What I Have Been Reading This Month (July 2015 edition)

July 15, 2015

What I Have Been Reading This Month (July 2015 edition)

This month my reading slowed down due to traveling and spending time with friends and family. For me, this has been good. I also finally finished the Past Forward Serial novel by Chautona Havig. It is called a serial novel because when it was first released it was released as individual episodes. This novel was great for stress relief with the fun bonus of characters from Havig’s other books showing up in this long novel. I am glad I read it after all the episodes had been written because I don’t know if I would have been patient enough to wait for the next installment. Once again I am linking up with Modern Ms. Darcy and others bloggers on what books we have read in the last month. So if you are looking for some book recommendations, go HERE or see below to find out what else has been on my bookshelf.

Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar

In this novel, the reader is transported back to the time of the Persian empire when Nehemiah was cupbearer for the king. The story is centered around Nehemiah’s cousin, Sarah who became the first female scribe to the queen. The author helps you see life through Sarah’s eyes as she navigates the palace culture, is married off to a Persian, and makes her mother’s faith her own. I loved how the story line was intriguing but had many biblical truths that were relevant to my life. Here is a quote of Nehemiah talking to Sarah.

“My point is that we must be ready to follow the Lord where ever He leads us. Esther came into a royal position not knowing that one day her gifts and influence would be needed for God’s great plan of salvation for His people. We must walk through the small doors that the Lord opens for us, in case they lead to a greater path.(p.17)”

Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar

This novel follows the one above and continues the story of Sarah and her cousin Nehemiah. Most of the story takes place in Jerusalem where the rebuilding of the wall is taking place. Here is a favorite quote from Nehemiah in the novel.

“Because I believe I was called to this. What do you think destiny is? A smooth path that never jostles you? No. When you walk in your destiny, you will crash and fall more times than you can count. But the secret is to hold on to God’s vision for your life-and for the lives of those he puts under your charge. No matter how many times you fall, crash, and fail, you get up. You get up and face your obstacles.”

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Tim Keller

I listened to this book these past few weeks as I cleaned house and exercised. Someday I would like to have a hard copy of the book to mark up and underline. I like how Keller drew from his own experience as well as the church fathers in his discussion on prayer. It was more like a foundation book on the how to’s and why’s of prayer as well as a reference book on ways to improve your prayer time. I appreciated how he was covered the topic and shared his experiences on prayer with his readers. For me, it was a good reminder that I need to be more focused on praise and or at least heading in that direction with my prayers.

I haven’t read a lot this month but what I read was timely and just what I needed. What books would you recommend or not recommend from your reading this month?