This month flew by! I can’t believe that April is almost over. I’ve been reading a couple of books this month that I haven’t quite finished, so I’ll save those for next month’s review. For this post, I’m sharing some old favorites and a couple of new ones! Have you read any of the suggestions in my past posts, yet? I’d love to know!
Play with Fire by Bianca Olthoff
Y’all. Play with Fire resonated with me so much. There is so much fire in Bianca’s words, you can feel the heat because of how passionate she is. She spoke truth and love, and I found so much encouragement in her testimony. Her story is incredibly similar to my own in the sense that her mom was diagnosed with brain cancer and they spent a few years battling it together. My mom was diagnosed with a mass in her brain a couple of years ago and we’ve been going through all of the emotions as well. But, Bianca shares so much encouragement and hope. And she shares stories from the Bible in a whole new light! It was just what I needed when I read it! 10 out of 10.
Dahveed Series by Terri Fivash
You know the story of David in the Bible? Dahveed is a series that digs in deep about what it would have been like for him throughout his entire life’s journey, from the time he was a kid up until he becomes King of Israel. It. Is. SO. GOOD. Fivash did tons of research before writing this series, so there’s a lot of cultural references which I love. Definitely recommend this one!
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Man. This was a tough read for me, I’m not going to lie. I had to read it for a class a couple of years ago and while it kept my attention, it also broke my heart. A Thousand Splendid Suns tells the story of two girls from Afghanistan who come from two entirely different worlds. Through a series of events (i.e., war) their lives merge together. This book tackles war, child marriage, toxic relationships, love, and so much more. It was riveting, intriguing, heartbreaking, and I couldn’t put it down. I’d recommend it but just be prepared for emotions.
Paris for One & Other Short Stories by JoJo Moyes
I’ll be honest, I don’t think this is the best book that Moyes has ever written. I still enjoyed it, but I wish that it was longer. I feel like it was cut short at the end. Paris for One tells the story of a girl, Nell, who plans a trip to Paris with her boyfriend. He doesn’t join her though, and she ends up in Paris by herself where she manages to make the best of things despite how upset she is that her boyfriend didn’t come. Over the course of a few days she learns a lot about herself, breaks out of her shell, and finds what she’s been looking for all along. It’s a great story, I just wish it had lasted longer.
If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey
This was a great read, but the first couple of chapters were slow-going. I think the first 2-3 chapters could have been summed up into one, but they did lay the foundation for Ivey’s story. In If You Only Knew, Ivey shares pieces of her past that could be considered shameful. And once she began sharing her testimony, I was hooked. The level of bravery it takes to be this vulnerable is admirable and encouraging. Ivey didn’t hold back, and I loved that. Her willingness to share her own experiences with lust, sex, and even porn made the encouragement that she shared all the more meaningful. If you’ve dealt with things in your past, or even currently, that you consider shameful or embarrassing, then you need to read this book.
Next on my list is reading The Myth of the Nice Girl by Fran Hauser. I’ve read really good things about it and I’m eager to get my hands on a copy!
If you read any of these books, make sure you post about it and use #JoellesReads when you do! I’d love to hear what you think about them!
*This post contains affiliate links so if you purchase any of the books, I’ll receive a small commission.
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