My Reading List | July through September 2021
Hello everyone!
It’s hard to believe that these months have already come and gone and I’m sharing my recent reads again. You can read my previous post here if you missed that one. It feels as if my reading has slowed down a bit in recent days, but I’m hoping to stay consistent with it as we finish out the year. I’m already looking forward to sharing another list of books with you as I continue to work through my list.
I’ve included pictures of each and a short summary/review to help you decide if they are ones you’d be interested in reading yourself. Enjoy!
Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will | Kevin Deyoung
This little book is a breath of fresh air. One of the most common things Christians struggle with is “finding the will of God” or “wanting to do God’s will in their life”. Now there’s nothing wrong with this, we just overcomplicate it and turn it into something it’s not; we turn every decision into some hyper-spiritual thing in our attempts to see into and shape our futures into their best possible outcome, and become passive when we can’t make a decision about anything.
DeYoung shoots straight in this book as he dissects the issues of this mindset and the problems it can create, including misdirected piety, making God and following Him more mysterious than it’s meant to be, and always striving to “find our purpose” in life. I love how he says, “Our fascination with the will of God often betrays our lack of trust in God’s promises and provision”, and that we would likely be more fulfilled in our lives if we just lived them and didn’t fixate on fulfillment quite so much.
Highly recommend this book. Like I said, it’s a refreshing read and I hope will help to you take some weight off your shoulders as you realize not every decision is a make-or-break-it, end-of-the-world burden we were never meant to carry. Just do something. Throughout this book, I kept thinking back to Proverbs 16:3 and the freedom that it helped bring me when I had an important decision to make: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans”. Do everything in love and surrender to the Lord, and at a certain point it doesn’t matter what you do.
DeYoung closes with this: “So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you’ll be walking in the will of God.”
When Life Gives You Lululemons | Lauren Weisberger
Despite reading through the whole book, I wasn’t super impressed with this one…It was kind of an intriguing plot, but about halfway through I started asking myself ,”Okay, what’s the point…?” It is one of those books that switches between characters from one chapter to the next, which can be confusing, but wasn’t here. Overall, it was just a little…worldly. Nothing crude, but could’ve done without some of the scenes. I found the references made throughout to people or places to be a little too much; it’s weird reading books that name current “public figures” rather than just making them up… A lot of the story takes place in a suburban neighborhood in Connecticut that reveals the people and community are not as flawless and poised as they appear; it was an intriguing idea but got a bit awkward; kind of like revealing the seedy underbelly of high-class New England. I wouldn’t read this one again.
The Cul-de-Sac War | Melissa Ferguson
This was a sweet story with a predictably happy ending. Sometimes those endings fall short and become kind of cliched, but this one left me with a smile on my face- maybe it is cliched, but who cares. It takes you through the story of a couple of neighbors that find themselves in a bit of a… not feud…well, there’s a bit of tension. And while I can see why this dynamic was key to the story, I didn’t quite understand how such a reaction from one of the characters was justified in terms of what initiated it. Curious yet? I enjoyed the character development and the growth in the relationships, and enjoyed the lighthearted dynamic of the whole story.
Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ’s Control | Elisabeth Elliot
This book, and all of Elisabeth Elliot’s work actually, has been highly recommended to me. This is the first of her pieces I’ve read, and while I enjoyed it, I don’t think I gleaned quite as much from it as other people I know because of the fact that I don’t have the “love life” referred to in the subtitle. She explains in the introduction that the book is really one on virginity, and learning how to honor and protect that within a relationship, until you find yourself married and free to rightly enjoy the passions God has given you. She tells some of the story of the years leading up to her own marriage to her husband Jim and the struggle and surrender involved in having to wait for God’s timing, as they both felt they were called to missions and didn’t know how marriage would play into that. A good book, for sure. I just didn’t find it to be super relevant for me in this season of life.
Finlay Donovan is Killing It | Elle Cosimano
Guys. This book was fantastic. And good news, there’s going to be a sequel(!!)- as I’d hoped, with the way it ended. As someone who really enjoys a good mystery, I was impressed by this book because it wasn’t cliched or stereotypical like so many can be; I think mysteries, especially murder mysteries, can just get repetitive because people are too focused on what’s been done before. This plot line was so original and creative, and I was laughing throughout. There is a slight bit of language here and there, but nothing crude or offensive like some. I seriously was only a couple chapters in when I told my mom, “This would make an awesome movie”. This book was one I finished in less than a days’ time because I just wanted to know what happened next. And even though it holds your interest, it’s a nice easy read if you’re looking for something fun. Definitely recommend. Definitely worth rereading.
