Luggage and Literature

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine

March 2023 Reading List

by //

In 2023, I’m reading what brings me joy! I’m also reading books picked by my book club. And finally, I’m also going to work through Winston Churchill’s six book series on World War II, and hope to complete it this year (wish me luck!). Without further ado, here is my March 2023 Reading List!

Books Finished:

The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

All the Gallant Men by Donald Stratton and Ken Gire

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Seeing Beautiful Again by Lysa TerKeurst

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Premonition by Michael Lewis

The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home by Kent Lester and Dave McGuerty

Books In Progress:

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis

An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather

The Gathering Storm by Winston S. Churchill

Books Abandoned:

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

September 2018 Reading List

by //

Every month I try to read at least one book from the following categories: nonfiction, devotional, and fiction. And this year I’m participating in the 2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge, so I’m also going to be listing which category my books fulfill. If you want to join in on the fun, you can check out the list of categories here! This is my September 2018 Reading List, my brief reviews and book recommendations for September 2018. Hopefully I’ll provide you with some inspiration for your future reading as well!

Books Finished:

Testament of Youth: An Autobiographical Study Of The Years 1900-1925 by Vera Brittain

This book is quite long, and had some slow-moving spots, so it took me a long, long time to read it. I found the section where Ms. Brittain talks about her nursing career during World War I and of the correspondence with her brother and fiance most interesting.

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek

This book examines various leaders and teams in efforts to examine what the differences are between the successful and less so. I found some of the information quite illustrating, but some of it was oversimplified. And other portions appeared to be downright insulting of those who think or act differently than the author. I’m not sad that I read this, but I’m not certain that I’d recommend it to others.

The Winter Station by Jody Shields

This book is the story of a Russian doctor living in Manchuria with his Chinese wife during an epidemic. I expected the novel to be quite different from how it actually turned out to be, based on the book description. It wasn’t as gripping or fast-paced or engaging as I expected. But I listened to the book in its entirety.

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

This was a great book, and I flew through reading it. Essentially it’s the story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, the history of English dictionaries, and the story of two men who were instrumental in creating it. Not so spoiler alert, one of them was locked up in an insane asylum. I recommend this fairly short, but very interesting book.

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

2018 PopSugar Challenge: a book that was being read by a stranger in a public place

Although I’d previously seen the movie (and it is one of the most violent that I’ve probably ever seen), I wanted to read the book. This book was so riveting that I flew threw it in about a week and a half. I can’t wait until my Libby hold on the second book in the series comes due, so that I can find out what happens in the second installment.

Hexed by Kevin Hearne

Hammered by Kevin Hearne

Hexed and Hammered are books two and three of the Iron Druid Chronicles. I really liked both of them as well. If you check out book one (Hounded) and like it, you’re bound to like these as well.

The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand

2018 PopSugar Challenge: a book about a problem facing society today

Having read both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, I wanted to read more about the theories behind both books. Ayn Rand’s theories are intriguing to me, as I see quite a lot of sense in them. But I don’t agree with all of them, as I don’t think that they completely comply with the tenants of Christianity and Christ’s teachings.

Feeding the Dragon by Sharon Washington

2018 PopSugar Challenge: a book by an author of a different ethnicity than you

This book was an Audible Original, and I so enjoyed listening to it. The book is the story of a girl who grows up living in a library. Her voice, the narrative nature of the story, and the topic were incredibly engaging. I recommend it.

The Coming Storm by Michael Lewis

2018 PopSugar Challenge: a book with a weather element in the title

An Audible Original, I picked this out based solely on the author. Michael Lewis previously wrote The Big Short, which I thought was fantastic. This book looked at the intersection of NASA, the National Weather Service, and politics. I mostly liked it, but there was a liberal bias to the book that I found to be distracting.

The Whistler by John Grisham

After reading a couple of Grisham novels lately that weren’t to my taste, I was very happy to find another that I loved. This book follows Lacy, an attorney working in the Florida Board of Judicial Conduct. She receives a tip about a judge who is completely corrupt and involved with a mafia in the panhandle of Florida. Murder, bribes, and legal thrills abound. This book is page turner, and I finished it in just a few days.

The Soul Winner: How to Lead Sinners to the Saviour by Charles H. Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon was a prominent and well-known preacher in the 1800s. This book is his guide to those who are interested in a career in ministry, as well as for those who want to see people go to Heaven. Some parts of it are quite dated, not applicable in the modern world. But much of it contains excellent information and tips to help people save souls.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

2018 PopSugar Challenge: a book about or set on Halloween

This was my book club’s pick. Although I’ve read the entire series twice before, I was really excited to talk with everyone about this book. If you’ve not read it before, what are you waiting for? It’s so fantastic. And many in our book club who’d been reluctant were mesmerized by the story.

 

Books in Progress:

Twelve Women of the Bible by Lysa TerKeurst (My bible study is working through this book and the associated videos)

Flawed Convictions: “Shaken Baby Syndrome” and the Inertia of Injustice by Deborah Tuerkheimer

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

The Brave Ones: A Memoir of Hope, Pride and Military Service by Michael J. Macleod

 

Books Abandoned:

None.

Favorite Books of 2016

by //

In 2016 I read some really fantastic books! And although there were slumps in my reading life, there were months where most of the books were home runs. I tried to limit this list to my top 10 favorites, but I simply could not do it. So without further ado, here are my 25 favorite books of 2016, including links to the post where I reviewed each of them if you’d like to read more about what I thought about them and go to Amazon and purchase them.

 

  1. A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper (What I Read January 2016)
  2. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (What I Read January 2016)
  3. After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson (What I Read January 2016)
  4. The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister (What I Read February 2016)
  5. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (What I Read February 2016)
  6. The FitzOsbornes in Exile by Michelle Cooper (What I Read Cayman Islands)
  7. Moonlight Over Paris by Jennifer Robson (What I Read Cayman Islands)
  8. The Apostle by John Pollock (What I Read March 2016)
  9. The FitzOsbornes at War by Michelle Cooper (What I Read March 2016)
  10. Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson (What I Read Bonne Terre)
  11. Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (What I Read April 2016)
  12. In Cold Storage by James W. Hewitt (What I Read June 2016)
  13. The Big Short by Michael Lewis (What I Read June 2016)
  14. The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison (What I Read June 2016)
  15. Wreckage by Emily Bleeker (What I Read July 2016)
  16. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Frederick Stonehouse (What I Read Northern Michigan)
  17. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell (What I Read August 2016)
  18. Petty: The Biography by Warren Zanes (What I Read September 2016)
  19. The Scent of Lilacs by Ann Gabhart (What I Read September 2016)
  20. The Cello Suites by Eric Siblin (What I Read September 2016)
  21. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (What I Read October 2016)
  22. The Black Violin by Maxence Fermine (What I Read October 2016)
  23. The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland by Rebekah Crane (What I Read Guadeloupe)
  24. The Last Dive by Bernie Chowdhury (What I Read December 2016)
  25. Things that Matter by Charles Krauthammer (What I Read December 2016)

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.