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Madame Bovary is no Glennon Melton

Carry OnCarry on, Warrior –thoughts on life unarmed by Glennon Doyle Melton is my latest library book.

It’s also my recent assault material.

Ever had a book that you felt COMPELLED to share with those around you? Even when it might result the next day in one parent commenting to the other parent, “I couldn’t really hear the news last night because people were talking.”

And by “people were talking” said parent meant that I kept laughing out loud and then doing a dramatic reading from Carry On. Hello, this is the nature of being compelled. I can not help myself!

And as to the news. No surprises there. There was weather, sports were played, laws were broken, an animal somewhere bit or helped someone. Wouldn’t you rather hear a dramatic reading from a hilarious book?!

Apparently not everyone would.

At the same time I am reading Madame Bovary for a book group that meets the first Tuesday of every month. I now feel compelled to tell you I hate Madame Bovary. The person, that is. The book, also, not so great.

Herein lies the difference — Madame Bovary is shallow and selfish. She has affairs, financially ruins her family, ignores her child, and is so self focused it was a slug fest to finish the book.You know it’s bad when you’re relieved that arsenic was used to end a life. OK, so maybe I’m shallow too.

Glennon Melton, on the other hand, was shallow, selfish, bulimic, a drunk, and utterly messed up when she found out she was pregnant, married the dad and started a slug fest towards a brutiful life. (Her word for the beauty and brutality God weaves together in life).

And is hilarious.

Case in point. She’s not that into house keeping or cooking (she had me at “not that into cooking”). She stopped vacuuming the day she realized her daughter’s doll stroller left vacuum-like lines on the rug, so to “vacuum” she had her daughter push the stroller around the room, while supervising from the coach, until her husband noticed that the freshly vacuumed carpet always had dirt and lint embedded.

Demonstrating that he, can smell a bluff a mile away, Melton’s husband, Craig, bought her a new vacuum to replace the “malfunctioning” one.

Melton told her daughter the new vacuum was “brand-new, big-girl stroller.” With an engine. And taught her to push the vacuum around the room, baby on board.

If you are in need of a good laugh and knowing someone is “singing with you” in the mess of life, I recommend Carry On, Warrior.

And because I want you to have the joy of stalking someone you know, I’m giving away a copy of the book! Take that Madame Bovary, you life sucker you.

To be eligible to win the book, leave a comment and either share why you need a good laugh now OR the last book you could. not. help. yourself. and you too, became a book stalker. Winner will be selected Friday!

P.S. Friday the Velvet Ashes campaign will end. We are over half way to our goal and are thrilled and a bit scared. Would you consider giving? And a BIG thank you to all who have :)

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21 Comments August 6, 2013

About Amy

My name is Amy and I live in the messy middle of life. I have been Redeemed from permanent muck and live with the tension of the Already and Not Yet.

Comments

  1. Rhonda says

    August 6, 2013 at 6:52 am

    Sounds like something I would have done if I had children. :) Look forward to finding this one and reading. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Christi says

    August 6, 2013 at 7:48 am

    Why I Need a Good Laugh Right Now: We just lost my father this past week, and his laugh is what I will miss the most. I tried to be the “funny one” in the household of 4 daughters, and hearing him laugh was my reward for my efforts. No one thought I was as funny as my dad did! :)

    The book I could not help myself from telling everyone about was “One Thousand Gifts.” What a different perspective on being thankful in ALL things. I bought several copies and gave them out to people I thought would appreciate them.

    Reply
  3. coffeesnob318 says

    August 6, 2013 at 7:48 am

    I feel vindicated by this post. I, too, hate Madame Bovary. For all those reasons. I was meant to have read it for a class in college, and it’s the only book I never finished in a literature class. I have tried to finish it so many times, but no.

    But this one sounds awesome!

    Reply
  4. Jennifer Taylor says

    August 6, 2013 at 9:48 am

    Challenge is the word I use these days to describe the year I have just walked through. Watching Velvet Ashes being born has very much been an answer to prayer, because I know from my own life how much it is needed. I need to learn now how to continue to look for the positive, and learn to laugh again. The book would help me do that.

