Books in Progress: What I’m Reading Right Now – August 2017

reading embrace the dawn

It’s that time again, the time when I share what I’m reading with my internet peeps. As usual, there’s a range of genres. That’s because I’ve always liked to read more than one book at a time, but if I read two or more with similar setting, story, or style then it’s easy to get confused. Nobody likes to be confused, and I spend enough of my real life in that mental state without extending it to my reading life.

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Right now I’m in the middle of one nonfiction, one historical fiction, and one much beloved middle grade novel that I am finally reading for the first time. So without further ado:

Rising Strong
Brene Brown

A friend chose this one for us to read together, and I’m not sure what I think about it. It deals with the concept of how we respond when we get knocked down emotionally. Do we give up in defeat or ‘rise strong’? What are the habits and characteristics of people who rise strong? Seems like valuable knowledge, but I’m having trouble absorbing it because the structure of the book seems a little disjointed to me. I’m only halfway through though, so maybe things will come together for me as I approach the end.

Embrace the Dawn
Kathleen Morgan

Here’s a quirky little thing about me. I am really drawn to historical fiction set in Scotland. I don’t know what it is about Highlander stories that gets me, but I just really love them. The problem is that it’s been difficult for me to find historical Scottish novels that are clean enough to keep me from cringing, and that’s what I love about Kathleen Morgan. I’ve read her These Highland Hills series through twice, but somehow I missed this older two book series. So I bought them both and am now doing my best to remedy that travesty. The only thing I’m bummed about is that cover of the book I got was not nearly as pretty as the one pictured above. But I’ll deal. And if anyone has any more suggestions for inoffensive highland historical fiction I am all ears.

A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L’Engle

My final book in this list is one that many of you are probably familiar with. This is a title that I’ve heard referenced a million times, mostly in adoring tones, so I put it on my 20th century classics reading list at the beginning of the year. I’m almost done with it, and I’ve really enjoyed it! It’s quirky and fun, and I love how the heroes in this story are kids – it takes me back to my Boxcar Children days.

Thanks to Modern Mrs. Darcy for the reading list link-up! Head over to her page to see what tons of other bloggers are reading right now too.

What are you reading these days? I’d love for you to talk books with me in the comments!

22 Comments

  1. I really should go back and read “A Wrinkle in Time” – I know I read it as a kid, but I don’t remember it at all, except for the cover. I’m currently reading “Wool” which got me from the first chapter. I just finished “Meddling Kids” which was just OK…. It was good, but I had really high expectations.

    • Just read the description of Wool, sounds interesting! I’m not sure if I would like Meddling Kids either. I hadn’t heard of either of these before, thanks for commenting!

  2. I just re-read A Wrinkle in Time this month too! Fun to revisit a childhood book with adult eyes. I haven’t read Rising Strong Yet but Daring Greatly by Brene Brown is a favorite of mine, but you’re right she does write in a storytelling manner, not in a super linear way. I think it comes from her background as a qualitative researcher (more story focused).

    • I think you’re right, that’s the perfect way to describe her style. That’s difficult for me to follow in nonfiction, I generally prefer more actionable steps and lists to help me keep track of the concept as it develops. I think I’m in the minority though, because there are a lot of Brene Brown fans out there.

  3. Clean fiction set in Scotland–have you read any D. E. Stevenson? These are “old” books (written in 40s-50s, I’m guessing). They are light, old-fashioned novels, with guaranteed happy endings, not historical. Not all are set in Scotland, but several are. I LOVE them and have reread many (I am definitely a re-reader).

  4. These all look like great books! I want to read “Rising Strong” first and then continue with the other two. Thanks for sharing! I’m always on the look for good books to read 🙂

  5. I read A Wrinkle in Time last year and loved it. The follow-up, A Wind in the Door is just as fascinating! I don’t read sci-fi but L’Engle’s brilliant, imaginative writing sucked me in!

  6. My son has been assigned some summer reading this year and he would love A Wrinkle in Time. that’s right in his lane of interests. thanks for sharing these, I’m going to read the description to him to see what he thinks.

  7. Liz Curtis Higgs wrote a historical fiction trilogy that I loved and were all clean. I think one title was Whence Cometh a Prince. Have you seen these?

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