Merry almost-Christmas and end-of-year!
I haven’t posted a recent reads in a while because it’s been slow going in my reading life. Turns out adjusting to a different position at work and married life (and another surprise!) has taken more energy than I anticipated. Who knew? 😉
Nevertheless, I couldn’t let this year close without at least one more recent reads post.
Nonfiction
Note: This is a current read; I haven’t finished it yet!
Fertile Ground: A Pilgrimage through Pregnancy by Laura S. Jansson
My pastor’s wife recommended this to me when I said I needed some sort of liturgy to guide me through pregnancy. Yep, that’s right! This was the other surprise for this fall 🙂 I didn’t get the book right at the beginning of my pregnancy, but I sure wish I had. It has one chapter for each week of pregnancy, so I jumped in right where I was. Each chapter is written to correspond to thoughts, emotions, and experiences for that particular week of pregnancy and to address those with encouragement and truth.
Jansson is an Orthodox Christian, so some of the references or language may not be very familiar if you don’t come from a background similar to Catholicism, Anglicanism, or the Orthodox Church. However, I’ve found the chapters that I’ve read to be helpful and just the bit of pregnancy-focused reflections I’ve needed. I think it would be helpful regardless of your church background.
Fiction
The Burning White by Brent Weeks
In my last recent reads post, I said that I was in book four of five for the series. This is the final book of the Lightbringer series. It was so looong! I was glad to read how Brent Weeks wrapped up the series, but I will be honest: it felt like, at times, he went into too much detail. After all the world-building, and following each of the main characters, I just wanted to know the ending.
Just a reminder for readers that I gave some caveats to this series, so check those out before you dive in to this long, but interesting series.
Thank you for Listening by Julia Whelan
I had this on my TBR for a while, but I don’t remember when or why I put it on there. It is, however, a book about audiobook producing, so that was part of why I liked it.
I also liked that the story follows two main characters who are tired of the HEAs (happily-ever-after endings) in the romance genre. Ironically, they’re given a great ending themselves. But it still has plenty of real-life in it too.
She has a strained relationship with her dad, but a great one with her mom. Her grandma has dementia, and she is very close to her, but grieves loss she feels as her grandma loses more of her memory.
Caveats: some explicit language and descriptions of “steamy” moments that the characters have to narrate. The fact that the characters call it like it is – porn in an audio form – and it’s their career means that these moments 1) kind of tongue-in-cheek and 2) 1essen the steamy factor. I think that’s why it was more palatable for me than these types normally are. But I also know a few years ago, I wouldn’t have been comfortable. So use your best judgment.
Though I don’t love it for the explicitness, it was an enjoyable read, with a subtle not-so-light layer that made it feel more substantial than just a quick “fluffy” romance read. Definitely would recommend just for older teens and adults, if you’re okay reading books with that kind of content.
The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar
I’m not finished with this one yet, but it’s one that I picked up off the shelf at the library without reading reviews first. It always feels like a toss-up if it’ll be a good pick or not when I do that!
So far, though, so good.
It’s a debut novel, set in Syria, Jordan, and possibly more places in the Middle East. I’ve been intrigued by the stories told in parallel according to location – one an ancient tale about a mapmaker and his apprentices (one a girl disguised as a boy) mapping the “known” world, and the other about a present-day girl whose life is up-ended by the upheaval in Syria, causing her family to flee.
Nour, the main character, and her family recently lost their father/husband, and their mom is a mapmaker-painter. They move from NYC, where Nour was born and raised, back to their mom’s homeland of Syria. However, they don’t stay there long before their house is destroyed by bombing and they have to flee for medical attention and safety.
As far as language or other content concerns go, there is obviously armed conflict, which could be a trigger. But beyond that, I don’t have concerns about recommending it. It can be a bit lyrical and slow, so I’ve been making my way through it slowly. But it is a well-told tale from what I’ve read so far.
What have you been reading lately?
You know I always love suggestions!
a Look at a Book 
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