Disclosure: I received these books to review. Post contains affiliate links; opinions shared are mine.

Sorry for the lack of new posts to read over the last week. We recently moved (yay!) but don’t have internet access yet (boo!) My phone’s data plan is hosting today’s wifi access, many thanks to the great customer service at Verizon for helping me set it up!   Taking a break from unpacking is made sweeter with some fun books to read. Every once in a while, I reward myself for the hard work by indulging in a wonderful piece of fiction. If you’re wondering what to read, check out these titles. Let’s start with Through Waters Deep.

Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin has the beautiful appeal of the WWII dramas she’s published in the past.  It has a refreshing, modern beat that bears the unexpected. It slightly reminds me of the story Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin). 

I’ve always wanted to visit Boston, and Sundin helped me to experience a little bit of the city through the marvelous detail and mentions of famous landmarks.  The part that left me a little bored was the banter between the soldiers and officers.  It’s just not interesting to me, and I found myself flipping past those pages in order to get to the good stuff (romance and mystery!)    Through Waters Deep was a nice change from Sundin’s other books about airplanes, and I enjoyed the slowly budding relationship between Jim and Mary.  The respectful courting that takes place is such a contrast to today’s ways.

Irony  must be Erin Healy’s middle name.

Hiding Places just oozes with it!  Like Healy’s other (magnificent) novels, Hiding Places (also magnificent) takes us into the Harrison family from the deepest, dustiest corners.  Kate Whitby is only 11 years old, so she doesn’t understand all of what’s going on in her family. That helps to keep the novel clean, although readers will understand the more sinister motives behind the situation Kate witnesses.   In my class last week, I taught a mini-unit on figurative language.  I wish my students were old enough to read Hiding Places because it’s an excellent example of how master writers can use metaphors and symbolism to build an entire world.  I loved the way that Sundin tied together seemingly disjointed, dysfunctional characters and helped them to melt into each other’s worlds.  If you’ve  never enjoyed an Erin Healy novel, this one is a great place to start!

One way that my kids and I have been getting through our long commute to school is to listen to audiobooks.  Glory Days by Max Lucado seems like a great option for our next devotional to listen to in the car.  So powerful and inspirational, Glory Days makes me feel as if I can really move that mountain.   You know that concept of filling an emotional bucket, then emptying it with the trials and temptations of the day?  In my opinion, Glory Days is a great way to refill your bucket.  This book is especially wonderful for the Christian who has been walking along the path for a while, but has stopped looking for the end of the road. Sometimes I catch myself forgetting that I’m running this race for God, not for myself.  It’s a great reminder for those like me who need to remember that God is still fighting, longing for, and loving us.

What have you been reading?