WHAT I'M READING V. 56

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

This was a really fun book.  It's in the vein of "chick-lit" (terrible term, but you know what i'm talking about) which I can take in small, tiny doses if I'm in the mood and it's not too cloying, but this one is a more modern take that I would and have recommended. The relationship between the characters grow through notes, post-it notes at that, and they are both strong individuals that have a distinct voice, which make for a convincing relationship. It's also funny and I felt all the fuzzies of a good romantic comedy afterwards.

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

After reading "Americanah", I felt compelled to read all of her novels immediately, and that I did. I read "Half of a Yellow Sun" and then this one was my third Adichie novel; I loved all of them.  In this one, which takes place in Nigeria, Kambili and her brother grow up under a very religious, strict and violent father.  The main character is a 15 year old girl, and we see from her perspective what it is to exist and survive in a family environment with violence and abuse, while she is trying to understand her own place in regards to religion, friendships and the politics of her country.  Adichie is a master story-teller and I am looking forward to read the last one of her novels that I haven't read yet - "The Thing Around Your Neck".

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Apparently this is a classic that is often on high school reading lists; I had never heard of it until recently. It's a quiet, well-crafted and darker coming of age story about a friendship between two boys.  It read like a diary, sounding as if the narrator didn't really expect anyone to read it; its honesty felt strikingly raw . I didn't love it, but felt the reverberations of it as days past: the tumultuous story of a teenage boy growing into a man and revealing the inner turmoil of identity and jealousy within a complicated friendship.

Adopted: God's Plan "A"by Aaron H. Hartman 

I read this book because we know Aaron and Becky Hartman from church and had them over for Aaron to be on our podcast. During our conversation, Aaron described a little bit of the amazing situations surround the adoption of their three children, and mentioned that he had written a book on their experience.  I found the kindle version on Amazon and really appreciated reading about their story and Aaron's understanding on the theology of adoption.