I absolutely love to read. Without a doubt my most favorite way to relax! Especially when it's a good book. :)
These past 6 months or so I have been trying to read new authors and genres. I've gotten suggestions from friends, my boss, and Pinterest. Some were good, some not so good, and others okay, but not very memorable.
Below are the ones I've enjoyed the most!
Monuments Men by Robert Edsel.
I discovered this treasure via Pinterest in this Buzzfeed article. It is the story of a group of men who go to Europe during WWII to help save national monuments and artifacts only to discover that the Nazis are stealing every single item of value. Their mission is to save and restore these stolen treasures. Now, I love history so this was right up my alley. It was a bit difficult to read at times cause it's very historically correct so there are a lot of dates, places and people to keep track of. The movie adaption came out in February and it did a decent job at telling the story, but if you want to know more details, read the book!
Divergent Series by Veronica Roth.
Also found this book in the above article. And absolutely loved it! Like, couldn't put it down, cried at the end, loved it! I have not seen the movie, though, so can't give you any comparisons there. I was a little leery of reading it at first cause it seemed to be a knock-off of The Hunger Games, but I was wrong. While it has similar settings, along with a strong female lead, to Hunger Games, the characters and storyline are very different. I won't tell you any more cause I don't want to spoil it for you!
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple.
A friend of mine is doing a online book club and this was the first book she picked to read and review/discuss on her blog (her review). It's the story of a lady who struggles with her past and behaviors which affects her present life. The story is told through emails, letters, notes, and journal entries. Very interesting and kept me guessing on how it would resolve until the end.
Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton.
I was bored one day, at my parent's and looking for a book to read. Came across this one on the shelf and thought I would give it a try. It is actually a whole series (about 12 books so far). What I love about this series is how light hearted and fun it is, plus it inspires me to knit more! And it's a mystery, which is my favorite genre. The main character, Kelly, ends up in Colorado after the death of her only living relative. She ends up getting involved in solving mysteries and a local knitting group who become her new "family". As I said, it's a fun, light hearted read. Perfect for lazy summer days!
The Circle Series by Ted Dekker.
I actually read this series a few years ago but had forgotten quite a bit, plus I discovered that I never read the 4th book, Green. The storyline is a bit complicated to explain so I'll just give you a few details. It follows the journey of Thomas, who one day wakes up in a dream world that is as realistic as his real life. He then discovers that the two realities are connected. The author, Ted Dekker, is a christian novelist who writes fiction stories dealing with spiritual warfare. In this series, stuff that is spiritual in the real world becomes physical in the alternate world, i.e. sin is a physical disease and the only way to be healed is to die by drowning in the savior's blood. I know, sounds kinda morbid, but it's really not. You have to read his descriptions of it to understand better! Highly recommend it!
Mark of a Lion Series by Francine Rivers.
So, so good! Could not put it down! This series is the story of 3 people in Ancient Rome, a christian Jewish girl, a roman man, and a german gladiator. I love how it follows their struggles and quests to find God. It all starts with Hadassah, a jewish christian sold into slavery after the fall of Jerusalem. She ends up in a household where she meets Marcus, a rich, proud roman. Her faith makes a huge impact on his life. She also briefly meets Atretes, the german gladiator. The 3rd book deals with his struggle and walk towards faith in God. It shows how 1 person's faith makes an impact on those you come in contact with.
Which of these books have you read? What did you think?
I'm always looking for new recommendations so tell me what you've been reading!
