Carry 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 :)
Amy
Sounds like something I would have done if I had children. :) Look forward to finding this one and reading. Thanks!
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.
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!
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.
We are of one mind. Encountered Flaubert in high school, been rolling my eyes about MB ever since!
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…
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!
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!!
O! The last book that made me a book stalker was Barbara Brown Taylor’s “An Altar in the World.” SOOOOO good.
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…
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! :)
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.
I’ll have to take a page from your stalking play book — love checking out their local library! Nice.
I need a good laugh for the middle of the night feedings when my daughter doesn’t want to go back to sleep!
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 ;)
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…
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!!
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!
Good to hear your thoughts on the GM book. . .been hearing mixed reviews.
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 :)
Love the book! Love the project. Glad I found your blog. :)