I shivered, covered my feet with a blanket and wished for the warmth of hot chocolate…. A tiny, black mosquito buzzed by ear and I looked up, blinking to ease the scene from my mind and stretching into the warmth of the sunshine on my patio. I wasn’t actually experiencing a snowy afternoon in an enchanted castle. I was still here, in reality, in the Dallas suburbs, in the middle of June. The storytelling and complete immersion in the book had taken me to a different time and place. Books give us the chance to escape when needed, but also experience hardship, loss, anger, sadness, love, friendship, celebration in far deeper ways than scrolling through the perfect-moments-only social media feed that is ever-present.
The book stack grows quickly and quietly on the small round table in the corner of our living room. The curated list on my phone is ever-present and always changing. A stash of books can be found in each nook and cranny of our home. Books. I adore them. As many have said before, they offer windows into worlds we don’t know, can’t experience. They give us heroes and villains, often helping our minds to process emotions and situations.
*sigh* Books really are a gift, aren’t they?
Without further ado… here’s what I’ve been reading since March and what I’ve thought about each one!
“40 Days of Decrease”
by Alicia Britt Chole – (https://amzn.to/2XdDHxv) In the early spring, in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount Bible Study (see the 2019 Winter Reading list post if you want to refresh your memory), my Bible study small group spent some time talking about fasting. A fast wasn’t a new concept to me, but the conversation ignited my curiosity and brought me to the desire to deepen my understanding and do something different for the Lenten season this year. In my search, I found this book. Chole weaves together a daily exercise including a devotional practice based on Jesus’ life, a reflection, a suggested daily fast and a collection of thoughts, quotes and historical perspective on the observance of Lent. This book was just what I craved – a way to learn more about the traditional forty days of fasting and shift my focus to Jesus’ life, crucifixion and resurrection. In Day One, Chole invites the reader “to consider Lent as less of a project and more of a sojourn… a ‘temporary stay at a place.’… a ‘stay’ is about presence, not productivity”. In my Lenten sojourn, I noticed part of Jesus’ humanity that I had not yet recognized, fasted thoughts and attitudes and grasped more completely why a season of decrease is perhaps more necessary than ever for today’s world. Friends, get this book. Chole’s daily devotional speaks to the heart. Her suggestions for a daily fast give practical focus on fasting. And her research and explanation of the history of Lent are intelligent and thorough. If you save it for next year’s Lenten season, that’s fine, but you don’t have to wait!
“Remembering Holy Week”
by Shauna Letellier – This short e-book, available on Shauna’s website, (https://shaunaletellier.com/) is written as a weeklong, daily devotional for Holy Week. Shauna takes Scripture and weaves it into a historical fiction. I love this writing style so much that I subscribed to her blog and just weeks later suggested her book, “Remarkable Faith“, (https://amzn.to/2XBD2oA) to my life group friends as a possibility for us to do this summer. (They agreed! You’ll see it in my next review since we are still reading it.) On her blog in the weeks following Easter, she told the story of Peter, from his eyes, after the resurrection. She is a master at intertwining the Scripture, theology, history and the fictional story of the people mentioned in Scripture.
“Christian History Made Easy”
by Timothy Paul Jones, PhD (https://amzn.to/2YaHvvv) – I started 2019 with a sense of questioning towards Christianity in a religious sense. I wasn’t questioning my faith in Jesus, or that Scripture was God’s word. But, more along the line of the question: “how did we get from there (apostolic writing in the gospels) to here (2019)?” Jones breaks down the last 2000 years into one easy to read, conversationally written book. Each chapter spans 100-200 years and explains the “highlights” of what is happening to the church at that time. He does not sugar-coat the failures of the Christian church at various times in history, nor does he push a specific denomination. This book is an excellent read to fill in the blanks of Christian history. I would highly recommend it if you like history or are having some of the same questions.
“America’s First Daughter”
by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie (https://amzn.to/2X8jNUh) – I read a review of this book years ago, and it’s been on my list forever. I’ve looked for it lots of times at Half Price Books, but never found it. I chose it after the others mentioned in #1-3, because I needed a little change in subject matter after tackling Lent and Christian History! Dray and Kamoie tell the enticing story of Patsy Jefferson, daughter of President Thomas Jefferson, by piecing together what remains of their letters, historical artifacts and documentation and some conjecture as to how things could have happened. It is a fascinating look at the history of our country through a woman who lived through the Revolution and the building of our country. Dray and Kamoie draw the reader into understanding the triumphs -and deep troubles – of the family and dig into Patsy’s devotion to her father and ultimately to her country. An excellent read, if you enjoy historical fiction! On a side note, just after finishing this book, I saw Dray and Kamoie collaborated again to write “My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton“, published just last year. Don’t be surprised if you see it on the next recap!
