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#1. GUESS WHO by Chris McGeorge // ★★☆☆☆
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I was really excited to start the new year with this locked room themed psychological thriller, but man. This might have been the most boring thriller I’ve ever read! I kept going just in case there was a huge twist at the end, but it was ridiculous all the way through.
#2. MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM by Anne Youngson // ★★★☆☆
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This book had 84, Charing Cross Road vibes: a lonely English woman and a widowed Danish professor begin a correspondence because of their mutual fascination with the Tollund Man. (BTW, I had no idea who the Tollund Man was and had to look him up.) The fictional story is told entirely in letters and it was good. Not sure how I felt about the end, but good.
#3. RECLAIMING OUR ROMAN CATHOLIC BIRTHRIGHT: THE GENIUS AND TIMELIENESS OF THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS by Peter Kwasniewski // ★★★★☆
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I’ve been chipping away at this book since last fall! Incredibly informative and thought-provoking. I learned so much.
#4. DAMNATION SPRING by Ash Davidson // ★★★☆☆
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This book is a quiet novel about a logging community in the 1970s. The issue explored throughout is between the Pacific Northwest loggers using toxic herbicides for brush removal and environmental activists concerned about the mass removal of old trees and the harmful impacts of those toxic chemicals. This book was really thought-provoking and I could place myself in both sets of shoes. Unfortunately, it took quite a few pages to really get to the meat of the book and I sometimes felt bogged down with the detailed logging descriptions. Still a solid three star read. I think it would make for interesting discussion in a book club setting. (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.)
#5. THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY by Flannery O’Connor // ★★★☆☆
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This was my first Flannery O’Connor book and after I finished the last page, I said, “What in the world did I just read?!” Thankfully, the ladies at my book club helped to flesh out O’Connor’s writing style and the themes/symbols used throughout. I’m still not sure I loved it, but I definitely have a deeper appreciation for this book now.
#6. CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG by Ian Fleming // ★★★★☆
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Our school read aloud for January. We all enjoyed it. (P.S. We ordered the 1960s movie of the same name and spoiler! It’s nothing like the book. My kids were disappointed.)
#7. ALL MANNER OF THINGS by Susie Finkbeiner // ★★★☆☆
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I picked this Christian fiction novel up on a whim from Book Outlet sometime last year. It’s a story about a family during the Vietnam era and delicately deals with a whole host of issues, including war, PTSD, and even interracial relationships. Honestly, I found the writing to be a little hokey, but the ending…whew. I cried.
I read Meet me at the museum a year or two ago and overall liked it as well, but like you, wasn’t sure how I felt about the ending. It gave a conclusion, all right, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it had gone a different direction.
Also interesting that you liked the Kwasniewski book. I haven’t read that one, but a friend of mine loaned me his newest one called Ministers of Christ. I plan to open it this weekend.
Kwasniewski definitely has a strong opinion, but his arguments were compelling and have been thought-provoking. I’m not sure I’m at the point where it’s so black and white, but still thought it a worthwhile read. I’ll have to check out Ministers of Christ next!
“Meet Me At The Museum” has such a beautiful cover. I love it!