Fall is in the air, and I am ready to mix up my reading stack so I can prioritize all my coziest books - but first I have to get this post out of the queue! Getting caught up on sharing my reading is something that has been weighing on my mind for quite some time. It was a good reading summer for me, and every time I got ready to share this post I put it off so I could finish just one more book and add it. Clearly that was a mistake, because this book post has ended up being rather long, but I think most of you bookish people won't mind too much.
A Gentle Tyranny by Jess Corban - These first two books are a short series set in a dystopian future. A couple hundred years in the future, after women have suffered ever-increasing abuses due to rampant immorality, most of Earth's population is intentionally wiped out and a Matriarchal society is started with only "gentled" men - men with no testosterone. This new society is named Nede, which is Eden spelled backwards, and Reina Pierce, the granddaughter of the current Matriarch starts to see that things are not quite right in their supposedly idyllic society. She has established friendships with various "Gentles", and as she competes to take over the matriarchy, she truly sees the brutality the Gentles suffer through - but surely Gentles are still better than the "Brutes" of old, right?
A Brutal Justice by Jess Corban - At the end of the first book, Reina discovers that there are "Brutes" (ie. men with their testosterone intact) living in the jungle, and they aren't at all like she thought they were. Now she must find a way to help the Brutes, and the Gentles, who she discovered were not born that way as she was always told, but were made into the frail creatures they are. A running theme through these books is that people choose whether to be monsters or have virtue, and either Brutes or women can become evil if they so choose. The only characters in the book that don't appear to have any capacity for malice are the Gentles, which is also my main gripe with the book. Let's be realistic here - people can be wicked with or without hormones, so I thought the author should have written the "Gentles" in a more balanced way, because males with no testosterone would still be capable of sin, betrayal, etc. The author says she is a Christian, so I think she should have been realistic about the sinfulness of all humans, including her fictional, altered Gentles. Overall though, this series was a very interesting concept, and I quite enjoyed it. The ending was really nicely done - I feel that so many dystopian books end on a somewhat hopeless note, and this one didn't. Content Notes: Reina does murder someone for the "greater good", though she is tormented by her decision. There are some references to the birds and the bees as part of the plot, but not explicit at all. Vague references to same-sex relationships, which are against the culture of Nede. Violence, especially in the second book, but not excessively described. There is some mythology/false religion built up around Nede, and Reina uses a false goddess's name as a curse word.
Wingfeather Tales by Various Authors - This is a book of short stories surrounding the land of the Wingfeather Saga, which I reviewed here. I quite enjoyed this collection of short stories! So many of them perfectly captured the feel of Aerwiar, and added alot of intrigue to an already interesting world. Collectively, some of the stories reminded me of different elements of Narnia, while still being completely their own.
The only story that I'm really not sure what I think of is the last one entitled "Beyond The Edge Of The Maps". I noticed online that this story had alot of mixed reviews, and I can see why. Spoilers Ahead: The story starts out quite dark and hopeless, and I think goes on for a bit too long, though it is written quite well (aside from some intentional run-on sentences, which as a style choice on which I will reserve judgement). The main character of the story is going on a quest to question his Maker, with accusations of injustice since the man has lost his daughter. But he never makes it up the One Mountain on which the Maker is said to dwell, because he realizes he is unworthy to bring an accusation because of a choice he made (though he is quite self-righteous up until that point).
The story ends with a glimpse into the fate of the man's daughter and the afterlife of this world of Aerwiar, but I will say that I wasn't satisfied with how the spiritual questioning element was tied together...or with how redemption is accomplished in this fictional world since the man never really makes peace with the Maker, but is still in paradise in the end. Andrew Peterson is a Christian, and though Aerwiar is it's own world (kind of like Narnia), spiritual principles were woven into the original books in a creative and meaningful way that were also mostly in line with Scripture (at least on a surface level). This last story departs from that pattern a bit, and I found myself confused about what the underlying message or principle was supposed to be, aside from possibly the fact that there are things we will never understand on the earth. I'm probably thinking too much into it. So yes, I nearly gave up on the last story, but at the same time, it is also the story that has me thinking the most, so maybe that says something. Content Notes: The main character in the last story considers suicide.
