August Chapter

Happy Friday!

Starting today, I will be posting a monthly wrap-up.  I plan to touch on the books I read that month, the progress I made in my 100 Best Novels goal, give you a few book-related Internet gems I discovered lately, as well as general blog news.  If there is something else you'd like to see added to these monthly "chapters," just say the word! I'm open to ideas!

Dust - Hugh Howey

Dust

It's no secret that I've become obsessed with Hugh Howey's Silo trilogy this summer.  After reading Wool in June at a coworker's suggestion, I was hooked.  I finished Shift at the start of this month.  In a perfectly timed coincidence, the final book, Dust, was released on my birthday.  Thanks for the awesome birthday present, Hugh Howey.  What a thoughtful author, am I right?

Despite having finished Shift not even two weeks previously, I did struggle getting into the beginning of Dust.  The story picks up at the simultaneous ends of Wool and Shift.  The story in Dust moves consistently between Silos 18, 17, and 1 as the isolated world get closer and closer to converging.  Warning: Spoilers Ahead

Through Glass - Cover Reveal

As you may or may not have noticed lately, I have been taking steps to promote the blog and increase readership.  As a part of that, I will be interacting more with other book blogs and participating in some book tours.  In fact, I have my very first book tour book ever sitting next to me as I write this.  You can look for my review of that book on September 10.  

Today, however, I'm joining a cover reveal for Rebecca Ethington's Through Glass.  The book releases on September 20 - just a few short weeks away.  I have not actually read anything written by Ethington, but she is a highly rated Goodreads author who writes mainly young adult work.  Through Glass looked intriguing to me, which is why I agreed to participate in this cover reveal.  

C.S. Lewis: A Life - Alister McGrath

C.S. Lewis: A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet

As the summer does truly close out, so has come the time for the end of the summer reading program I have been loosely participating in since June.  The program requires reading at least five books from Tyndale's list.  I posted about book four last week.  Alister McGrath's biography of the great C.S. Lewis is my fifth and final.

While nearly everyone who grows up in an American, evangelical Christian home has heard of C.S. Lewis and his writings, I realized that I actually knew very little about his personal history.  I knew he converted and subsequently became and influential defender of the faith.  Beyond that, I knew nothing.  Seeing McGrath's book on Tyndale's list seemed like the perfect opportunity to resolve that problem.

A Passage to India - E.M. Forster

A Passage to India

In my continuing quest to read Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels, I found myself again facing a book and author I had never heard of before this challenge.  I have a feeling this will be a recurring theme.  It's amazing how much quality literature a solid education omits.  Or maybe the amazing thing is how much quality is out there to begin with...

Unlike my experience with Booth Tarkington's work, E.M. Forster's novel does fall into a historical period which habitually enchants me.  The book is set in colonial India around the 1920s.  At the time of its publication, the novel paralleled current events.  Forster, in fact, wrote the work based on his own experiences in the country.

Beyond Ordinary - Justin & Trisha Davis

Beyond Ordinary

Those of you who have been around the blog for a while know I have casually participated in Tyndale Media Center's summer reading program.  It's so hard to find a good reading program for adults these days.  Our library didn't even have one for kids.  This one requires the participant to read five books from Tyndale's list of recent releases; you are then rewarded with a free book.  I've completed books one, two, and three and logged my thoughts here.  Now, book four.

I chose this book from the list because Amazon offered it for free one day at the start of the summer. Most of you know, I am newly married (ten months today!); a marriage book appealed to me.  Beyond the title, I really knew nothing about the text of the work.

The Magnificent Ambersons - Booth Tarkington

The Magnificent Ambersons

For reasons unbeknownst to me, I love a good period novel.  Not just anything will do.  I hate the vapid, shallow attempts lining the shelves of Christian book stores and chick-lit sections everywhere. Certain historical periods hold no allure for me.  I find it difficult to isolate exactly what it is I love about certain books in this genre.  Good writing certainly plays into it, along with good characters.  My classic go-to for satiating this need is L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series.

When I picked up The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington, I had no expectations that it would fall into this category for me.  I knew absolutely nothing about the story or author.  The sole reason it came to my attention lies with the 100 Best Novels challenge.  Once again, my literary adventure has proven itself worthwhile, presenting me with a charming story.

Tarkington's story centers around a wealthy family living in America at a time of cultural shift.  The Amberson family lives off of old money while a new breed of American millionaires are rising from the industrial boom - around the turn of the twentieth century for those keeping track.  Though set in Indianapolis, Tarkington's home town, the location is hardly mentioned and could be nearly anywhere. Oh the glorious Midwest, the epitome of relatable normal.  I have got to get out of here.