Riveting Reading Recommendations

16 “Un-Put-Downable” Books

Since I’ve been a bit under the weather, I’ve read a lot of books in January and February. After weeding out the “meh” selections, I’ve chosen 16 riveting reading recommendations. These were all books I could not put down (much to the neglect of my sleep and my housework!).

Prepare yourself for some seriously outstanding reading recommendations in the categories of Christian nonfiction, Christian fiction, memoir, fiction, and nonfiction.

Riveting Reading Recommendations: Nonfiction

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Before and After by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate

Warning: this one will make you cry. I’ve previously recommended the book Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. That one is historical fiction centered on the horrifying Tennessee Children’s Home Society scandal. (If you haven’t read it, you’re missing out!)

This book is a follow up of sorts. Many of the actual survivors of that tragedy–or descendants of survivors–recognized their story in the novel and began investigating into their past. This is the story of how the scandal touched the real-life people: their anguish at missing siblings, their feelings that something wasn’t quite right in the stories they had been told. Many of the survivors began contacting Lisa Wingate, and eventually there was a meetup.

Heartbreaking, inspirational, shocking.

How Not to Diet by Michael Greger, M.D.

I’m always skeptical of diet books, but this one has a wealth of common sense information. Dr. Greger thoroughly discusses multiple nutritional studies, including pulling back the curtain to expose who is funding and conducting those studies and discussing advertising practices. Prepare to be indignant! I was encouraged by the tips to incorporate healthy eating and living.

I especially appreciate his non-judgmental attitude and his lack of condescension. He takes the attitude that any steps toward healthier living are to be applauded. I walked away from the book encouraged that I can easily make many small strides toward healthier living.

The Alzheimer’s Solution by Dean & Ayesha Sherzai, M.D.

Our eldest son is an Internal Medicine doctor specializing in Geriatrics. He’s always a great source for all my medical questions! I’m particularly interested in brain health, and when I read an article about preventing/delaying Alzheimer’s at my doctor’s office, I started asking questions of my son. He recommended this book. It is fascinating! Although I don’t believe these doctors have “solved” Alzheimer’s quite as much as they imply, the book is full of suggestions for lifestyle changes that fight cognitive decline.

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

I could not put this book down, despite the difficult subject matter. Warning: triggers abound. The book is full of physical and emotional abuse, including horrible language and graphic injuries. The story lays bare the agony and confusion in growing up in a severely dysfunctional family with an undiagnosed and never treated mentally ill father. A story of courage and incredible resilience.

Christian Nonfiction

Doors Into Prayer by Emilie Griffin

What a lovely, encouraging book to call us to pray. The brief chapters are perfect as an addition to daily devotions, and I especially appreciated the prayer exercises at the end of the book. These exercises include suggested Scripture to pray and meditate upon, and soul-searching questions for journaling.

The 40 Day Sugar Fast by Wendy Speake

I mentioned in a previous post–The Year of Less | 2020 Word of the Year–that I was participating in a 40-day sugar fast. I successfully completed this, and my husband with me. Yay! This devotional went along with each day of the fast. It actually is applicable to any sort of fast–social media, tv, snacking–and was helpful. Very encouraging.

Full: Food, Jesus, and the Battle for Satisfaction by Asheritah Ciuciu

Although I can’t pronounce the author’s name, I sure would love to meet her in person! What a great book. Thought-provoking and Scripturally sound, this look into food obsession and disordered eating is truly helpful. It gets right to the heart of food addiction. I highly recommend this to anyone who–like me–struggles with food.

Empty Nest, Full Life by Jill Savage

Yeah, so I personally have found the Empty Nest transition to be extremely challenging. I was a stay-at-home homeschooling mom of 5 for most of our child rearing years. We now have one adult son and his wife who live in the area, and everyone else is far, far away…including the grandchildren. I have struggled to find my purpose in this strange new world I’m navigating.

While reading, I was continually thinking, “Oh, she gets it”. The book is divided into two sections: “Things to Let Go Of” and “Things to Hold On To”. The “Junk in the Trunk” appendix is jam-packed with great questions to ask ourselves to troubleshoot potential trouble in our relationships and our soul.

Truly practical and helpful. Do I have it all together now?

Not quite there yet, but making progress. Thanks for asking.

*This book would make an outstanding gift for the mother of the graduate or the military enlistee.

Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson

You know that feeling when you’re almost to the end of a book and you’re already grieving that it’s over?

This was that book for me. I love it! Anyone who prolifically quotes George MacDonald and C.S. Lewis is my friend. If you have a soul that loves beauty and seeks to create…anything: books, music, paintings, quilts, gardens, meals…I believe you’ll be moved by this book. It is an encouragement for anyone who believes creative work is a call from God, an act of worship. At the back there is an extensive reading list, and I’ve already started on some of his suggestions.

Christian Fiction

Hidden Places by Lynn Austin

To be honest, I find much contemporary Christian fiction to be saccharine and unrealistic, so I don’t read extensively in this genre. This one resonated with me, however. It’s a story about finding forgiveness, finding home, and finding peace. I think you’ll like it.

Riveting Reading Recommendations: Fiction

The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton

This story is based on the true story of the Kindertransport rescue of en thousand children from Nazi-occupied Europe during WWII. Tante Truus was a brave and determined woman. Although this book is not categorized as a Christian book, it was her Christian faith that motivated and sustained her in this dangerous task. I was haunted by this beautiful book.

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Wow! This author duo has done it again! They are queens of the suspense/thriller genre, and also keep the language clean. I really appreciate that. I couldn’t put this one down. You suspect from page one that something sinister is going on, but it took forever to figure out what was up. A group of “it” girls take a lonely, unhappy woman under their wing. But what is their motive?

I read this as an early release through Book of the Month. You can read all about my Book of the Month experience in this post. Or, you can click through my referral code here. If you use my referral code, you receive your first book for only $5! And I receive a credit for a free book. I’m always excited to see the book choices each month, and I especially enjoy receiving early releases of much-anticipated books. This month I’m choosing a spy novel and nonfiction about Winston Churchill. I can’t wait!

Once again, here’s my referral code: Book of the Month Referral Code.

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

Wow.

When a boy is the soul survivor or a plane crash, he struggles to make sense of the grief, survivor guilt, celebrity, and expectations of others. There is so much to unpack here, and it would be an outstanding book club selection. It does have some language, but personally I think it’s still worth the read. The story was so good and I wanted to discuss it with my mom, so I loaned it to her to read, too. We’ve talked about it several times.

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova

Set across generations of tumultuous Bulgarian history, this wrenching mystery weaves a tale of beauty, horror, hope, grief, redemption, and love. Another “un-put-downable” story. If you like history and suspense, this book is for you…although there is some unsavory language. (Why? Why?)

Absent in the Spring by Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie)

This one is out of print, so you’ll have to either purchase used or (hopefully) find it at your library. Mary Westmacott was Agatha Christie’s early pen name. This is an odd book, told as stream-of-consciousness from the main character’s point of view. However, it is a powerful story that caused me to examine myself. It showcases how blind we can be to our own flaws and motivations, which is an area of fascination (and horror!) for me.

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie

Can Poirot solve a sixteen-year old mystery? Was the convicted killer indeed guilty? And how can we find out when she too has died? This is a good one! Previously published as Murder in Retrospect, which is the title I found at my library.