January and February Book Reviews

 

The Reader

Harold Knight (1874–1961)

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan (audiobook)  ★★★☆☆  

I don't typically read romance novels, but this was our book club pick for this month and we wanted something with a Christmas theme, so I was taken out of my book comfort zone. I enjoyed the Edinburgh, Scotland setting, with its cobbled, winding streets and old, beautiful buildings detailed so well, I could picture it. I also appreciated that some of the focus was on the relationship of two very different sisters who have always had a rocky relationship and are now in need of each other, even if they don't realize it. And the focus on trying to save an almost bankrupt bookstore that needs some major TLC was also fun since I love old bookstores. But the romance (a bit of a love triangle) wasn't my cup of tea and the coarse language of one of the characters was really annoying. 

Content rating: PG-13 (lots of F-bombs about halfway into the book. No sex scenes, but some references to it)

The Song of the Cardinal by Gene Stratton-Porter ★★★★★

A clever story told from a cardinal's perspective about his life, particularly about his search for his mate and how he protected her and their baby birds. It was sweet and tender, especially since it paralleled a story of an old farmer and his wife, whose love is rekindled as they witness the cardinal's pursuit and protection of his mate. Written by a naturalist who studied and experienced nature and also happened to be a fantastic author, it is a great book for bird watchers who want to imagine what the life of a bird is like. Other books I love by Gene Stratton-Porter include The Harvester, Keeper of the Bees, and Girl of the Limberlost

Content rating: G

Fighting Words: 100 Days of Speaking Truth Into the Darkness by Ellie Holcomb ★★★★★

An excellent devotional that helps with Scripture memory as well as processing and applying the daily Scripture verses. Ellie's music and children's books are such a delight for me, so I was excited to read this devotional and it was an encouragement to memorize and meditate on Scripture. Many of the verses she mentions in the devotional led to her writing different songs, so that was a fun connection. Also, Ellie records herself singing short Scripture songs in her Shorts section on Youtube, so it was easy to find a quick, catchy tune to help me memorize some of the verses. John 10:10, for example, is one that both me and my son memorized together because the tune was so good! I started in June and only finished in January, so it took longer than 100 days, obviously, but every time I read it at night before falling asleep, it was always a comfort to focus on God's truth as my "fighting words" against the lies of the enemy. 

Content rating: G

Mountain of Spices by Hannah Hurnard ★★★★☆

A follow-up to Hinds Feet on High Places, this allegorical novel follows the main character from the first book (Much Afraid, who is renamed to Grace and Glory) as she descends from the High Mountains and returns to village in the Valley of Humiliation. The many family members of Fearings each have their own vices and weaknesses, but there are so many beautiful redemption stories in this novel. Whereas Hinds Feet on High Places focused on Much Afraid/Grace and Glory's redemption story, this one has so many different types of people and shows that the Good Shepherd/King is able to transform any life humbled and surrendered to Him. The chapters alternated between a chapter where Grace and Glory is on one of the nine mountains with the Shepherd, learning an important lesson about His love, and then a chapter about a particular person in the village who eventually turns to him. Some of the mountaintop conversations were above my head and poetic, but there was still a lot to ponder in those chapters. I would always read a bit quickly to get to the next chapter, since I loved the redemption stories and found them to be really well written and believable. This was a re-reading, so some of it was a tad familiar, but it had been more than ten years since reading it, so a lot of it felt new. I would definitely recommend starting with Hinds Feet on High Places, which is my favorite of the two books. 

Content rating: G

Classics Club:  63/75. See my whole list HERE

The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar  ★★★★☆

A gripping historical novel set in Bible times about a Jewish girl who ends up in a foreign land with a seemingly odd job of tutoring a young shepherd boy in secret. In the background are Biblical characters, including Daniel. Tessa writes compelling, well-crafted novels with believable and often pretty raw character development (they always go through something pretty serious and life-altering). Her desire to capture and present the Biblical figures and settings in her stories accurately is evident that she's researched a lot for her novels. I discussed this one with our book study this month and it brought up great conversation. If you like Francine Rivers' style of historical fiction, I think Tessa would be a great author to check out! 

Content rating: PG 

Currently Reading:

Bitter and Sweet: A Journey Into Easter by Tsh Oxenrieder

Triggers: Exchanging Parents' Angry Reactions for Gentle Bible Responses by Amber Lea and Wendy Speake (re-reading very slowly with a group of moms from church)

The 40-Day Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation by Wendy Speake (reading with a different group of moms while we are fasting from sugar for 40 days!)

A Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason (reading with an online group of CM moms)

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible by Tara Leigh Cobble (reading alongside my Bible reading and watching The Bible Recap podcast videos)