February 2024 Book Reviews

February has been a busy month, so not a lot of reading happened. Here's what I managed to finish...

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

This is the second book in a series I started last month. It's set in Russia & weaves together medieval history of Russia with its fairy tales. This book moved a lot quicker than the first one, since all of the characters have been introduced. The romance side takes a little more of the centerstage, so that could be good or bad. So far, it's still mostly about a family & their struggle to survive politically & physically in the harsh Russian court.

Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad: The Perspective Shift That Could Completely Change the Way You Mother by Abbie Halberstadt

Last May, I finally got around to reading Abbie's first book. I'm not a super-fan of Abbie's like other people are. She has a really good message, but her public persona just rubs me the wrong way sometimes. I read this book only because a group of ladies at my church were reading it for a weekly study, & I do have to say that this book seemed less harsh than the first book. Reframing the mundane tasks of motherhood in the light of the Gospel is something every mom needs to do. It's definitely worth a read no matter my personal feelings - ha!

The Cross in Four Words by Kevin DeYoung, Richard Coekin, Yannick Christos-Wahab

This short little book is such a great meditation on what the cross of Jesus Christ means for the world in general, but for the Christian in particular. And those are truths that I need to be reminded of multiple times a day! This only took about 2 hours to listen to, so it won't take too much of your time.

On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living by Alan Noble

Another short but powerful book. This book grapples with the reason we all keep putting open foot in front of the other & the audacity & hopefulness that practice shows. Somedays, it's all we can do to get out of bed; other days we are the ones in awe of others who have mustered the strength to lift their heads once again & live. The author doesn't ignore the reality of mental illness, chronic illness, & other factors that taint this sin-sick world. He acknowledges the help that can be found in treatment. But, the thing that keeps us going is not thinking more highly of ourselves, it is thinking more highly of our God who made us. We are not our own, but we belong to this good & loving God. And He ALWAYS takes care of His own. Highly recommend!

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

The final installment of the series of novels I've been reading that are based in Russian folklore. This one ends at a pivotal moment in Russian history & integrates the main characters newly-tapped magic into various historical events. Unfortunately, this novel strays into the less-than-clean territory, so it's a bit disappointing, especially at the end of a series. Still not bad by today's standards but I had to skip past a few parts.

Five books isn't bad for all the sickness & birthdays & sickness we had this month. I'll hopefully have a few more next month!

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