Recent Reads (Lynn)

June and July were great reading months for me. I read quite a few books. It was also a good mix of fiction and nonfiction. I didn’t share what I read in June, so I am sharing both June and July today.

The Printed Letter Bookshop – This is the fourth or fifth Katherine Reay book that I have read. This book is totally different than any of her other books, but I still loved it. This is a book about life, relationships, books, and more. The main character is a successful lawyer. She inherits her aunt’s bookshop, and her life is totally changed. If you like Katherine Reay books, I think you will like this one.

Half Broke Horses – This book is often called a true life novel or a biographical fiction. Jeannette Walls shares the story of her grandmother Lily. The Glass Castle is one of my favorite memoir type books. Half Broke Horses gives a lot of family background to The Glass Castle. If you have read The Glass Castle, I think you will like this one. I liked The Glass Castle better, but I enjoyed this because it gave you details about the family that The Glass Castle didn’t.

The Lady and the Highwayman –The Lady and The Highwayman book has been in my TBR pile since last fall. I finally picked it up recently when I needed a lighter read. The Lady and The Highwayman is considered a proper romance book. It is romance without the graphic details. This book was a fun read that included romance and mystery. I thought the author’s writing was very creative in this one. It wasn’t your typical cheesy proper romance read.

The Envy of Eve – The book went along with a Bible Study I did earlier this summer on contentment. I enjoyed the book. It went into more detail than the Bible Study did. It was a good read considering our current times.

Of Literature and Lattes– Of Literature and Lattes can be read alone, but it is a follow-up book to The Printed Letter Bookshop book that I mentioned above. I enjoyed Of Literature and Lattes. It is set in the same small town that The Printed Letter Bookshop is set in. I loved the story, the characters, the setting, and the coffee shop the book is centered around. I am guessing that Katherine Reay has a third book planned for this same town and cast of people. If she does a third book, I will be reading it.

God Took Me By the Hand – I love Christian biographies and have read many of them over the years. Jerry Bridges has written quite a few books that I have read. When I heard that he wrote his autobiography, I knew I wanted to read it. God Took Me By the Hand is not his best written book. He wrote it during his later years of life, so I think the overall writing is lacking. However, I loved this book. He continually points you to Christ and the fact that God is in control of all things, both big and small. If you have read other books by Jerry Bridges, I think you will enjoy this one.

Beyond All Dreams – In the last few months, I have been reading a lot more fiction than normal. I blame it on current events. Not only have I been reading more fiction, I have been reading more easy fun fiction. They type of fiction that doesn’t take a lot of thought. This book fits that category. I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them. I enjoyed this one. It is a clean, very predictable, Christian mystery romance.

Ruth, A Portrait: The Story of Ruth Graham Bell – I do not know a lot about Ruth and Billy Graham besides the basics that most people know. A few years ago I read a book about Billy Graham and have been wanting to read something about Ruth Graham. I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting book about a woman who gave up a lot to serve God by serving her husband and giving to others.

Lady Takes the Case – My husband got me this as a gift because he knew that I had been reading more fiction. I enjoyed this cozy mystery.

Boom Town- This book will probably make my list of favorite books for 2020. It definitely makes my list of favorite books read in the first half of 2020. I have lived in Oklahoma for twenty-six years and four of those years I lived in the Oklahoma City area. I thought I knew a lot about Oklahoma, but I learned so much by reading Boom Town by Sam Anderson.

The Jane Austen Society – The Jane Austen Society was just the type of reading that I have been needing for summer 2020. I have not read very many Jane Austen retellings, but for some reason, this one caught my attention. The Jane Austen Society is set in Chawton, England just after WWII. An interesting mix of characters come together because of their love of Jane Austen to make this wonderful story.

The Creaking on the Stairs – This was a good but tough read. It deals with finding hope in the midst of trauma. It is not an easy read. It is one of the toughest to read Christian memoirs that I have read. But at the same time, it is so good. The author shares his story while at the same time giving glory to God. This book will not be for everyone. It is a super tough read, but I am so glad that I read it.

The Story Keeper – Set in Appalachia, The Story Keeper, is a book that you won’t forget. Jen Gibbs is a successful New York editor who finds herself revisiting her past through a manuscript that somehow found its way to her desk. It is about love, family, and so much more. This book draws you into the story in a way that few books do.

What books have you read recently?