And I am back! After a slower Spring in the book reading world, May was a busy book month. We finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy with the kids and are almost finished with the Narnia series as well (we didn’t read them in order (…oops!) And, big news, my new favorite series Timeless released book number FIVE this month and I got it for my birthday (thanks Megs!) So buckle up buttercup and add all of these books to your TBR list!
Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer
5 stars: GASP! This book was enthralling. All the stars forever! I cannot believe how Gabrielle can continue to create the most magical and engrossing stories again and again. My favorite in the series??? Quite possibly! And that really is saying something! Each book in the Timeless series miraculously maintains the same flavor profile while being a completely new dish. Mediocre food metaphor aside, this book was brilliant. Kate & Austen’s love story is heartbreakingly hopeful and Jack the Ripper is just as unsettling as you would imagine — especially when you stay up late at night reading in the middle of a thunderstorm. It was a delightful weekend read and I am truly sad it is over.
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
5 Stars: Did I pay attention when my sister watched LOTR on repeat when I was in high school because she was obsessed with Legolas? No, clearly I did not. I was on the edge of my seat for many nights as the epic story my husband read aloud to our family over the past year came to an end. Did I cry? Yes, obviously I did. Happy tears, sad tears, tears of contentment. Although, I cannot help but crave more stories from this new age. Unsurpassed in quality, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are novels that encourage and inspire even to this day. The fact that my kids call every spider they find “Shelob” and my 3-year-old reminds me that “the precious fell in the lava” when I put on the floor is lava song, brings much joy to my heart. We will read them again – we have to.
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
5 Stars: We listened to the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre Drama of this book and it was, as my 5-year-old loves to say, chefs kiss! I think one of the hard things about this book is that it doesn’t take place in Narnia. Because of that it feels less magical and more realistic. But that is also the very thing that makes this book so great – it is relatable. The story of Aslan searching for and guiding, and protecting Shasta, Bree, Aravis, & Whin as they journey through a world filled with His enemies pressing on to their true Kingdom is a story every Christian lives out too. How each character is transformed by Aslan’s presence and direction throughout the story is a reflection of how the Lord works in us to make new creations. Hope and light win again, even when it feels like the darkness has the upper hand. Another Narnia book that brought tears to my eyes – and a great one to read aloud with my family!
Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up by Abigail Shrier
5 Stars: I was recommended this book by a Christian counselor which may seem ironic as it is called “Bad Therapy”. But the premise isn’t that therapy is bad, it is that thrusting many into therapy instead of relationships with parents / grandparents/ mentors is causing damage to a generation. While not every conclusion Shrier comes to I agree with, (as she is not coming at this issue from a Biblical worldview) I still highly recommend this book as it gives much to think about! And while it isn’t a book on homeschooling, it does highlight some of the failures of public school in this day and age and I am prayerful that it will start some reform in these institutions. We have a generation more anxious and less capable than generations before. We need to love our kids (YES) but we also need to help them grow and be resilient. Lots to think on as far as how I want to raise my own kids and how to encourage their growth while also protecting and providing for them as is my role and responsibility as a parent. I really resonate with her thoughts on “labeling” children and attaching terms like depression, anxiety, ADHD to kids. I also strongly believe we are over medicating our youth and not actually dealing with the heart of the issue which is a large part of what is addressed in the book. Overall, parents and those who work with youth who truly care about this generation, should read the book just to have some more insight/ perspective on the current landscape. You may be sometimes but you may also be encouraged and inspired.
The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse
4.5 Stars: This book unexpectedly drew me in. A little bit mysterious with “Touched by an Angel” vibes, this was a story of friendship, second chances, and hurricanes 😉 I read through it pretty quickly because I wanted to discover all the answers and thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their relationships/ development! This would be a great beach read!
Capture the Moment by Suzanne Woods Fisher
4 Stars: As a photographer, I found some of the photography drama and descriptions to be a bit unrealistic/ overdone. Granted, I am not a wildlife photographer and apparently 399 did draw a paparazzi type crowd, but I felt like the name-calling to be a bit uncharacteristic. Who knows, maybe I only know nice photographers 😉 HAHA! Beyond that, it made me want to plan a family vacation to a National Park ASAP to take pictures – not of animals, unless you count the my toddler son – but just of God’s great creation and the people I love most! I DID NOT see the twist at the end but truly enjoyed it although the poaching storyline was pretty meh to me. Coop is great, Kate is fine too (better with Coop obviously!) It was an enjoyable read (perfect for summer camping!) and I plan to read the rest of the books in this series!
My goal this year may have been a bit lofty for me 😉 Today we sit at 31/80 books. There is still some time to go and I may catch up, but these 4 or 5 book months are slowing me down 😉 You can check the status of my Goodreads report here. If you don’t already, follow me on Goodreads to see what I am reading, what I want to read, my favorite books, and every review I write! I also share all the books that I have rated 4 or 5 stars on my Amazon storefront where you can look for even more recommendations than just this monthly list! Always feel free to share recommendations with me – I am a big fan of word of mouth!