December’s Reads: Historical Fiction

We’ve made it to the end of 2022! And I’ve made it through 12 genres of books this year. If my stats on StoryGraph are correct, I read 58 books in 2022, which is so much more than I read last year. So this reading challenge did its job!

December’s genre was Historical Fiction, which is a favorite of mine. Like most months, I ended up reading a couple non-genre books, too; they came in unexpectedly at the library.

I started off with If I Were You by Lynn Austin.

(From Lynn’s Website)

1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Unraveling this deception will force Audrey and Eve’s secrets―and the complicated history of their friendship―to the surface.

1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve’s mother served as a lady’s maid for Audrey’s mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat―Nazi invasion―reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey’s brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.

This sweeping story transports readers to one of the most challenging eras of history to explore the deep, abiding power of faith and friendship to overcome more than we ever thought possible.

I typically enjoy split-time stories like this. Initially, I struggled a bit with the way these two timelines were interwoven; it felt odd. But eventually it started to flow better, and then I got invested. There’s a lot of sadness in this story, but I think it’s really about how we navigate trying times and grief. It was a little slow, but I did enjoy it.

I also read The Wish Book Christmas, which is a novella sequel to If I Were You. I really enjoyed this story about discovering the true meaning of Christmas.

I finally got a chance to finish Roseanna M. White’s Codebreakers series with A Portrait of Loyalty. I talked about the previous two books in my October post about Historical Romance.

(From Roseanna’ website)

Zivon Marin was one of Russia’s top cryptographers, until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee after speaking out against Lenin and separated from his brother along the way, he arrives in England driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera–and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and recreating photographs. With her father’s connections in propaganda, she’s recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily. He sees patterns in what she deems chaos; she sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed. But both have secrets they’re unwilling to share. When her photographs reveal that someone has been following Zivon, his loyalties are called into question–and his enemies are discovered to be far closer than he’d feared. 

I love every Roseanna White book I’ve read, truly. She has such a descriptive way of connecting events and characters that sucks me in and doesn’t let go. This story, at first glance, felt a little more disconnected from the first two. It shouldn’t, because it spins out of Britain’s Room 40 just like the others do. I think it’s because the two main characters don’t have the same connections to White’s other characters. But setting that aside, the story was super interesting and the characters captivating as always. I found the premise fascinating and the resolution deeper than I would have expected. Which is silly, because her books always make me think.

My two library books that came in were Judge and King by R.J. Larson.

(From Christianbook.com)

The last thing Kien Lantec expects on his first day of military leave is to receive marching orders from his Creator, the Infinite. Orders that don't involve destroyer-racing or courting the love of his life, Ela. Adding to Kien's frustration, his Infinite-ordained duties have little to do with his skills as a military judge-in-training. His mission? To warn the people of ToronSea against turning their backs to the Infinite to worship a new goddess. But why Kien? Isn't this the role of a true prophet, such as Ela of Parne?

Continuing where Prophet left off (click here to read my review of that book), Larson takes readers deeper into her Old Testament-inspired setting. You can see a lot of influence from biblical stories in both Judge and its sequel, King, especially stories like those of Jonah and David. I really enjoyed both stories and highly recommend the series!

After this I read another Lynn Austin book (What can I say? I tend to get on kicks of one author at a time), Long Way Home.

(From Lynn’s website)

Peggy Serrano couldn’t wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience as a medic in Europe that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable, his parents check him into the VA hospital. Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge. She starts by contacting Jimmy’s war buddies, trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy’s belongings.

Seven years earlier, sensing the rising tide against her people, Gisela Wolff and her family flee Germany aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana, Cuba. Gisela meets Sam Shapiro on board and the two fall quickly in love. But the ship is denied safe harbor and sent back to Europe. Thus begins Gisela’s perilous journey of exile and survival, made possible only by the kindness and courage of a series of strangers she meets along the way, including one man who will change the course of her life.

