Welcome to my book update post where I share what books I finished recently + my honest thoughts and star ratings of them.
It’s been a little while since I’ve posted a book update — mostly because I’ve struggled to finish books recently! I have a lot of books I’ve started, but I went for almost 5 weeks without finishing a single book!!
I think that between multiple trips + lots of extra activities and responsibilities in our life + lots of emotional energy expended on praying about and processing the unexpected news about possibly adopting Baby D.
But this past week, I feel like I finally got make into my reading rhythm again and finished a few books! Let’s hope this is the start of a lot more reading — and finishing! — books!
Here are my honest reviews of the three books I finished recently:
I’ve been slowly listening to Charles Martin’s novels. This one reminded me of a modern-day story of the Biblical story of Joseph, even though the author never said that was his intent.
If you enjoy sports stories, stories that kind of gritty and real, and have a beautiful redemption story interwoven throughout, I think you’ll enjoy this book. It’s also a clear picture of how much jealousy can ruin our lives — and others. And how forgiveness is the key to real joy and freedom.
Verdict: 4 stars
I don’t read a lot of devotionals, but this one caught my eye — especially because of the foster care and adoption journey we’re on and because the author, Rebekah Lyons, has two children with Down syndrome — one they adopted.
While many of the stories and points in this devotional were ones I’ve heard Rebekah talk about in her other books, it was a really fantastic refresher and an encouragement to me in this season of life. And if you follow me on Instagram, you’ve heard me share multiple quotes from this book as I’ve read through it the past two months.
(Stay tuned for a really raw and honest and inspirational podcast interview I did with Rebekah on this topic!)
Verdict: 3 stars
I don’t know what I think of this book. I have enjoyed reading other Roald Dahl books with the kids… but this one was just weird. And the whole premise could be very scary to some sensitive kids.
But I read it aloud to Kierstyn and we finished it, so that tells you it wasn’t awful. It just left me confused and shaking my head that something about the whole book just seemed a little on the creepy side. Anyone else? (A bunch of people on Amazon very much disagree with me in their glowing reviews!)
Verdict: 2 stars
