This should more be titled, "What I'm Listening To", as I've been on an audiobook kick lately. Since we've moved my commute is a little bit longer, so I get a solid hour and 10 minutes on driving in a day (35 minutes each way). Here's a bit of what I've been reading and listening to..
If You Only Knew | Jamie Ivey
Now this one I actually read. I really enjoyed it. It was a super fast read and I love Jamie's transparency. I listen to her podcast, The Happy Hour, faithfully each week so I feel like I already 'knew' a lot of her story. I will say some parts got a little redundant for me, but overall it was a great testimony of God's grace and finding true freedom in the Gospel of Christ.
4/5 stars
[goodreads excerpt]: What if you knew all the moments of my past that I am not proud of? What if you really knew me, the messy parts that I’ve hoped to forget and worked hard to conceal? For so long, my greatest fear was what you might think of me if you only knew the whole story. It’s exhausting, this guarding of our stories and struggles. Fear of being found out had caused me to hide—but I wasn’t just covering my flaws, I was unintentionally blocking the beauty of God’s grace. My journey to real freedom began when I quit running from my mess and started trusting Jesus to make something beautiful of it.
Heartless | Marissa Meyer
This fictional novel was such a fun read. The author puts her own spin on the story of the Queen of Hearts and gives readers a look into the past of what happened before the story we all know. I listened to this one on audiobook and would HIGHLY recommend reading it that way. The narrator was so fantastic, and I think it would've taken me far longer to finish it if I was taking the time to read it.
5/5 stars
[goodreads excerpt]: Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen. Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.
Water For Elephants | Sara Gruen
I listened to this one on audiobook, and the story was well-told and well-written. I wouldn't say it was my favorite, and it did feel a little long at times. Some parts of it were a little raunchy, but it was good story-telling with a very interesting a well thought out plot for sure with an unpredictable ending (which I always like). I think when I hear really good things about a novel, my expectations get a bit too high and I'm let down after it's over.
3.5/5 stars
[goodreads excerpt]: When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.
The Vanderbeeker's of 141st Street | Karina Yan Glasser
This charming novel was so cute. It is considered children's/middle grade lit but I just loved it. I fell in love with the quirky characters and storyline so much that I read it to my class. We reached out to the author on Twitter and she send us some bookmarks in the mail and my students are in the process of writing to her to let her know what they thought of the book! So fun. That's why I love the power of social media. The five children in the novel are truly hilarious and fun to read about, and I would recommend this book for any age reader.
5/5 stars
[goodreads excerpt]: The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are. And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.
No comments:
Post a Comment