What I’m Reading: May Edition

Each month I share the books I have been reading as a part of The 2016 Reading Challenge, as well as books I have read for fun.  I hope that these quick reviews provide you with some new titles to add to your list of Books to Read.

I really got on a reading kick this month!  I discovered a new young adult series that quickly drew me in.  Plus, reading mysteries for May’s Reading Challenge was just plain fun!

Adult Nonfiction

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

For the last few years I had MANY people tell me that I should read this book.  With all the hype surrounding it and the movie, however, I put it off for awhile.  Chalk it up to my stubbornness and desire to resist trends.  I am so glad I picked up the book this month, though.  The writing was brilliant, the story undeniably inspirational, and the history fascinating.  If you haven’t read Unbroken yet, do yourself a favor and go check it out today!

The Way of A Pilgrim translated by Olga Savin

The Way of a Pilgrim is a classic in Orthodox spirituality, which tells the story of a pilgrim who longs to learn how he can fulfill St. Paul’s command to “Pray without ceasing.”  He begins a journey that takes him to dozens of spiritual fathers and leads him to learn The Jesus Prayer.  The Jesus Prayer is a simple prayer that one can learn in a minute, but also a profound prayer that one can pray for a lifetime.

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me, A sinner.”

By praying this prayer continually, inwardly, a person can become transformed.  After the pilgrim learns the prayer, the book chronicles his struggles and victories in leading a life of humility and repentance–constantly in the presence of God.

Adult Fiction

A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear

I read the next two books in the Maisie Dobbs series this month (The Mapping of Love and Death was the other.)  Maisie Dobbs is a female detective in England during the 1920s.  After serving as a nurse during The Great War, Maisie becomes a private investigator who uses psychology and intuition to solve crimes.  The first novel sets the tone for the series, introducing Maisie’s character and establishing the setting–particularly the time period.  I found that the actual mysteries themselves improved with each subsequent book, so if you’re still on the fence after the first book you should keep reading.  I knew very little about World War I or the post-war Europe, and really enjoyed learning more about the time period through this mystery series.

Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman

Tony Hillerman’s mystery novels feature two Navajo tribal police officers, Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Sgt. Jim Chee, and the crimes they solve.  While the mysteries themselves are entertaining, I am particularly enthralled by the depiction of life among the Navajo people (and to a lesser extent the Zuni, Hopi, and other tribes in the Four Corners region).  I lived and worked on the Zuni reservation for a few years, so each time I read a Hillerman mystery, I feel like I’ve gone back home.

Young Adult Fiction

Queen Abigail the Wise by Grace Brooks

I was given a copy of this middle grade novel (perfect for tween girls) to review and couldn’t wait to read it.  I (obviously!) love young adult literature and love seeing how Orthodox authors bring our faith into a book.  Queen Abigail the Wise tells the story of ten-year-old Abigail and a group of girls who are thrown together at church for no other reason than that they are all the same age.  Soon the group decides to help others, and they begin by helping each other solve problems.  The results are often hilarious, generally touching, and always interesting.  The entire book is set during Lent and Holy Week, and those themes pervade the story without seeming moralistic.  It is a splendid read that I highly recommend!

Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

I have been a fan of Stuart Gibbs’s Spy School series for the last couple of years.  It is basically a clean James Bond for kids.  Ben Ripley is plucked from his normal life and put into a top-secret military spy school for kids, training the future agents of our country.  Though he is a math genius, Ben struggles in other spy areas (like weaponry and combat).  With the help of some talented friends, Ben finds himself in the midst of a major operation.  If you have a 5th-8th grade boy who often resists reading, please give him this series to read over the summer!

All the Answers by Kate Messner

Ava Anderson finds an old pencil in her family’s junk drawer and takes it to school one day.  While she is taking her math test, she writes, “What is the formula for the area of a circle?”  She is more than a little surprised when she hears a voice in her head telling her the answer.  Her pencil is able to tell her the answer to any question she asks–from what boy likes her best friend to what is wrong with her grandmother.  I thought that the premise of this book was quite fun and enjoyed most of it.  However, I found the ending (which gave the reason for the pencil’s magic) to be pretty strange and a bit “New Age-y.”  Overall, not my favorite book of the year.

The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni

I found a new YA series to love!  I was completely pulled into The Eighth Day. On his thirteenth birthday, Jax discovers that he is one of the Transitioners–people who live in an extra (magic) day between Wednesday and Thursday.  While that seems fun at first, he soon realizes that not all Transitioners are good, and that magic can be dangerous.  I thought that the entire back story for The Eighth Day, the premise of the book, and the world created by the author were completely original and fascinating.  As soon as I finished the book, I read the second one in the series (The Inquisitor’s Mark) and am waiting for my hold on the third book to come in!

What have you been reading this month?

(Linked to Quick Lit.)

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