When you hear a riveting story, does it thrill your heart and stir your soul? Do you hunger for truth and goodness? Do you secretly relate to Belle’s delight in the library in Beauty and the Beast?If so, you may be on your way to being a book girl.Books were always Sarah Clarkson’s delight. Raised in the company of the lively Anne of Green Gables, the brave Pevensie children of Narnia, and the … and the wise Austen heroines, she discovered reading early on as a daily gift, a way of encountering the world in all its wonder. But what she came to realize as an adult was just how powerfully books had shaped her as a woman to live a story within that world, to be a lifelong learner, to grasp hope in struggle, and to create and act with courage.She’s convinced that books can do the same for you.Join Sarah in exploring the reading life as a gift and an adventure, one meant to enrich, broaden, and delight you in each season of your life as a woman. In Book Girl, you’ll discover:
- how reading can strengthen your spiritual life and deepen your faith,
- why a journey through classic literature might be just what you need (and where to begin),
- how stories form your sense of identity,
- how Sarah’s parents raised her to be a reader–and what you can do to cultivate a love of reading in the growing readers around you, and
- 20+ annotated book lists, including some old favorites and many new discoveries.
Whether you’ve long considered yourself a reader or have dreams of becoming one, Book Girl will draw you into the life-giving journey of becoming a woman who reads and lives well.more
Rave. Rave. Rave. This is a book about the reading life, and it is filled with important words for novelists, IMHO, as well as all readers, especially for those who are followers of Christ. It is written specifically to girls/women, but I’m sure the truths within would ring just as true to the opposite sex. The lists of recommended reading throughout this book are amazing, but it is the wisdom and encouragement and joy in the rest of the narrative that I have highlighted countless times throughout. It’s a book I will return to again, probably multiple times. If you are a book girl, if reading is something you love to do (or want to learn to love to do), treat yourself to BOOK GIRL.
BTW, I bought this book first from Audible. Loved it so much, I had to add a physical copy so that I could highlight and make notes. The audio version is fabulous. The narrator does such a great job, especially when quoting from various other books. But if I could only own one version, I would go for the physical print book. This is a keeper.
In the introduction of Book Girl, Sarah Clarkson states that this book “celebrates not just the gifts of the reading life, but also the rich life of the reading woman (pg. xv).” It’s a broad statement that covers the next 200+ pages and it delivers on the promise. Repeatedly, Sarah shows through her personal story as well as research and careful observations, what a gift that reading is. There’s a strong emphasis on reading to children and passing on the joy of reading.
Book Girl has ten chapters, most of which have two or three sections. Each section pertains to a general idea or topic and often begins with an introduction including personal examples or research. The reading lists cover many topics including: books about reading, biographies, girlhood classics, spiritual classics, poetry, books about the arts, and much more. There are over twenty reading lists. Each book title listed includes at least a brief description of the book, and often, considerably more, but no spoilers.
As soon as I saw Book Girl, I was immediately interested. The cover is as classy as the content inside. This book was pure joy for me to read because I love books and I love being introduced to new books. Sarah’s writing style was lovely, likely influenced by the amazing writers she has been reading all her life! Sarah shared much of her personal life and it felt like she was a friend by the time I was a few chapters in. I have read only a handful of the books on her lists, but I felt that I could trust her judgment to point me in the right direction of a good book.
In the first chapter of Book Girl, Sarah states that she lists what she loves (pg 3). She unabashedly proclaims her love of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Wendell Berry, and the Anne of Green Gables series. While her lists are written from a mindset of “this is what I love” instead of “this is what might interest my audience”, I found her book descriptions helpful and it was easy to determine if a book she recommended might be a good fit for me. To that end, I’ve already purchased two books that she recommended when I happened upon them at my local used book store.
I loved Book Girl and I recommend it to all women, especially Christians. There is a definite Christian worldview. I am not sure if the book would be enjoyable to non-Christians as Sarah discusses her faith frequently. However, the topics cover a wide range of books, many of which are classic books that are not expressly Christian, but from which a Christian may derive a spiritual truth.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The author pushed religion way too much. It is one thing to have a chapter about books that she believed strengthened her faith, but it is another to mention religion in practically every other sentence. If you’re going to write a book about books that relate to your faith, then mention that in the synopsis. When she wasn’t talking about religion, she was boasting about having gone to Oxford or recommending the same authors over and over again… very disappointing.