It's been a while since I shared a book post! I might try to write these monthly in 2023, because if I get too far behind, I forget what I read. I'm sure there are a couple books I read and just forgot to include here, but these are the books I finished over the last couple months!
Just a note: When I link books, I'm going to try to link to Thriftbooks whenever I see the book available on there - that's where I get most of my books these days! I love getting a good deal on there. I'll link Amazon when I see a book is currently available cheaper there. Not sponsored links here, just wanted to tell you my thought process.
When Christmas Comes Andrew Klavan - I wouldn't actually call this a Christmas book - it's actually a mystery/suspense book, set during the Christmas season. I thought the detective in this book, Cameron Winters, was a pretty fascinating character, and I'm glad it's being turned into a series!
That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis - This is the final book in Lewis's space trilogy, and I'm not going to lie, I'm a little befuddled by it. I'm going to read some literary analysis of it in hopes of understanding it better. The other two books in the space trilogy were much more straightforward, whereas this one was rooted more in medieval legends that I'm not particularly familiar with...though I did notice some connections with Lewis's The Abolition Of Man. That Hideous Strength is basically the fictionalized version of the concepts Lewis presented in The Abolition Of Man.
The Return Of The King by J. R. R. Tolkien - This was a re-read! Loved it as much as the first time, and I almost cried when Frodo left Middle Earth.
Captive by Mary Rowlandson, John Williams, and John Gyles - This book was completely fascinating - it's a reprint of stories published in the 1600s by Puritans who were taken captive by North American tribes. It's actually three books in one, so even though I'm not quite done with it, I'm going to include it since I finished the first "book" within it. It was interesting to read about the experiences of these people who were captured, and their faith in the Lord was tested and came out as pure gold. It's inspiring to read.
A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie - I read this for a book club discussion with some friends. I'm pretty sure I read it once before when I was a teenager, so I had an inkling of the solution to the mystery, but there were so many aspects I forgot that it was still surprising. I love all of Christie's mystery novels, and it's been a while since I've read a Miss Marple mystery - she is a fun character!
What I Learned In Narnia by Douglas Wilson - I thought this book presented so many good character traits and lessons from the Narnia books, and it gave me alot to think about. This book was based on some talks that Wilson gave for young people about lessons to be learned from the Narnia books, and I thought he pulled out some really great points. I am almost done reading the Chronicles Of Narnia to my kids, and I think I may have my older ones listen to this book after we finish.
My Life For Yours by Douglas Wilson - This book is a collection of different thoughts about how we can be selfless in our home and family life, based on what happens in different rooms of a house. So for instance, in the kitchen chapter Wilson talks about serving others with mealtimes, the living room chapter is about how we spend our leisure time, etc. Some of the concepts he presents are based in Scripture, but some of the applications are more his own opinion - I agreed with alot of it, but not necessarily all. Nevertheless, it was an interesting book, and challenged me to serve my family better. I love the title, "my life for yours"...that is a worthy goal for my attitude toward family life, and I appreciated all the practical advice in accomplishing that.
The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Leanne Moriarty - I picked up this book because it was the last of Moriarty's books that I hadn't read - I think I was avoiding it because I'm not on board with hypnotism. Thankfully, the hypnotist angle was part of the plot but not to a ridiculous extent. This book was more about a woman trying to form a new relationship with a man who has a crazy stalker...but she finds herself sympathizing too much with the stalker. Overall, it was cute. Content Note: There were some references to (ahem) adult things outside of marriage; it wasn't overly descriptive. The main character does become pregnant outside of marriage too, and I think abortion might have been mentioned (annoying how they always stick that in), but the main character doesn't really consider it.
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn - I listened to this for a book club, and it was a really close-up look at Elisabeth Elliot's early life, ending shortly after her service to the tribe that killed her husband, Jim Elliot. There is so much inspiration for the Christian life when looking at Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, and this biography was really well done. There is going to be a second volume covering Elisabeth's later life, and I'm excited to read that one because I don't know as much about the second part of her life (aside from the fact that she became a public speaker).
What Is A Woman by Matt Walsh - This book is the written version of the documentary by the same name, but it gives more "inside information", so to speak. There are interviews and stories in this book that weren't covered in the film, and it includes Walsh's perspective of some of the interviews that were in the film. The documentary was really eye-opening to me when I watched it last summer, even as someone who falls on the same side of the aisle as Walsh on gender ideology. I think this book just added more detailed information to the film for those who are interested in this topic. Note: I'd also recommend "Irreversible Damage" by Abigail Shirer - that's a book that fell through the cracks when I stopped sharing reviews on the blog for a while, but I read it a couple years ago and I think it would be a really good supplement to this film and book as well.
Them Before Us by Katie Faust - This book was incredibly eye-opening to me - Faust discusses a child's right to their mother and father, and how modern adults have infringed on children's rights by their self-focused choices. The main premise of this book is that intentionally depriving a child of their biological mother or father - through divorce, sperm/egg donors, gay "marriage" adoption cases, etc. - harms children and violates their rights. This book argues that adults should organize their lives around what's best for children, instead of expecting children to be shuffled around to suit adult desires. It also discusses the ethical problems surrounding how IVF is done, which is a touchy subject but something that we should all think more carefully about. It's hard to argue with the statistics shared in this book, and it gave me alot to think about.
The Blue Train Mystery by Agatha Christie - Another Agatha Christie mystery - I know I've read this one before, but I was surprised by the ending! This is a Poirot mystery, and he's my favorite Agatha Christie detective. I thought this one started slower, and was a little hard to follow, but the beginning chapters are tied in at the end.
Morality For Beautiful Girls but Alexander McCall Smith - This is the third book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and I love this series - it's like a cozy mystery series with a twist. Each book follows Mama Ramotswe as she solves a series of small mysteries (and sometimes a bigger one) for her clients, all while juggling her family and upcoming nuptials to the owner of the local mechanic shop. This is one of those series that I would recommend for a palette cleanser, something nice to read when you just need to relax and not think too hard! I'm going to continue the series this year.
What have you been reading in January?
I feel like January is always a good reading month for everyone!
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