Recent Reads

affiliate links

Christmas stocked me up on all the books that I've been meaning to read for longer than I care to admit (you'll see what I mean). January graciously gave me the time to read most of them between my dad's injuries, jury summons, and this weekend's impending snowstorm:

Hyperbole and a Half, Allie Brosh

I can't believe it was 2011 when I was so thrilled to read this blog post from Brosh. I'd been a regular stalker reader of her blog since 2009. Nevermind that it's 2015 and the book finally made it to shelves in 2013. A lot of content was from her blog (I was happy to re-visit it!), but there was also some fun new content. I sincerely hope things start looking up in her life as I'd love to see her come back to the blog/writing scene.

Also, this is a really fast read! Great for waiting rooms and such since it's a book of stories. I purposely brought it to jury duty knowing I'd be cranky if I were frequently interrupted reading a regular book. Great plan, except I finished and still had waiting time.

Jilted, Varina Denman

Ever since I received book 1 in this trilogy, Jaded, I've been dying to get my hands on Jilted (book 2 of 3 in the Mended Hearts Series).

I loved it every bit as much as the first; Denman is new to the Christian writing scene, but her fiction, while entertaining, takes a hard and authentic look at problems within the church today while still communicating the importance of our faith. I've given up on a lot of Christian media over time, but Denman is a breath of fresh air, and I can't wait for book 3 and future work from her!

Christy & Todd: The Married Years, Robin Jones Gunn

This is actually three books: Forever With You, Home Of Our Hearts, and One More Wish.

The nostalgia factor is huge for me with these stories; I grew up reading the Christy Miller series...and all Gunn's other series about her friends. Like many christian books, Christy and Todd's story ended at the altar..back in 2001.

Recently, Gunn gifted us with three more (admittedly, Gunn claims she never knows if a book will be her last) books about Christy and Todd—after the wedding. I was surprised (very pleasantly) with the realism that young couples currently face. For instance, there were job and housing concerns which are so relatable right now—Sean and I experienced several of the challenges in these stories, and I love that Gunn chose to incorporate real life into these marriages while showing that challenges can be faced together without hurting the relationship.

Why Not Me?, Mindy Kaling

I read Kaling's first book almost immediately upon release. I totally dropped the ball on this one. Thankfully, Sean had a small The Office theme going on with my Christmas gifts this year (you'll see why in a moment). That theme will be carrying on into this weekend's blizzard as I plan to read both this and:

The Bassoon King, Rainn Wilson

I'm pretty sure I knew Wilson (aka Dwight Schrute) wrote a book, but then completely forgot about it. Thankfully, Sean remembered (or the aisles of Target reminded him). I'm excited to get inside Wilson's head over this snowy weekend and see what kind of person he is when Dwight isn't around.


After Dwight, my Christmas reads are complete. Yikes! Any recommendations on what I should read next? What are you currently reading?