September Reads

 

This month felt a bit more normal as far as reading goes. And a variety of time periods in the historical reads.

Seven books read, but I currently have two others I’m racing to finish!

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

This one intrigued me because, honestly, I tried to read another Princess Grace novel and bailed by the end of chapter one. But I was completely captivated by this one! The lives of two fictional character weave in and out of Grace Kelly’s meeting with and marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. It’s a bittersweet story of love and loss combined with the fascinating character of and facts about Grace Kelly. And of course I’d never read a novel set in 1950s France before!

Fortune Favors the Sparrow by Rebecca Connoly

I have raved about Connoly’s London League series, a Regency series with spies. This book kicks off her Agents of the Convent series, which is still Regency spies, but the women are the spies! It did not disappoint. She just creates great characters and fun stories. I’ll be getting to book #2 soon!

The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge

This children’s fantasy book was first published in 1946. It’s a delightful story of Maria Merryweather who moves to Moonacre Manor after being orphaned. She learns the history of the house and her family of ancestors and seeks to put to right some of the things that went wrong through the ages. It reminded me of some of George MacDonald’s children’s fairytale-like stories (If you haven’t read his The Princess and the Goblin, you should!)

Under the Texas Mistletoe by Karen Witemeyer

Full disclosure: I didn’t read all three novellas. But only because I’d already read two of them before! The new one (first time published) was “A Texas Christmas Carol.” As usual, it drew me in and kept me enthralled. I especially liked the play on names of the original Christmas Carol cast. Truly, I’m not sure there is one of her stories I haven’t loved!

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

To be honest, I kept thinking I’d quit reading this book. Not because it wasn’t well written or compelling, but because it was kind of depressing. But fascination with the time period (post WWII Germany) and the situation of the characters (widows of those executed for plotting to kill Hitler) kept me reading. Lots of sad, but the end brought enough redemption to make me glad I persevered. The truth is, some points of history don’t have many happy stories. This is one of them. But I’m glad a understand a bit more of that time and place now.

True of Heart by Martha Keyes

This is #3 in the Regency Shakespeare series, where Keyes takes Shakespeare plots and retells them in Regency romance form. I have loved every one! Even when I’ve been familiar with the plot line, she kept me guessing as to how it would work itself out. Very fun reads.

Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin

This was a fascinating book! McLaughlin is a Christian and wrote this book using 12 questions she find people tend to use as excuses for not even considering a relationship with God. She exposes lies that have been told in our culture and over history in regards to each of them. They are hard questions, and she grapples with them with science, history, and the Bible. After reading it, I feel more equipped to at least ask relevant questions of those who say that cannot consider Christ.