Visit HERE to find out more about What I’ve Been Reading.

I surprisingly managed to read quite a bit these past few months: It helps that most Christmas books are rather short. I didn’t read nearly as many non-fiction books as I would like, but I did manage to read some variety over the last month. I had a few books that I got from the library that I’d heard mentioned on the What Should I Read Next podcast.

• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham
• A Long Way from Verona by Jane Gardam
• The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling11
• At the Edge of Summer by Jessica Brockmole
• Crossing on the Paris by Dana Gynther
• The Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere
• Dear Mr. You by Mary Louise Parkerv
• The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado
• A Little House Christmas Treasury by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
• The Christmas Letters by Bret Nicholas
• Persuasion by Jane Austen
• Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst

Favorite Fiction Book

This is a tough one! As you can see from my list, I read a TON of fiction in the past few months. Christmas books are one of my favorite things to read, and I read quite a few of them. While I thoroughly enjoy them, and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus was my favorite of those, I have to say something else for my favorite book.

After I finished At the Edge of Summer by Jessica Brockmole I knew I’d enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t have said it was my favorite. But the story has stuck with me so much over the past few weeks when I finished it. Some books just do that. You read them, they’re good, you liked them, but you wouldn’t say you LOVED them. It’s months later when you realize how much little bits and pieces are tucked away in your mind.

I had read Jessica Brockmole’s first book, Letters from Skye, and loved it. I have to say, her second novel does not disappoint. My close second favorite, if only because it was just a fluff, easy read was, Crossing on the Paris. It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it was fun.

Favorite Non-Fiction Book

Since I only read one non-fiction book in the past few months, it has to be Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst. It’s a good thing it really was a good book, that I can gladly claim as a favorite. My only qualm with the book, and with most books on friendship, is that they’re addressing the reader as the hurt party and how to not feel hurt. I have yet to find a book on friendship that really address how to find true friends, who are just as intentional about friendship as you. I’m hoping Lisa-Jo Baker’s new book Never Unfriended is that book, because THAT is my struggle.

I did feel that Lysa’s book spoke a lot about your own value and how we need to pour out from a place of being filled by the holy spirit, not relying on everyone else to help us feel loved and welcomed. There were so many good thoughts and words to mull over while, and after, reading her book.

The Book I Hated

This was not a hard one to figure out. I HATED Dear Mr. You by Mary Louise Parker…hated it…like I didn’t finish reading it, because it was a waste of my time. The whole book is a collection of letters that Parker has written to the men in her life. It started out good, with letters to her grandfather and father during and after WW2. I had high hopes for the book. Then it quickly devolved into crushes on college professors, one night stands, and a varied assortment of guys that somehow impacted Parker’s life.

I had no idea what the purpose of the book was. I was reading, hoping that there was a common theme or something to the letters, that somehow they were all going to come together, but they didn’t. They were all over the place, with no rhyme or reason. I thumbed through the rest of the book after page 50, and it didn’t appear that it got any better.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I have so many books to read right now on my desk. There are a couple for different book clubs, then I have a whole bunch of non-fiction that I’ve been wanting to work through.  I’ve also taken up with being a bit more active on GoodReads. I still have no idea how to use it, but I’m using it as a way to track what I’m reading toward my yearly challenge.

I think I read over 30 books in 2016, I’m at 7 for 2017. I set myself a goal of reading 35 books, but we will see what I manage to accomplish. It’s more of a goal than something I’m feeling like I HAVE to reach. If I get there great, if not…that’s ok. I’d rather read to enjoy, rather than just to consume.

 

This post does contain affiliate links which means that I receive a small commission on any purchases made through the links, at no additional cost to you. Read my disclosure policy here.