For the first few days of April, I was finishing up the religious books I read for Lent. Then, all my library holds that I was waiting on in March came available and I read many books that I’d been wanting to read for a while. Some books were a 6-month wait to get! Here is what I read in April:
A Call to Mercy by Mother Teresa is a profound and convicting book. It goes through the Catholic works of mercy and shows how Mother Teresa applied them in her own life of service. She gave so much of her life in the service of others – taking care of their hunger, thirst, clothing and loneliness. I definitely saw my life through a different lens after reading A Call to Mercy.
Surprised by Joy is the story of C.S. Lewis’ journey to finding the Christian faith. He starts the book in his childhood and shows the reader how he lost his childhood faith through several tough life events. He finally opened up to Christianity again when he entertained the idea of “What if?” His voice comes alive in this book and it was a great book to listen to on a road trip.
The second book in the Jerusalem Chronicles series, Take This Cup was my last book to read for my Lenten sacrifice (just read religious themed books). The story is from the perspective of a young boy who encounters Jesus in Jerusalem after fleeing an attack on his parents’ camp. Nehemiah has been chosen to present Jesus with the cup he will use at the Last Supper – the same one Joseph put in Benjamin’s sack. I am looking forward to reading the final book in the series.
We all want to be the best version of ourselves. By looking at our habits and trying to build up good ones and stop bad ones, we can do just that. Atomic Habits is not just about what habits to have and not have, it’s about how to start small and make it easy to do the things you set your mind to do. For example, going to the gym can start with the habit of getting the right clothes and shoes on for a few days, then getting to the gym for a few days, then working out for just 5-10 minutes for a few days until you build up to the workouts you really want to have.
Candace Owens is a prominent political figure today even though she has no political role. Blackout is her thoughts on several subjects that are often tied to race. Owens debunks myths with solid facts and shows her point of view candidly. I would recommend Blackout for anyone who wants to know more about her life and viewpoints.
The Book of Lost Friends goes back and forth between the stories of Miss Silva and Hannie. Both stories are fascinating and tell how the people’s history in one small town in the south is intertwined between former slaves and their former masters. During Hannie’s journey, the girls start a book of lost friends, gathering information on people who are looking for the loved ones they were separated from, often by force.
Charles Ryder’s life hinges a lot on a family he creates ties with in college – the Marchmains. They are wealthy, scandalous, have a giant estate in England and are Catholic. His friendship with Sebastian introduces them to their world. Sebastian has two sisters and an older brother. His parents are separated, but not divorced as his mother’s faith won’t allow her to do it. Charles makes many visits to their estate, Brideshead, and forges relationships with each Marchmain in different ways in Brideshead Revisited.
Alex Trebek is a well-known person even though he wasn’t considered a super-celebrity persona. The host of Jeopardy! was made famous by that show, but it wasn’t even close to the first game show he hosted. Trebek wrote The Answer Is after being diagnosed with cancer to let the world know a bit more about who he was in his own words. He shares about his childhood, family, career and opines a bit on what’s important in life.
We all have times when our brain is just swirling with thoughts and it can seem hard to stop them. Jennie Allen wants to help people fight that battle going on in their heads in Get Out of Your Head. She believes that as Christians, we can lean on God to help us change our thought process, thereby changing our emotions and reactions. Often, the thoughts we want to stop are based on lies and those need to be replaced on truth to shift our focus.
Behold the Man is the third and final book in the Jerusalem Chronicles by the Thoenes. All three books are set in the times of Jesus. This book was hard to read as the main character, Claudia, faces domestic abuse from her husband, Pontius Pilate. However, she comes to see the power of Jesus when her own son, who is crippled, is healed.
Nora Seed’s life hasn’t turned out anything like she has planned. She is estranged from her brother, she is working at a record store where she is about to get fired, her neighbor no longer needs her to pick up medication, her piano student is quitting and her cat dies. Nora decides the universe no longer needs her, so she decides to end her life. As she closes her eyes, she is transported to The Midnight Library. It’s a place where every life she could have had is written in a book and placed on a shelf. She is given the chance to try those lives on to see if they’re a better fit.
Elizabeth Anne Graystone, is a talented and well-known singer, who is kidnapped by Louie and his gang in hopes of ransom. He has to take her all the way to Mexico, though. Little does he know that he’s up against a woman who is full of spunk, but that she is actually an Irish lass named Katherine who has kin that will track her down to the ends of the earth to ensure her safe release. The Songbird’s Sting is a face-paced Western with several twists and turns that kept me guessing as to what would happen next.
What did you read in April? Share your bookshelf with me in the comments!
