We started to listen to “our stories” in the car nearly every time we drive around which added three books to this list! Bruce reads to the girls at night but I’m putting Thorin down/ cleaning up dinner so I don’t get to be a part of it every time. We do reading for homeschool and lots of picture books during the day, but I wanted to read more stories with them that we can talk about together. Car stories has been a huge hit (for Hilde mostly ;)) and I’ve been stocking up on CDs from our library. I know I can just Libby them with the rest of my books, but I find the CDs are much more manageable in the car than my Bluetooth and it also keeps them saved and separated from accidently playing on my phone or other Bluetooth devices (is it just me or does anyone else “listen” to chapters when you are not even there?! HAHA!) I also read and listened to a lot of books on my own this month – I think it is because my kids were sick for so long and we had to say no to a lot of “around other people” activities!
As per usual, some of the books I read this month I liked and others I did not. Read on for reviews & ratings and get ready to add some (definitely not all!) to your reading list!
Count the Nights by Stars by Michelle Shocklee
5 Stars: This gripping dual timeline novel may be the best book I read this year. Heartbreaking and heavy at times, yet hopeful and redemptive. It shines a light on very real darkness in this world through wonderfully written characters, real and authentic moments, enchanting time periods, and historical events. Keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end, the story wove together perfectly – challenging, encouraging, and inspiring me as the reader. No wonder this book won an award! I will be reading more from this author after this!
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
5 Stars: Why not?! It was a marvelous read. I love how it captured the complexity and heartbreak during WWII. The intricacy and depth of the storylines wove the whole narrative together through choppy yet organized timelines and perspectives. As a reader who reads a lot of dual timelines, this one really did it well and I enjoyed seeing it all come together. I truly also enjoyed the prose – it felt authentic to the story and helped tell a WWII story in a new way.
And since so many compared it to the Nightingale, I cannot help to do so either. This simply is a much better “popular” WWII novel that draws readers in and puts them into the shoes of true-to-life characters. Read this book, not that one!
Silas Marner by George Eliot
5 Stars: Since discovering the treasure trove of Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, I have been trying to get my hands on every audio drama they have produced! The kids and I absolutely enjoyed listening to Silas Marner in the car as we drove around town. It is a classic story that not only had I never read, but I had also never heard of – I’m grateful I picked it up anyway. The story was dramatic, heartwarming, and enchanting. I was honestly captivated and on the edge of my seat many times. My five-year-old and I had many conversations about what was happening and what could happen next whenever we had to stop the car! Truly a phenomenal performance by the voice actors and producers of this story! Listen to this one! The audio drama is linked in the title, but here is a link to a beautiful copy of the book!
The Ark and the Dove: The Story of Noah’s Wife by Jill Eileen Smith
4.5 Stars: This book will give you a whole new perspective on the story of Noah and the flood! Engaging and well told from the perspective of Noah’s wife, we get a peek into what it really may have been like for the very real people in this historic and famous tale. Using all the information we are given in the Bible as well as historic information about and around the time, the author weaves together a narrative that could have been and one that makes the Bible come alive in new ways. I reread the account of Noah in Genesis after this book and was a bit surprised by a couple details that felt fiction but were in fact in the Biblical text – things I had just passed over when reading the story in the past. One of my favorite things about Biblical historical fiction is that it puts us into these stories in the Bible we sometimes are veeeerrry familiar with and gives us eyes to see these names (and even unnamed characters) as real people as they followed (or didn’t follow) the Lord. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee
4.5 Stars: I devoured this book. This is my second Micheele Shocklee book and I truly enjoy her storytelling. This dual timeline was woven together perfectly, switching back and forth through past and present telling a heart wrenching yet heartwarming story! I was caught up in the emotions of life and adoption. Every character feels real and the historic timeline and location is so interesting to me as a reader.
My only issue is that I didn’t necessarily love the ending. It was redemptive and satisfying, however a couple things about Song Bird’s ending didn’t feel authentic or natural to me (trying to avoid spoilers.) But I did like how Walker, Reese, and Bertie’s stories all come together in the end. Overall, it isn’t that big of a deal and I still rate it 4.5 stars!
Dune by Frank Herbert
4 Stars: I finished it! A bit of a slog to get through at some points but so good when you do! Kind of like a hike with a beautiful view 😉 I’ll be honest, I got pretty confused several times with all the characters and politics, but somehow it always came together! I also listened to the audiobook and it was very well done/ helped keep me on track!
The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
3 Stars: My 5-year-old daughter liked it – she thought Skuggle the squirrel was the best part. It’s not bad but it is definitely not a classic. To me it felt like the plot of one of those made for DVD Tinkerbell movies which is why, I’m sure, that my daughter loved it! When it ended I actually said “What? That is the end!” out loud, to which my daughter said “Well mom, sounds like they are going to make a sequel!” No idea if that is actually the case, but it is an interesting ending.
