The Flight: A Monthly Book Sampler (March 2020)
Board member Andrea Humphries’ book review column is back for 2020! Here’s her summary of what she read in March:
Well, the world has certainly gone topsy-turvy since the last time I wrote one of these. In fact, almost nothing looks the same as it did when I read the first couple books in this post. In talking with my friends, I know a lot of people are struggling to read - especially non-fiction. It requires more focus than many of us can muster in the midst of this pandemic. So, if you want to skip right to the end of this post where I’ve got a list of fun fiction you might want to try, I really can’t blame you. But maybe at least take a couple minutes to read about the great non-fiction I managed to read in March.
Defiant: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us About Freedom by Kelley Nikondeha
Based on the description, I expected that this book would be good. It far surpassed my expectations. Through her powerful examination of the stories of the women of Exodus, Kelley Nikondeha has issued a call to her readers - a call to engage in the hard, painful, beautiful, entirely necessary and worthwhile work of fighting for freedom. It's beautifully written and the way that Nikondeha has interwoven the stories of the women in her own life with the stories of the Exodus women is poignant and compelling. This is a book I'll be recommending to all of the women in my life.
This Is God’s Table: Finding Church Beyond the Walls by Rev. Anna Woofenden
I got to read the manuscript of This Is God’s Table last year as a beta reader. I've been fascinated by Garden Church ever since I first met Rev. Anna Woofenden at the house Rise rented for the 2018 Festival of Faith and Writing in Grand Rapids. I learned a little bit about the church then and was excited to learn that Anna was writing a book about it. This story of Garden Church’s origins and development is challenging, heartwarming, and inspiring. There is so much to learn from here, even (maybe especially) for those who don't share all of Anna's theological convictions. The value of the table cannot be overestimated and nothing binds people together like shared work and shared meals. Although Anna and Garden Church are well-known in certain circles, I'm thrilled that this book will introduce them to a much broader audience.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
This was my first Glennon Doyle book and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked it up. I’m still not entirely sure what I think of it, weeks after having read it. Glennon’s writing is gorgeous and evocative and I love her style. I loved the structure of the book and the way she managed to weave a larger narrative through the short (sometimes seemingly disconnected) essays. I loved the first half of the book and only liked the second half. I may go back and reread it to see if that clears up the ambiguity I’m currently feeling. I don’t know that reading Untamed makes me want to go back and read her first two books, but I’ll definitely pick up her next one.
Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You by Jen Hatmaker
I'm a long-time fan of Jen Hatmaker's. I love her writing, her attitude, her snark. To Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire, she brings all those things and the compassionate wisdom of a big sister. As I read the book, it felt like she was holding my hand, encouraging me that there is a better, healthier way to live as a whole woman in this crazy, frequently hostile world. There are chapters that I'll be revisiting repeatedly because there was so much goodness packed in. There are a lot of parallels between Fierce and Untamed and I think Glennon may be the better writer, but I preferred Jen’s book.
I think we’ve established at this point that I’m a fan of Deanna Raybourn’s writing and particularly of her Veronica Speedwell series with its smart, sarcastic heroine. This is the latest entry in the series and it did not disappoint. The mystery is intriguing, the snark abundant, and the character development delightful. The only thing I didn’t like is that I finished it in a few hours and now I have to wait a year (give or take) to read the next one.
And now, here’s that list of fun fiction I promised at the top. Basically, this is just a quick recap of the great stuff I’ve read over the last few years, a lot of which I’ve written about in previous editions of this column.
This was my response when Molly Jasinski, fellow Rise board member and master of the blog, asked about fun reads.
They've all got fabulous female lead characters, great character development over the course of the series, and they're such fun to read.
— Andrea Humphries (@andihumphries) March 16, 2020
Check out the synopses and pick one that strikes your fancy.
Those are the first books in the Lady Darby Series and the Verity Kent Mysteries by Anna Lee Huber; the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries by Deanna Raybourn; and the Wrexford & Sloane Historical Mysteries and the Lady Arianna Regency Mysteries by Andrea Penrose. I pre-order each new release for these series and then, as I said above, get annoyed when I have to wait a year for another one.
My other recommendations:
The Genevieve Lenard Series from Estelle Ryan are contemporary art-related mysteries set primarily in Strasbourg, France. You don’t have to know a thing about art or France to enjoy these. I picked up The Gauguin Connection, the first book, for free on Kindle a few years ago and ended up reading the first six books in five days. My favourite thing about this series is the family that develops.
The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman are fun book-centric adventures. They’re fantasy in the sense that there are alternate worlds and faeries and dragons, but they’re definitely more urban fantasy (think Buffy, Supernatural, etc.) than Lord of the Rings.
The Chronicles of St. Mary’s by Jodi Taylor are unfailingly hilarious. There’s time travel and the kind of found/constructed family that tugs at your heart strings. Full warning, once you get past the first book or two, chances are you’ll laugh and cry in nearly equal measure, but it’s so worth it. I highly, highly, highly recommend you go with the audiobook version of these because Zara Ramm, the narrator, is brilliant.
The Gateway Chronicles by K.B. Hoyle are a fantastic YA fantasy series. I’ve been recommending this series like crazy to any tweens/teens I know, but all the adults I know who’ve read it also loved it. K.B.’s been reading The Six, the first book in the series, over on her Facebook page, so be sure to check that out.