With this book, Lynn Austin explores the aftermath of war, the trauma of those who survive it, and the choices made along the way. It’s a very unique book for the time period it’s set in; I don’t know if I’ve ever seen another book that focuses so specifically on post-WWII trauma faced by soldiers. For all that focus, though, the story isn’t told from the soldier’s perspective. Instead, it’s shown through the eyes of those who love him. It’s a fairly slow-paced story, but the characters and their impact are deep. It’s a really beautiful story about struggle, faith, and love.

I finished my reading off over Christmas with Where Treetops Glisten: Three Stories of Heartwarming Courage and Christmas Romance During World War II. This is a novella compilation by Cara Putman, Tricia Goyer, and Sarah Sundin.

It follows the three siblings of the Turner family through three successive Christmases during World War II.

(From Sundin’s website)

White Christmas by Cara C. Putman
A candy maker and a puzzle manufacturer have one thing in common: love is the last thing they’re looking for and the very thing they need.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Sarah Sundin
A fighter pilot running on empty, a lonely widow, and a little girl searching for what she’s lost—will an unusual Christmas gift fill their hearts again?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Tricia Goyer
As Christmas nears a combat nurse offers care and cheer to injured soldiers on the front line, but when her patients and the Dutch villagers discover it’s her birthday they work together to give her a great gift—a reason to believe in love again.

I really liked the way each story was wrapped around a different Christmas song. They’re novellas, so they’re pretty quickly resolved, but I enjoyed them.

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So that’s it, then. All my reading for 2022. Going into next year, I’m planning to finish the three books I’m still in the middle of – Lord of the Rings (WHY I haven’t finished this, I do not know), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, and Inkspell. Then I’ll move into another reading plan. I’m planning to do the Pick Your Poison Challenge by Gregory Road. I was originally planning to do the one from 2022, but I’m looking at the one for 2023 right now, and I’ll have to decide which one I like better.

Do you have any reading plans for 2023? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

 

Thoughts from 1 and 2 Thessalonians

Though I finished actually reading through Paul’s letters quite a while ago, I always find it such an encouragement looking back through my notes and typing them up for these posts. This week, I’m covering 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The Bible Project’s overview videos, as always, offer really helpful context: 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians.

 

1 Thess 1:2-3 “We always thank God for you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What an encouragement Timothy’s report must have been to Paul, letting him know that the young church he planted and suffered with was flourishing! Our lives should be an encouragement to our church leaders. They don’t live in a vacuum. They need encouragement.

Also, the Thessalonians are a wonderful example to us. Their faith produced good works, their love produced hard work, and their hope helped them endure. That’s what I want my life to be.

1 Thess 3:12-13 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.”

This is a beautiful prayer, one I want to memorize. God’s love for us is boundless. Nothing can separate us from His love, and there is no way to measure the height and depth and breadth of His love. It doesn’t depend on circumstances or our behavior; God always loves us. And that is the love He desires to fill our hearts with, to overflow onto everyone we come in contact with.

1 Thess 4:10b-12 “Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so [love each other] more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

At first glance, this passage seems to contradict some Christian principles. “Lead a quiet life” – but aren’t we supposed to engage the culture? Of course we are! But we can be people who have peaceful lives, quiet lives, and still have an impact. If anything, when our lives exude peace, they will look different in a helter-skelter world and actually draw people to us. The important thing is not to completely separate ourselves from the world so that we have no circles of impact. We are still called to be in the world, making contact with the world; we just shouldn’t be of the world. If anything, this is further backup to the principle of leading a quiet life; most of the world does not.

Further, Paul says, “so that you will not be dependent on anyone.” Yet doesn’t the Bible teach that we are to live in community and that we need each other? It does, and I don’t believe this passage negates that. It is addressing the issue of laziness and saying that there is no place for it in the people of God. We should be hard workers, doing our own work to the best of our abilities and looking for ways to help others. It is also talking about the Thessalonians’ tendency toward being busybodies. The Enduring Word Commentary says, “There is a great difference between the Christian duty of putting the interests of others first and the busybody’s compulsive itch to put other people right.”

