September and October Book Reviews

 

"Young Girl Reading in the Doorway" by Peter Vilhelm Ilsted, 1913

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (audiobook)

An interesting book that I've been meaning to read for years and glad I finally did. It's a bit of a stretch from my normal genre of books, but it celebrates life in a unique way. It first starts with death -- or at least very close to death. Nora's life is falling apart and her depression is consuming her. She is about to end her life when, in somewhat of a daze or dream, she enters a building she soon finds out is a Midnight Library, where all the books are alternate realities of her life. What would have happened if she'd pursued professional swimming as a teenager as her dad wanted? There's a book for that? What if she would have remained in her brother's band and gone big? There's a book for that too. On and on, Nora is able to experience, literally walking into these stories and visualizing the better life she always imagined, erasing her regrets one at a time. But she can't seem to find the alternate reality she really feels content in. When will she truly find joy in her life? Although definitely not a Christian book, I was still glad to see how Nora chooses life after realizing there is meaning and purpose for her life. Sure, I would have loved for it to mention where and from whom that meaning derives (God), but I didn't expect that from a secular author. It just made me think of my own regrets and occasional wonderings if I should have pursued one career instead of the one I chose, and would life have been better. It led me to vocalize to myself that this life really is the best reality for me and that every decision would have had it's own hardships. There is no perfect life here on earth. We will experience pain, death, disappointments, and sadness. But that doesn't mean our life doesn't have purpose and that we cannot also experience joy amongst the hardship. This book highlighted that reality, and though I am sure it wasn't the purpose of the author, led me to thank God for the ways He has guided me to the decisions that have led me to today, messy as it may sometimes be. 

Content rating: PG-13 (I was not a fan of the occasional swearing and the few sex scenes, though I don't remember them being descriptive). 

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (audiobook and physical book)

I read this eight years ago and was excited to re-read it for book club. You have to think creatively as you read this since it is out of the box. Screwtape is a head demon writing to his nephew about how to manage his patient, a newly converted Christian man. Wormwood is encouraged to use all kinds of diabolical schemes, from distraction to pride, to fear, to lust to pull him away from "the Enemy" (God). Through these one-side letters (you only hear from Screwtape), you can get an idea of very plausible ways we are tempted in real life. Of course, the book is not a theological exposition on the spirit world, but it does make you think about how much Satan hates God's children and tries to trip us up to lure us to sin. I found THIS robust and very helpful study guide from the C.S. Lewis Institute to use with each chapter. C.S. Lewis' books (aside from the Narnia series) are a challenge for me to read intellectually. He was a genius and I am definitely not, so I need help understanding a lot of his writing. His cultural references to things happening in Great Britain during the early 1900s, and the Renaissance and other classical writings he refers to, all put me at a disadvantage are are sometimes over my head, BUT there are plenty of resources out there, so I was glad to find and print this one out for free. I got a lot out of the book, especially with the study guide, that included Bible verses to meditate on that matched with the chapter's focus, and really thoughtful questions and chapter summaries. It was convicting and powerful while also having some of Lewis' characteristic wit. It was definitely not a light read, but it was still a delight to work, pray through, and apply some of the things I was learning in each chapter about my own walk with the Lord and temptations that I can sometimes stumble over. 

Content rating: PG (some adult topics like war and lust, but nothing inappropriate or crass). 

Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination by Vigen Guroian (audiobook)

The author discusses how classical stories can help teach virtues to children. He explains that good stories will point towards what is good, true, and beautiful. He spends most of the book using specific books as examples to extrapolate different virtues and lessons. For example, in a chapter on friendship and mentorship, he focuses on The Wind in the Willows, Charlotte's Web, and Bambi. On a chapter about love and immortality, The Velveteen Rabbit, Pinocchio,  and The Little Mermaid are discussed, while the chapter on evil and redemption highlights Narnia books and Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen. Many other classic as well as modern classics are mentioned, many of which have been turned into Disney movies, which he contrasts from their original text (there are huge differences and he basically doesn't like how Disney changed the focus of all the classic stories). A lot of the things he discussed were a bit too high-level to use with my son while we are reading the books (we just finished Charlotte's Web and have watched Disney adaptations of several of the movies he mentioned), but it still has great topics for me to introduce when the moment seems right. I can see myself returning to this book as a reference guide in years to come. 

Content rating: G

Healthy Kids, Happy Kids: An Integrative Pediatrician's Guide to Whole Child Resilience  by Elisa Song, MD

Dr. Song is an Integratave Pediatrician, which means she combines both conventional medicine you'd expect from a pediatrician with natural treatments you'd expect from a chiropractor and naturopath. In my opinion, she's the best of both worlds since she is incredibly knowledgable, specifically in gut health and how much of our overall health depends on our gut being resilient. Part 1 discusses all about what a resilient gut looks like and why it's important. Part 2 focuses on the five things every child (and adult) needs to create "microbiome magic" in the gut (getting "microbiome champions in", like fiber and fermented foods; keeping "microbiome mischief makers" (like processed sugar and preservatives) out of the diet; learning breathing techniques to improve the vagus nerve and heart rate variability; hydrating with half your body's weight in water every day, sleeping enough, and daily exercise. Part 3 gives a ton of suggestions of naturalistic things to do when kids are sick with a variety of illnesses and conditions, including the cold, strep, eczema, asthma, ADHD, and anxiety. She also discusses the benefit of fevers and why we shouldn't mask/treat them most of the time. I like that while she dives into very holistic treatments like acupressure points, homeopathic medicines, and essential oils, she still has a very solid understanding and explanation for when a parent should talk their child to their doctor, when antibiotics are most likely necessary, and other wise precautions that aren't "natural" but are needed with riskier illness. I have already used a ton of her recommendations in our home and have been seeing slow but steady improvement in certain health issues. This is an incredible resource and should be available at most public libraries to check out. She also has a IG account where she discusses a lot of these topics

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (audiobook)

I listened to the audiobook with my five-year old son this month and was reminded why I love this sweet book so much. The friendship between Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider is strong and resilient through difficulties. Charlotte steps into a mentor role for Wilbur as she encourages him to be all the fine words she writes upon her web, like "some pig" and "humble". Wilbur's growth, both in size and in character are shown so well as the book progresses through the seasons, starting with the spring (he's a "spring pig") and ending again a year later with spring. His courage and heroic act at the end of the book show how far he's come from the lonely little piglet at the beginning. Fern's growth is also interesting to watch from young, lonely girl to a more confident and outgoing girl. The humor in the book is great for both kids and adults, and it is just such a fun book to read with a child who is ready for a chapter book/longer story. I feel like every time I read it, I just love it more and more. 

Content rating: G