September and October Book Reviews

 

Source

The Mingling of Souls: God's Design for Love, Marriage, Sex, and Redemption (Matt Chandler and Jared Wilson)

Song of Solomon is explored, chapter by chapter as the authors pull out different seasons of a relationship, from the attraction, to courtship, the wedding day, marriage, and life afterwards (including conflict resolution). I didn't always agree with their explanations of the Biblical text since it often felt like they were pulling a lot out through Western understanding and our own culture, but the overall insights were pretty solid. The earlier chapters were understandably not as applicable since I have already passed the stage of initial attraction, courtship, and the early days of marriage, but the later chapters were helpful. I especially liked Logs on the Fire chapter with the questions to ask a spouse (like "how can I love you and serve you more effectively" and "how can our marriage get stronger?") as well as the chapter titled "I'm Not Going Anywhere", which talks about sticking together through the various trials that will hit you as a couple. I would recommend the book to singles just for the earlier chapters, since they had some great topics about dating. I have been wanting to read this book for years. It was different than I expected since I thought the whole book would be about marriage. It was definitely not my favorite marriage book, but that's okay (it would take a lot to replace The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller off the top of my list!). 

Content rating: PG (nothing graphic at all, but definitely talks about sex)

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot (Ellen Vaughn) audiobook

I have been inspired, challenged, and encouraged by Elisabeth Elliot's writing since high school, often referring her as my "spiritual Grandma" I always wanted.  I have read many of her books (several multiple times), so I have had this biography on my radar but also assumed I would know a lot of the details of her life already. Boy, was I wrong! Ellen Vaughn is a masterful biographer, weaving  hundreds of personal journal entries of Elisabeth's with her public writing in her books and magazine articles as well as what other people have said of her, all to tell the incredible story of this woman's younger years. Focusing on her childhood all the way to her departure from Ecuador as a missionary in 1963 (seven years after her husband and other men were killed while trying to spread the gospel to the dangerous Auca tribe). Her grit and steadfast trust in God despite the hardest circumstances and deepest grief, her ability to explain Biblical truth in logical ways while experiencing a flood of emotions, and her humility and constant reliance on God to help her with all her temptations and difficult parts of her introverted and slightly antisocial personality were all so interesting to read about. I also really liked hearing from her journals about the emotional rollercoaster of a five-year (!!!) courtship while Jim was trying to figure out if he should marry Elisabeth because he thought he wouldn't be able to be a missionary if so (because being single-minded and free of family distractions was what he thought would make the best missionary). I learned a lot about her and really appreciated seeing her flaws and personal struggles since it is easy for me to put her on a pedestal as a Christian hero. There is a ton to admire about her, and surrounding that is the good reminder that she was still a sinner and desperately needed the gospel message for herself as much as for those she was ministering to. I am looking forward to reading the follow-up to this biography, Being Elisabeth Elliot, which was recently published and looks into her later years as a writer and speaker. 

Content rating: PG (some graphic details about the death of Jim Elliot and the four other men)

Pilgrim: 25 Ways God's Character Leads Us Onward (Ruth Chou Simons)

Using hymns as well as the imagery of a life-long journey towards sanctification (inspired by The Pilgrim Progress), Ruth shares guideposts for the Christians who are travelers on the path Jesus has set before us. She focuses on attributes of God and how they are foundational to our understanding of God and how they point us on His path. There are twenty-five devotionals ranging from attributes such as the love of God (hymn: The Love of God, a new one to me and new favorite!), the grace of God (hymn: Amazing Grace), the mercy of God (hymn: What Wondrous Love Is This) and many more. Since I pre-ordered this book months before it was released, I received a printable collection of all the hymns that helped me sing the hymns after reading the devotional each day, which helped connect deeper. I also have a hymn playlist that I added each of these hymns to, which helped me with using the hymn sheets to sing along. Lastly, the watercolor paintings in the devotional are stunning. Ruth is known for her floral watercolor art, but she has expanded in this book with gorgeous views of mountains, valleys, and other natural elements that help visualize the pilgrim's rocky terrain. 

Content rating: G

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslein Charles (audiobook)

A dual-timeline historical novel set in Paris during WWII and Montana in 1983. I love all things Paris, so I am surprised I did not know of the American Library in Paris, nor the involvement of its librarians in the Resistance during WWII. Both storylines follow a Frenchwoman named Odile, in her earlier life in Paris as a new librarian whose twin brother is away fighting for the French army and then later in life as a widowed outcast in a tiny American town, befriending a grieving teenager. I read a lot of WWII fiction, including many set in Paris, yet I obviously still have a ton to learn because there was plenty I had no idea about, so I enjoyed learning history while immersed in an engaging plot. 

Content rating: PG-13 (a few short, descriptive sex scenes; a few cuss words)

Home Education by Charlotte Mason

The Victorian language and the length of the book was initially daunting, but I am very glad I chose an annotated version that included definitions of old English words as well as references that are lost in the current culture (old books, poems, and research that are not well known). I have read several books based on Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy (A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola and For The Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay are my two favorites) and listen to several podcasts and YouTube channels that focus on it as well (The Commonplace Podcast and YouTube, Simply Charlotte Mason video podcast are favorites), so I have a pretty good grasp on the philosophy, but after reading a ton of quotes by Charlotte Mason from these and other resources, I wanted to go straight to the source. It was great to read her own words, many familiar to me, in the context of the whole collection of this first volume, which is intended for children under nine. Topics included habit training, early years of education (learning to read, write, geography, history), the importance of narration (telling back what a child learns instead of being tested by the teacher's pre-made questions), nature exploration (including nature journaling, scouting, and other fun outdoors topics), spiritual formation, and so much more. I will most certainly return to this book as a resource over the years since I follow a lot of the Charlotte Mason philosophy in the young years before formal education (which she  encourages to start at age six). The rhythm and overall atmosphere in our home has been transformed and enriched by a deeper understanding in the last year of her teachings about education being an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life, all under the submission and leading of God. 

Content rating: G

Classics Club:  62/75. See my whole list HERE