What I'm reading Wednesday
New year, new reads
Who fell woefully short of their Goodreads goal this year?
I’d love to say that this year will be better. I’d love to read 50+ books in 2025. Sadly, that would be wildly unrealistic. (And as a spec fantasy author, I know all a
bout wildly unlikely happenings!)
However, that doesn’t mean I’m not planning to read! Who made the rule that reading only counts if you’ve finished a 400 page novel and added it to your Goodreads, anyway? WHY can’t all the other things you’re reading— and sometimes hearing read aloud— count?
If you’re like me and live in a lot of different books, articles, and audio stories throughout the year, Goodreads isn’t always a great representation of our reading habits. Why not honor what I do get to read and highlight what I’m enjoying? And so, without further ado, welcome to What I’m Reading Wednesday— a genre and media-spanning adventure!
Fiction
That Hideous Strength- C.S. Lewis
Last year I joined a book club so I would finally read the Ransom Trilogy (formerly known as the Space Trilogy— don’t let the REAL Lewis enthusiasts catch you saying that, though!) I just started That Hideous Strength, which breaks a lot of fiction rules right off the bat to the point of unintelligibility. You have to dig through a hard POV shift and Lewis’ turbo-meta commentary on English academia to get located, but after that, it’s a lot easier to follow.
While I’m looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy, I'll be interested to see where this ranks in terms of story quality. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lewis— his writing is one of the foremost influences on my writing journey— but being a genius doesn’t give you a pass on making your work accessible. (Feel free to fight out your own opinions below!)
A Time for Everything - “A Time to Be Born” by Parker J. Cole
A Time for Everything is a time-travel themed anthology based on Ecclesiastes 3. I’m working through the stories, and they are brilliant. The first is “A Time to Be Born” by Parker J. Cole— an intriguing story of a dangerously ambitious scientist who believes he can change the very foundations of civilization; his antagonist, a nun and gifted scientist in her own right, joins him on the journey, though her faith, calling, and convictions are challenged. I really enjoyed this story. Cole is an excellent author and has a gift for getting you invested in the characters immediately.
Nonfiction
Rhythms of Grace - Mike Cosper
At the behest of my husband, I’m working through Rhythms of Grace. He didn’t agree with all the book’s conclusions (which, funnily enough, is what Bob Kauflin says in the foreword), but he insists everyone who’s involved in worship at their church should read it. Giving it a shot!
Christian History Magazine - all about Oswald Chambers!
Arguably the reason I don’t get a lot of reading done in my free time is because my work at Christian History requires a lot of it. CH strikes a difficult balance in making history accessible for the average reader while also retaining the academic quality of the stories we’re telling. Each issue I learn something new, and our current project on Oswald Chambers is no exception. I’m discovering detailed insight into the life of the man behind My Utmost for His Highest, an enduringly popular devotional for over 100 years. If you love biographical history, you won’t want to miss this one when it prints in February!
Audio Adventures
Last spring, I got my kids started on Redwall, which we rented as an audiobook from the library. We quickly followed with Mattimeo and now we’re on Mossflower. The Redwall series is a lot of fun— heroic and interesting characters, adventure, battles, and actually bad baddies who get their just deserts at the end. Mossflower is a prequel story, telling more of the tale of Martin the Warrior as well as a large cast of spin-off characters. While Redwall stories can get rather formulaic over time, it’s a perfect intro to epic fantasy for kids. And here’s why my son (6 at the time of this writing) enjoyed Redwall:
Thanks for joining me for What I’m Reading Wednesday! This will be a fairly regular feature, so if you have recommendations— audio, article, short story, book or more— share them!
And if you’re looking for something to read, why not start here?
Just dropped in to say... props on reading THS. Agreed, the academic bit is a challenging start. Lots of references to that Oxbridge world, I think. But man, if THS isn't a near-perfect thriller. And I love seeing Lewis handle horror and super dark themes. It's probably my favorite of his, and still, for me, the perfect novel (except the ending, which is weak).
Also here to say... yes to Redwall. And yes to your son's reason for liking it. 🤣 my mom used to skip those parts in reading to us, but my dad always read them!
Cheers! :)