I always have a book nearby. Tucked in my backpack, in the passenger seat of my car, crammed in my back pocket. I LOVE to read. It’s how I relax, it’s how I have fun, it’s the primary way I learn. Books have become the primary way my wife and I decorate our house (much to her chagrin). I am just a sucker for a great story. (Especially a good trilogy! FYI I am always open to good recommendations.)
I have been wanting to start up up a monthly blog post that recaps what I’ve been reading lately, so this will be the first of many! It will include a brief reflection on each piece, as well as give each book a grade on a scale of 1 to 10! I’m hoping it will be informative AND entertaining.
- Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes Book #3) by Sabaa Tahir
- Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron Book #1) by Ashley Poston
- Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans
Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes Book #3) by Sabaa Tahir
Genre: YA fiction
If you are a fan of YA fiction and haven’t already devoured the first three books in the Ember in the Ashes series then you need to rethink what you are doing with your life. Tahir’s first two installments were masterpieces, but book three launched this series into my upper echelon of YA fantasy. This ruthless tale is full of secret powers, betrayal, narrow escapes, meddling ghosts, unbreakable steel, rebellion, and heartbreak. Plus, men and women alike will fall in love with the bombshell that is Laia of Serra.
WIBRL rating: 9/10 – read ASAP before the movie comes out!
Time elapsed from first page to final page: 4 days
Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron Book #1) by Ashley Poston
Genre: YA fiction
Grabbed this book at the bookstore because the cover design and teaser on the inside flap sounded intriguing. When I got home, I found that I had already bought this book a few weeks before for the same exact reason. I took that as a sign from God, and chose this book to be my vacation read and boy am I happy that I did. I read a ton of YA fiction but this book felt so UNIQUE! It had a bit of a star wars meets Divergent feel, with a 21st century flavor. In hindsight, I probably should have been able to make some predictions as to what was going to happen, but during the moment and flow of reading I was just putty in the author’s hands. The character “D09” steals the show!
WIBRL rating: 8/10 – you will NOT be disappointed!
Time elapsed from first page to final page: 7 days
Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans
Genre: Creative Non-Fiction
This is a book that needed to be written. It comes from a woman who grew up in a conservative Christian home and conservative Christian church in rural Tennessee, and it’s a book about the Bible. It addresses many of the questions and controversies that arise for so many of us who love the Bible, but at the same time are willing to acknowledge its flaws, intricacies, and damage it has caused so many people across the globe. And what does she discover? The Bible still holds up to scrutiny. RHE shows us that even when we doubt, wrestle, and play devil’s advocate with some of the Bible’s most controversial or contradictory stories and events, truth still emerges. And oftentimes, the truth that you find is more beautiful then what you leave behind.
WIBRL rating: 8/10 – a must read for Christians or people at odds with Scripture
Time elapsed from first page to final page: 7 days
If you have read any of these books, let me know what YOU thought in the comments below! Also, if you have any book recommendations I am all ears!
Real Talk (Daniel Smith) 
I didnt know they’re turning an Ember in the Ashes into a movie– I have mixed feelings about this. I read the third book in three days! Too good.
Right now I am reading Children of Blood and Bone. You gotta check it out.
Also the book, I’m still here. Black dignity in a world made for whiteness. Im reading it right now but i hear its great in audio format.