Who Is Maud Dixon? | Alexandra Andrews
This was an interesting book. It kept me intrigued enough to read the entire thing, but it wasn’t super impressive. It is a mystery, which I always lean toward; I wouldn’t consider it a thriller like it’s named in the summary on the inside cover…but maybe because I personally found it predictable enough to take away from the suspense of the story. The story is a little slow to start, as the author is providing some context and character background in the first half of the book; things don’t pick up until right about the middle of the book itself. I don’t want to give anything away. The main character is an aspiring author who’s always wanted to be someone else. And then when unfortunate circumstances seem to grant her that opportunity, she finds herself in a tangled web of deceit and manipulation. In the end, she partakes in the deception to ultimately achieve her goal of credibility and opportunity. There is some language throughout this book, if that’s something you’re concerned with. I give this one a “meh”.
The Psychology of Fashion | Carolyn Mair
This small book was not what I was expecting. I heard it recommended in a Youtube video and so got it from the library. It doesn’t discuss the “psychology of fashion” in the sense that you expect in terms of nonverbal communication and all that. It focused more on the processes of fashion, and the psychological effects it can have on people throughout the production chain, from farmers growing fibers, to the people weaving textiles, to garment workers, to fashion models, to insecure consumers. Interesting information, but more academic than I was looking for.
Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters | Sandra L. Richter
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and took lots of notes in anticipation of a related blog post. As I’ve come to care more about environmentalism and eco-conscious living since college, I’ve found that there’s an obvious tension when it comes to how Christians are to be involved in these efforts. I hadn’t been able to figure out why until reading this book, because the Bible does indeed touch on how we as Christians are supposed to be interacting with and handling God’s creation. We are stewards- this creation isn’t ours to simply do with as we please and then leave the consequences for someone else to deal with; our responsibility as humans, and humans made in the likeness of God, is to protect and care for creation. Richter references many Old and New Testament scriptures that make a strong case for how and why we should care about the environment as Christians. This is a great resource if you’re looking for clarity on this subject.
Pretty Things | Janelle Brown
This novel is likely not one I’ll read again. The plot was intriguing enough to get me through the whole book (this is becoming repetitive, lol), but it was also slow and a bit cliche (especially once you get to the ending). The chapters alternate between the two main female characters; one is a con and the other is being conned, and tells the story from both of their perspectives; there’s a lot of backstory and character building. Not exactly a mystery, not exactly suspenseful…but like you can figure out what’s happening before it’s revealed and it’s not super original. Also, there’s language throughout (just a heads up).
The Couple Next Door | Shari Lapena
Some of the words used to describe this book inside the cover: suspenseful, gripping, “meticulously crafted and razor-sharp”… But I was not as impressed as these people obviously were. The plot was intriguing enough that I finished the book (obviously a trend for my reading these last few months), but not so much so that I was super invested. There are some parts that I think were drawn out a bit too much, and others that didn’t get enough attention. And while the general conclusion wasn’t exactly startling, the way the book ended left me a little confused; I suppose to leave room for a potential sequel? This would not be one that I’d recommend if you’re looking for a good mystery.
The Return of the King | J.R.R. Tolkien
Guys, this was a journey. I had this book on my shelf for probably a couple months as I tried to work up the mental energy to read it and finish out the series. If you’ve read LOTR before, I’m sure you know it can be very slow at times. But for someone like me whose style is definitely not fantasy, it became a bit tedious. I did do better in the second half (technically, book six) once the story came back to the journey of Frodo and Sam- I was able to follow their story better than the others’. Overall, I did like these books. I probably won’t read them again, at least not for a good long while, but I can appreciate why other people love them so much. I appreciate the character development, and how the archetypes of good vs. evil parallel those present in our own world and the workings and victory of Christ over sin (whether or not that was what Tolkien had in mind). The relationships that are solidified through trial and the self-sacrifice are touching. Finishing this book is like a weight lifted off my shoulders…because now I can continue working through the other books on my reading list, haha! I will say The Hobbit was definitely my favorite out of all of them.
Eleven more books down- woohoo! I am just a couple away from passing the 36-book mark I had last year. I’m excited to be continuing to work through books that I’ve been wanting to read for some time now. Hard to believe my next post will be published at the end of the year, just a few months away! Crazy.
Out of all of these, the top three I’d recommend are Just Do Something, Finlay Donovan is Killing It, and Stewards of Eden (I’m sure you could tell from my blurbs that I enjoyed these most). All of these are ones I plan to read again, and have been sharing with friends already.
Okay, I’ll finish up here. I hope this list was helpful for you in finding new books to tackle! If you read, or have already read, any of them I’d love to know your thoughts! And if you have any recommendations for books I should tackle in the future, please share those with me (my reading list is never-ending. I’m convinced it will be unfinished until I die because there’s just so many books to read).
Until next time…
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