My Recent Reads – July 2019 - Starlight Through The Storm

Looking for book recommendations? I’ve been wanting to write this style post for awhile now, so without further ado, here are some of the books I’ve read recently, and what I thought of them. I’ve decided that for now, I’ll just share books that I’ve enjoyed or would recommend to a friend. I hope you enjoy these suggestions!

I was in a bit of a reading rut up until about a month ago, and as anyone else who loves to read knows, there’s nothing more frustrating than being unable to find a good book to dive into!

Part of the cause of my reading rut was how exhausted I’ve been—brain fog is not helpful when you’re trying to find books. My ability to make decisions has been fried. Another problem? It seemed no matter what book I put on hold at the library, the wait time was 2-6 weeks. I know that’s not long, and I love my library, but sometimes you need a book now!

So if you’re in a similar spot, here are some books that I hope you’ll enjoy. I have mishmash of classic, fantasy, memoir, fairy tale, historical, and literary books for you to choose from.

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Shadowfell
By Juliet Marillier

This author wrote one of my favorite fairy tale retellings, so I’ve been wanting to pick up other books by her. One of the things I really enjoyed about Shadowfell is the uniqueness of the fantasy world, which is based on Scotland. In this story, the main character Neryn is forced to hide her uncanny gift—the ability to see the Good Folk, the magical creatures who the king has forbidden anyone to speak to. If anyone finds out, she could be executed. On her own, Neryn is forced to decide who she can trust as she travels to what she hopes will be the kingdom’s last safe haven, Shadowfell. Read more>

The Lord of the Flies
By William Golding

This survival story landed on my TBR list as part of my 2019 reading goals because it’s one of those books people say everyone should read in high school. I started reading this book thinking, “I thought this book was supposed to go all The Hunger Games?” and quickly went “Whoa. That escalated quickly.” No wonder this book is still being talked about! I sped through the last several chapters. Read more>

PS Here’s how I’m doing on my reading goals so far this year.

The Year of Less
By Cait Flanders

Note to self: when I find myself reading only blogs and unable to focus on or pick a book—pick up a memoir. I’ve found the conversational style is easier to focus on when I’m tired; plus, instead of reading aimlessly, I finish a whole book in no time. (A since of accomplishment seems to help snap me out of a reading rut.) I really enjoy this type of memoir where someone tries an experiment like downsizing. It’s exciting to see how Flanders minimized her life, and I especially liked hearing about how it impacted her writing journey. I find reading about writing makes me more excited to sit down at my keyboard! Read more>

If you’re looking for other memoirs to check out, two of my favorites are Garlic and Sapphires and The Happiness Project.

The Girl Who Drank The Moon
By Kelly Barnhill

I fell in love with the author’s voice and these characters. This book captures the tone and magic of fairy tales, but the characters and circumstances are wonderfully unique. The story has beautiful messages about sorrow, hope, and finding strength, and the themes flowed naturally from the story of a kindly witch and the girl she accidentally feeds moonlight. And now I want a pet dragon named Fyrian. Read more>

How the Irish Saved Civilization
By Thomas Cahill

I’ve always been fascinated by medieval and renaissance history, and this books shines a light on the unlikely role of the Irish in preserving literature and history when the Dark Ages descend on Europe. I like history that reads more like a story, and Cahill hits the nail on the head as he describes a series of events that are by turns thought-provoking, horrifying, and hilarious. (Head’s up, there is some PG-13 content as this book provides an unvarnished look at history and mythology.) I also appreciated how Cahill presents the series of events through a Christian worldview. Read more>

The Uncommon Reader
By Alan Bennet

I knew this was going to be good when I laughed out loud three times within the first few pages. The author imagines what would happen if Queen Elizabeth popped into a library-on-wheels and accidentally discovered a love for reading. A charming, bookish, and insightful novella. Read more>

There’s my list! I have some Shakespeare in my reading stack as I continue to work on my reading goals.

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! (And you never know, maybe the Queen will show up…)

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