May 2021: Recent Reads

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Nonfiction | Fiction | Student Spotlight

It’s already time to write about my recent reads again? This past month flew by!

I’m sure, in part, it’s racing along because we are approaching the end of the school year (finally! 5 weeks to go!) and also because I’m selling many belongings, arranging (covid-safe) goodbye get-togethers and apartment hunting for my new place in the States.

Yes, you read that right: I’m getting ready to move as I wrap up the school year. (!) I snuck in an announcement about that when I wrote my review on Looming Transitions in March, but hadn’t yet said anything super explicit here, because I wanted to make sure I told people in my non-virtual life as much as possible first. Saying goodbye and preparing for something new takes a lot of energy – emotionally, physically…all the ways.

Nevertheless, I read an astonishing number of books this month. Books are my way of escaping from stress, and moving is stressful. Put two and two together, and you get a recipe for lots of reading…and some very late nights. (working on that)

Nonfiction

The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell

I’m glad I did eventually read it, though. The author, Helen Russell documents the lessons on happiness that she learns each month in her first year of living in Denmark as a foreigner (she’s British). Amazingly all the people she interviews for the book rate their happiness at an 8 or above. Usually a 9, though. While I certainly don’t agree with all of the Danes’ choices on what makes them happy (for instance, their views on sex and marriage), there are definitely fascinating tidbits and ideas about Danish culture that I enjoyed learning about. I also thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Russell’s dry British humor.

Talking as Fast as I Can By Lauren Graham

This is, essentially, an autobiography that begins with her childhood and then focuses, mostly, on her acting career. But she throws in some nuggets of wisdom that she has acquired throughout her life. Her thoughts being single for longer than “normal” and how to be a more efficient writer really hit a chord with me and encouraged me. Her slightly rambly, humorous way of talking and viewing the world kept me laughing and nodding my head all the way through.

First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung

Loung Ung tells her story from a child’s perspective, since she was only 5 years old when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia and began a genocide of their people. Seeing the events through the eyes of a child is difficult. She saw more violence, brutality, and inhumanity between the ages of 5 and 9 than most of my readers will ever see in an entire lifetime. I have such respect for her, because going back into such traumatic memories in such detail is extremely emotionally draining.

I had to read this in smaller chunks than I normally read, simply because my heart couldn’t take image after image all at once of the violence and deprivation that Ms. Ung and her family experienced. For those with triggers, there is attempted rape, physical violence/abuse, etc.

Fiction

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

It’s narrated from the convenience store woman’s perspective, and, while she seems to be on the autism spectrum, she does offer some wry commentary on her culture and the idea of “advancement” that I appreciated. This wasn’t a super exciting book for me, but still worth the read. I’d give it maybe 3 or 3.5 stars.

Keeper of the Lost City Series by Shannon Messenger (update)

Two: another reviewer on Goodreads (or Amazon?) somewhere said it felt like the author had lost her way with the series. I tend to agree. I mean, we’re on book 8.5, waiting on book 9, and we’re nowhere closer to beating the Neverseen and helping the world get better than we were on book 3 or 4. It feels like books 6-8 don’t really make any progress with any of the big issues in the world of the Lost Cities and that bugs me. However, I like the characters enough that I will be reading book 9 when it comes out this fall, and I’ll hope that the author shows us some progress in starting to resolve some of the bigger plot arcs.

Taken by Dee Henderson

Taken just didn’t have the same zing as Ms. Henderson’s O’Malley books. I kept waiting for the suspense part – I mean, Shannon was in danger of the family who kidnapped her finding her before they found them and took them down. But it never really happened. And then, I kept waiting, along with Matt Dane, for the emotional toll of 11 years of captivity to catch up with her…but it never really seemed to. It just didn’t seem realistic to me. So, again, this book was okay, but only about 3 stars for me.

Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers

I did like the overall message of the book, and Joshua (the good guy) is abundantly good. But the book reminded me a lot of Redeeming Love, which felt redundant to me. Plus, she described in too much detail the things men did to Abra while she was away. I think I have learned now that Francine Rivers writes books that are just a little too…edgy/steamy/whatever you want to call it, for me, no matter the redemptive aspects and unfailing love that are present.

Love Everlasting (Brides of Seattle Trilogy) by Tracie Peterson

In fact, I was going to skip book two and just read about their relationship in their third book. But as soon as I read the first page, I realized I couldn’t skip book two because so much happened between them before book three.

I found this trilogy enjoyable and light to read. There is a man in all three books who is very nefarious and give me the creeps, which is not normal for books like this. But don’t worry, the good guys eventually win (of course). I enjoyed the fact that this trilogy included enough out of the ordinary bits, even though to some extent it was also predictable. Though this trilogy isn’t anything spectacular as far as literature goes, if you’re looking for some comfortable, happily-ever-after, chaste stories, I’d recommend these.

Student Spotlight: Middle Grade Reviews by Middle Grade Kids

My Hero Academia Vol. 1 by Kohei Horikoshi

My first reason that you should read this book is because it has a series but the book gives more information about the story and the characters life. My second reason is that the book has pictures and words equally like in a kid book the only thing that it will have is little sentences and a lot of pictures. A more adult book has no pictures or maybe a couple but this book has the both.

My personal experience is my favorite book because it is funny and it has actions and surprising things that you didn’t think would happen in the plot. And I recommend this book because it can be found on many different applications you just need to put the name of the book and there it is that why I recommend it.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

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Overall thoughts on my reading month:

I’m really loving the Book Voyage challenge, because it’s pushing me out of my reading comfort zone! And there are so many great books on each list, that I feel like I’ll have reading suggestions for a few years to come.

The books I’ve been finding on my own have been mostly okay but a little blah. I think I need to work on finding good books instead of settling for meh ones. And also work on going to bed earlier and finding some comfort and relief from sleep and time with Jesus instead of always trying to find it in books.

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What have you been reading lately? Drop a line in the comments below, because sharing [great reads] is caring! 🙂

P.S. Linking up, per usual, with Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Quick Lit.