But we are not called to be workaholics. The concept of rest is very important in the Bible, and this passage addresses that in the admonition to lead quiet lives. We should be rooted and rested in Christ so that we can work hard and love others.

1 Thess 5:5-8 “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. but since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”

2 Thess 2:16-17 “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Paul always includes prayer in his letters. And they are often beautiful blessings as well. Paul knew firsthand what terrible persecution the Thessalonians were experiencing. They were suffering and they were scared. He encouraged them that their faith was not in vain, that they had an eternal hope that wouldn’t desert them. In light of that, he encouraged them to keep going, to stand firm, and to live like Jesus. And that same encouragement is offered to us today.

2 Thess 3:5 “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

Another beautiful blessing.

2 Thess 3:11-13 “We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.”

The Bible clearly teaches the importance of rest, like I talked about earlier with 1 Thessalonians. But Paul clearly doesn’t have much tolerance for idleness. This doesn’t mean every moment of our day must be filled with something to do. But it does mean that we should have an attitude of responsibility that rises to the task at hand and jumps in to help.

And, clearly, the Thessalonian church was still dealing with the issue of lazy busybodies, since Paul had to address it again in this second letter.

The Thessalonian church, like many of the early churches, was surrounded by persecution. And Paul continually encouraged them in the midst of their suffering. His words today offer hope and encouragement to us, too, no matter what our circumstances. What has God been showing you in His Word lately? I’d love to hear about in the comments!

November's Reads: Nonfiction

So, November was supposed to be all nonfiction. Which was great. I had 3 books on my list, and I was excited about all of them. Unfortunately, I kind of sabotaged myself by putting other books on hold at the library right at the end of October. So, that happened…

I started out the month reading The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Humphrey Carpenter. If you have any interest in Tolkien, I highly recommend this collection. Tolkien was a prolific letter writer, and this collection omits a lot for the sake of brevity. It’s still a hefty book, though. I found that it took me a little while to get used to his style of writing and the places and people he mentioned frequently. There are copious notes in the back for each letter, but it was kind of a pain for me to flip back and forth, so I mostly ignored them unless I was really confused or wanted more clarification. It’s not a book that’s I could read a little bit every now and then. I found it much easier to follow when I read it consistently, because I could get into that flow more easily.

That’s true of a lot of nonfiction, though. Because of the distractions that I will get into in a moment, I am only about halfway through this, but I’m enjoying it and find it a fascinating look into Tolkien’s mind. I think I’ll share some of my favorite discoveries and excerpts once I finish it. You can also find a selection of his letters on the website for the Tolkien Estate.

I’m also partway through State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide by Benjamin F. Shearer. This proves my nerdy tendencies. I had been looking into state symbols and facts for a different project, and it made me curious about the history of different state symbols. Unfortunately, this book for some reason has not held my attention very well. On the surface, it seems to be what I wanted. I think the layout is what’s hampering me the most. For example, when learning about state flags, I’d like the picture of the flag to be right there. Instead, all the illustrations are in the center of the book. A lot of books do this; I’m sure it’s a cost-thing. It just made it hard for me to follow along and visualize, so I’m not enjoying this as much as I had hoped I would.

Now to the books I actually finished this month. None of them were nonfiction. The Katie Weldon books I’ve been waiting on for a long time finally came in at the library, so I got distracted…

I mentioned the first book in this series, Peculiar Treasures, in my Young Adult post from August. This month I finally got a chance to finish the series with On a Whim, Coming Attractions, and Finally and Forever. If you’ve been keeping up with my posts, then you know I’ve kind of rediscovered Robin Jones Gunn this year. I’ve gotten to dive back into some nostalgia with her Christy Miller series but also move into the present with her. And this latest series kind of straddled the line, giving me college Katie moving into independent and in love Katie, and that was really fun.

I’m very excited going into December’s genre, which is Historical Fiction. I’m already into my first book. I may also try to slip in a reread of The Hobbit, just because it feels Christmasy to me for some reason (and, of course, I’m in the midst of a bunch of Tolkien information at the moment), but we’ll see. What have you been reading lately? I’d love to hear about in the comments!