Only The Beautiful by Susan Meissner - This is an interesting story about how people were forcibly sterilized in California in the early 1900's, which is a travesty. Rosanne, who has synesthesia, works in a vineyard with her family, until they are killed in an accident. She is taken in by the vineyard owners as a foster child, but really ends up being their made. She is taken advantage of by the husband of the family and ends up pregnant, and is sent by his vindictive wife into a mental institution where they sterilize those with mental problems (and synesthesia was considered a mental problem by the doctor). Th second half of the book flashes forward about 20 years, and we find out what happened to Rosie. Content Notes: This books plot was so interesting, but I can't truly recommend it because I think the author went into unnecessarily explicit detail about the night Rosanne became pregnant. Because of that, this isn't a clean book. I believe there was some bad language as well, but it's difficult to remember now.
The MacArthur Commentary on Revelation 1-11 - I've been reading this book as part of my own Bible study this summer, and I always appreciate MacArthur's detailed commentary and extensive Bible cross references! I just read this book alongside the Revelation passages this time through, but would love to go through it again with a notebook handy and go through all the Bible references that are mentioned.
The Confident Homeschooler by Pam Barnhill - I got to read this tiny booklet for free on Kindle. I'm not sure it qualifies as a book, but I think it's a great summary of some of Barnhill's best advice for homeschool moms, so I recommend checking it out!
Our Little Spartan Cousin Of Long Ago by Julie Darrow Cowles - I pre-read this book to see if I wanted to let my kids read it this fall. This is about a young boy living in ancient Sparta, and I thought it provided a really interesting look into Spartan society. I learned alot, but I do feel that the book presented mostly information in a positive light. It glossed over negative aspects of Sparta, such as the brutality of their war games, probably in an attempt to keep it appropriate for children. I will probably let my oldest read it and see what he thinks of it. Content Notes: Obviously stories about the gods of Greek mythology.
God Doesn't Whisper by Jim Osman - In this book, Osman addresses some of the unbiblical ways that Christians try to "hear the voice of God" in our modern times...including many very common practices such as fleeces, open and closed doors, feeling a "peace", etc. Your toes WILL be stepped on by this book, but it's very hard to argue with Osman's reasoning and biblical supports. Even I, as someone who barely has a charismatic bone in my body, was convinced that some of the ways I have supported my decisions in the past, using these frameworks, was not biblical. I love that Osman doesn't just leave us hanging at the end, but gives us a truly biblical model for making God-honoring decisions. Highly recommend.
State Of Lies by Siri Mitchell - I read some of Mitchell's historical romances years ago and quite enjoyed them, and have been meaning to read her first suspense novel for a while now. Georgie is a mom, trying to hold her life together after her husband Sean is killed - but mysterious things keep happening, and then her home is broken into, and she starts to ask more questions. I was truly on the edge of my seat during certain chapters of this book, and did not expect some of the twists and turns! I was rather unhappy about the identity of the villain, but other than that I quite enjoyed it. Content Notes: Somewhat graphic violence as various people Georgie interacts with are killed, and her physical relationship with her husband is referred to in various places in the book, without being described much. Also note: The paperback of this one is really cheap on Amazon for some reason, just FYI.
Truth Or Territory: A Biblical Approach To Spiritual Warfare by Jim Osman - This one is a similar book to God Doesn't Whisper, except in this one Osman discusses the modern church's idea of "spiritual warfare", and how alot of unbiblical ideas and practices have infiltrated modern Christianity. Osman does such a great job of addressing the so-called biblical support for some of these ideas, and then looking at the verses in context to understand the true meaning, which most often is nothing to do with spiritual warfare. Good examples of this would be praying "hedges", or generational curses. I listened to this one and actually wish that I had read it instead so I could have highlighted or taken notes. I may buy a physical copy in the future!
Musing On God's Music by Scott Aniol - This book is an in-depth look at the psalms as an actual book, not just a list of song lyrics. Aniol argues that whoever put the psalter together did so by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (as with all scripture), and that the order of the psalms itself is significant. It's not just a random collection of songs, it's a carefully curated collection that is meant to show us how to live a blessed life in a wicked world, a collection that is meant to form us as we sing them in order. I have never looked at the psalms as being intentionally organized in a certain way, and this book was revolutionary for me. I highly recommend this one for any believer! We don't take the psalms as seriously as we ought, and I think that is because we don't view them as a book with an overarching purpose and point!
