My Recent Reads – December 2019

Looking for book recommendations? Here are mini reviews of some of my favorite recent reads!

One thing I do love about the colder weather is that it’s the perfect time to curl up with a book. I’m writing this post a couple weeks before Christmas—I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating! In the days after Christmas, I hope you are able to have time to relax, maybe with a new book, or maybe dreaming of a new book you can get with a gift card that appeared under your tree. I know it can be tempting to slip back into hustle and bustle, but I’m reminding myself to pause and slow down, not letting the peace of the Christmas season slip away. I invite you to do the same as the year draws to a close.

(Also, here’s an update on how I did with my reading goals this year, as well as tips for setting your own goals.)

Here are some of the books that I’ve most enjoyed and have recommended to my friends. I hope you enjoy these suggestions!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small portion of sales, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog through your purchase!  

 

Tell Me Three Things
Julie Buxbaum

The premise of this book caught my interest immediately—when she moves to a new state after the death of her mother and remarriage of her father, Jessie begins receiving anonymous emails offering help navigating a new high school. Little by little, she gets to know and befriend this person as they share three things about each other. But who is it? Can they be trusted? She keeps trying to solve the puzzle, and I kept reading trying to figure it out. Romantic, mysterious, and honest, this book is one of my favorites from the last year.
(Note: brief PG 13 content and language)

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

One of the things that intrigued me about this horror classic is that it was written by a woman, when she wasn’t even twenty years old. I love that she broke into this genre and created something that has had such a lasting impact on culture’s psyche. Having seen countless iterations of Frankenstein and his monster in movies and pop culture, I found this book was different than the story I thought I knew. At first I wasn’t sure what to think of the book being so different, and some parts felt a bit slow. But stick with it—this exploration of what it means to be a monster is haunting in ways you may not expect and more complex that what we see in films.

 

Rebecca
Daphne Du Maurier

A book I’ve been wanting to read ever since I saw the Hitchcock adaptation in college. What was holding me back? I really enjoyed discussing the film, and I wanted to be able to discuss the book. I was thrilled when it was chosen by the literary society I’ve been a part of. I won’t reveal too much, other than our main character finds herself living in the shadow of her husband’s first wife, Rebecca. I enjoyed the descriptive, poetic writing and the story that’s a haunting mix of gothic and mystery, plus great for a book group discussion.

 

Earth Psalms
Francine Rivers

I really enjoyed this Bible study/devotional! I started it as a weekly group study with friends via phone (a great option if traveling is difficult due to your health). Francince Rivers has a beautiful way of seeing how God’s nature is revealed through creation, and I found this devotional so refreshing and a great tool for growing my relationship with God. The reflection and discussion questions spark journaling and discussion, plus, the photos and quotes are beautiful and inspirational.

 

The Beauty Experiment
Phoebe Baker Hyde

I enjoy memoir-style books where the author tries an experiment on herself, and this book didn’t disappoint. Shortly after moving overseas with her husband and newborn, the author tries throwing off all trappings of beauty regimens and explores expectations and assumptions around appearance, fast fashion, and cultural differences when it comes to assumptions about how a woman is expected to look. Some of her experiment seemed extreme (like cutting off her hair, in a “men’s” style no less) but that’s the beauty (pun intended) of experiments like this. Not everyone will try it, so we can read about it, and it help us decide where the happy medium lies.

 

Restoration Year
John Eldredge

Okay, I haven’t quite finished this one yet, but I wanted to include it for everyone looking to start a new daily devotional for 2020. I highly recommend this book, whether you’ve read most of John Eldredge’s books (*raises hand*) or have yet to discover his writing. I appreciate that the devos are put in an order that makes sense—the themes expand on each other as you progress through the book. These devotionals have been a great source of encouragement for me this year. Even on days when I’m feeling worn down and discouraged by my health, it has helped me remember just how utterly amazing God is, and how utterly loved I am.

 

There’s my list!

PS I checked out several of these books from my library, so be sure to see if you can get your hands on these books for free!

What have you been reading lately? Share your picks in the comments!

Other posts you might enjoy:
My favorite fiction and nonfiction picks from 2017 and 2018
My Recent Reads posts