I’ve had a really good reading month so far! I’m being much more selective about what I read this year, and I’m really relying on sources I trust (like MMD for example!) to guide my reading decisions. I’ve also significantly lowered my Goodreads reading goal for 2021 in an effort to give myself a bit more freedom to be selective with what I read. Here are the books I have finished recently:
We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida
I really enjoyed this story of friendship and betrayal set in the sea cliffs of San Francisco. Vida tells the story of two teenage girls who are forced come to terms with their own identity and how they ultimately fit into the world around them. The story takes a suspenseful turn when one of the girls disappears and the town is left to wonder what actually happened. Vida also confronts the power of friendship and the cost we sometimes have to pay for doing what we think is right. The story kept my attention and had a perfect blend of fun, suspense, and deep meaning.
It is worth nothing that this book is the first one I received from The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA as a part of their shelf-subscription service, and it did not disappoint.
The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington
I so enjoyed reading this engaging Gatsby-esque novel that touches on the important distinctions of class. This book highlights the enormous cost that comes with wealth and fame. I was hooked from the early pages of this book. I’ve always been fascinated by stories of wealth and the implications that wealth has on the people who it touches. What made it especially interesting for me is that it was set in my very own home of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. My little Nashville superb even got an honorable mention toward the end of the novel.
An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor
I always try to read a book that helps me to grow spiritually with whatever other books I am reading. I chose this book because I have heard so many wonderful things about Barbara Brown Taylor’s work. In An Altar in the World Taylor shows us that God is often much more tangible than we imagine. In fact, Taylor notes that often we look for God everywhere but where He is most likely to be found–right under our own two feet. I so appreciated this gentle reminder from Taylor that my search for God doesn’t have to be complicated. When we learn to see God in our most ordinary moments, we realize that He has been right there with us all along. I am so grateful for Taylor’s words that breathed fresh life into my soul this winter.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
I posted more about this here, but I read Obama’s much-anticipated memoir at the end of January. This is a perfect example of a book that I would not have picked up with a high reading goal because it is so big! I’m so glad though, that I picked this one up. I really feel like this book filled in a lot the gaps in my political knowledge. I wasn’t paying much attention to Pres. Obama in 2009 because of my stage of life (getting pregnant, buying my first home, having a baby etc.) and this book gave me some very valuable context that is helping me tremendously as I try to understand our current political climate. I learned so much from Obama’s honest and genuine reflection of his rise to the White House and the extreme challenges he faced in the first years of his administration.
I’m starting the week with the promise of snow–which is pretty rare here in North Nashville. I just started The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, and I’m hoping to get some good reading time in the next few days!
If you’ve read this far, I’d love to know–what have you been reading lately?
My BFF lives in Mt. Juliet, so I told her about The Fortunate Ones. I love Gatsby so I may have to read this one too!
It is a great read for someone who lives in the area! It’s great for a Gatsby fan also! 🙂