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jesse Sutanto - This book was alot of fun - Vera Wong owns a "world famous" tea house, but one that is unfortunately about to go out of business...until a dead body shows up in her shop! A host of characters start to show up at Vera's, and she assigns herself as the investigator of the murder - even though the police aren't even sure it is a murder. A really delightful peek into Asian culture, especially the unique personality of a stereotypical Asian mother/grandmother. Also, this book made me really hungry for Chinese food and a cup of tea. Note: Bad language in this one, including several uses of the f-word.
Glitch by Laura Martin - In the future, some people are born with a "time travel gene" that allows them to glitch back in time - but unfortunately that means alot of people hopping around, trying to mess with history! That's what the Glitch Academy is meant to prevent as young people train to apprehend "butterflies" - people who are meddling in historical events. Reagan is a cadet in the Academy, and also the daughter of the director of the program, which leads her classmate, Elliot, to be jealous of how easy Reagan has it. And Reagan isn't a big fan of Elliot's know-it-all attitude either. But when they receive a letter from their future selves, they just figure out a way to save the Academy, and their futures, before it's too late! This was a really fun, imaginative world, and I loved the lessons about history that are subtly presented in this book. The only note is a little bit of violence as the cadets fight butterflies, and within various historical events that they visit.
Famous For A Living by Melissa Ferguson - In this book, a famous influencer is hit with scandal, and has to find a place to lay low for a while - she travels to a small international park run by her uncle. As she tries to help the park with their social media and do what she can to combat her bad image in the press, she falls for a guy who hates the internet. Will she give up her life for the guy or not? Fairly predictable, sweet rom-com type book, and I enjoyed it!
Such A Quiet Place by Megan Miranda - I have a weakness for suspense books set in small towns or communities, where everyone knows everyone, and this book was like that. Ruby was convicted for murdering the neighbors, but now she's been released from prison, and she's back in the neighborhood - and no one quite knows why. Content Note: This book had alot of cursing, which I did not appreciate. But it did scratch that small-won suspense book itch, and I enjoyed it overall.
Black Ships Before Troy by Rosamary Sutcliff - I read this to pre-screen it for school for my 7th grader - It was a really thorough telling of the Trojan War. I appreciated all the information it gave about the different figures, but sometimes felt like the writing was too stiff. The Greek "gods" make appearances in this book, and the Greeks make sacrifices to them, etc, but I wouldn't say those characters had a major role in this version. I'm torn about whether to have my son read this one, or keep searching for a version I'll like a little better.
Gentle And Lowly: The Heart Of Christ For Sinners And Sufferers by Dane Ortlund - This book was a surprise to me. Ortlund reviews some of the Puritan writings about Jesus statement about Himself being "gentle and lowly in heart", and explains what that means. The focus in this book is about Jesus's gentle attitude toward sinners who truly repent, toward His sheep that still fail as we go about life in this fallen world. Though there were certain phrasings here and there that I wasn't quite sure about, I found this reminder of Jesus's love toward His own to be comforting and heartening, and there were many times when I was close to tears reading a needed reminder. I'd recommend it!
Sing A New Song: Recovering Psalm-Singing For The 21st Century by Joel Beeke - This book is a collection of essays regarding Psalm singing, and it covers such topics as the history of psalm singing, why it's important, why we seem to have largely dropped it in the modern church, and why we should not let the art of singing psalms fall by the wayside. Some of the essays got rather academic, but I appreciated learning more history of church music through this book, and it did fire me up to make sure I'm teaching my kids a robust collection of psalms to sing. Definitely recommend if the idea of singing psalms interests you at all, along with the book I mentioned before, Musing On God's Music.
Okay, I'm going to close this out now, even though I'm nearly finished with a few more books I could add! In the future I will try not to get so behind on sharing books so these reading posts don't end up being quite so long.
What did you all read over the summer?
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