Wait, is August already over? How is that possible?!? August was a fun but crazy month for me, so I managed to get quite a bit of reading done- thanks family vacation!
The Zookeepers Wife (2 stars)
I’ve heard such great things about this book and it’s incredible historical story. However, this book was SO boring and I could not follow the plot. A young family that runs a European Zoo becomes a refuge and hiding spot for Jews. That is the basic plot point, but unfortunately I didn’t gather that from reading the book. Overall, there were some interesting stories and factoids about the animals and the treatment of people during the war, but I found the book discombobulated and confusing for the most part. It is a movie and I would like to see it, because the story itself is powerful…just not in this book form.
(I rarely give harsh reviews, but I also want to be honest).
Grace, Not Perfection (3.5 stars)
I went into this one not too sure what I would think. First, I struggle with our Christian subculture of giving ourselves too much grace, and not working hard for the glory of the Lord. I thought maybe this book would have a lot of that wishy-washyness in it, but it didn’t! It was a beautiful book, with full color pictures and glossy pages. I found myself just ENJOYING reading the book because it was so pretty! The book itself offers tons of practical tips for slowing down and avoiding living the incredibly harried American-dream type lifestyle. I did find, however, that I couldn’t relate to much of Emily Ley’s lifestyle..both she and her husband are incredibly financially sound and successful, and I felt that the target audience was someone a bit more upper class than me.
The Preacher’s Bride (4 stars)
I grabbed this book from the “Inspiration” section at the library because I wanted a mellow and quick novel read during our vacation. This book was about a young lady who begins to nanny and housekeep for a preacher whose wife has recently died. As we can all predict, they fall in love and are married. What I did not expect was the turmoil that was expressed in their relationship due to the fact that “the preacher” is John Bunyan and happens to be risking his life to preach against the Catholic Church. At first, I pressed on because it was cute and romantic but as the plot continued and portrayed actual struggles within a marriage relationship, I enjoyed it even more! I will say that I didn’t realize this story was about John Bunyan and his wife until after I finished reading and read the afterward. I wish I would have known this information in the foreword of the book, because it kind of changed the interest level for me.
Three Little Words: A Memoir (4.5 stars)
Amazing story. Gut-Wrenching. Sickening. Well written. A good ending but not the type that is tied up with a happy bow. Every foster parent must read it. Ashely is removed from her mother at a young age due to the horrible circumstances that her mother lives in. She then drifts from foster home to foster home for years. Some foster homes are alright, but most of them are filled with abuse and worse. She finally ends up at a children’s group home and is eventually adopted at the age of 12. It’s an incredible story and one that I found so many things I could relate to. Ashley writes about the struggles of being adopted and her thoughts and feelings towards the broken foster care system (those who did the right thing and those who most certainly did not).
The Last Anniversary (3.5 stars)
I have loved and enjoyed every Liane Moriarty book I’ve read, and this one did not disappoint! I think that this was one of the first books that she wrote, and I was able to tell that she was not as refined as some of her more recent books, but I still think she is a brilliant author with plot and character development. I never know where her stories are going and they always draw me in. A small island in Australia is a tourist destination due to the mystery that unfolded there years before. The characters are all in on a secret, but what is the secret?
The Dry (4.5 stars)
I had this on my list and I wasn’t sure why, but I am glad that I read it! A young man who has been exiled from his small town for a suspected murder (spoiler alert: he didn’t do it) years before now returns due to the death of his best friend + family. He investigates this murder and uncovers that the small town is hiding a lot of secrets. I really enjoyed the mystery and suspense of this book, but it wasn’t too dark (I don’t do dark AT ALL.) Great character development and I didn’t want to put it down!
For the Children’s Sake (4 stars)
The last book I picked up this month was this Charlotte Mason education inspired book. This one was good, and I highly recommend for any Christian family looking to homeschool! Charlotte Mason educated with the philosophy that all children are persons and they learn best through the living world around them. I really enjoyed this book and want to buy myself a copy to highlight and underline! I think this will be a book that I revisit every year that I homeschool. I will say that some of the language is “older” and parts of the book were rather boring, causing me to blink and realize that I had read several pages and had no idea what I had read.
And that’s a wrap on August! What have you been reading lately?