No.405: My Latest Reads // May 2020

I’m so excited to share with you a new way of buying books and one that aligns more closely with my passion for small business!  Have you heard of Bookshop?  Here’s what they’re about: “Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores… As more and more people buy their books online, we wanted to create an easy, convenient way for you to get your books and support bookstores at the same time.  If you want to find a specific local bookstore to support, find them on our map and they’ll receive the full profit off your order. Otherwise, your order will contribute to an earnings pool that will be evenly distributed among independent bookstores (even those that don’t use Bookshop).”  

You can check out all of my favorites on this page and I’ll be linking to Bookshop and Book Outlet as much as I can from here on out.  I hope you’ll support them too!  

#33. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS BAD WEATHER by Linda Åkeson McGurk || ★★★★☆

Nature is no cure-all, but there’s something about sinking your hands deep into the dirt, watching a leaf slowly make its way down a stream, or breathing in the aroma of wet soil after a light spring rain that makes us relaxed, calm, and less prone to feel anxious, angry, or depressed.  Many scientists believe that these feelings are caused by what they call “soft fascination” with natural elements, which – unlike the directed attention needed to navigate through busy traffic or solve a complicated math problem – can help keep our minds at rest. (p.226-227)

I put this book on my 100 Little Things list (#93!) because I’ve heard such great things about it and everyone was right!  What an inspiring book!  I immediately inventoried our outerwear and invested in some new gear.  I also appreciated the book recommendations at the end of each chapter; I’ve got more reading to do!

#34. THE KALAHARI TYPING SCHOOL FOR MEN by Alexander McCall Smith || ★★★☆☆
The fourth book in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.  This series reads like one big chapter book.  I enjoy coming back to “visit” Botswana every few weeks and I just love that Mma Ramotswe!

#35. THE WELL by Stephanie Landsem || ★★★★☆

I don’t read a lot of religious fiction, but Jen had such a glowing review of this book that I knew I had to give it a try.  And she was right!  Beautiful, beautiful story that made the Bible come alive and I got all choked up at the end too.  4.5 stars.

#36. CHASE DARKNESS WITH ME: HOW ONE TRUE-CRIME WRITER STARTING SOLVING MURDERS by Billy Jensen || ★★★☆☆

People read and watch and listen to true crime because it restores order from chaos. That’s the answer to give when someone asks you why you like hearing about real-life murders. It’s the comfort of watching everything be put in its place after an episode of outright, sickening bedlam. (27%)

My first true crime book for 2020.  I especially liked the tips at the end that described how to volunteer your time at your local police department or as a victim’s family advocate.  Definitely something I would be interested in later on in life.

#37. AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN by Susan Meissner || ★★★☆☆

Death is not our foe.  There is no foe.  There is only the stunningly fragile human body, a holy creation capable of loving with such astonishing strength but which is weak to the curses of a fallen world.  It is a frailty of flesh and blood that causes us to succumb to forces greater than ourselves.  We are like butterflies, delicate and wonderful, here on earth for only a brilliant moment and then fly away.  Death is appointed merely to close the door to our suffering and open wide the gate to Paradise. (p.183)

Home isn’t a place where everything stays the same; it’s a place where you are safe and loved despite nothing staying the same. (p.225)

Back in February, my friend Shelly sent me this novel about a family during the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918.  I know neither of us would have ever predicted that a similar pandemic would take over the world and we’d be in lockdown a month later!  It was eerie to read the descriptions of fear, death, face masks, and vaccines…words almost exactly the same as what we’re hearing today.  I really liked the first half of the book, but felt like the last third tidied things up a little too neatly to be believable.  

#38. KNOW MY NAME by Chanel Miller || ★★★★☆

What we needed to raise in others was this instinct. The ability to recognize, in an instant, right from wrong. The clarity of mind to face it rather than ignore it. (37%)

When I listened to her, I understood: You have to hold out to see how your life unfolds, because it is most likely beyond what you can imagine. It is not a question of if you will survive this, but what beautiful things await you when you do. (41%)

This memoir was hard to read, but I’m so glad I did.  Her grieving process was palpable and raw and I often had to put the book down for awhile and read something else.  Even so, it was excellent and important.

#39. PEACE LIKE A RIVER by Leif Enger || ★★★★★
This was a reread and I loved it just as much as the first time.

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