Welcome to my weekly book update post where I share what books I read this past week + my honest thoughts and star ratings of them.
A Word on My Star Ratings
The star ratings I give the books I read are based on a 5-star rating system. I rarely will ever give a book a 1-star rating (maybe never?), because my philosophy is that if a book is only worthy of one star, I’m more than likely going to quit reading it. 🙂 In the same vein, you’ll also notice that I’ll rarely give a 5-star rating as I reserve those for only my very, very favorite books.
Want to see all of the books I’ve read so far this year? Check out my Good Reads page.
In the last few weeks, I finished three books and here are my reviews…
Standing Strong
I loved this book and gleaned so much from it (as you likely know if you follow me on Instagram since I kept talking about it there!) This book is Alli’s story of struggling through some hard seasons and what she learned about trusting the Lord in the face of adversity.
Here’s one post I shared on Instagram as a result of reading this book:
You aren’t enough — in your own strength. But, in Christ, you can do ALL things!
As @alliworthington goes on to say in her new book, Standing Strong, “You may not feel able to stand strong. You may be filled with self-doubt. When you hear others talk about great women of God, you may say, ‘Oh, that’s not me.’
“But friend, it is you. You are more than you think you are.
“A superpower exists inside you. If you are a believer, the Holy Spirit lives in you. We can’t keep walking around feeling powerless like life is happening to us, like we are victims. The Spirit of God lives inside us, empowering us for greatness. We just have to tap into it.”
If you want to hear more of my thoughts on this book and hear some of the highlights, be sure to listen to my podcast episode with Alli Worthington.
Verdict: 4 stars
Five Days in November
Written by Mrs. Kennedy’s Secret Service agent, this is a very intimate and personal look at what it was like to protect Mrs. Kennedy during the days leading up to and after President Kennedy was assassinated. He shares very honestly about the grief he experienced and the guilt he has carried with him every day of his life.
While I’ve read and watched multiple accounts of this time in history, I found this book shared various details and perspectives I hadn’t heard or thought of before. It gave a very raw look into what the Secret Service agents experience and also what it would have been like to be Mrs. Kennedy.
If you love history, I would highly recommend this book.
Verdict: 4 stars
The White Rose Resists
While this is a slow-developing novel, I enjoyed it — even though it took me a long time to read it. It’s based upon the historical story of the German students who defied Hitler during World War II. I’ve read a lot of books and novels on World War II, but I learned some new things about World War II that I didn’t know before. Also, the stories of the courage and bravery of young people who were standing up to the status quo were inspiring!
If you enjoy reading historical novels or books on World War II, I think you’d enjoy this novel.
Verdict: 3 stars
Discussion about this post