Summer is in full swing, and here I am, finally getting around to sharing the rest of the books I read in the spring! I have a whole new list of books I would like to read this summer, so I wanted to share these books before I dive into the summer reading season in earnest. There are some winners in this post for sure!
Tales From The Perilous Realm by J. R. R. Tolkien - I decided I wanted to read more works from Tolkien, and this short story collection seemed like a good place to start! Only one piece (The Adventures Of Tom Bombadil) fits into the Lord Of The Ring universe - the rest are stories set in other places, but all with a similar fantasy element. My favorites were Farmer Giles Of Ham and Leaf By Niggle. Farmer Giles is a quirky and fun story about the rise of Giles from lowly farmer to hero. Leaf By Niggle is a sad and sweet story about a man who has an obsession with completing an elaborate painting but must go on a journey before he is able to complete it - but in a strange new land, he finds his painting completed and brought to real life. I think Tolkien's Catholicism comes through in Leaf by Niggle, but I still found the story touching. This edition also included an essay about "fairy stories" that I found really enlightening when considering Tolkien's approach to fairy tales and fantasy fiction. Definitely recommend if you are a Tolkien fan!
Sackett's Land by Louis L'amour - I have heard this series mentioned in a podcast, and my grandpa read so many L'amour books, I decided it was time for me to pick them up. This book follows the first Sackett of this family line as he travels to America and decides he wants to plant his feet in the New World. It's an adventure story, and less character-focused than plot-focused, but there is still a depth to L'amour's writing, especially as it relates to manhood, that makes this book better than "twaddle" adventure stories. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
Why I Left The Contemporary Christian Music Movement by Dan Lucarini - I picked this book up on a whim, because I'm always interested in topics related to the trajectory of Christian music, and music we sing in church. This book was originally published in the early 2000's, by a man who used to be a worship leader in a more contemporary style, before he started seeing some problems with it. This is mainly a memoir-style book, but he does provide some insights into aspects of Christian music that I never considered. One point he makes that I never though about thoroughly is how the style of music does affect people physically, and we would do well to consider that when it comes to what kind of songs we sing in church. I don't think I agree with all of his conclusions, but I do think he makes valuable points in this book, and it's helpful to hear from someone who has been on both sides of the so-called "worship wars". If you want to genuinely understand someone who is concerned about how modern music styles are incorporated into church, I think reading this book with an open mind would be helpful.
The Great Concern: Preparation For Death by Edward Pearse - The title of this book makes it sound morbid, but it's definitely not! This is a Puritan book about how we can order our lives so as to have the least eternal regrets when death finds us. For the first part of the book he addresses unbelievers in urging them to be reconciled to God, and toward the end he addresses mindsets that Christians should have to ensure we are ready for our dying day. This book had a big impact on me, especially Chapter 9, when he gives advice on "graces" we should strive for in making sure we are at any moment ready to enter eternity. He urges the reader "to think nothing too dear to part with for the glory and honor of God", and that is something I have been thinking about ever since.
Death In The Clouds by Agatha Christie - This is a re-read for me, since I am trying to read all the way through the Hercule Poirot series. Death In The Clouds follows the mystery of an old woman, an accomplished blackmailer, who is apparently killed by a poison dart shot at her through a blowpipe, while on an airplane! As with most Christie mysteries, this book starts of slower and picks up toward the end. I think these are the perfect books ro read before bed, because they are interesting, but usually not to the point where you can't put them down and end up reading until midnight. They are cozy in a classic way, and Hercule Poirot is my favorite literary detective ever, so of course I enjoyed it!
To Seek And To Save by Sinclair B. Ferguson - This is a devotional book meant to be read in the weeks leading up to Easter, as it follows all the Biblical figures leading up to Jesus's death and resurrection. I think Ferguson writes in such a calming style, and I enjoyed this devotional. It was perfect for fixing my mind on the resurrection this spring.
The Kalahari Typing School For Men by Alexander McCall Smith - This book is part of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and it is very similar to all the other books in the series -following Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi as they solve petty crimes and personal mysteries for their clients. In this book, the ladies deal with the problem of a new detective agency moving into town and possibly taking some of their clients, and Mma Makutsi decides to start a typing school for men on the side. These books are cozy mysteries with a twist, and the setting is so well described it makes you feel like you live in Botswana too. These are another calming book for bedtime reading, and I recommend the whole series!
Worship: The Ultimate Priority by John MacArthur - This book addresses what worship actually is, and how it is NOT only the songs we sing on Sunday - worship should encompass everything we do in life as believers. I found this book challenging and encouraging, and I love MacArthur's focus on giving God glory in everything we do.The gospel is also beautifully woven into every chapter of this book. I think this is a beautiful book to read if you find yourself worried or discouraged or stale in your walk with the Lord. I'm sure I will be reading it again.
The Saint's Advantage By Christ's Ascension And Coming Again From Heaven by Christopher Love - Is that a Puritan title for you, or what? I decided to focus on reading a variety of Puritan books this year, and this one was a unique topic to me. So much is written about how we benefit from Jesus's life, death, and resurrection, but we forget that the fact that He also ascended is a critical piece of the puzzle. We have an advantage in His ascension because He know lives in Heaven to intercede for His children, and this book explores that idea more. One note I wanted to include about reading Puritan works - it is really important to keep track of the numbering of the points they make in their writing. If you read a Puritan work, I think it's really helpful to make an ongoing outline so you can keep track of which point each paragraph or section is supporting. It's easy to get lost if you don't pay attention to the structure of the book, and I found attentive reading to be especially important for this book.
