Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

 Burial Rites My Rating: 1.0

Agnes is charged with the brutal murder of her former master and sent to await execution on an isolated farm. Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only  a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. 

As Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard. 

I’m so glad I read The Good People first because if I had started with Burial Rites, I doubt I would have picked up another book by this author. What a disappointment.

I listened to the audiobook, and the whispery, breathy narration didn't help, but the bigger issue was the story itself. I never connected with a single character, and the novel felt like it had almost no plot. It was a long, drawn-out story where very little happened.

The writing itself is undeniably beautiful, but beautiful prose isn't enough for me. I need characters I care about and at least some sense of momentum. I think we were meant to feel sympathy for Agnes and the priest, but I never became invested in either of them.

I should have DNF'd this one, but I kept waiting for it to get better. It never did. Lesson learned.

Falls The Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman

Falls The Shadow My Rating: 4.9

Simon de Montfort was a man ahead of his time in the thirteenth century, a disinherited Frenchman who talked his way into an English earldom and married Eleanor ("Nell"), the sister of King Henry III. A charismatic, obstinate leader, Simon soon grew frustrated with the king's incompetence and inability to keep his word, and found himself the champion of the common people.

This is his story, and the story of Henry III, two men whose opposing personalities and convictions set them on a collision course that would end in violence, betrayal, and one of the most dramatic conflicts in English history.

This time period is completely new to me. I didn't know about Simon and didn't realize how weak Henry III was (ick!). Sharon Kay Penman brings these historical figures to life so vividly that I was completely immersed, especially in Simon's relationship with his remarkable wife, Nell.

I highly recommend this book and am jumping right into the third and final novel in the series.

Love Like You Mean It by Bob Lepine

Love Like You Mean It My Rating: 5.0

Every year, millions of men and women stand before family and friends and pledge their lifelong love and commitment to one another. But do they truly understand what marriage is meant to be?

Sadly, many people have only a shallow, superficial view of marriage. As a result, many marriages fail, while countless others simply survive instead of thriving.

In Love Like You Mean It, Bob Lepine provides a biblical understanding of what genuine love looks like by unpacking the ten attributes of love found in 1 Corinthians 13. He reminds us that lasting marital love is not primarily built on emotions but on daily choices and actions that, over time, deepen love and strengthen a marriage.

Whether you're married, engaged, considering marriage, or simply want to better understand God's design for marriage, this book offers practical, Scripture-based wisdom that is both convicting and encouraging.

This book was outstanding.

I thought my marriage was in pretty good shape until I read this book and realized, through Scripture, just how far I still have to go in loving my husband the way Christ calls me to. It challenged me in ways I wasn't expecting and gave me a much deeper understanding of what biblical love truly looks like.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to every married couple. If you're engaged or even thinking about getting married someday, read it before you say, "I do." I only wish I had discovered it 40 years ago. It's one of the best books on Christian marriage I've ever read.

The General's Daughter by Nelson DeMille

The General's Daughter My Rating: 4.4

When a respected career military officer is found raped and murdered, the investigation quickly uncovers evidence that points to a scandal reaching the highest levels of the military. The lead investigator is less than thrilled to discover he'll be working alongside a woman with whom he shared a turbulent romance years earlier. As they dig deeper, they realize the victim—the military's "golden girl"—had connections to several powerful people, any one of whom may have wanted her dead.

We listened to this audiobook during our commute between our two homes, and it kept us both entertained and guessing until the end. We really enjoy Nelson DeMille's writing, and now we're thinking about watching the movie starring John Travolta to see how it compares.

The Homesman by Glendon Swarthout

 The Homesman My Rating: 4.2

Set in the American West during the 1850s, The Homesman shines a light on a side of pioneer life that is often overlooked—the women. Life on the frontier was brutally hard, and many women were broken by the isolation, loss, and relentless hardships of homesteading.

When several women can no longer cope with life on the plains and must be escorted back East to a sanitarium, a "homesman" is needed to make the dangerous journey. When none of the local men volunteers, the task falls to Mary Bee Cuddy, a former teacher and unmarried woman who is both resourceful and remarkably determined.

The story follows their trek eastward, moving against the tide of westward expansion while facing harsh weather, loneliness, Indian attacks, and countless other dangers. It is a powerful and compelling tale filled with adventure, courage, and resilience.

I found this to be a wonderfully paced novel with strong character development. The vivid descriptions create an authentic sense of time and place, transporting the reader to an era when hardship, bravery, and loneliness were simply part of building a home and raising a family on the plains. Reading about the realities of frontier life made me realize there is no way I could have survived back then!

I was surprised to learn that this book was adapted into a movie, and after enjoying the novel so much, I may have to check it out.