from the shelf: what i read in october

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There is no doubt about it, listening to audiobooks has increased my ability to work through the ever long to-read list! I will definitely miss the selection available to me when the local library switches OverDrive consortiums tomorrow.

1. Ann Patchett requires the long view when it comes to a story. Winding, descriptive, sober – The Dutch House describes grievous effects of an idolized family property to Danny Conroy and his sister. A runaway mother, emotionally absent father and neglectful step-parent shape their growing up in this novel that somehow avoids clichés.
2. Anxious People tells the events of an accidental hostage situation from multiple view points, revealing the “other side of the story” for each abrasive character. The novel is full of surprising twists as Backman connects each person’s back story, successfully building empathy in the reader. A little too precious and quirky, but enjoyable none the less.
3. Imagine a farmer, country doctor, housemaid, widow and movie star brought together by their love of Jane Austen in post WW2 England, and you have the premise of The Jane Austen Society. The writing struggled to build believable characters on most fronts, but there were several central figures that kept me reading until a satisfying end.
4. And speaking of a satisfying end, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek had one of the most infuriating ones I’ve ever read! Set in the hills of 1930’s Kentucky, Cussy Mary Carter is a pack mule librarian, delivering books throughout the hard to reach communities of Appalachia. She faces hardships, meets her true love and then in the last ten pages of the book, the worst and most compelling difficulty of all befalls her…only to be resolved in an afterword! Despite being based on extremely interesting history, this ending was just sloppy and spoiled my overall reading experience.
5. I recently finished Divine Design as part of a year long study with a small group at church. I’ve appreciated the simple and straightforward approach DeMoss and Kassian take to discuss the blessing and delight of submitting to God’s design for womanhood.
6. The first installment in a series, The Mysterious Howling is the charming story of a governess bringing all her manners and invention to bear on a difficult pack of children raised by literal wolves.
7. The Hunger Games. What I expected was gore, suspense, girl power and cheesy YA romance elements. What I actually got was compelling characters, a tightly written adventure novel and descriptions of extremely delicious sounding food. It drove me to make a lamb and dried fruit stew this past weekend, the main character’s favourite meal.
8. Although Catching Fire faltered quite a bit in the first half, the cliff-hanger had me itching to get hands on the last book of this trilogy. Katniss has been rescued from gladiator style games by the rebel District 13 and her fast friend is in the hands of a corrupt Capital. *cue suspense*
9. I finished this October with Barbara Kingsolver’s beautiful love letter to a Kentucky season, Prodigal Summer. She writes so richly about the foliage, the moths, the coyotes and chestnut trees it’s easy to forgive her somewhat preachy theme of conservation vs. hunting and organic vs. pesticides. Three separate story lines weave together, the tie being a deep love of stewarding the earth amongst unlikely folks.

from the shelf: what i read in september

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1. I’m a sucker for literary references within a book, so this sweet middle grade novel was an easy favourite. Set during 1967, a boy navigates difficult home circumstances (disengaged parents), humorous challenges at school (rats and romance) and studies Shakespeare with his determined teacher on Wednesdays.
2. An autistic Boy Scout befriends 104 year old Ona Vitkus – exacting, lonely and regretful. After the boy’s untimely passing his parents find comfort at Ona’s table and together they learn the meaning of family.
3. Becket is a struggling novelist, swept up in the romantic outlaw tales of his neighbour; a man restless with his memories and the quickly changing times. Together, they head West in pursuit of complicated dreams. Enger manages to convincingly write in the style of an early 1900’s cowboy novel – the result is gentle, nostalgic and wonderful.
4. Only Anne Tyler can tell a story with minimal plot, shifting points of view and still leave you thinking about the characters several weeks later. In this novel those characters include two sets of parents (American and Iraqi) who adopt their daughters from Korea,  respective grandparents and the culture clashes they navigate.
5. The Library Book loosely follows an investigation into the L.A. library fire of 1986, but it’s really about the love of books,  challenges that face public institutions and the history of L.A. This is the best non-fiction I’ve read in awhile, well-written and personal. 

