February and March 2024 Reads

It’s finally time to reveal the mystery of what I’ve been reading for the last couple of months!

Hind’s Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

I really enjoyed this. About a woman, Much Afraid, as she makes the difficult journey from her home, and away from her controlling, fear-inducing family, to live in the High Places with the Shepherd. With two companions, Suffering and Sorrow, she slowly travels through painful terrain and internal struggles. I think of this book as being similar to The Pilgrim’s Progress (John Bunyan), in the sense it is allegorical of the Christian life. The surrender and sacrifice of Much Afraid was impactful and well-worth the read as she learns those difficult lessons we all need to face. 4 stars.

These Strange Ashes by Elisabeth Elliot

About Elisabeth Elliot’s early experiences of being a missionary before marrying Jim. This was a small book I enjoyed reading; I find a lot of value in her other books, and this helped give a fuller picture of who she was and how she grew as a Christian. 3.5 stars.

What Katy Did and What Katy Did at School by Susan Coolidge

I’ve mentioned before how much I love children’s classics because they hold so much truth. Watching the growth of the characters, and seeing the impact they end up having on other people’s lives around them is a beautiful process. Katy is a lively child who pushes the rules and doesn’t always have patience for her siblings. But after hurting her back and needing to stay inside for weeks on end, she learns how to be content, kind, and use the time in a way that benefits her mind, spirit and the home around her. It was heartwarming because you know the lessons she learns are true and real despite being a fictional character. 4.5 stars.

A Brief Theology of Periods by Rachel Jones

A Christian book that explores the spiritual background of what a female experiences in having a period. This was accessible and easy to read. While it wasn’t new information for me, I’m sure some of the Biblical links would help some people who may not see periods, or being a woman, as a joyful thing, or a younger girl who might not understand everything or who may not have much experience. As someone who has had a somewhat unpleasant experience, it was a good reminder of how Jesus understands suffering, and how having a period is a reminder of the hope He brings as our Saviour. 4 stars.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

I have not read most of Murakami’s fiction, but I really liked his writing style; it was straight to the point and somewhat blunt whilst remaining beautiful. This book was engaging and fairly enjoyable, which is surprising considering there is a fair amount of death, tragedy, and depression in the pages. The protagonist is a man thinking back on his childhood best friend who died, his first love, and the people he meets at university. He is torn between a woman he loves who is damaged and stuck in the past, and the future he might be able to have if he frees himself to love someone else. 4 stars.

Since moving, and not having the space in my mind to read books like Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy), I’ve been rereading A Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket). Even though they were written for a younger audience, they’re humorous and clever and contain a lot of literary references I did not understand when I first read them. I’m giving them all four stars but some of them probably deserve 5! I’m currently on the sixth of thirteen.

Sarah xx