“Placemaker, Cultivating Places of Comfort, Beauty and Peace”
by Christie Purifoy (https://amzn.to/2XAlPMr)– A friend of mine shared this book with me, and I’m so thankful she did. The book itself is absolutely beautiful. The cover is like soft linen and the uneven cut of the pages feel like stumbling into someone’s private gardening journal. Purifoy writes poetically of places she has lived, built, loved and left. She compares with and uses trees and plants as illustrations throughout the book with the primary backdrop of the story being Maplehurst, her Pennsylvania home. Purifoy sees God’s creation of nature as a window to His heart and writes of prayer, faith, longing for home and hospitality. “Every place made by God is loved by God, and that includes every place where his people dwell. If we are willing to look through the lens of love, then we will see that every place has some particular magic.” This soulful book would make a gorgeous gift for a hostess or the garden or nature-lover in your life.
“Grump, the (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”
by Liesl Shurtliff (https://amzn.to/2X8k1e5) – Y’all, I simply love this series. Shurtliff weaves a delightful backstory to the seven dwarves in Snow White’s fairy tale centered around the dwarf Borlen, nicknamed Grump, for his less-than amiable interactions with his fellow dwarves. The story is full of adventure and the charming moral that friends love you simply for who you are. This is the third I’ve read (for a review of the others, Red and Rump, see my previous review post here). Each of the books stand alone; you don’t need to read them in order. These books are perfect for middle to late elementary school readers; or an easy and heart-warming read for those of us that want our stories to leave us feeling that all is right with the world.
“As Old as Time, A Twisted Tale”
by Liz Braswell (https://amzn.to/2YlTs1T) – One of the books from this series, published by Disney Press, recently caught my eye from across the box retailer room. The covers are gorgeous and slightly dark while still emitting the very essence of the fairy tale story. I didn’t buy the book when I first saw it, but later searched for it at HPB and then found this one at Target. My searching was not in vain. This book did not disappoint! Braswell alternates between the stories of Belle and her mother, beautifully telling an action-packed story of how magic comes back to itself. This book is another one that is wonderful for late elementary or middle school readers. You will definitely see another one or more from the series in my future recaps. It is a story with which we are all familiar, but the “twist” is one fairy tale readers will love! (It also comes in a Box Set with “A Whole New World” and “Once Upon a Dream” – https://amzn.to/2YetVr0 )
“Breaking Busy”
by Alli Worthington (https://amzn.to/2FyB0vh) – Listen in, my friends. This book has been on my “to read” list forever. I stumbled on it in a bargain bin recently and I’m over the moon that I did. I wish I’d read it last year or 18 months ago. Worthington mixes humor and specific action steps to slow us down from life’s overwhelm. Her first story in chapter one literally had me laughing out loud at the bargain bin. She talks capacity, relationships, and calling through the voice of someone who has experienced crazy times and come through bruised, beaten and ready to encourage others. Teacher friends, read this book this summer to steady yourself before you walk into a new school year. Moms, read this book in the in-between times of shuffling our precious cargo.
A random little side note: I’m semi-obsessed with – colored pencils! (https://amzn.to/2X4Rwy1). Forever I’ve been one of *those* people who writes in her books. Even in my fiction ones, you’ll likely find a circled paragraph or two of writing that I particularly loved or a note to a connection between another book or idea. But, just this year, I’ve started doing that in colored pencil more often. As many of you know, I love me some flair pens (https://amzn.to/2FuT09W), and for lots of books, a ballpoint is just fine. I don’t always use the same tool, and it kind of depends on the paper, but the colored pencils are kind of a thing for me right now… so maybe you want to try it, too?
What about you? What are you reading right now? Anything I need to add to my to read list? Drop a picture or link in the comments or on the socials!
Happy Reading, my friends! Hugs – Bethany
*Please note: I (Bethany McMillon) am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.*
Lana Fincher says
Bethany, now I have to add more books to my Goodreads list. Thanks for the review. Fiction books I loved in the past are 11/22/63 by Stephen King, The Book Thief ( has William read this), Nightingale, and Sarah’s Key. All historical fiction now that I think about it. So two books I am getting ready to read are The League of Wives, which is the women who took on the government to bring their husbands home from the Vietnam War. The second book is called Undivided that tells the story of a Muslim daughter and a Christian mom. This one I know nothing about, but found it at Sam’s. Also we just finished reading Counter Culture in our Bible Study. I highly recommend even though I had some points of disagreement with him. I love you my friend!
Bethany McMillon says
I love this so much! Thank you, Lana!!! 🙂 William and I both read The Book Thief. I loved it, but he prefers fantasy books. 🙂
Jennifer says
I am definitely going to need to find the Christian history book, especially in light of Ben’s conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy. Thanks for the ideas! (Which book made you shiver? Might need that one this summer!)
Bethany McMillon says
Hi Jennifer!! You can click the link in the post for the Christian history book, or remind me next time we get together and you can borrow mine! (But, be forewarned I write in my books! Ha!) It was “As Old As Time” that made me shiver. It is primarily set in the winter and her storytelling drew me in so far I forgot the Texas heat! 😉