It’s Monday! What are you reading? Is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journey. Kellee and Rikki at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts gave the meme a kidlit twist. It’s a great way to reflect on what you’ve read and reviewed the last week and plan what you want to read next. Join up with us and discover what good books other people are reading.

It’s been another glorious week of fall. A little rain over the weekend brought cooler weather and left brilliant blue skies. The leaves have put on one of the most vibrant color shows I can remember. Last night we went to admire the jack-o-lanterns at Boyd Pumpkin Display. Every year, the family carves hundreds of pumpkins to display. This year, one of the themed sections honored Charlotte’s Web. I am amazed at the talent of the carvers with some of the elaborate designs.

I finished…

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Icefall by Matthew Kirby – Solveig is trapped between her beautiful older sister and her younger brother, the heir. All of them are trapped in a valley closed in with ice to avoid the danger of battle and war, but the biggest danger of all may be trapped with them. Threatened with starvation, Solveig and the rest soon suspect that one among them may be a traitor. Waiting through the frozen winter, Solveig learns the art of the skald–storytellers. While there is plenty of action and intrigue to keep the pages turning, this novel is at heart a tribute to the power of story and finding strength in one’s own voice.

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Here Lies Linc by Delia Ray – All Linc wants to do is to fit in with the kids at his new junior high school. But that is hard to do when he lives by the cemetery and his mother is a college professor who studies graveyards and burial customs. Linc can’t keep his two world’s from colliding when his American Studies teacher assigns an “Adopt-a-Gravestone” project, kicked off with a field trip to the local cemetery led by none other than is mother. In researching the story behind the gravestone said to be cursed, Linc uncovers not only the truth behind the legends, but also secrets behind his own past. Along the way, Linc discovers friendships and confusion. When I taught middle school, we took our 8th graders on a field trip to the local cemetery to do gravestone rubbings. This book would have been perfect to go along with it–and expand the project to encompass more history and writing.

 I’m currently reading…

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Soul Salsa by Leonard Sweet – Forget dry religious discussions. This book is crammed with practical ideas to bring the practice of our faith into the twenty-first century. Rather than leaving faith to be experienced only on Sunday mornings, Sweet calls for us to experience faith in everyday moments–and by experiencing faith in the every day, we can share that faith with those who are seeking God. Each of the short 17 chapters is filled with practical ideas for living out faith. This will be another book I read slowly because I want a chance to practice what I’m reading. The first two chapters have given me plenty to think about. “Mezuzah Your Universe” explores ways to structure the time and space of my days to point to God. “Make a Moment” encourages reflections and stories to remember times–both the best and the worst–when I see God. For both, I need to practice paying attention to the moment rather than rushing through my days.

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Atonement by Ian McEwan – I enjoyed the McEawan book I read on vacation this summer, so when a friend dropped off a box of books for my Little Free Library with this in it, I moved it to the top of my stack. I’ve just barely started, but I’m already intrigued by Brionny, who has discovered her passion for writing. I suspect her first literary drama may end in disaster. It’s certainly not off to a promising start once she begins the struggle to take the written words from the page to the stage.

Coming up…

Our new books for our Bible study should be in–hopefully in time for our next meeting on Wednesday. And, of course, I’ll continue with the books I’m now reading. I do want to find a way to make a poem a day a habit. I’m enjoying the poems in What Have You Lost, but I often get too busy and forget to read one. Maybe I could get my family involved and read a poem at dinner each night? Or a poem could be my after-dinner dessert.

What good books have you read lately?

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.

It’s Monday! What are you reading? Is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journey. Kellee and Rikki at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts gave the meme a kidlit twist. It’s a great way to reflect on what you’ve read and reviewed the last week and plan what you want to read next. Join up with us and discover what good books other people are reading.

Fall has finally arrived here in southern Indiana. We woke up to the first frost, and I made one of our favorite fall/winter soups–butternut squash soup. We also took my daughter to visit several colleges over fall break–Indiana University and Kenyon College. Both have beautiful campuses, especially with the colorful foliage. Now we wait to hear from the colleges. And I enjoyed some good books, too!

I finished…

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The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – This book is every bit as good as the creepy cover–a crown dripping with blood–hints. Mare is born into a world divided by blood. The reds–like her–struggle to survive while forced to serve the powerful silvers. The ruling silvers have unique powers to control different elements. Mare escapes her fate of being conscripted into the army by working at the summer palace. Once there, she finds herself thrust into a game where the stakes are her life–and she doesn’t even begin to understand the rules. If she can survive, she just might be the catalyst to bring change or destruction to her world. I enjoyed the character of Mare–she starts out as a thief, but learns she has powers and intelligence that she never knew.

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Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill – I wanted to like this one because of all the good reviews I had heard, but I struggled through it. Readers who like lots of action, will enjoy the fight scenes and ever-increasing danger from villains and monsters. I wanted to know much more about what was going on in Durango’s head–quite literally. He has an artificial intelligence implanted in his mind (with hints that the intelligence might not be so artificial). I wanted more exploration of his past and past relationships, but the revelations were suddenly revealed not explored. Mars does provide a dramatic backdrop for the story that increases the tension. I think I could like Durango, if I could get to know him better.

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Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor – I finished this one for the second time. My copy now has colorful sticky notes sticking out up and down the edges, and I underlined sentences on every page. The best part of reading it a second time has been the discussions we’ve had. There is so much to talk about with our own faith journeys and experience of church. I’m eager to meet again and see where the end of the book takes us.

I’m currently reading…

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What Have You Lost edited by Naomi Shihab Nye – I’ve had a chance to read a few more poems over the last few weeks, each one more haunting than the last. Even in the midst of the loss, though, some of the poets find humor.

Coming up…

I just downloaded another book on economics–this one written by one of the presenters at a conference I went to last month. From my preview, I’m looking forward to reading something hopeful about the economic and political challenges we currently face. I’m still amazed at the suprising turns my reading has taken this year, but I’m excited to learn something new.

What surprising stories have you read recently?

Disclosure: I participate in the Amazon Associates Program. If you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the affiliate links, Amazon will pay me a commission. This commission doesn’t cost you any extra. All opinions are my own.