Remember when I said that summer was for fiction? It’s true. You can’t read a non-fiction book while lounging by the side of the pool. I’m happy to report that my most recent reads are fiction!
The Zookeeper’s Wife– I wish I loved this book. The pacing was too slow. I’m a sucker for WWII fiction, but this one wasn’t compelling.
The Sign of the Beaver– This children’s book is set in the 1700’s and tells the story of a young boy learning to survive on his own. Only, he doesn’t really survive on his own. He gets a lot of help. I liked how it handled the relationship of the Native Americans with the new settlers in a way that didn’t gloss over the unsavory parts of American history. This book could lead to some really great discussions with your kids.
Sunburn– Whenever I need recommendations for summer fiction, I always check out Anne Bogel’s list. That’s how I found this book. The ending surprised me. There were some PG-13 elements I could have done without, but, overall, it kept my attention. The book starts with the main character leaving her husband and daughter and we find out the “why” along the way.
The Perfect Couple– Another recommendation from Anne Bogel. I read this book in about a day. It jumps around from current day happening to the past to reveal different elements of the story and characters. It’s a murder mystery. The maid of honor in a wedding is found dead on the beach in Nantucket on the morning of the wedding. I kept pausing my reading to tell Nathan what was happening. 🙂 He patiently obliged. I really enjoyed this book. I had lots of theories of how this would resolve and I was satisfied with the ending (Again, a PG-13 warning. . .) .
(Photo by Angello Lopez on Unsplash)
Here’s What I’ve Read So Far This Year
- Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore
- Teaching From Rest
- Audacious
- Humble Roots
- The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb
- The 12 Week Year
- This is the Story of a Happy Marriage
- Keeping Place: Reflections on the Meaning of Home
- Looking For Lovely
- The Help
- Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family
- Tribes
- Shrink: Faithful Ministry in a Church-Growth Culture
- Forgiving God: A Story of Faith
- The Zookeeper’s Wife
- The Sign of the Beaver
- Sunburn
- The Perfect Couple
Ooh! I like this list – I’ve heard mixed reviews on The Zookeeper’s Wife, too, so I’m torn as to whether to pull it off my list or not ;P And I’m definitely reading The Perfect Couple, which I hadn’t heard of before. One title I discovered in a little free library that you might enjoy? – I Married you for Happiness by Lily Tuck.
Also – since you mentioned Sign of the Beaver as a book that you would like to use in discussions with your children, I thought you might appreciate these posts – https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/search?q=sign+of+the+beaver – shared by Debbie Reese, a Pueblo woman who is a librarian with a PhD in education. She is widely considered to be the authority on the representation of natives in children’s literature.
I’m a librarian in a children’s library, so I am constantly having to refer to her insights on what books to add to/withdraw from our collection. Honestly, when I first started reading her work, I experienced a ton of anger and hurt feelings toward some of what she said. However, as I continued to listen to her insights and accept her experiences, I discovered my emotions were coming from a place of ignorance. The more I’ve learned from her and my loving partner who is Lakota and Ojibwa, the more those painful emotions have receded. Also, the more I’ve learned, the more I feel compelled to share what she writes in hopes of seeing the change she is fighting for. Basically – we don’t know what we don’t know, which is why I try to share when I can.
Hahaha – that’s basically my disclaimer before you read her reviews.
Thank you for sharing your reading lists!