Every month I try to read at least one book from the following categories: nonfiction, devotional, and fiction. Non-fiction ensures that I’m always learning something new. Devotionals ensure that I’m keying into my faith. And fiction books are just so enjoyable to read! This is What I Read in March 2015.

Books Finished:

Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Just like the first book in the series, Anne of Green Gables, I loved these books! The chapters are relatively short, so I can read this book in short bursts of time. The stories are completely charming and engaging. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series.

Where Is God When It Hurts? By Philip Yancey

I loved this book! I think its lessons are equally applicable to all kinds of hurts and suffering in our world, no matter how big or small. I meet with several gals for a weekly Bible study, and in our discussions, this book came up several times. Additionally, the short chapters, with each containing a different specific topic, made it easy to read this book in short settings. I listened to it on my Kindle while driving to different locations for work, and it worked great.

The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacks – How You Can Travel the World on a Budget by Gordon Sharp

I chose this book with the idea that it would give me some tips for traveling for less money, tips that I did not already know. Unfortunately, the book was long on generic, and short on specifics. I don’t know that I gained a single new idea, which was a huge bummer.

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

I recently read my first couple of books by Jodi Picoult, House Rules and The Tenth Circle, after they were loaned to me by a friend and my mother in law. Previously I had never really heard of Picoult. But now I’m hooked. I enjoy the realistic feeling writing style; and that Picoult writes from the perspectives of different characters in the stories. The stories are engaging and fast paced.

Salem Falls follows Jack St. Bride, a man who has recently finished an eight month stint behind bars, after having plead guilty to a crime he didn’t commit, statutory rape. Now he is a registered sex offender who moves to the town of Salem Falls, and is trying to start fresh. The citizens in town find out about Jack’s previous conviction, and things start to unravel.

I enjoyed this book, and powered through it in about two days. I was pretty sure I had it figured out, but it kept me guessing until the very end about whether I was right. I recommend it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I had previously read The Kite Runner, and loved it. This book did not disappoint. The story was poignant and powerful, but painful at times to ponder that this is and has been a reality for people. I very much recommend this book, but warn readers that it is not a fluffy easy read.

The Meaning of Names by Karen Gettert Shoemaker

My mother in law loaned me this book. I’d previously read several books by Willa Cather, and she said this book is similar. And she was right, it takes place in Nebraska, like many of Cather’s stories. It is also set in the early 1900s and follows a female protagonist. I really enjoyed it, especially so since the setting of the book is not terribly far from where I live.

 

Books Abandoned:

None.