An Open Book: July 2024 Reads

Welcome to August! Now that the new month has begun, it's time to link up with An Open Book to talk about what I read in July.  Since it was so hot outside, my kids and I spent A LOT of time inside reading ;) I was excited that I finally finished two books that I've slowly been reading for a couple of months! I also read a lot of fantastic books, from children's literature to classics to historical fiction. Let's dive in! 

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen, by Annabel Abbs

In this delightful historical fiction novel--set in Victorian England--a young writer named Eliza Action longs to publish her poetry. Her publisher insists that she try writing a cookbook, and after tragedy strikes the family, Eliza reluctantly takes up the challenge. Assisted by a new servant, Ann, Eliza dives into the world of food and discovers the beauty and poetry that exists in cooking. Alongside Eliza's story, the novel also explores harsh poverty and the gradual decline of a loved one with dementia--and how, despite its many charms and gifts, Victorian England presented challenges for many people. I greatly enjoyed reading this book! 

Really Very Crunchy, by Emily Morrow

Emily Morrow produces a lot of humorous content on social media about "crunchy living," and she brings her joy and humor into this lighthearted take on a variety of ways to embrace a more natural lifestyle. I noticed that I had read many of the books that she referenced throughout the text, and I honestly didn't learn much that was new, but this was a quick read that encouraged me to joyfully pursue more natural options in some areas. I did disagree with some of the advice that the author gave, but I really appreciated her emphasis that "natural living" and "crunchiness" should be approached as a spectrum instead of taking an all-of-nothing approach. 

The Monster in the Hollows, by Andrew Peterson (The Wingfeather Saga book 3)

In this installment of the Wingfeather Saga, the Igiby family takes refuge in the Green Hollows. Delighted to live in safety and stability once again, far from the Fangs, the Igiby children are stunned to find that not everything will be as rosy as they hoped. Not only has Tink started looking more and more like a Fang, but the children discover that the people of the Green Hollows are distrustful of strangers. Matters are only made worse when farm animals begin disappearing, casting suspicion on the Igiby kids. I really enjoyed this book, and I loved seeing the different directions that the story went. I'm looking forward to the next one!  

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn, by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

In this story, Seikei, the teenage son of a merchant, longs to be a samurai. But, he knows that he is supposed to follow his father's footsteps as a merchant, and that he will never be a samurai. One day, everything changes when Seikei witnesses a mysterious ghostly figure in an inn, and Seikei becomes wrapped up in a mystery of crime and honor in 18th century Japan. Enlisted by Judge Ooka (a real historical figure!), Seikei tries to help solve the mystery of the ghostly figure and a stolen gem. I really enjoyed this children's book, although the many references to seppuku got to be a bit much at times. Yes, it is part of history and nothing was graphic, but it's still something I don't like to have thrown in my face repeatedly! Also, as a parental note before handing this book off to kids: some of the characters frequent "pleasure houses" where they are entertained by geishas. Outside of drunkenness that occurs on a few occasions, nothing improper happens (and historically, we know that while some geisha also worked in the sex industry, many did not). But, living in the modern world, this aspect of the book may be a good point of discussion between a parent and child. Overall, though, I liked this book and enjoyed reading a story set in this specific time and place! 

Peace of Soul, by Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Written in 1949, Sheen begins this book by addressing nuclear warfare, and how the spiritual unrest of mankind fuels division and war. He then addresses ideas by Freud and Marx and explores the ways in which we seek peace to no avail-because true peace can only come from recognizing our brokenness and need for God's mercy and restoration in Christ. Although parts of this book were a little dense or long to push through, I overall really enjoyed it and appreciate the timeless wisdom in these pages! 

Just Add Water, by Katie Ledecky

In this delightful memoir, Ledecky shares about her journey and life as a professional swimmer and Olympian. I really love the way that she framed her story: by focusing the chapters on different people that have impacted her life. Her story is fascinating, and I was intrigued to learn different details about life as a swimmer-like the frequent drug resting that professional swimmers undergo. It was also interesting and sobering to read about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on Olympians, and how hard it was to find a swimming pool to continue Olympic training throughout Covid closures. Ledecky didn't really go into her faith much, but it was cool to see her mentions of attending Mass, and it this book gives a fun look into her life. I enjoyed reading it! 

A Time to Die: Monks on the Threshold of Eternal Life, by Nicolas Diat (foreword by Robert Cardinal Sarah)

To write this book, Diat--a journalist--traveled to different Roman Catholic monasteries throughout Europe to talk with the monks about death. In each chapter of the book, he focuses on a different monastery and the way that death and dying are treated in the community, as well as challenges that the monks go through. He does not shy away from the hard stuff, and at one monastery in particular, he discussed one monk's suicide. This book was really eye-opening, and it was interesting to learn about the challenges that monks face now, courtesy of modern medicine, and how the monks really have to advocate for their dying community members so that they can be released from the hospital and return to the monastery to die, instead of dying in a hospital room. I loved this book, and my favorite chapter was definitely the one on the Carthusian order. 

Walden and Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau

I'd always been under the impression that Walden was "the nature book" written in the context of Transcendentalism, but when I finally read it, I discovered that it's far more than a nature book! While Thoreau does write some chapters of his observations and reflections on nature, he also spends quite a bit of this book on his ideological soapboxes about education, affordable housing, our attitude towards work and leisure, and poverty. I took a couple months slowly reading through this book, and I loved it! Many of his thoughts and ideas were fascinating and really resonated with me and seemed strikingly relevant to our modern American culture (further solidifying my thoughts on how 21st century America is strikingly similar to 19th century America). His essay, "Civil Disobedience," was set in the back of this book, and that was great, as well. I had read part of that essay in high school, and it was good to revisit it. 

Charis in the World of Wonders, by Marly Youmans

When this story opens, it's the 1690s in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and a young woman named Charis is hiding while her house is being attacked. Living as a colonist in an area where both the French and the Native Americans are in discord with her family, Charis finds herself alone in the wilderness. As she explores this "world of wonders," she struggles to survive and find her path for the future. Charis is a fascinating character, and I loved seeing where her journey took her. It was really interesting to see the different religious beliefs of characters play out, and that even though this story was not based in Salem, the witch trials were still on the minds of many of the characters-and that influenced their treatment of others. Also, the author did a marvelous job crafting gorgeous prose for this story that reflects the time period very well (and thankfully, there's a glossary in the back for all of the words and phrases that we don't use anymore). I loved this book, and getting to read something set in 17th century North America was super fun. I recommend it! 

REREAD: Mr. Blue, by Myles Connolly

Set in 1920s NYC and Boston, this short novel is told through the eyes of a narrator who encounters Blue, a young man with a zest for God, life, and spontaneous joy. Whether Blue is flying kits off the top of a skyscraper, living among impoverished and down-on-their-luck people, or recklessly spending an in heritance, his actions are infused with a determination to follow God wherever he leads. I've read this book more times than I can count, and I always come away refreshed and delighted. I recommend it! 

Thanks so much for joining me this month! If you have any book recommendations, please drop them in the comments!