From Ordinary to Extraordinary
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By telling Gail's story in a series of blog posts, Alex Fayle has provided the reader with a fun and modern way to read his book.  With Gail's fairy godmother (godbunny) Amanda, along with her real-life friends, and her new found blog followers, the reader gets to enjoy a cast of fun and quirky characters that bring Gail's life from the ordinary to the extraordinary. If you enjoy reading personal blogs, like celebrity gossip, and a touch of magic, then you'll enjoy An Extraordinarily Ordinary Life. A great read for any young adult (or older!) person.
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"An Army of Ordinary People" is an inspirational novel aimed at believers and nonbelievers. This is a collection of true stories about everyday people who practice "simple church" in their lives, homes, neighborhoods and workplaces.

A church is not to be referred to as a building, but is meant for you to share your faith with others. Simple men and women have started their own churches in their homes, coffee shops, colleges, hospitals, retirement homes and even prisons. Some have even started dozens of churches at one time.

I was hesitant about reading this book, afraid that it would preach too much. After reading the first story, that all changed. There was no preaching in it. The stories are heartwarming and inspirational. You don't have to have a degree in theology or religion to start your own church. All you need is your faith in God.
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The story of one woman's courage to abandon the 'normal life' so she could live out an inspirational life. Showing that it's never to late to make our life count for something more than just the unsatisfying and boring life of living for ourselves. But that no matter our age or how capable we think we might be, God has a bigger plan and story for all of us then we could ever understand. And all we have to do is step out in faith and watch Him use us to change lives and change the world. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
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Some books, like The Life That Woke Me Up Was My Own, transform us through their depth and authenticity.  Nancy Swishers lyrical narrative paints a dynamic portrait of a rich and complete life.  I was reminded of Anne Morrow Lindbergh in the way Nancy expresses her connection to nature, to her spiritual beliefs and values, and to her precious canine companion, Horton.  This memoir shows a life path that is both remarkable and splendidly ordinary, both profoundly spiritual and deeply rooted in the physical world.  This beautiful book gives us just one example of what a life looks like when it is filled with the consciousness of Being, and it inspires readers to look at how they can participate more fully in the creation of their own unique lives.

Amy Waterman Mason, parent, educator, poet and author, Lessons in Letting Go.
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A heartwarming story of a young girl rising above her "raising" and finding her path to normalcy and happiness in adulthood.  Tia's childhood
is one of emotional deprivation and lonliness in the heart's hidden recesses.  The courage and clarity she exhibits in changing her life is the canvas
that brings this remarkable story to life.  A good read.
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John Bevere has written an excellent and practical guide here to striving for an living an `extraordinary' life. Beginning with the plain fact that `the opposite of extraordinary is normal!', he explores the aspiration for our lives to mean more or be more than what we already know and see. He argues rightly that there is an innate desire in each of us to rise above commonness. We yearn for the `extraordinary'.
He skilfully develops this further to look at the way we reflect the nature of God and sets out on a journey to fully understand the extraordinary way God wants us to live.  I enjoyed the early chapters on unconditional love, pleasing God and labouring to know God's will for our life. He talks how our goals will not be accomplished without prayer, faith, and a search for our personal roles. There is a lot to agree with on some people's perception of the Christian life set against seeking to fulfil God's specific plans for their life.
It is a consistently interesting and satisfying read and a personal challenge also. Ideas on grace, mercy, peace and truth are spelled out in a practical way and the personal experiences in each of the seventeen chapters make sense of what in other hands would be `concepts' and detached truths. The chapter `True Faith is Relentless' is an outstanding example of clarity, of relating experience and the excitement of expecting the Lord to do great things.
This is an excellent resource for an in-depth group study and is a book that I enjoyed reading through a great deal. It provides ideas and applications and is truly inspiring.
As a personal reflection, I reviewed the electronic rather than the print version of this and did not find it easy to track back and forth as easily as I would when normally handling a book. As more books are distributed this way, as readers we might need to approach titles like this in parts rather than as a single book, but that's a personal observation only.
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I would recommend this book to all my family and friends, past and present clients, and colleagues.  It is a great read.  Full of humor and insights that will refocus the lens of our life perspective where it needs to be - on personal growth and all that entails and the relationship we have with others.

