shauna niequist

i'm definintely a reader.

i read every day.

and i can't go to bed without reading first,

even if it's just a page and i'm already half asleep.

it's almost an OCD level need.

mostly i read novels.

historical fiction is my drug of choice.

but i also have a weakness for young adult books.

(denial about my age? maybe.)

and i occasionally branch out to all sorts of other genres.

what i don't read a lot of is nonfiction.

let me be honest,

i don't like books that make me think too much.

i'm looking for entertainment.

basically, i like books that are a 'getaway' from my normal life.

but there is one author who has been the exception for me.

shauna niequist.

author of cold tangerines and bittersweet.

i LOVE her books.

they are nonfiction.

short essays, stories really, about life.

her honesty is so refreshing,

and her writing is just plain beautiful to me.

(she is also a pastor's daughter like me, which makes me feel extra connected to her.)

 you should read her books.

but for now, 

i thought i would share a few of my favorite quotes of hers with you.

and believe me, choosing just a few is hard!

“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift.” 

“But this is what I'm finding, in glimpses and flashes: this is it. This is it, in the best possible way. That thing I'm waiting for, for that adventure, that movie-score-worthy experience unfolding gracefully. This is it. Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets - this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will ever experience.”  

“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” 

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