Tag Archives: Reading List

My reading time this week has dropped a bit as we’ve been concentrating on adoption paperwork.

I’m still reading both Radical Homemakers and Twenty Years After.

I finished reading Through Gates of Splendor, which I thought was a very inspiring story but a dry telling. I also finished reading Parenting Adopted Adolescents: Understanding and Appreciating Their Journeys. I thought the book was more intimidating than helpful at this point, as we haven’t met our child and have no idea what types of issues she will actually struggle with. A lot of the stories seemed to be rather pessimistic. Surely all adoptions can’t be so incredibly challenging.

My current adoption read is 20 Things Adoptive Parents Need to Succeed. This book seems a bit more helpful in terms of preparing to adopt, being aware of what a child might be thinking about adoption in general, the role of birth parents and adoptive parents, and the search for identity.

I’m off to continue cleaning my kitchen. I seem to be on a cleaning streak these days…

This week I am reading a fairly wide range of genres, though mostly a continuation of last week’s reading. My current selections are either long or rather deep, both of which require more time to finish.

Parenting Adopted Adolescents: Understanding and Appreciating Their Journeys. So far I’m finding that this book makes an awful lot of sense. I’m almost done with the first chapter and have found several passages I would underline if it wasn’t a library copy…

I accidentally buried Through Gates of Splendor in the batch of books I brought home last week. I need to sit down and finish reading the last couple chapters.

I’m enjoying Twenty Years After! I’m curious if a movie has been made out of this particular Musketeer adventure.

Last but not least, I started reading Radical Homemakers. I think it’s going to be a challenging book, pushing the boundaries of the homemaking norm. I might have to buy a copy that I can write in.

Are you reading this week or spending the day enjoying the summer sun?

Time for another Nightstand post! I’ve been posting almost every week about what I’m currently reading so I’ll just mention what I’m reading at this moment and what’s coming up.

I’m still reading Through Gates of Splendor (this month’s Reading to Know book). It’s a really inspiring missionary story and makes me wonder if I could ever do something so brave.

My current bedtime fiction is Dumas’ Twenty Years After, the sequel to The Three Musketeers. I haven’t read very far but I’m already feeling a bit overwhelmed. It’s been awhile since I read The Three Musketeers so I don’t remember all of the characters. Hopefully they will all sort themselves out.

I am also perusing Knits Men Want in hopes of finding something my husband will let me knit him. So far I’m not having much luck but the writing is rather funny!

Next up:

Radical Homemakers

Happy July reading!!

I’m amazed at how quickly the past few days have gone. I’m not sure exactly why as nothing out of the ordinary has happened.

I’ve finished all of the books from last week and am working on the Goodreads reviews for those books. This week I am reading:

The Trial grabbed my interest very quickly. I chose it because it’s a Christy award winner but I didn’t know much more than that. I started it on Sunday but I’m already 2/3s finished.

Through Gates of Splendor is this month’s Reading to Know book club selection. I am thrilled that I am actually reading this book on schedule! Such a feat for me. I read No Name several months after the bookclub read it. Oops! I just started the book but it looks like it will be a great read.

Happy reading!

I guessed correctly when I stated that I would be finished with No Name within a week. I couldn’t wait until tonight; I had to sit down this morning and finish reading the last 40 pages. If you’re interested in classics, No Name was a good read. It reminded me of a female version of Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.

The Goodreads description: Determined to regain her rightful inheritance at any cost, Magdalen uses her unconventional beauty and dramatic talent in recklessly pursuing her revenge. Aided by the audacious swindler Captain Wragge, she braves a series of trials leading up to the climactic test: can she trade herself in marriage to the man she loathes?

I’m still working through both I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt and A Heart for Freedom, though I’m almost finished with the former.

Now I need to figure out what to read before bed! I meant to have a book picked out before finishing No Name but didn’t get around to it. I have several Christian novels around the house but those are usually reserved for weekend reading.

Speaking of Christian novels…

I love Siri Mitchell’s books and am always eager for the next publication. Normally, her books are historically well researched, contain believable character development, and tell a great story. Unrivaled is Mitchell’s latest novel and it contains only one of these characteristics: research. The novel is rich in historical detail but falls short in other ways.

Goodreads description: Lucy Kendall always assumed she’d help her father in his candy-making business, creating recipes and aiding him in their shared passion. But after a year traveling in Europe, Lucy returns to 1910 St. Louis to find her father unwell and her mother planning to sell the struggling candy company. Determined to help, Lucy vows to create a candy that will reverse their fortunes.
St. Louis newcomer Charlie Clarke is determined to help his father dominate the nation’s candy industry. Compromise is not an option when the prize is a father’s approval, and falling in love with a business rival is a recipe for disaster when only one company can win. Will these two star-crossed lovers let a competition that turns less than friendly sour their dreams?