 

 

 

 

from the shelf: what i read in august

1. While I agreed with the premise of Worthy, I found myself tripping on some of the author’s conclusions. God has absolutely used women as an integral part of redemptive history and present kingdom work. The conclusion being a case for female elders or (non-preaching) leaders seemed abrupt and without fair discussion.
2. At the risk of sounding grumpy, if you’re going to write a thriller style story about three siblings disappearing…it’s only fair to provide a satisfying conclusion with some answers. Despite beautiful descriptions of the Australian bush, this book ultimately fell flat for me based on the ending (or lack of thereof.)
3. The Sun Does Shine is the personal account of a man falsely convicted and imprisoned on death row for 28 years. His authentic and generous voice gives insight into the battle for justice, but also his fight for hope in a dark place.
4. George Yancey seeks to provide a balanced approach to racial relations, where groups must acknowledge their own blind spots, take responsibility, and extend grace. He points out that Christians have simply co-opted secular solutions to reconciliation for too long, rather than leading the way as those with hope in Christ.
5. The simple, bittersweet story of a Polish orphan during WWII. Stealing, running and observing the tragedies of the Jewish ghetto, Misha still manages to find a sense of family and finally, peace. Probably my favourite read of the summer.

from the shelves: what i read in july

I’ll be the first to admit that July was a pretty mournful month in the reading department. Travel, new jobs and responsibilities, sickness and plain laziness got in the way of checking many books off my list. Here’s to some better book choices in August!

1. Ask Again, Yes follows the life of Peter and his best friend, neighbour and love interest, Kate. This novel explores important themes of mental illness and generational struggles with alcoholism. It also elevates commitment to marriage even when the going gets tough.
2. Four talented children must infiltrate a sinister boarding school and work together in their quest to save the world’s memories. I think I would have really enjoyed The Mysterious Benedict Society as a child, but it didn’t strike me as a overly enduring. A little scattered – the writing struggled with vague story goals and confusing description.

from the shelf: what i read in june

1. What if hallucinations, paranoia and anxiety were a symptom of brain inflammation and not mental meltdown? Brain on Fire shares Cahalan’s experience of recovery after a rare brain disease takes her sanity; and discusses the difficulty that many sick people face to be taken seriously and reach any kind of diagnosis.

 2. Like any novel I approached with high expectations, The Nightingale was a bit of a disappointment. It follows the WWII-era trials of two sisters in and around the French country-side. A compelling premise? Sure. Cliched writing and flat characters? Absolutely.

3. It was mental whiplash to read about an Arctic expedition during Alabama summer heat, but this slow read does a wonderful job building the full picture of early exploration. It is mind boggling to think of men sailing into complete unknown with only a handful of geographical theories, and inspiring to read about their ensuing bravery in unbelievably harsh surroundings.

from my shelf: what i read in may

1. Futuristic, sobering and provoking, Brave New World was my last book discussion of the school year. Instead of a world where authority reigns in force, Huxley warns of society shaped entirely by people’s own desire for comfort.
2. The Clouds Ye So Much Dread is a collection of essays on fear, contentment and trusting God in all things. The author shares experiences from her childhood travels and her young son’s battle with leukemia. It was a refreshing read that spoke necessary truths to me about God’s goodness.
3. Hannah Anderson in All That’s Good, writes about what discernment should look like, by working through Philippians 4:8 (“whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right etc.) Rather than focusing on what to think, she wants the reader to instead experience the joy and freedom of learning to love all that’s good. I’ve been wishing I absorbed more of this book, so I just might be ordering a paper copy and rereading with highlighter in hand!
4. As the debut novel of YouTube personalities, my expectations for The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek were low. Although it’s obvious the author’s believed in this story and a few characters really shine, the narrative felt bogged down by too many 90’s references. Most went over my head, let alone the target YA audience, which might average age 16.
5. In This Too Shall Last, Ramsey challenges her readers to stop waiting for their suffering to end, but instead embrace the truth that God’s grace is in the midst of every circumstance and weakness. Writing from long experience with chronic pain and in reaction to “victory” church culture, she offers a warm invitation to acknowledge struggle alongside acknowledging the resurrected Jesus.

on the shelf: what i read in april

For all the free time I had in April, I don’t know how I didn’t read more. Never the less, here we are.

