Monday, April 04, 2011

My March Book List

I didn't get as much read this month as I usually do for a few reasons:

-I worked a ton in March subbing. A few opportunities came up to be in the same classroom for 3-5 days at a time so I took those. I enjoyed the days that I was working, even though it was quite a bit more than I usually take on in a month.

-Chris and I are a wee bit addicted to Prison Break. We watch it on Netflix. It started with Chris watching the first season and me reading my book beside him. I quickly realized that I was doing much more watching than reading and finally decided to just watch with him. We are now about to start Season 4, so not only did I lose a lot of reading time to tv, I anticipate that the same will happen for the next few weeks as we watch the final season. I did manage to get through a couple books though.

Firstly, I finished the one I had started when I wrote my last post.

Testimony
by Anita Shreve

Truth be told, I didn't love this book. It started out strong and had my attention but as the book went on, my attention waned. Somewhat due to Prison Break distracting me, but also because I felt that it was dragging on a bit and I wasn't very satisfied with the ending. It wasn't terrible, but also not one for my favorties list.

Heaven is For Real
by Todd Burpo


I read a synopsis of this book one morning while at work and thought it sounded interesting. Later that afternoon, I stopped into our community library to have a look at our new renovations and was pleasantly surprised to see this book on our New Releases shelf. Even though I was still reading Testimony, I signed it out anyway. As soon as I was done reading Testimony, I started on this one and read it in 2 days (work interrupted my reading time! Haha).

Whether you believe in Heaven or not, or are or aren't a Christian, I thought that this book was fascinating. It is a true account written from the point of view of a father whose son nearly died and over the course of the next few years, reveals details of Heaven that he saw when he was on the brink of death. Things that this boy could not have known, he casually revealed to his parents, such as meeting his father's grandfather, whom he had never met, but picked out of a photograph that he had never seen before. Or telling his parents that he met the sister his mother miscarried before he was born.

The book was incredibly easy to read and is truly fascinating and is making news headlines all over the place. I definitely recommend this, regardless of your beliefs. Perhaps you will be challenged a bit reading this....



Check it out here.


Sing You Home
by Jodi Picoult



I am almost finished this one. I always look forward to her books being released. I've read a large majority of her books and always find them to be controversial, emotional and addictive. Jodi Picolt never fails to put controversial topics front and centre in her novels and her research and attention to the topics are obvious. I love that the story itself is easy to read and captivating and yet, her novels challenge my beliefs and make me ask questions. I love that about them.


I also love the way that she alternates different perspectives throughout the book. She writes from the point of view of each main character, which really allows the reader to see a clear picture of all sides of the issue and weaves compassion for each character's motives and beliefs. By the end of the book, my position on the topic at hand has probably bounced back and forth a number of times. I'm looking forward to finishing this one.




The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich

This book is next in line after I finish Sing You Home. I'm looking forward to this one because I quite enjoy historical fiction, and also because the topic is something that I am drawn to. Watch for my opinion on this one next month!


Read the synopsis here.


What have you read this month?

I'm always looking for new books to add to my reading list, so any suggestions are great!

1 comment:

Karyn said...

My recent reads....

Serendipity by Cathy Marie Hake
Shadows of Lancaster County by Mindy Starns Clark
Antonia's Choice by Nancy Rue
The Reluctant Prophet by Nancy Rue
Twighlight by Kristen Heitzman

All good.