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D'Ann Mateer

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June Reads

Home » Reading » June Reads

In: Reading on: July 1, 2022

I read some really great books in June! And a few I didn’t enjoy so much. But don’t worry. I’ll let you know which is which. 

First, the couldn’t-put-down books: 

MASH Angels: Tales of an Air-Evac Helicopter Pilot in the Korean War by Richard C. Kirkland

This was my most surprising read. I picked it up as research for my 2023 release in the Secrets from Grandma’s Attic series and I could. Not. Put. It. Down. Seriously. I was absolutely fascinated! The man is a storyteller, for sure, but I also loved the detail of what life was like for these pioneering evac helicopter pilots. What incredibly brave men. So thankful for them!

In Honor’s Defense by Karen Witemeyer

The final book in the Hanger’s Horsemen series did not disappoint! Preacher’s story was quite satisfying, as was the wrap up with all the Horsemen. Karen is a master storyteller and her characters truly become your friends. 

Safely Home by Randy Alcorn

To be honest, this was a hard book to read, not because of the story or the writing but for the challenging nature of the plot. It is so easy to put Christian suffering out of my mind and go on with my life, but this book shakes up that status quo.  I think I will look back and say that this is one of those novels which has had a profound impact on both my thinking and my actions. Interestingly enough, in the forward to the book, Randy mentions a man fighting to help suffered gunshot Christians in China, a man my husband has also met and helped. That, too, brought the story a little bit closer to home for me. 

The Art of Deception by Becky Melby

The second in the Secrets from Grandma’s Attic series, and another great story! Really, really happy to be part of this wonderful series. 

Of Lands High and Low by Martha Keyes

I picked up this one because I’ve read and enjoyed Martha Keyes before and this one was set in Scotland. Oh. My. A great read—and one where current day issues are reflected in the real history. I loved it! 

Heart in the Highlands by Heidi Kimball

I remember seeing so many of my friends tout this book when it came out, but I didn’t get to it then. I circled back now since it had a Scottish setting, and I’m so glad I did! Great story! 

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

I have read Stevenson’s children’s poetry and know some of the other stories, but had never actually read one. I figured I ought to remedy that since I was traveling to his homeland. This was a great story—and I loved reading it as we travelled the country. I really could picture where things were happening! I love that! 

Now on to ones that weren’t my favorite, but they might be yours. 

The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon

I read this for book club. It’s a self-help/leadership type of book, which aren’t my favorite. The principles were relayed in the form of a story, which made it slightly more interesting. It was fine, it just wasn’t my kind of read. 

Pavilion in the Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith

I wanted so badly to like this book. I usually love all of AMS’s stuff, and this one started out interestingly enough with a Scottish family in the 1940s living on a tea plantation in Ceylon. But I couldn’t figure out where the story was going. It seemed to be moving too slowly for the length of the book. And then, abruptly, we were in the 1950s in Scotland, filling in everything that had happened between. I saw the point of the story in the end, but it didn’t seem to be told in anywhere close to the best way it could have been. 

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

A friend told me she enjoyed this book, so I gave it a try. I kept wanting to like it. I really did. But all the characters were complete train wrecks, and I had a hard time caring what happened to them. I finished it, but barely. 

So there you go. Six I really enjoyed, three that weren’t my favorite. Thankfully, already seeing good things up ahead for July! 

Tagged: alexander mccall smith, Heidi Kimball, Jon Gordon, Karen Witemeyer, Marina Lewycka, Martha Keyes, RIchard C. Kirkland

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