1. In Cold Comfort Farm, the sensible and practical Flora goes to live with her cousins on their derelict farm. She works her problem-solving magic to change attitudes, curtains and a superstitious aunt locked in her bedroom. This book is so extremely silly I couldn’t help but enjoy!
2. Before writing a summary of This Must be the Place, I had to go read the synopsis on goodreads.com, which is maybe all you need to know about this novel. The multi-decade story of a man, his many children and current marriage to a ultra-private actress in Ireland. Not offensive or bad, but pretty forgettable.
3. Another novel about marriage, this one begins during World War II. As the years go by, Harry and Evelyn weather storms and raise their children while at the mercy of Evelyn’s exacting attitude. The most honest part of this book is in the last few chapters; the descriptions of Harry and his failing body as he struggles to find a new normal in the nursing home.
4. Under our Skin, is a memoir/social commentary on race in America written by NFL player Benjamin Watson. It is based on a viral Facebook post he made following the 2014 death of Michael Brown Jr. and consequent riots in Ferguson, Missouri. Written from a place of Christian humility, I think Watson does a good job of balancing hard truths with gospel hope.

from the shelf: what i read in march

1. The Most Fun We Ever Had, was certainly not the most fun I’ve ever had. Despite the main character’s vibrant, decades strong marriage and the general health and wealth their children experienced, this book still managed to be filled with some of the most dissatisfied people I’ve read about. The overall premise that a good marriage will intimidate your children into relational failure also seemed quite flawed and this continued to distract me from whatever good writing there was throughout.
2. A wild and well written memoir has become one of my favourite genres, and Educated fits the bill nicely. Raised in a fundamentalist Mormon family, Tara Westover recounts her memories of a life shadowed by doomsday fears, lack of education and near complete isolation. When she begins attending university, she is also forced to explore the tricks our memories may play, as she confronts trauma long buried in her mind. A sad commentary on when leaving a community costs you your family.
3. P. G. Wodehouse’s writing used to be a favourite easy-read for me, but either my mind has gotten lazier than I realized or the TV adaptions of these stories disrupted my imagination regarding Jeeves and Wooster – iconic butler and boss. Either way, this volume seemed a little bit more like a chore than I wanted. Still amusing, still smart, but just too many words to get to the point.
4. Vinyl Cafe Unplugged on the other hand, was just the set of short stories I needed to get through some anxious, sleepless nights lately. The stories of Eugene’s gardens and buried fig trees were especially appropriate to the new Spring weather here and brought a sense of brightness to my day.
5. Despite having high hopes for The Pursuit of Holiness, I was constantly plagued by the feeling it just wasn’t going deep enough. Although I appreciated Bridges’ straight shooting approach to why we must continue our efforts in holiness, his examples were often bordering on binding conscience in non-essentials. He also emphasized action, without enough focus on God’s holiness over all and our security in Christ. There was plenty of truth here, but perhaps an upside down approach.
6. Rereading The Scarlet Letter, I had almost forgotten the winding way Hawthorne writes, how much is made of little, and the kind of book that leaves you with more question marks than answers. Teaching it later this month will lead me to study further and appreciate it better I’m sure; as grasping a classic is always a mind stretch worth taking.

from the shelf: what i read in february

1. Feminine Appeal was a cozy, coffee chat approach to Biblical womanhood. Nothing too ground breaking, but a good reminder of having a heart towards all the right things.
2. Based on the real life travels of a northern wolf, this children’s book follows Swift -the fastest of his cub litter. After being separated from his family, he must battle through forces of nature and man to find a territory of his own.
3. I’m usually a sucker for any literary fiction focused on old folks, but Olive, Again was just too hopeless, too dark and the characters too mean for me to invest in.
4. Over the last month, I’ve probably reference Conscience fifty times – in conversation or within my own analysis of certain issues. The authors do an excellent job of defining conscience, admonishing those with a weak or strong sense of freedom and tackling how our conscience must be calibrated when living in different cultures.
5. Columbine is an effort to explain the “why” behind Colorado school shooters that took thirteen lives on April 20, 1999. It is also a testimony to victims and the resilience of survivors.

What have you been reading this winter?

~xo

from the shelf: what i read in january

1. Another book club pick this past month, Eve in Exile has two goals. To give a brief history of feminism and to provide a vibrant picture of Biblical womanhood – especially beyond the boundaries of flimsy cliches.
2. If a book about old ladies, craft beer and romance is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
3. This volume of biographical sketches is also partly memoir, as Metaxas explores historical men whose lives have impacted his walk in the faith. My favourite chapter was on William Wilberforce, as I considered what a politically charged obedience would look like today.
4. In The Nest, four siblings must rearrange their lives when a long expected inheritance is squandered. A good premise, but on the whole there were too many random characters and too many inappropriate scenes.