Book #56 of 2023 was The Queen of Hearts, by Kimmery Martin. I saw this recommended somewhere and was intrigued by its floral cover. It was readable and entertaining.
Books #57, 58, and 59 were all re-readings of the Narnia books, Prince Caspian, The Magician's Nephew, and The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis. As always, I enjoyed them all, and no doubt will return to them again.
Book #60 was by a Ugandan author, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi. The book was Kintu, the story of an ancient curse on a Ganda patriarch and how it plays out in the lives of his descendants throughout the centuries. I particularly enjoyed the ending, when a family reunion brings many of the characters together.
Book #61 was a reread, Turn My Mourning Into Dancing, by Henri Nouwen. I've read this book several times since I first bought it in 2019. Here's a post I wrote about it earlier this year.
Book #62 was The Illegal Gardener, by Sara Alexi. This had been on my Kindle for a while, I guess bought when it was on a deep discount, but I hadn't read it yet. I understand it's the first in a long series. I found it a little difficult to believe in spots, but I did like the way it ended (I was afraid it was going in another direction).
Book #63 was Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free, by Tullian Tchividjian. I've read a lot on this topic and I felt this was a worthy addition to the library of books written to try to explain why God allows suffering in the world.
Book #64 was China Court, by Rumer Godden. The title refers to a house, and as the book begins, someone has just died in the house. The story of the house, all in the present tense as though all the generations of occupants exist in the current moment, is readable and compelling. I think Godden is an amazing stylist, and I've never read anyone who writes quite like she does. I read this book once before, a long time ago.
Book #65 was Dawnlands, by Philippa Gregory, the third in her Fairmile series. The series is billed as stories of ordinary women in history, but this one does introduce some royal characters. I liked the Caribbean setting of parts of the story. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment of this series.
Book #66 was All the Light we Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. I read this back in 2015, but I was astonished by how little of it I remembered, as I read it again. This book is so vividly written that I can't believe I retained it so poorly. However, I was glad to get to read it as though for the first time as I discussed it with my book group. Now we're all looking forward to watching the series on Netflix.
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