It’s hard to believe it, but we’re almost 3/4 of the way through 2017! Like I have so far this year, I’m wrapping up the books I’ve read over the last 3 months. Yes, September isn’t completely over yet, but I’m reading books at a much slower rate now that the semester is back, so I don’t feel bad about fudging the cut-off date of my recent reads for the month. I will hopefully be reading several more books as the semester goes on, but it won’t be at the same rate that I did over the summer.
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Ocean’s Fire by Stacy Tucker (FYI – I was sent this book in exchange for my honest review.) – This is a book that includes mythology with struggles of a modern college student. But more than anything else, it focuses on the power of female friendships and mentorships and how important they are. The writing isn’t amazing, but it’s not a big issue, and I couldn’t put the book down. I finished it in one afternoon.
The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis – I first read this several years ago, and reread it this summer. It addresses the question, “If God is real and He loves us, why do bad things happen?” If you’ve ever wondered that – whether or not you’re a Christian – you should check this book out.
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis – This is another reread and is about the key elements of Christianity. There are some things that I’m not a fan of – it was written in the 40s and has some language that is not acceptable today, as well as Lewis’ view on anyone who isn’t straight – but as a whole, it’s a great read. If you’re considering Christianity, want to have some key questions answered, or something else entirely, I suggest you read it.
The Bat by Jo Nesbo – On the other hand, this is a thriller about a Norwegian detective who goes to Australia after a Norwegian girl is murdered there. It kept me guessing the entire time and I was shocked by who the killer was (which is saying something since I watch so many crime shows). You should know that this was written in the late 90s and so some words are used that are not considered okay today and the main character is a recovering alcoholic who relapses at one point. If you like detective or mystery novels, you’ll like this.
Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Astounding Story by K. M. Weiland – One of the important parts of writing a novel is its structure. You can have wonderful characters and a great plot idea, but without awesome structure, it can’t be an awesome novel. K. M. Weiland’s tips are so good! The first part of the book is about the structure of the novel itself, and the second part is about what you should know when editing your novel.
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields – This is one book that I’m kind of surprised that I loved. It’s about one character’s life, and each chapter/section jumps forward a decade or so. You follow important elements of her life over the course of 100ish years, which also includes moving to the US from Canada and back again and back again. It’s hard to describe why exactly this is such a great book, and I think that it’s the writing. Basically, I didn’t think, “Wow, this is completely and totally amazing,” but before I knew it I had read over 100 pages.
Moonglow by Michael Chabon – I have loved this book and cannot recommend it enough. It’s a fictionalized memoir based on the stories Chabon’s grandfather told him when he was on his deathbed. Basically, some of it is fiction, some of it is fact, but all of it is a good book. It isn’t necessarily chronological in the traditional sense; it’s chronological in terms of how the stories were told to Chabon with regular returns to the bedroom where the grandfather is telling the narrator the stories.
I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin – Such a fun book! I love their YouTube channel Just Between Us, and when I knew they were coming out with a book, I knew that I would love it. And I did! It’s about the first semester of college of 2 best friends who are going to schools across the country from each other. It’s written in emails and text messages, making it different than many other books out there.
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Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: A Review, The 5 Books That Changed My Life, Gift Guide: Bookworm, 6 Historical Fiction Books Reviewed
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
Some good suggestions here. I had no idea CS Lewis wrote books that were non fiction!
Yeah! As far as I’m aware, they’re mostly about Christianity.
I have I Hate Everyone But You on my list!!
It’s soooo good! You’ll love it.