Living Fearless by Jamie Winship
2.5 Stars: I read this book for a book club which is the only reason that I finished it. I would have marked this as a DNF and returned the book if I could have. And because of that, I have quite a few thoughts 😉
The Good:
Truth Telling. I really like how he defines confession and prayer as Truth telling to God. Telling God the Truth about our feelings, actions, emotions, fears, choices, etc. I was encouraged and inspired to make sure my conversations with the Lord are honest – that I engage in simple truth-telling with the Lord.
I also liked the importance he puts on seeking the Lord through prayer in our relationship with the Lord – asking to Know God’s heart, asking for wisdom, asking for direction, asking for things you need, etc.
I agree with the idea that wrong belief leaves to wrong action and we can’t fix what’s wrong with us without acknowledging sin / wrong beliefs/ thought patterns. Living out of our shame and sin identity will not lead to a life able to be used by the Lord. We must allow God to make us a new creation and transform our minds.
There were lots of encouraging and inspiriting stories of God showing up when His people seek Him, ask for wisdom and direction, and have a biblical worldview/ confidence in the Lord and his Word.
The Bad:
My main issue with this book is that I disagree with his theory/ definition of God given identity. His entire point is that God only talks to you in your true identity so we need to find our true identity and live in it. I can get behind that, but ironically our true identity is not in Christ according to Winship.
He defines “true identity” as a voice from God telling us a specific identity that is rooted in our skills/ talents/ things we should be doing. His examples of people’s true identities in the book are: “My Fixer,” “Poet Warrior King,” “Healer of Nations,” “Prevailer of justice,” “Militant Peacemaker.”
I think Winship’s conception of identity misses some biblical truths. In Scripture we as believers are Beloved, Chosen, Loved, Forgiven, Redeemed, Made New, Adopted, Ambassadors, The Bride, The Body, etc. We are given gifts from the Holy Spirt and God has works he planned for us to walk in, but I don’t see those things as our “true” identity.
The book also comes off a bit pretentious, self-promotional, and formulaic – so much of this book is “if you do this, then this will happen” advice. It also glorifies success and big displays while nullifying or demeaning the quiet life of faithfulness. He brags about climbing the corporate ladder because he was “living in his true identity” and says that you’re wasting your time working in a gas station when you should be out doing big things. Actual quotes: “Whatever level of life you are at, you can go higher” & “You don’t know yourself. If you did, you’d be doing amazing things.”
Another small think that irked me was his weird assumptions about Christians. Like Christians don’t believe Christians can have joy in hard circumstances? We don’t believe missionaries’ stories?
Overall, this book felt “all about me” and less about what God is doing and how he invites us into that story. However, if this causes people to grow in their prayer life, that is a good thing! It was a miss for me because I could not get over his definition of true identity and it felt too cocky to be truly encouraging or challenging.
Frozen 2: Forest of Shadows by Kamilla Benko
1 Star: Huge disappointment. I picked this as an audiobook for our Spring Trip road trip. The girls were very excited for a “new” Elsa & Anna story and, with a high rating on Goodreads, I thought it would be fun! I should have read more reviews (specifically the lower ones) before we started listening to it. First off, it is written for an older audience than the movies. The storyline is significantly darker and scarier than either of the movies. Nightmares that come to life, zombies, friends who are bewitched, dark magic, etc. Also Anna is just an anxious mess that doesn’t translate to her true character (IMO) and it is not fun to listen to/ read aloud. Secondly, there is a lot of attention given to the female blacksmiths who are a lesbian couple. Benko keeps pointing out their relationship status while never mentioning anyone else’s, making it feel very agenda driven. I shouldn’t be surprised seeing this from Disney, but I still was. Lastly, it drags on and on. We switched to a new book (making it a DNF for my kids) and I finished reading it on my own to pass on the ending to my kids. Overall, not kid friendly and it takes too long for a resolution – I do not recommend.
I also finished a Bible Study this month that I wanted to include in my lineup! It isn’t exactly a “book” in the same way, but I did read it and wanted to share my review with you!
The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ: A Study of Philippians by Beth Moore
4 Stars: I just finished going through this Bible Study with several ladies at church. I always appreciate Beth Moore’s passion for the written Word of God and the depth and research you get in each study. The videos are long (leaving less time for group discussion in a traditional Bible Study timeframe), but I do think that is where her teaching skills shine and they are worth the time. The study itself is pretty good but I didn’t love how it was organized – lots of fill-in-the-blanks and leading questions that are pretty hit or miss to me. The homework each week is pretty hefty (took me 30-45 minutes), but you don’t really need to do anything outside of the book itself for the study. This is definitely a study you get more out of when you do the homework and reading which really is the point of Beth Moore studies – to get women in the Word!
I was encouraged and challenged through this study. Loved learning more about the historical context and connecting narratives in Acts & Philippians. It also had me looking at familiar words/ verses in new ways. No matter how many times you have read Philippians, you can learn something new and draw closer to the Lord. What a gift that the Word of God is living and active!
My current count is is 21 books read out of my goal of 75! Books I rated 4 or 5 stars are added to my Amazon lists here where you can look for even more recommendations. Follow me on Goodreads to see what I am reading, what I want to read, some of my favorite books, and every review I write! Any other books I should add to my list? Leave a comment and let me know!
