What I’m Reading, August

Summer is slowly winding down. Children are going back to school and people are getting in their last hurrahs at the beach, but here in Southern California it is as hot as ever. The scorching heat is good encouragement to hang out at well air conditioned places like the library, a place where I spend both my professional and free time (I started working at a public library in June). In an effort to reach my arbitrary goal of 50 books read by the end of year, I’m trying to tackle shorter books. Below is what I’m currently reading.

Review – No God but One: Allah or Jesus?: A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity

Last summer I traveled to Turkey for the first time and visited many beautiful mosques that represented some of the highest examples of art in the Islamic world. One of my favorites was the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, a stunning display of Ottoman architecture commissioned by Suleyman the Magnificent in the sixteenth century. The grandeur of the building must be experienced in person as pictures do not nearly do it justice.

However, what stays with me the most from visiting this mosque is not the architecture but the talk I received from one the mosque’s attendants. Somewhat against our will my boyfriend and I, along with another couple, were roped into hearing a 10-15 minute talk that attempted to convert us to Islam.¹ Although I’m a Christian and perfectly happy with my religion I enjoy learning about other religions and I had never been proselytized to about a non-Christian religion before so my interest was piqued.

Mid-Year Freak Out Tag 2026

I am back from the dead to do some low effort posting. My goal for this year is to read 50 books for the first time. My previous record is 45 books. I am currently at 17 books and we are over halfway through the year, so things are not looking promising for me. But I will maintain hope and persevere. In the meantime, here is a review of what I’ve read so far.

BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ YET IN 2026

Ruth by Kate Riley

A book about a woman who grows up in a Christian, Amish-like commune. I was not sure what direction this book would go in, but was pleasantly surprised by how the author chose to portray this community. Many people would likely portray such a Christian community in a sinister or malevolent way, focusing on feelings of oppressiveness, but Riley takes quite a neutral stance writing Ruth’s life and does not assume the worst of her characters. While I personally would not want to live in such a community despite also being a Christian, I can see the appeal of a highly communal lifestyle with a strong sense of purpose that transcends materialism and worldly concerns. The author Kate Riley left New York City as an adult to live on a Christian commune herself for a year and she considers it one of the happiest times of her life. I appreciate that Riley clearly approaches her subject from a place of curiosity and inquisitiveness and presents her characters, although flawed at times, in a grace-giving way. Additionally, Ruth’s voice is much more humorous than I would have initially expected, so I also appreciate Riley bringing some levity to Ruth’s story.

Review – The Cactus League by Emily Nemens

I initially planned on reading The Cactus League last Spring Training. But then Covid happened, and I couldn’t go to the library to pick up the hold, and then I moved, and then the library in my new town closed again after being open for 2 months, and………… yeah. I had lots of time to psych myself up for this one.

The verdict is: the potential was there.

Presidential Biography Challenge: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe

Between libraries closing for months and months due to the pandemic and myself moving to another state, I was not able to make a huge dent in presidential biographies in 2020. A meagre three was all I could manage.

Review – Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing was one of the most anticipated books on my to read list. I was certain I was going to love it since it has similar elements to some of my other favorite books: the main character is a young girl who is an outcast in some way and it takes place in the south. And it has rave reviews and a high Goodreads rating!

Once again I was burned by the hype.

Favorite Books Read in 2019

We made it people! It’s the end of a decade! Good riddance in my opinion. Sorry to be a such downer, but I was pretty miserable a lot of this decade. I felt so stuck, like I was wasting my life away, and I either couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do anything about it. Books were one of the few things that kept me going and gave me a sense of accomplishment. But this year there are big changes happening in my life and I hope I finally start living with more purpose.

In terms of reading 2019 was a great year. I read a total of 40 books. A record 19 of those were non-fiction which is a big surprise. I’m not very good at keeping up with new releases, only reading 2 books that came out this year, but I did read 8 that came out last year. And there were only 2 books I really disliked! (They were Where the Red Fern Grows and The Year of the Gadfly fyi)

First, let’s start with honorable mentions:

December Wrap Up

What a reading month! I finished 7 books and hit my decided-at-the-last-minute goal of 40 books for the year.

November Wrap Up

This month’s wrap up features the internet, Michelle Obama, gods of death, and a white whale. Let’s get into it.

Review – Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

Cleopatra is a tricky subject to write about. While most people have heard of her, she has inspired a Shakespeare play and a film starring Elizabeth Taylor, few people know the real person behind the character. Only one word written by her has survived and ancient accounts of her life were written by the Romans who despised her.