I finished quite a few books in April as I was reading religious books for Lent. I read about by a saint, a book about the Dead Sea Scrolls, a book about the priests put in Dachau and finished a devotional book. I also got to read the newest Hunger Games book after Easter. Here is what I read in April:
The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher
The Next Conversation is a great book about communication. Fisher gives great advice on how to communicate, especially in difficult situations. I would highly recommend his book to everyone. I also follow him on social media and he gives great advice there, too. The best piece of advice is to always start with a breath as the first thing you say. It gives you and the listener time to think.
Amish Promises by Leslie Gould
In Amish Promises, Eve is living with her brother, helping take care of his children after his wife passed away – Eve’s best friend. They’re Amish. When a new family moves into the nearby house, who is not Amish, their lives become intertwined immediately. The new family’s son accidentally hurts one of Eve’s nephews and has to come over and help with chores until he recovers. The new neighbors are dealing with the after effects of military PTSD and have a friend come visit and help the husband adjust. Eve knows she shouldn’t let herself develop feelings for a non-Amish man, but she can’t help herself.
Jesus and the Jubilee by John Bergsma
There were several Catholic groups I following reading Jesus and the Jubilee for Lent, so I decided to read it, too. It has some really interesting points about the history of the Jubilee in the Bible and how it applies in New Testament times. It is a pretty academic level book and I didn’t connect with some parts like some others did. I did enjoy his conversion story at the end of the book. He does explain things in a very clear way.
The Rite by Matt Baglio
I’ve had The Rite on my to-read shelf for a long time and I’m trying to be more intentional about reading books from that pile this year. It tells the story about a priest who has been chosen to go through the exorcism program in Rome. There are a lot of personal stories about what he experienced and what the process is for a priest to become an exorcist. I learned a lot by reading this book.
Safe in His Arms by Colleen Coble
Safe is His Arms is the second book in the Under Texas Stars series (Blue Moon Promise is the first book). This book follows the story of Margaret as her father plans to will the family ranch to a male relative instead of her – his own daughter. A new ranch hand is hired and Margaret finds out he’s not all that he appears to be – in many ways. There are a lot of twists and turns and Western action, but in the end, the book is about family and love.
The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva
Our priest really likes St. Josemaria Escriva so I decided to read his book during my time of reading religious books during Lent. The Way is broken down into topics and then there are several blurbs under each topic about things the saint said about them. He is very direct and some of them are quite memorable. I bought the book to have on hand as I see myself going back to it when I want advice on different aspects of life.
The Noonday Devil by Jean-Charles Nault
The Noonday Devil was a book also recommended by our priest. It’s about the sin of acedia – a lack of caring. It’s somewhat related to laziness, but it’s different. The book is somewhat academic but in the end, it gives great advice on how to combat acedia if you see it in your life.
The Priest Barracks by Guillaume Zeller
The Priest Barracks caught my eye as a suggested read, so I checked it out. I didn’t know that the Nazis had grouped together most of the arrested priests in Dachau where they were in the same barracks. The book is very detailed on how many priests were arrested from what nations and what happened to them in the camp. Most tried their best to keep their faith alive, as well as the faith of those around them. They often sacrificed their own food, supplies and lives to help others in the camp. It was an eye-opening book.
Restore by Sister Miriam James Heidland
Our book club read through the Restore devotional for Lent. It was very thought-provoking. Some days were very deep and others not so much. However, Sister Heidland always tries to help people heal and she does that with this book as well.
Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls by John Bergsma
Bergsma mentions his book Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls in his book Jesus and the Jubilee, so I checked it out to read during Lent. It’s fascinating how the writings found in the Dead Sea Scroll caves just continue to reinforce the Christian faith. I learned some new things reading this book and I highly recommend it.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
I had to wait until Lent was over to read the newest book in the Hunger Games series – Sunrise on the Reaping. I read it in three days. Haymitch is the mentor for Katniss in the original books and Sunrise on the Reaping tells his story of being selected for the games when he was a teenager. It’s a very good book about how hard it is to fight against an established government regime.
Jimmy by Robert Whitlow
I’ve had Jimmy in my to-read pile for a long time, too. I wanted to like this book, but, in the end, I just didn’t It’s about a boy with mental disabilities and his struggles with his family and town. Faith plays a big role in the story, but it has a very slow plot. There’s a sad ending and then a super quick wrap up after a tragedy. Not a bad story – just too slow and sad for my liking.
What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella
What Does It Feel Like? is a fiction book, but it’s based on the author’s true experience being diagnosed with a brain tumor. It’s a quick read, but powerful in how her family completely surrounds and supports her, especially her husband. Best part is that instead of a bucket list, they work on living “normal plus,” which is living a normal life with little splurges like better seats in the theater.
Living Joy by Chris Stefanik
Living Joy was given out at our church for free after Easter mass. I’ve heard Stefanik speak on several podcasts and have enjoyed his wisdom. Living Joy is an easy read with nine rules to living a life full of joy, based on faith.
What have you read recently? Share in the comments!