Societal expectations of what success is and the often very high standards some of us set for ourselves are recipes for all sorts of unhappiness and unchecked can become determined boulders in our path to happiness, peace and fulfillment of whatever our individual gifts may be.

I enjoyed this book very much and am certain I will pick it up often to remind myself that being ordinary - is extraordinary! Thank you.  Sarah Jackson
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I know that God cares about the mundane because he cares about people like me.  There have been a few monumental books in my life but right now the top two are 1) Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson and 2) The God of the Mundane by Matthew B. Redmond.  Make the opportunity to get and read both.

It is the ordinary person to whom the Apostles preach and teach.  Some workers, part-time workers, those without jobs, homebound, home owners and homeless.  People not destined to go out and plant the next church in the next town, nor be the foreign missionary leaving behind his established surroundings.  God wants the regular, ordinary, "Mundane" person to know Him and to live a righteous life.  Matt is very good at getting to this point early and often.  Most of us are not going to be Preachers or Teachers in the sense that the Apostles were; and we are not supposed to be (in my opinion).  God calls us to live Righteous lifes, to care for others and ourselves and to be missional in our own home, group, community, neighborhood.

I have not been so touched by a book since the above mentioned one by D.A. Carson where he pays tribute to his father to preached and teached to ordinary people.

My prayer is that all mundane peoples of the world will get a copy of this book in hardback/paperback and Kindle, read it and then re-read it.  And then recognize that it is the "mundane", the ordinary person who is extra-ordinary in the eyes of God.  He is speaking to us through the Holy Scriptures.

As my wife says "Read The Bible As If Your Life Depends On It!" - It does especially for us "mundane" people.

Thank You Matt Redmond.
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Initiation: Autobiography of a Shaman-Buddhist Apprentice is the accessible story of a real person's entry into the natural world of spirituality as guided by Winged Wolf/Wisdom Master Maticintin.  Unlike many stories of spiritual awakening where the protagonist journeys to an anthropologically different culture, Sharon describes her home study lessons and retreats to visit the Teacher in the context of her ordinary mid-western life. Sharon reveals her sense of humor and vulnerability as she describes the continually building, amazing lessons that are not what you'd expect.  The impacts to her family and friends are discussed.  The race to the prize of enlightenment widens into compassion and draws us more deeply into the story up until the surprising climax.  This book is a fascinating window into Wisdom Master Maticintin's spiritual presence.  Sharon was one of the original students and paints the picture from the early days of the Wisdom Master's teaching career up to the present.
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Jonathan Golden is a man willing to follow the often mysterious, though always adventurous, ways of God. Through the vulnerable sharing of his own journey, Jonathan invites the reader to take notice of God as He works in and throughout his/her life's story.  He inspires and frees the reader to jump deeply into who God has created him/her to be, and in doing so will discover some of the unique ways God's created each of us to be a part of making life look a bit more as God originally intended. The reader is invited to "Be You. Do Good" in both ordinary and the extraordinary.

To move you further in your discernment process, the book invites both personal reflection and practical action.

Thank you Jonathan for the time you give to walking alongside others as the seek to discover who they are and how God's inviting them in the world.
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I recently listened to a podcast where the author Tim Ferris interviewed a philosopher by the name of Alain de Botton. It was incredibly interesting (even more so because I love philosophy) but during the interview there was this theme that kept coming up: the beauty of a normal life.

As a culture, we are drawn to the extraordinary. We want to watch super hero movies because they are so unlike our lives. With big explosions and impossible feats - they let us escape from what is to what could be.

But the philosopher spoke on how those who lived the best lives, lives filled with joy, accomplishment, and excellence - these were lived by men and women who embraced the ordinary.

