Reading Recap: Quarter 2
2024 Reading Recap: Quarter 2
April, May and June were busy reading months for me! I taught a breakout session on deconstruction at a Ladies conference in June, so you’ll see quite a bit of my preparatory reading below. Once the conference was finished, I was able to relax with some novels I’ve been waiting to read. You’ll find quite the mix of genres listed below.
This quarter, I completed 19 books (exactly the same as the first quarter of 2024—check out those reviews here!). The next half of the year will be a busy season, so I’m not sure if I’ll keep reading at the same level. Either way, there are some fun ones on my TBR list that I’m anxious to get into!
Family and Motherhood
Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full: Gospel Meditations for Busy Moms by Gloria Furman
This small book is packed with spiritual wisdom. I appreciated how Furman included enough stories to balance out the depth of biblical truth that she presents. It’s important to be pointed to Christ during overwhelm and stress, and she does that well! I do feel the strain of being a busy mom with full hands, and I think this would be the perfect gift for a mom in any season of motherhood.
The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou
This one was a disappointment to me. I was hoping to glean some practical postpartum advice and find meal plans that would encourage physical healing. This book actually gets more into the roots of ancient Chinese practice of zoo yuezi, which encourages ‘confinement’ for new mothers as they learn to adjust to their new role and allow their bodies to heal. Some things I appreciated were the emphasis on family and community during this process. However, most of the practices encouraged were based on tradition and not backed up by science; for example, encouraging new moms to drink and eat only warm foods. The focus on ancient tradition and philosophy became a bit too “new agey” for me. Many recipes are provided at the end of the book, but most contained ingredients that aren’t readily accessible to me and so it wasn’t very helpful.
Potty Training 1-2-3: What Works, How It Works, Why it Works by Gary Ezzo
Yep, this is the stage of life I am in currently! This book was the only potty training book I read, but covered several different methods and explained the pros and cons of each. I appreciated the focus on helping a child learn the true goal of potty training and how a parent should control the process. Potty training is not for the faint of heart, but it’s good to know the philosophy and reasons behind the choices you make!
Set Apart Motherhood: Reflecting Joy and Beauty in Family Life by Leslie Ludy
Another short and practical book that I appreciated! Ludy gives so many practical applications and ideas on how to implement God’s design for biblical motherhood. This book is encouraging yet grounding for young moms who are overwhelmed or stressed with the pressures of motherhood. I definitely will be recommending this one!
Cherish: The One Word that changes Everything for Your Marriage by Gary Thomas
This was a beautiful book on the art of cherishing your spouse. Thomas explains how this is different from love, as well as gives very practical applications in each of his chapters. This content is perfect for couples who’ve already been married a bit—they’ll be able to apply it right away! It’s also short and to the point, which is helpful for those of us with busy lives to learn and put it into practice.
Christian Living
The Deconstruction of Christianity: What It Is, Why It’s Destructive, and How to Respond by Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett
This is an important book for Christians today. Childers and Barnett summarizes the meaning and history of the deconstruction movement and give insight and wisdom into its implications. They apply a Biblical, but balanced, approach to navigating a topic that is confusing and complicated. There’s practical application and advice to those struggling with deconstruction or who have loved ones who are working through deconstruction. I highly recommend that every Christian read this in order to be educated and prepared on how to respond to this movement.
The Church Before the Watching World: A practical Ecclesiology by Francis Schaeffer
This book was written over forty years go, yet was so prophetic for what the church is seeing today, and is still so applicable to us. Liberal theology is damaging to the church, and Schaeffer explains why and how Christians should respond.
Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality by Nancy R. Pearcey
Wow. This book was not what I expected at all. Pearcey tackles difficult subjects relating to the human body with ease and poise. The chapters cover topics such as abortion, euthanasia, hookup culture, homosexuality, and transgenderism. Yes, all these things are connected to one’s worldview and philosophy of the human body. This is a fascinating read!
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution by Carl R. Trueman
I listend to this as an audio book through my library’s Hoopla app, and would’ve preferred to read a physical copy as the author covers so many interesting things. Trueman goes through history to explain how human sexuality became all about individual identity and expression as we see it today. This book contains so much research and depth and because of the audio book format, I felt like I couldn’t follow the author’s train of thought as much as I could if I was reading a physical book. Still, I was both fascinated and saddened by what I heard. Our culture has bought into many lies about sexuality and the implications are disturbing. For someone interested in exploring the ‘deconstruction’ or ‘LGBTQ+’ movements more in depth, this book will provide some solid background and perspective.
