I’m sharing books that I chose for my own reading enjoyment in my monthly Quick Lit posts. Not books for review, but because I’ve been wanting to read them or they caught my attention. Most of them have been talked about ad nauseam or have been on my to-read list for a long time so they don’t really need a full review. But, I’d still like to give them some space here on the blog, so instead, I’m offering mini-reviews of the books that won’t get full-page space here.
I’ll be linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy and her monthly Quick Lit link-up. Be sure to head over to see others share their Quick Lit posts. This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read more about that.
My current reads are WAITING FOR TOM HANKS, THE MAID, and FALL TO GRACE. I’m listening to MASTER YOUR CORE. I also shared My Favorite Books of 2021 and My Favorite Children’s Books of 2021.
WARTIME CHRISTMAS
A WWII Flash Fiction Anthology
By: Alexa Kang, Dianne Ascroft, et al
Published: November 26, 2020
Historial Fiction/Short Stories
Format: eBook
I was looking for a quick Christmas book to finish out the year. I don’t remember where I saw this posted, but it was FREE and only available on Kindle. This collection of short stories is set during WWII but in different places in the world and from different perspectives. You might have a story of a young man hiding in a bunker on Christmas Eve or a mother at home waiting for any word that her son is ok. At less than 80 pages, you could read this in an evening. This entire collection included new-to-me authors. You’ll find romance, mystery, and war-time stories to warm your heart over the holidays.
PREPARE HIM ROOM
A Daily Advent Devotional
By: Susie Larson
Published: September 14, 2021
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Non-Fiction/Christian Devotional
A really beautiful devotional with daily readings that only take minutes but leave you wanting more. She leaves each devotion with a prayer and an idea to fast for that day. Many of the devotions applied to real life and the biblical references were grounding.
It’s a perfect book for gifting so I suggest getting copies now to give all year so all the special people have a copy for next Advent season.
ADDRESS UNKNOWN
By: Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
Published: 1938, republished June 29, 2021
Publisher: Ecco
Historical Fiction
Format: eBook
First published in 1938 in a magazine, this short story was written to warn readers about how the Nazi mindset can take over our minds and change everything we thought we believed or loved. I heard about this on a Best Books of 2021 Patreon episode of What Should I Read Next? and the story intrigued me. Again, this can be read in one sitting with just under 100 pages. But, those 100 pages pack a punch right in the gut. Gosh, I’m still thinking about this one. Also, the author first only used her initials so it would get published since she was a woman, but now, we truly know the author’s full name. I think it would be an excellent addition to a WWII unit in a classroom. Told in epistolary format, it makes for a very quick read.
THE BOYS
A Memoir of Hollywood and Family
By: Ron Howard and Clint Howard
Narrated by: Ron Howard and Clint Howard
Published: October 12, 2021
Publisher: William Morrow
Non-Fiction/Memoir
I love celebrity memoirs on audio and this one read by the Howard brothers was a delight. Ron and Clint share about their coming of age in a family that was trying to break into Hollywood. If you were a fan of The Andy Griffith Show or Happy Days or just like celebrity memoirs, then this is the book for you. Ron and Clint both share their perspectives on events in their lives. The audio is really well done, but you also won’t want to miss the photos in the physical copy.
EAT TO BEAT DISEASE
The New Science of How the Body Can Heal Itself
By: William Li, MD
Narrated by: Peter Ganim
Published: March 19, 2019
Publisher: Ganim
Non-Fiction/Health/Wellness
I listened to this on audio as well as read the physical copy. I thought the audio was fine, but you will definitely want a physical copy to see the charts and answer some of the quizzes. His concept is that you can eat foods to help in the healing process whether it is your gut, a serious disease like cancer, or just boost your own immunity. His advice makes sense and his program is quite easy to understand and follow. I really learned a lot about the food we eat and how it affects our bodies. I have shared this book with several people since reading it and I encourage others to read it as well.
HIDDEN FIGURES
Young Reader’s Edition
By: Margot Lee Shetterly
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Published: November 29, 2016
Publisher: Harper Collins
Non-Fiction/Biography
I’ve been interested in this story and had the young reader’s edition on my shelf. The audio was available on Libby so I listened and read the physical copy. The physical copy does have photographs that you’ll want to be able to see as well. I admit, I probably would have enjoyed the adult version more, but this one gave me a good overview of the story and I can always read the adult version later if I choose.
This is the amazing story of four African-American women who helped NASA achieve some of our biggest and best space moments. They were called computers because they literally were computing the mathematical figures and formulas to get our astronauts to space and back. This is a much briefer version of the story but it does go into the racism the women faced both because they were women and because they were black women in a male-dominated organization.
Bahni Turpin does a fabulous narration and it’s a quick read/listen. I watched the movie version this week and loved it also.
This book is one book off of my to-read shelf as part of my 2022 challenge to read 22 books off my own shelves. You can see more about that HERE.
THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS
By: Robert Dugoni
Published: September 14, 2021
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Fiction/Historical Fiction
This was our book club choice for last month and the second Dugoni book we have read together. We also read THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL, which I highly recommend. This story is told his three time periods, all surrounding the main character Vincent. We find him during the summer after graduation working for a construction crew. There he works alongside two Vietnam vets and we learn their stories as they are serving in Vietnam. Now, Vincent is a father to his own son, a senior that has been met with one of life’s most difficult situations.
I haven’t read many books set during the Vietnam war and this story reminds readers of the difficulties vets faced as they returned and how little was available for them. It’s also a story of a dad trying to help his son find his way as he reminisces on his own choices in life. Really great story with lots of opportunities for discussion.
The world, it seemed, had been busy playing chess, While I had played checkers . . . and ignored the rest.
Robert Dugoni, THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS
I need to check into The Boys! My husband would probably enjoy that one too. I didn’t know they’d written a book (I didn’t even know of Clint Howard either).