Books in Progress: What I’m Reading Right Now – March 2019

I have a confession to make: I’m addicted to putting books on hold at the library. Most of the time that’s not a problem, but every so often I end up in the pickle I’m currently experiencing, in which all the holds come flooding in so quickly that I can’t possible read them all before it’s time to return them. But does that stop me from trying? No, no it does not. And will that stop me from placing a prodigious number of holds in the future? Also no.

The result of this influx of holds is that I have been reading every moment I can, because returning a book that I’ve waited for without reading it makes me shrivel up inside. It’s not in my nature to placidly go to the back of the line and start over again. So for the next two weeks I’m thinking of myself as an Olympic reader, and I will get the gold in my mind if I successfully read all the books I currently have checked out. Plus the ones I committed to reviewing, plus the one I preordered that should be here any day and will probably shoot to the top of my list when it arrives.

Am I nuts? Does anyone else have this problem? I think you could compare it to the person who would rather sprain both of their shoulders than make more than one trip to carry in the groceries (also me). But I digress.

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Just Finished:

Of Fire and Lions

I just posted a review for this one earlier this week, because it was so good! Of Fire and Lions is the Biblical story of Daniel told through the eyes of his wife, Belili. Her account of the miracles and events surrounding his time in Babylon, as well as her own personal struggles make for a compelling and inspiring read. I loved the focus on faith and redemption, as well as the beautiful love story between Daniel and Belili. Even if you think you are familiar with this story, you will come away from this book with a fresh perspective on what it means to be faithful no matter what.

More Than Meets the Eye

I can always count on Karen Witemeyer for sweet, funny romances, and this one was no exception. The main character, Evangeline, has one blue eye and one brown eye – a characteristic that makes most people very uncomfortable. Then she meets Logan, who thinks her eyes are beautiful, but little does she know that his reason for buying the land next to her hodge-lodge family owns is to take her oldest brother down. This book is all about taking responsibility for your own thoughts and actions, and not judging a book by its cover.

In Progress:

Truth Unchanging

Usually my devotional choices are limited to a 365 day one that I read throughout the year. But I was sent a copy of Truth Unchanging and I am actually enjoying it much more than the yearly devotional I chose this year. It’s marketed specifically for mothers and it does have a lot of parenting related material in it, but I think it would be encouraging to women without children as well. I’ll post a more detailed review when I finish with it, but so far it’s getting two thumbs up from me.

Castle on the Rise

Last year I read The Lost Castle and really loved it. It was a triple timeline story, following three women in France and their connections to a castle throughout three different time periods. Castle on the Rise is the same concept, but set in Ireland this time. These books are driven by strong female protagonists and emphasize freedom and being responsible for your own life and happiness.

A Tender Hope

A midwife moves to a new town to leave behind her grief after her husband is murdered and her son is stillborn. She is immediately met by a Texas Ranger with an abandoned baby, who is investigating her in connection to a gang of robbers who purportedly have a female operative. That’s as far as I’ve gotten, but it’s an intriguing premise and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Up Next:

Daughters of Northern Shores

This is the preorder I mentioned in the intro. I read Sons of Blackbird Mountain last year and it was probably my favorite book of 2018, so I knew I had to make sure I got a copy of the follow-up as soon as it was released. It should be here any day and I’m so excited!

The Elite

Last month I read The Selection, a dystopian YA book about a girl who gets drawn to participate in a Bachelor style contest to choose a wife for the prince. I flew through it and I’ll be picking up the sequel on my next trip to the library to see what happens next, since The Selection ends before a bride is chosen. The few girls that remain are known as the Elite and even though I’m pretty sure I know who he’s going to choose I still need to see it happen.

The Bride of Ivy Green

Julie Klassen is another long time favorite author. Anything she writes gets an immediate add to my TBR and I have been waiting for this hold for a long time. Here’s hoping I don’t have to return it and get back in line because I’ve been waiting for three months, no joke. And this is the third in a series so I’m dying to find out what happens next.

Thanks to Modern Mrs. Darcy for hosting a quick lit link up! Go check her out if you want to see what even more bloggers are reading right now.

What are you reading right now? Are you a fellow compulsive library hold placer?