2023 - Second Quarterly Review

To assist my blog readers, I summarize my reading four times a year, providing a brief description, the page count, and a grading scale (💖5 thumbs up - highly recommend, 4 thumbs up - enjoyed, 3 thumbs up - good, 2 thumbs up - meh, and 1 thumb down - regret, wishing I could get back the time invested). I read the following books during the second quarter of 2023 (links to full reviews can be found in the side-bar, or after 2023, found through the search bar at the right):

Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex - Now that Prince Harry and Megan Markle are living in America, he wishes to set the record straight and put forth his side of the story, countering the lies fabricated by the media for the purpose of sales. He joins the media in seeking profit from a story. 410 pages (I listened in audio form, 13 CDs, 15-3/4 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

💖Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer - A riveting story of the initial efforts to scale Mt. Everest. In Archer's signature style, the ending held great satisfaction and made me a little weepy. 448 pages (I listened in audio form, 9 CDs, 11 hours), 👍👍👍👍👍

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan - Retold many times over for adults and children, this epic tale of a pilgrim's journey on the path to heaven is full of spiritual application and allegorical truth. Every Christian should read this book! Various page counts and mediums, some more effective and enjoyable than others.

💖Maureen by Rachel Joyce - This is the 3rd book exploring the lives of characters introduced in her blockbuster hit, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Yet another pilgrimage I highly recommend to other readers! 132 pages, 👍👍👍👍👍

Home Detox: Make Your Home a Healthier Place For Everyone Who Lives There by Daniella Chace  - Suggestions outlining the top ten toxic items in various rooms or areas of a house and acceptable replacements. In many ways, a terrifying book. 195 pages, 👍👍👍

Praying for My Life: Holding On to God's Promises, No Matter What by Marion Bond West - A powerful litany of life stories that demonstrate the importance of tenacious prayer, our only lifeline. 285 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky - Pregnant teen mom pulls herself up by the bootstraps to a prominent position of high school principal, only to possibly lose it all when her own teen becomes pregnant. Is she a bad mother like her own mother? What defines a good mother? 343 pages (I listened in audio form, 10 CDs, 12-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍

Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight by J. I. Packer & Carolyn Nystrom - As Packer says, this is not a "how-to," as much as it is a "who-to" or "to whom" for prayer. Deep insights into the nature and struggle of prayer. Although the cover said, "unabridged," the introduction labelled this "selections" from Praying - and the page count for the hardback doesn't seem to match the time length of the audio - 319 pages (I listened, twice, in audio form, 2 CDs, 2 hours), 👍👍👍👍

Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer by Max Lucado - Lucado's is a more storied exploration on prayer than the deep thoughts offered in the previous book by Packer. He offers a recitable pocket prayer as guidance. 159 pages (I listened in audio form, 2 CDs, 2-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍

Finding God in Hidden Places by Joni Eareckson Tada - A series of short essays that highlight the presence of God in our lives. Honest, vulnerable, Christ-focused. 160 pages (I listened in audio form, 3 CDs, 3 hours), 👍👍👍👍

The Making of an Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy With the Spiritual Disciplines by Nathan Foster - Son of author of Celebration of Discipline outlines his own experience with trying to implement more spiritual discipline into his life. He is honest and vulnerable, but I found less meat than I had hoped. 194 pages, 👍👍👍

Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Max Lucado - Simple stories accompany principles for finding peace in times of trouble. 222 pages (I listened in audio form, 3 CDs, 3-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍

The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly: Life Wisdom from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You by Margareta Magnusson - From the author of a book on Swedish "death-cleaning," comes a book on tips for aging well. 160 pages (I listened in audio form, 3 CDs, 3-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍

Prayer: Does it Make a Difference? by Philip Yancey - A thorough journalistic investigation into the power and mysteries of prayer. 352 pages, 👍👍👍👍

💖Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop - Biblical lament pours out the agonies of life below to the sovereign God above and helps us live today with hope for tomorrow. 224 pages, 👍👍👍👍👍