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth Morrow Clark says

    August 6, 2013 at 9:55 am

    We are of one mind. Encountered Flaubert in high school, been rolling my eyes about MB ever since!

    Reply
  6. Julie Gaglione says

    August 6, 2013 at 12:48 pm

    I loved this book…I underlined and underlined, smiled, cried and nodded. I want to give this book to everyone I know, but mine is too underlined to pass on, so I want another one to give away! Everyone should read this book…

    Reply
  7. amy says

    August 6, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    The last book I couldn’t help but share with others is ‘Love Does’ by Bob Goff. A bold man who chooses love in a bold way. I felt inspired to do all kinds of things that I couldn’t even put my finger on. Already bought 2 more copies for Christmas gifts!

    Reply
  8. Danielle says

    August 6, 2013 at 1:35 pm

    I’ve started following Glennon’s blog and am loving her!! The book is on my “to read” list for when life settles down. As for needing a laugh…packing up to move our lives across the world with three (sick) little ones underfoot, well, yeah. :)

    Grateful for you!!

    Reply
  9. Tina/@teenbug says

    August 6, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    O! The last book that made me a book stalker was Barbara Brown Taylor’s “An Altar in the World.” SOOOOO good.

    Reply
  10. Erica says

    August 6, 2013 at 2:03 pm

    I need a good laugh because, as of next week, I will have taken 14 airplane flights this summer! And all but 2 were on standby…

    Reply
  11. Ginger - Just One of the Boys says

    August 6, 2013 at 2:58 pm

    Two out of my three boys have bad colds and this mommy could use a laugh! Actually, I have read Carry On, Warrior on my Kindle – and I loved it! I’ve been wanting a copy of the book to lend out/give away/use as my own personal assault material! :)

    Reply
  12. Christina says

    August 6, 2013 at 4:45 pm

    My last book that made me a book stalker: Torn by Justin Lee. I recommended it to at least three people so far and, just to make sure they had no excuse for not reading it, I checked its availability at their local public libraries for them. Before that, it was Rachel Held Evans’ A Year of Biblical Womanhood. My copy is still making the rounds at our church.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      August 8, 2013 at 9:14 pm

      I’ll have to take a page from your stalking play book — love checking out their local library! Nice.

      Reply
  13. Sharee says

    August 6, 2013 at 6:38 pm

    I need a good laugh for the middle of the night feedings when my daughter doesn’t want to go back to sleep!

    Reply
  14. Bethany says

    August 6, 2013 at 7:01 pm

    I would love to win this book! Sometimes I get too caught up in the hardness and seriousness of life and need someone (or something) to lighten me up. I could make do with a book to make me laugh ;)

    Reply
  15. Erin says

    August 6, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    I can’t top any of these comments, so I requested Carry On from the library. I cannot weigh in on Madame Bovary, but I am not feeling inspired to pick it up, especially since I am missing book group at this very moment…

    Reply
  16. JoDee says

    August 7, 2013 at 1:00 am

    I, too, hated, HATED, Madame Boviary. Talk about a waste of time!! The book I have laughed out loud at recently is The Scarlet Pimpernel. Amazing…must re-read every few years (kind of like Pride & Prejudice). But the one I’ve stalked people with recently is One Thousand Gifts. As to reasons for picking me, we’ll its a bit of a long list with the transition going on right now and struggling with being alone (without community currently)…. So glad God is in it all!!

    Reply
  17. Mark Allman says

    August 7, 2013 at 9:40 am

    I laughed about the story of the vacuum. Makes me think of the pedometer we wear at work to encourage fitness and get rewards. Thought about tying that to my dog in the evenings!

    Reply
  18. Amy L Sullivan says

    August 12, 2013 at 11:33 am

    Good to hear your thoughts on the GM book. . .been hearing mixed reviews.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      August 12, 2013 at 8:24 pm

      I can say for sure that’s she funny. The rest might be up to personal taste — I don’t agree with everything she says, but that would be true of everyone I know :)

      Reply
  19. Pam McCormick says

    April 13, 2014 at 2:12 am

    Love the book! Love the project. Glad I found your blog. :)

    Reply

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My name is Amy and I live in the messy middle of life. I have been Redeemed from permanent muck and live with the tension of the Already and Not Yet. Read More…

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