Doesn’t it sound sweet? It’s a bit too sweet and left me feeling in need of substance. You can probably guess the ending based on the description above but the novel doesn’t contain enough surprises to make the telling more than a light beach read. Hopefully Mitchell returns with one of her more traditional novels!

Thank you to Bethany House for providing the novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

No Name is proving to be a very interesting story but it’s really long! I’m sure that if I sat down and read straight through, I could finish it shortly. But it’s my nighttime reading, right before I go to bed. I think I just passed page 300. Maybe another week?

I had no idea what to expect when I borrowed I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt. I pulled it off the shelf because it sounded interesting but it took me several weeks and a renewal to start reading it. Now I’m wishing I had started earlier because I can see the value in rereading it at a slower pace. The book has made me laugh and has made me cry. I’ve already learned one valuable lesson that I want to share later.

A Heart for Freedom has been a bit of a choppy read but I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops. I have not progressed very far because I’ve been concentrating on I Became a Christian… but I will definitely focus on this book once the other is finished.

I have no idea what fiction book to tackle next! I kind of want a more modern novel but I’m not impressed with most of them. Classics take me so long to read, though, and they aren’t always the best bedtime reading. Any suggestions?

I haven’t done a Nightstand post in ages. I’ve been posting most weeks about what I’m currently reading but haven’t done a monthly roundup since… February?

Here are the notable books I’ve read this month:

• The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani – 4 star read and a new favorite. The Goodreads description: Lush and evocative, told in tantalizing detail and enriched with lovable, unforgettable characters, The Shoemaker’s Wife is a portrait of the times, the places and the people who defined the immigrant experience, claiming their portion of the American dream with ambition and resolve, cutting it to fit their needs like the finest Italian silk.

• Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin – 4 stars. A Christian historical novel, I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I borrowed it from the library. I recognized the author’s name but wasn’t sure if I had read the previous books in this particular series. It turns out I haven’t, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of Blue Skies Tomorrow. It definitely stands on its own.

• The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss – I had no idea I would like this how-to guide on starting a business. I picked it up for my husband and he devoured it. He kept quoting various passages to me so I read it for myself. I don’t know if I’ll ever start my own business, but the possibilities are definitely floating around in the back of my mind.

Upcoming reads:

Everything I’m currently trying to finish.
Ashton Park by Murray Pura
A Heart for Freedom: The Remarkable Journey of a Young Dissident, Her Daring Escape, and Her Quest to Free China’s Daughters by Chai Ling
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

Happy reading!!

This week is mostly a continuation of a few books I’ve been reading recently.

So far this one is more depressing than anything. I’m hoping it gets past the “reasons why people fail” and moves on to the “things we can learn from this to succeed.”

No Name has been interesting thus far! I wasn’t sure what I would think of it but I’m intrigued by the plot and the characters. It’s a fat book so I think it’ll probably take me awhile to finish.

Eat & Run is rather motivating thus far. It pushed me out the door for a run tonight even though I really, really did not want to go. There are a few recipes in this book that I want to try.

Happy reading!

Right now I’m reading three books. What I’m reading at any given moment all depends on how much mental power I have when I decide to pick up a book!

The 4-Hour Workweek – Surprisingly, there are a few techniques in here that are applicable to homemaking. I’ve already implemented several and it’s working well. If it continues to work well, I’ll post about what specifically I implemented.

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day – I just picked this one up and can’t wait to dive into it. Hopefully I don’t need to buy any special baking tools because I want to start next week!

Eat and Run – I’m using this book as motivation to get running again. Last Friday I bought new running shoes and I’ve run three times this week! My mileage is low, but I’m adjusting to transitional minimalist shoes. The first couple days were rather painful but today I ran without leg pain. I would consider that a plus!

What are you reading this week?

This hasn’t been a great reading week. I’m not making much progress in any of the books I’m reading.

I was really excited to see that the Thoenes have a newly published book available. However, When Jesus Wept isn’t catching my interest. Normally I devour their books but this one seems undeveloped. Maybe the second half will be better than the first.

I don’t remember who recommended it, but The Light Between Oceans has high reviews. I’m trying to get into it but the first couple chapters just aren’t grabbing my attention. I’m plugging on in hopes that it will live up to the rave reviews.

The Myrna Loy biography is dragging as well. I’m past the halfway point but I still don’t feel I know much more about Ms. Loy than I could have learned from her IMDB page. I probably should have chosen her autobiography to read.

Hopefully my reading slump will end soon! I returned 11 books to the library this morning and brought home five, three of which were for my husband. Maybe I should just knit!