Come what may in May – I expect to do a lot of lawn mowing, book reading, and cooking this month.
Word of the Month
Reconciliation
Bible Verse of the Month
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – (2 Corinthians 5:17)
This month’s reading diary is at the bottom of this page, after the book list.
My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/lindajm
★ – I’m reading it.
✓ – I finished reading it. Yay!
⇗ – Still reading at the end of the month.
⇓ – I did not like it or finish it.
∅ – Stalled – I started but didn’t finish.
Finished Reading This Month
✓ Christian Nonfiction: Power Through Prayer, by EM Bounds
Twenty short chapters! This was a buddy-read for me. Loved it. Very helpful. Finished May 29. Review
✓ Christian Art: Rembrandt Is In the Wind, by Russ Ramsey
Just happened to see this at Audible and I’m so glad I did – it is fantastic. It gives history of a series of artists, from a Christian perspective.
Finished this on May 27. LOVED it. So inspirational. Recommended! Review
✓ Juvenile Fiction: Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson
A Texas book for the USA Road Trip Reading Adventure. I started reading this in April and finished it on May 17. I was dreading getting to the end as the tension mounted.
Heart wrenching. A story about a special dog. Review
✓ Juvenile Fiction: Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, by Gary D. Schmidt
A Maine book for the USA Road Trip Reading Adventure.
Finished 5/16. Good historical fiction but there was too much stereotyping of characters for me. Review
✓ Memoir: What Comes Next and How To Like It, by Abigail Thomas
A memoir about aging.
Finished listening to the audiobook on May 8. Great memoir of a 71 year old woman facing the future whatever it may hold for her. Review
✓ Nonfiction: Paul: A Biography, by N.T. Wright
I’m reading this for the “No Place Like Rome” readathon. Great history book. I’m very much enjoying it.
Finished May 5, 2024 – this wasn’t an easy reading experience, but I got a lot out of it. Review
✓ Memoir: Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making, by Andrew Peterson
This is the memoir of a Christian musician and writer.
Finished May 1, 2024. I listened to the audio version and recommend it; this is a beautiful book. Review
What I’m Reading Now
★ Memoir: Beautiful on the Mountain, by Jeannie Light
I’m a few chapters into this memoir and am enjoying it very much.
★ Letters: The Letters of Vincent van Gogh, by Vincent Van Gogh
I’m reading this in a buddy-read situation with two other Booktubers.
★ Christian Nonfiction: Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship, by John MacArthur
I’m learning the difference between charismatic, continualist, and cessationist. The author of this book is a cessationist.
★ Christian Classic: On the Incarnation, by Athanasius
This was recommended in my new book, 25 Books Every Christian Should Read. There are 25 books to read and this is the first listed, so I thought I’d start here.
Hold-Overs From Last Month
★ Christian Nonfiction: The Miracles Answer Book, by Lee Strobel
This is a short book of questions and answers. He wrote much more in a longer book on the topic of miracles.
★ Christian Art: Finding Divine Inspiration: Working With the Holy Spirit in Your Creativity, by J.Scott McElroy
I started reading this before the forest fire of 2020. My copy survived the fire. (My home didn’t.) After three years of travel trailer living I’m in a house again and I’m reading this book again. I’m feeling very lucky (and cared for by God) and am getting a lot out of reading this book again.
★ Christian Nonfiction: The Art of Prophesying, by William Perkins
This is a Puritan book about the calling of the ministry.
★ Classic Fiction: Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo
This novel is huge – 1456 pages in the paperback edition. I figure if I read 121 to 122 pages monthly during 2024 I’ll have it finished by the end of the year. Wish me luck. My intention is to read the Kindle version along with the audiobook version. Immersion reading, they call it.
★ Christian Nonfiction: Developing a Vision for Ministry, by Aubrey Malphurs
I’m reading this to learn more about developing ministry ideas and opportunities for women in my local community. I’m not talking about becoming a “minister.” I’m a believer in 1 Timothy 2:12. My aim is to have a ministry that helps others in some specific and tangible way.
★ Christian: Moms in Prayer, by Fern Nichols
One of the best books about prayer that I’ve read so far.
★ Christian: Discovering the Joy of Jesus: A Guide to Philippians, by Stonecroft Ministries
This is another consumable Bible study book. I started it in 2021 with a local women’s Bible study group and I’m finishing it now.
★ Christian Nonfiction: Mere Christianity, by CS Lewis
Reading slowly with a friend who is making videos about the chapters.
★ Christian Nonfiction: Make or Break Your Church in 365 Days: A Daily Guide to Leading Effective Change, by Paul D. Borden
I found this with my books after the new house was built and decided to read it. I have no idea when or from where I got it. It seems to be a time management book for pastors.
Other Books I Want to Read This Month
☆ Memoir: The Manicurist’s Daughter, by Susan Lieu
This book was sent to me by the publisher! It will be counted as either a Washington or California book for my USA Road Trip Reading Adventure.
☆ Christian Biography: Ann Judson: A Missionary Life for Burma, by Sharon James
This was chosen for my TBR Takedown reading challenge. Looks good to me!
☆ Fiction: Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner
This is on the pile of possibilities. Don’t know that I’ll get to it, but I’d like to. I hope it will qualify as an Idaho book for my USA Road Trip.
Books I DNF’ed This Month
DNF = Did Not Finish
Nothing has been DNF’ed yet.
My May 2024 Reading Diary
May 1 – At this point in the month I’m practically wordless.
May 5 – Early this morning, just after midnight, I finished reading the biography about Paul by NT Wright. I’ve been reading 30 pages daily to get it done by today as there will be a Zoom chat at 11 am between three of us who have read this book. This is my first ever Zoom chat with other Booktubers! One of the ladies didn’t like the book. I did!
May 16 – Today I finished listening to the “Lizzie Bright” audiobook and went back to listening to Les Miserables, which is such a good story! Other things I did today include lawn mowing (two small sections of 1/2 acre) and painting on an art gallery scene. Aside from that I’m dealing with not getting enough sleep and being exhausted most of the day, needing multiple short naps to get through it. Of course that interferes with everything else I’d like to do in life.
May 17 – I finished reading Old Yeller. Dog books are special, just like dogs are.
May 31 – It was a good reading month. I finished seven books.
Best: Rembrandt Is In the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith, by Russ Ramsey – a nonfiction book about some famous artists from a Christian perspective. I really loved this book!
Worst: Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, by Gary D. Schmidt – too many stereotyped characters
Surprise: Paul, A Biography, by N.T. Wright – this big thick scholarly book about the life of the Apostle Paul was sometimes hard to read through but it gave me a desire to learn more about early Christian history.
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