Great Books I’ve Read in 2023 – Part 1

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
It’s not like this recommendation is news to anyone, but I am reading the Harry Potter series for the first time. I’m already familiar with a lot of the plot from generally existing on the internet and from a friend giving me a detailed overview, which makes for an interesting reading experience. This one is my favorite so far. The friend feels! The angst! The hurt/comfort! I loved it SO MUCH.
A few general thoughts on the series:
Harry is such a good boy and he Deserves Better.
I don’t relate to Hermione as much as I might have expected.
Why, in all the fanart I’ve seen around, have I never encountered Sirius Black with the elbow-length hair he has at the beginning of this book?
Also, I’m reading the illustrated editions, and they’re beautiful. I’m sad they’re not all out yet and probably won’t be by the time I get to the end of the series.

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Speaking of fanart, I started reading the Mistborn series because of fanart I saw on Pinterest.
I tried to pick up the physical book first and very quickly noped out. It’s higher fantasy than I generally prefer, and the book was thick and the print was small, and I felt like I would have to force my way through. I didn’t want that. But I was interested enough that I decided to try the audiobook instead, and that was perfect. It was easier to persevere through slow things until I cared about the characters, and I ended up listening to the whole trilogy.
The Hero of Ages is the last book, so I can’t say a lot about it that wouldn’t spoil things. But the series is about a girl who grew up on the streets and gets involved with a group of rebels trying to overthrow the empire. She discovers she is a very talented Mistborn (the term in this world for people with special abilities). She makes friends with all kinds of people and has lots of adventures, as well as one of my favorite romances I’ve encountered.
I enjoyed the first two books, but this third one blew me away. Everything came together SO WELL. There were sad things at the end, but they felt useful and logical, not just tacked on for drama. I was very impressed.

The Epic Story of the Bible: How to Read and Understand God’s Word by Greg Gilbert
The Epic Story of the Bible is an overview intended to help people who are intimidated by reading the whole Bible. I have read through the Bible multiple times and don’t find it an intimidating prospect at this point. Not that I understand or always enjoy every part of it, but I don’t need convinced it’s a worthwhile thing to do, and I don’t need an overview of the basics. I expected to find this a bit boring, but I decided to read it as a potential recommendation for others.
But after the first couple chapters, this turned into an overview of themes in the Bible, and how they overlap, and how they connect to the basic storyline. And it was great. I learned things. I think this is valuable and helpful and could be useful both for those new to reading the Bible and those who have done it before.
I had a few nitpick-y complaints, but they’re not vital, and overall I recommend this.

Daddy Dressed Me by Michael Gardner
In this picture book, Ava’s single dad often sews clothes for her. She is chosen to recite a poem at a special event at school, and Daddy offers to make her a special dress for the occasion. She works hard to memorize her poem while Daddy works hard to learn how to sew the dress pattern he has never made before. In the end, they both do a great job.
It’s really cute. There’s a picture spread of Ava looking in the mirror of herself in her new dress, and her amazed and delighted expression is adorable.
Michael Gardner really does sew clothes for his daughter Ava, and at the end is a section that tells a a little bit of their true story and shows some pictures of his creations.

Breath as Prayer: Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind, and Renew Your Soul by Jennifer Tucker
Breath as Prayer is an introduction to breath prayers, focused on calming anxiety and stress. I’ve been looking for something like this for a while. I find breath prayers very useful, but most resources I’ve encountered about them tend toward new-age-y, and while I can pick out useful things for myself and leave what I don’t find helpful, I wouldn’t be comfortable sharing them with someone else to introduce them to the practice.
This is not like that! The introductory material provides some basic information about the science behind how breathwork calms the body, talks about how prayer connects us to God, and explains that the goal of breath prayers is combining the two. Every breath prayer is adapted directly from a Bible verse. The brief devotionals that accompany each one are encouraging without being shallow fluff.
The book itself is attractively designed and well-made. I’m glad this exists and definitely recommend it if you’re curious about breath prayers or if you already appreciate the concept and want ideas of prayers to use.

 

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