Tuesdays At The Castle by Jessica Day George - This book was about a princess and her family who live in a "living" castle - a castle that changes it's structure and room arrangement every Tuesday, has opinions about it's occupants, and does what it can to assist those it loves. As the family faces a conspiracy to assassinate and take over the throne, the castle itself is a major player in helping to foil the enemy's plots and help the royal family. I thought this book was fun, but I sometimes thought the castle was taking on too much of a god-like role for the characters, so I'd probably be a little bit cautious in handing it to my kids. It was a cute story, and a very unique concept, but I'm undecided on whether I'll read the next book.
Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins Of Gorlan by John Flanagan - This book was recommended to me by some dear friends, and I'm so glad I read it! This book reminds me of Robin Hood, but set in a fantastical world with strange creatures that serve an enemy named Morgorath. In the midst of that, we follow the story of two young teenagers who are just entering their apprenticeships. Will is disappointed because he wanted to attend battleschool, but instead is apprenticed to the mysterious Ranger. Meanwhile, another boy Horace is struggling with bullying in battle school. The boys eventually form a friendship, all the while training to defend the kingdom against the rising threat of Morgorath. This book would be a fun book for boys, and I'm curious to read the next one and see if the rest of the series is just as good! I thought this book was wholesome and I didn't have any content concerns. The only thing I would note is some strange creatures near the end who have an ability to hypnotize their victims, freezing them with fear before they attack them, but that seemed par for the course in a fantasy book.
The Eye Of The World by Robert Jordan - This book is the first in the Wheel Of Time series, which I've been hearing about for a while, so when a friend offered to lone me the book, I jumped on it! It's hard to describe the plot of this book, because as our friend said, nothing much happens but it's still somehow interesting. The book introduces a boy named Ran and his friends at the beginning, who encounter an Aes Sedai (a female who has strange powers and protects them on their journey), before being attacked by the Dark One's forces and having to flee to the Aes Sedai's city for protection. The world-building in this book definitely lives up to the hype - it's a very complex and imaginative world, with dangers at every turn. Along the way we learn that one of the boys is likely a figure who is prophesied to fight with the Dark One, but we don't know who it is until the end (and we also don't know if this figure will end up being a hero or the downfall of the world). It was interesting to read a fantasy book aside from Narnia or LOTR, which are pretty much the only other fantasy series I've read. I think there is a noticeable difference between the underlying philosophy of this book and Tolkien's and Lewis's works - this book very much had a more New Age underpinning, and the difference between a New Age based fantasy and a fantasy book from underlying Christian worldview was an interesting study for me. Because of some of the New Age imagery, especially at the end of the book, I probably would be cautious in recommending it. My other note about this book was that it didn't feel like any of the characters were actually trustworthy - the Aes Sedai has a bad reputation, so you're not quite sure what her motivation is, and each of the boys is touched by some sort of dark element that has the potential to corrupt their character. You're not really sure if anyone is good or bad. I think I need a "rest", so to speak, in my fantasy books - some character or place that we know is good or safe, so we can mentally rest before wading back into peril. I don't feel like there was any "resting place" in this book.
The Winter King by Christine Cohen - This was a YA fantasy book, put out by a Christian publisher, about a village that must serve a god-like "Winter King", who returns each winter to watch over the village as they offer more than they can afford in sacrifices. Cora hates the Winter King, and starts to investigate a mysterious book that the village leaders are trying to keep secret. In the meantime, a plague starts attacking the village, and she must figure out the secrets of the book before it's too late for her family. I really appreciated the elements of family loyalty in this story - the family at the center of the book is close and sweet to each other. I thought this book was going one direction, but it definitely didn't end the way I thought. Maybe a spoiler alert - in the end, the Winter King ends up being real and he actually does care for the village, but the way the village leaders taught about and presented him was false because they were just pursuing power. I kept trying to figure out if this was some sort of allegory, but I don't know. It was an interesting story, but my content notes would be that there is definitely some mythological-type elements (such as the Winter King "god" who ends up being good), sacrifices to the Winter King and that sort of thing, and some ghostly elements. I enjoyed it, but to me, there were too many confusing spiritual elements for me to want to read it to my kids. I kind of want to hear an interview with the author so she can explain what she was going for with this story. But credit where credit is due, I have to say it was quite well-written!
Flourish by Lydia Brownback - This book addresses the lies that Christian women often believe about how to flourish. I listened to this book and feel that I could have absorbed so much more, so I will probably read or listen to it again. This was a Christ-centered book that encourages women to keep our eyes on Jesus instead of listening to worldly messages about how to flourish - even those worldly messages that sometimes infiltrate the church. I found it personally challenging, and I also think it helped me understand other people in my life better, and gave me some insight on how to encourage them.
Meet Me In The Margins by Melissa Ferguson - This book was about an editor in a stuffy publishing house, who also wants to publish a romance book. She accidentally leaves her manuscript in a secret room at work, and when she gets it back she discovers someone else at work has been reading and editing it. I was also interested to read the author's note and see that the author was inspired by visiting Thomas Nelson in Nashville - I went there once, so I could picture it when she explained her inspiration. This was an adorable chic-lit book, and totally clean! There was not much focus on the physical element of romantic relationships, but the story was sweet and kept me wanting to read the next chapter. Definitely a winner in my book, and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!
What have you all been reading? And do you have any special reading plans for summer?
Love all these reviews! The one about worship music is really intriguing to me. James and I have been heavily involved in worship teams at church forever, and we are frequently having conversations with our worship pastor (who is also a good friend of ours) about worship music and what makes a song worthy to sing at church.
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