before diving into another book for the sake of my family and the many lists floating around I will stick to non-fiction for a while... but don't be surprised if you stop by some day and find my curled up on the couch with unfolded laundry surrounding me, reading one of these treasures!