September and October Books

almost-but-not-quite book reviews

Nov 02, 2023

Trigger warning: domestic abuse and violence

I read half of Once There Were Wolves over a weekend. Then something happened in the story and I set it down for a few days. It’s a story that I would have preferred to read in one sitting instead of needing to jump from the world of the story to the story of my world. Sometimes I get deep enough into a story that I feel disoriented when I have to step away. This was one of those reads. It’s a cozy under a blanket with some tea and read until it’s finished sort of story. Inti Flynn is leading a project to introduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands but she has also gone there to hide.

There’s an element of mystery to the story, though I wouldn’t classify it a mystery. I have stopped trying to figure out mysteries because then they feel like assignments I can fail. Instead I let the story unfold, let the questions linger. I wait for the author. The story didn’t end up as I thought or as I hoped. The ending was the true mixture of joy and grief that actual life always is. The author used flashbacks to explain the story and expertly weaved just enough into each one to move the story a bit further, to allow the reader to understand why Inti was acting as she did, what had happened to bring her to this place.

Inti felt a real affinity to the wolves; there was a wildness to her, a restlessness that didn’t settle in to doing what is expected. I think those stories are my favorite because there’s a restlessness that lives in me. I don’t want to show up and do what I’m told and stories like that remind me why.

September Books

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

This dystopian novel is close enough to possible that it was unsettling. A pandemic wipes out most of the world’s population and this is the story of after. Exceptionally well-written.

Justice, Justice Shalt Thou Pursue by Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Amanda L. Tyler

I love RBG. I’ve written about it before. This book had been sitting on my shelves and I threw it in my bag for the beach.1 But this collection records some conversations between the authors, some unpublished materials, and some briefs and arguments. Not as easy read but I found it fascinating.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This novel about gamers was deeper than a beach read but, for me, a very good choice for the end of my vacation. The book explores the on-again, off-again friendship of a man and a woman who have known each other from childhood.

Paddington at Large by Michael Bond

Paddington is a lovely creature and reading the books with Micah always makes me want to watch the movies again. This one is full of the misadventures of Paddington and how his lovely family surrounds him. Yes, just like all the rest of them.

October Books

The Life We’re Looking For by Andy Crouch

A skilled cultural critic, Crouch points out how technology can take us away from what we actually desire as humans but rounds out the book describing how technology can instead be an enhancement for life. I’m always surprised by his work surrounding tech.

Performing the Word by Jana Childers

This is the first book I read for my preaching class and Childers insists that preaching is comparable to theatre and that preachers could learn a thing or two about performance. I really enjoyed it and also cited it a lot in an essay this week.

How To Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key
Stained Glass Ceilings by Lisa Weaver Swartz

I wrote an actual review of these two books here. Go read it!

Delivering the Sermon by Teresa Fry Brown

Also a book for my preaching class, would you have guessed? It was a slower read but full of prompts and questions that I sent to a woman I am mentoring. Worth the book just for the exercises if you’re a preacher.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Sometimes a before-bed read needs to be something I know and like. I still haven’t read this one with the kids but it’s a fun one till in the end in my opinion.2

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

5 out of 5 stars. See the opening commentary.

Share what you’ve been reading in the comments! I’d love to hear.

Becoming by Lisa Hensley

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