Current Reads

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So much cool stuff has been happening over here lately. Pierce and I are leading a group table at our church's Parent Unscripted event this month and last Saturday I officiated my best friend's wedding! (More on that later.) I'm also going to the Taylor Swift concert this weekend with my sister-in-law, so I probably won't be able to speak on Sunday morning. (WORTH IT.)

But, even in the midst of a busy season, I always make time to read because it keeps me grounded and sane like almost nothing else does. Tucking away inside the pages of a book is akin to nirvana, in my opinion, and much healthier than other addictions. And because I love reading so much - and do it so often - I thought it would be nice if I started sharing my current reads here on the blog. 

Also, I recently purged my house of books (a painful process) because there were SO. DARN. MANY. and what I didn't sell at our yard sale I donated to our neighborhood mini free libraries or Goodwill. But I have accumulated more since then and have made the decision that - from here on out - if a book is not a favorite or sentimental to me in some way, I will pass it on. That leaves lots of really good books that I enjoyed available for free to anyone who is interested. I'll let you guys know at the end of each Current Reads post what is available and you can tell me if you want it. I'll send it to you along with a Paypal invoice for the cost of shipping. 

Sound good? Okay. Let's get to the books.

Tim Keller is genuinely brilliant. And although it's been slow-going with this book, I am loving it. It offers thorough examinations of the tough questions we all have about God, evil, human nature, and religion. And it answers them with sound reason...from Scripture. Keller is mostly objective and highly logical, and I really appreciate his approach.

I'm taking my time with this book, too. It's very well-written and the characters are well-crafted, but the plot seems secondary to the woman themselves, which I think is probably purposeful. It's not my favorite type of book because I've finally admitted to myself that I prefer plot-driven novels. The story centers on a group of young mothers in the turbulent 1960s who meet at a playground every Wednesday. They begin to write together and share their work, but really what the reader is most interested in is their personal stories. Every woman has one, and they are slowly being unraveled by the others. I am looking forward to finding out more about each character; I'm simply not in a hurry to get there.

I just started this book a few days ago and it's set during what is probably my favorite era in what is probably my favorite place: 1940s Britain. Lily is the daughter of the owner of a silk mill and Europe is on the edge of another international war. These two things are about to converge, and Lily is at the center of the conflict. It's a deeply personal novel while still maintaining enough distance that the book doesn't feel like a diary. The perspective shifts from an elderly Lily looking back on her youth to Lily in the war, but it's done so seamlessly I barely notice. I know some sort of tragedy is going to happen, based on both the blurb and the subject matter itself, but I'm really enjoying this story so far. It reminds me of The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, which was a fantastic read (albeit a mouthful). 

Here a few of my most recent reads, along with my recommendations:

The Color of Water in July by Nora Carroll: A delicious novel filled with family secrets. Loved it! 

The Girl on Legare Street by Karen White: This is part two of a four-part series that follows Melanie, a realtor in Charleston who can also see ghosts, as she navigates relationships with both the living and the dead. I loved the first book - The House on Tradd Street - and was excited to find out there were more in the series. White does creepy very well and I had to read this book with the lights on. Definitely recommend (but start from the beginning of the series)!

Wake-Up Call by Amy Avanzino: A sweet debut novel about a girl who wakes up to find herself five years in the future...a future that looks nothing like her past. I had to push through some sections of this book, but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend.

If you're interested, here are the titles I have available to give away (books listed as "Kindle" are available for a two-week rental from me):

The Wednesday Sisters (Print/once complete)
The Color of Water in July (Kindle)
The Girl on Legare Street (Kindle)
Wake-Up Call (Kindle)
The Last Telegram (Kindle/once complete)

Thanks for checking out this post! What are you reading now? Any recommendations for me? 

Wendi NunneryCurrent Reads, book reviews