A Martha Home the Mary Way (& More October Reads)

I finished three books in October: Having a Martha Home the Mary Way, plus two others. Read on for my impressions of each.

• You Have the Right to Remain Innocent by James Duane

  One of my daughters-in-law recommended this book to me, so I bought a copy and read it during our annual camping trip last month. It presents a very sobering look at how our broken justice system presently is.

  The author sets forth the advice police officers, prosecuting attorneys, and FBI agents give their own children: Never consent to being interrogated by authorities without a lawyer present. I was very skeptical about this advice when I first read it. After all, if you are innocent of any crime, then you have nothing to lose by cooperating, right?

  Wrong. I reconsidered my position after reading the accounts of one wrongful conviction after another after another after another — convictions that were eventually overturned when DNA evidence proved beyond the shadow of a doubt the innocence of the person originally sentenced for the crime (some of whom had already spent 10-15 years in prison or on death row for a crime they didn’t commit).

  I have utmost respect for police officers, but reading You Have the Right to Remain Innocent made me aware of the limitations under which they must work. You’ve heard of the Miranda Rights? “You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

  The operative word there is “against.” If while being interrogated by a police officer, you make three hundred statements that would prove your innocence, but say three things that might suggest you are guilty, then the interrogating officer will only be allowed to share the three convicting statements when he takes the witness stand, but will be prohibited from sharing any of the exonerating facts. In other words, the deck will be stacked against you, even if you had nothing to do with the crime.

• 365 Ways to Love Your Children by Julie Lavender

  
  I finished Julie Lavender’s 365 Ways to Love Your Child in short order.

  Jam-packed with creative ideas for “turning little moments into lasting memories,” it was a quick and fun read.

  I listened to the audiobook while folding laundry and driving in the car. This book would be especially helpful to mothers with little children, as many of the ideas for communicating love are targeted toward the younger crowd.

• Having a Martha Home the Mary Way by Sarah Mae

  
  I listened to Having a Martha House the Mary Way on audiobook, as well, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

  Author Sarah Mae breaks the job of cleaning and organizing the rooms in your home down into 31 bite-sized tasks while simultaneously dealing with heart issues and motivations, calling us to do our work cheerfully, well, and to God’s glory.

  She strikes a great balance between maintaining an orderly home and nurturing the people who live and visit there.

  I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with keeping those two goals properly aligned.
  
  
  
  

More Fun Resources for Book Lovers

Do you love to read as much as we do? I’ve gathered all my best resources for bibliophiles into this post, or you can read more of my book reviews by following this link.