I am Restored: How I lost My Religion but Found My Faith by Lecrae Moore
I’ve always been a fan of Lecrae’s music, but noticed a shift in philosophy and focus several years ago. I was hoping that this book would explain more of his journey, and it did! Lecrae is open and authentic about his struggles with sin, past abuse, bad choices, and present day political and cultural struggles. I didn’t agree with every conclusion he came to but appreciated how he was balanced in how he shared his opinions; rather than speak out in anger, he was careful not to offend people in how he stated his thoughts. Again, I don’t agree with everything that he was saying, but I learned a lot from his story.
Fiction
Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin
This is the second book in the Waves of Freedom series (the only series I haven’t yet read by Sundin, who is one of my favorite authors!). I love how Sundin incorporated mysteries into this series and of course the male and female protagonist must work together to solve them as they fall in love. While this could be cheesy, she makes her characters so unique and believable that it drew me in. I loved how Lillian found both strength and weakness in her physical disability, and I loved how Archer had to face his own mental and financial demons in his adventures at sea. I’m looking forward to reading book three eventually!
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
I gave this book five stars on goodreads, but I won’t be picking it up again. The premise was just too sad for me—a family torn apart by the state under the guise of charity. The fact that this is based on a true story is shocking and disturbing to me. The author did a good job of moving between present day relatives seeking to understand the past and the displaced family years earlier. Some of the things that the children experienced were horrifying and disturbing to me. It is a good reminder that God hates those who pervert justice, especially with families and orphans.
Where Willows Grow by Kim Vogel Sawyer
I saw this recommended in an online reading group and found it hard to put down. Many Christian romances are cheesy and predictable. This story centers on a couple—already married—who are affected by drought and poverty in the early 1900’s. It’s a story of finding God, loss, restoration, and family. I was rooting for Harley and Anna Mae’s marriage the whole time and it was encouraging to see the author work in the Biblical message of grace and repentance.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
It’s fun to revisit books from my childhood as an adult, and this was no exception. I actually appreciated it more as an adult! Simple and sweet, I loved how nature and gardening changed the life perspectives and outlook of several young children. I look forward to reading this aloud to my own children one day!
The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge
I have mixed feelings on this novel, which came highly recommended. On the positive note, the author is a phenomenal and gifted writer. The reader is taken into the english countryside setting and introduced to wonderfully complex characters. The author doesn’t fall into the trap of wrapping up the book with a perfect ending and pretty bow. It was fun to read! However, I struggled with the moral choices of some of the characters, which was a large point in the book’s plot. While the marital affair of one of the characters was not celebrated, it was disappointing to not find further spiritual direction from a book that is subtitled to be filled with “astonishing spiritual insight”. There were a few instances of cursing, which is also something I am not a fan of in writing. Perhaps I may read more from this author in the future, but found this book to be a bit of a letdown.
Gods and Kings by Lynn Austin
This is a fictional account of the biblical reign of King Ahaz of Judah. I have read the accounts of the kings many times in the Bible, but this book really put into perspective how sinful some of the kings were. The choices and decisions that they made were both heartbreaking and chilling—after all, this is supposed to be God’s chosen people! I already plan on reading the second book, which describes King Hezekiah’s reign.
I only gave this book four stars on Goodreads because I felt like the author depicted modern day people in an ancient time. The characters didn’t totally seem believable—I’m not sure if this was in an effort to make the characters more relatable to present day readers, or simply a lack of research. But the way she fictionalized the story was intriguing enough that I can’t wait to read more!
Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham
This was the third and final installment in the Skymar series—I loved the first book! Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. The premise is of a princess and a regular american guy falling in love, and I found it to be as cheesy as it sounds. The main characters spend half the book kissing or admiring each other without any real character development. And perhaps, I just became tired of the made up country Skymar where the natives sometimes speak old english or random words from their language, but it just wasn’t believable. But now I’ve read all three books in the series and I can still appreciate the first book, Authentically Izzy, for how fun and unique it was.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
My hubby bought me the complete collection of Austen novels and I was excited to read those that I haven’t read yet, starting with Mansfield Park! I loved it. Such a great commentary and outlook on society and virtue, as well as the worth of holding on to one’s convictions—even when one stands completely alone. The characters were interesting, humorous, and lifelike. This ranks up with Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility for me!
Poetry
The Poetry of William Wordsworth
Full disclosure: I’ve been working on this one since last year, and it’s sat unopened for several months before I finally picked it up to finish this month. I enjoy Wordswroth’s poetry, as a poet from the romantic period, and this volume exposed me to some of his work that I had never seen before. His work typically centers on nature which I also find relaxing. Do not try to read through this volume if you’re in a hurry, as it takes time to follow his train of thought and understand each poem individually.
What are you adding to your reading list? What do you think I should read next?
