Books I recently finished

A Year of Living Prayerfully by Jared Brock
What is prayer? How are we to pray? In 2014, Jared Brock, a Canadian from Hamilton, Ontario, sets out on a one year journey of living prayerfully in order to answer these questions. On his adventures around the world, from New York City to Korea, he visits various Judeo-Christian religious groups and religious leaders to ask them about prayer. Living Prayerfully is written through the lenses of a Protestant Christian and provides a much needed down-to-earth, refreshing and humorous approach to the questions of prayer in everyday life.

Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris by Jennifer L. Scott
When Jennifer, a native Californian, went to France as a young adult she lived with Famille Chic. There she learned a great many lessons from Madame Chic about diet, exercise, style, beauty and how to live well. This little gem of a book shares what she learned in France. Being French myself, although not from France, I was drawn to many of the lessons in this book. It helped me take a closer look at my self-care habits, or lack thereof, and inspired me to take better care of myself and to enjoy the small luxuries of life.

Still Life: 1 (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series) by Louise Penny
Still Life is the first book in a series of eleven murder mysteries written by Canadian author Louise Penny. The first book follow Chief Inspector Gamache and his team as they solve a murder in the small town of Three Pines. The heartfelt characters of Three Pines bring this book to life and the surprising twist at the end carefully ties all the loose ends together.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
An Ember in the Ashes follow the story of two main characters: Laia and Elias. Laia is a Scholar, once an important and prosperous people now suppressed by the Martial Empire. Elias is a Mask in training, a highly trained warrior of the Martial Empire. Tahir writes an intense, fast paced story that alternates between the stories of Laia and Elias. The story begins when Laia’s family is decimated by the Masks. In order to save her remaining family member, her brother, she willingly becomes a slave to the Commandant, the head of the Martial academy. All the while Elias is on the cusp of being a full fledged Mask but is entertaining thoughts of absconding, which is punishable by death. A dark yet highly addictive book.

Red Rising (The Red Rising Trilogy, Book 1) by Pierce Brown
Darrow is a Red. The lowest caste of Mars’ colour-tiered society. Darrow and his people mine the planet for Helium-3 which is used to terraform the planet and sustain human life. The Reds must work hard so that humanity can survive, at least this is what they are told. But betrayal is at hand and Darrow goes through a startling transformation in order to save his people from slavery. An enjoyable book about revolution, survival of the fittest and coming of age.

Books I am currently reading

Retrain Your Anxious Brain: Practical and Effective Tools to Conquer Anxiety by John Tsilimparis
Tsilimparis offers various strategies and tools to control and conquer unhelpful thought patterns that lead to anxiety. An easy to understand and approachable book, one that I am thoroughly enjoying and would recommend to those that struggle with anxiety.

The Bilingual Edge: Why, When and How to Teach Your Child a Second Language by Kendall King and Alison Mackey
Learning a second language provides a person with a host of advantages. King and Mackey outlines the benefits of bilingualism and how to teach a second language to your child. An interesting book that challenges various thoughts around when and what second language children should learn. I have found it both inspiring and helpful.

Le Chevalier: Haut-Royaume by Pierre Pevel
Une fantasie Francaise. In an effort to improve my French I am reading a french fantasy novel. This will be the first French novel I attempt to read since high school! I have only read the first paragraph but I used my Kindle French dictionary a dozen times. It might take me a while to read this book.

Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews
Greer Hennessy’s job is on the line. As a location scout, she must find the perfect beach location for a big budget movie. When Hennessay stumbles upon a small Florida coast town complete with old motels, shrimp boats and an abandoned casino she is ecstatic. What hurdles lay ahead? I will soon find out. An easy summer chic-flit.

Books I am planning to read

Golden Son (The Red Rising Trilogy, Book 2) by Pierce Brown
The second book in the Red Rising trilogy. I am planning on reading this book soon.

This post is linked to Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Quick Lit.