In the Dailies is exactly this sort of book. With chapter titles like Adventures in Public Restrooms the author has done an excellent job of capturing the beauty of everyday life.

The book reads as short, almost journal-like, chapters recording the authors experiences and thoughts, especially as how they relate to our understanding of God.

I appreciated the authenticity in the book. It never felt forced or dishonest. I felt like I was reading a letter from a friend, or peeking into a good life and by extension, learning to appreciate my own a little more.

There is a profound beauty in the lives we are living right now, and this book can help us see it.
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Fascinating blend of the ordinary and the extraordinary. All the characters feel real and their struggle to cope with tragedy is relate-able. The protagonist's steadfast determination drives the story forward to an exciting climax. Enjoyable read.
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It would be easy to discount this novel, small in size, with its simple language and its scenes painted in broad strokes. But I loved it. I recommended it to people struggling with identity and marriage and parenthood and personhood, and that is the mark of something very special. I'm grateful to have crossed paths with this extraordinary gem.
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I am constantly amazed at the new levels Tige stretches herself to in order to help, edify and encourage others. This is a great read for anyone desiring to step outside of the norm in order to step into the extraordinary.
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New Reality is a beautifully written book. Lisa Young blends her own experiences with scripture to capture how God is always working through our everyday lives. Her chapter on Rooting out the Enemy really spoke to me as she explains the many strongholds people may have in their lives -  areas that are opposed to God's will and His truth. Lisa urges us to listen to the voice of God and to allow the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants "extraordinary living in ordinary life."
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This is a delightful book because it manages to achieve what few books do: It makes the ordinary seem extraordinary. Antiques Don't bounce by British author Richard Bullivant is proof that craft of writing will never go stale as long as there are authors who can look around their ordinary worlds with a sharp eye and tell us about what they see and experience in a way that seems magical.

The story follows the journey of a young college student seeking a business degree performing a mandatory year of work service in the "real world" doing an ordinary job. Out of sheer lack of direction he drifts into a bottom-basement, entry-level position with a firm whose primary function is transporting antiques. It's basically a glorified moving company, or what the Brits call "a removal service" -- although what they move in this case is often unique and highly valuable. The year is 1977.

This is not a plot driven book, and the view-point character is merely a voice in the background. But think of it more like Homer's Odyssey. In that epic tale Ulysses find himself blown off course, cast away and thrust into a vast world of strange unknowns. He encounters bizarre characters and experiences strange new lands.

In this case, the sprawling London firm, Lloyd & Taylor Ltd., is the ocean, and our student, like Ulysses, is tossed about from department to department to work as a common gopher or more accurately: "a jack-of-do-whatever-we-tell-you-to-do." Like Ulysses, he grapples with confounding situational problems and meets eccentric (or comically dull) characters in each department.

Bullivant's ability to bring alive common folks as vibrant, fascinating characters is a primary strength of this book. You'll meet drab clerks, salty truckers, smooth salesmen, cagey warehouse workers, a boozed up messenger grunt, prissy art dealers, small-town blokes - each an absolute enchantment.

The author is also able to convey to the reader a marvelous feeling - such as the joy of a breezy drive through the countryside on a lovely spring day - in a way that makes you feel you're actually riding along on a lark through Merry Old England. It's great escapism.

As the year comes to an end, I have read and written reviews for more than 100 books, and Antiques Don't Bounce easily makes my Top 10.  If this book doesn't find best-seller status, I hope it achieves a significant niche audience or cult following. It's the kind of book that you "discover" and makes you feel like you found a gem.
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In a sea of "normal," motivational/self-help voices, Michael is truly extraordinary and his latest book is no exception. Michael's engaging communication style translates flawlessly to the written medium as he weaves personal stories and experiences with practical insights to help the reader take a step outside their normal course of events.
If the world, as the book says, "sold you a map," Extraordinary helps you find compass with Michael as your guide.
I would highly recommend this book to people of all ages, high school upperclassmen to seasoned adults - It is never too late to live an extraordinary life!