Book Report

As I look back through the lists of books I listened to or read last year, I find three main categories emerging. 

There were the books that are part of my collection of “beautiful things,” antique works that I’ve picked up over the years. I have this subtle goal, I say subtle because it is not one I’ll probably ever be able to check off the list, to only have books on my shelf I know are good, and I would unhesitatingly recommend to a friend. 

Another grouping is the ones from authors whose writing I’ve listened to before and know will be good. Some of these I loved, and others were ones that while I do like some of that author’s work, I’m finding I do not love all their writing. It’s hard to find good books! But when you do, you’ve found a treasure. 

Calling something “good” is this ever elusive mark that as a Christian I feel unceasingly convicted to analyze. What is the standard that I will hold myself to personally before God in my reading? I know the standard has to be personal because there are books on this list that were on someone else’s list (Christian and secular) as being excellent, must read, life changing, etc. Books that for me either were just un-engaging or simply not inline at all with my faith. 

The final grouping are those books. The ones that while I may have enjoyed in part (or not at all), I just wouldn’t recommend to someone. 

Over the course of the past year I read or listened to 50 books. The physical books I read are denoted with a double asterisk (10 books and 1 magazine), otherwise they were ones I listened to on audible or Youtube. 

If you're interested, here is my 2020 Book Report.

From the Beautiful Collection:

** Aunt Jimmy’s Will 
By Mabel Osgood Wright

Such a sweet story, this time reading an old book paid off. Sometimes, it does. I could see reading this one to my kids one day, or giving it to them to read. It’s an easy read, and the narrative style is lovely. It reminded me of, “Mrs Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch.” Even though not written by the same author, it is certainly in the same vein and illustrated by the same person, Florence Scovel Shinn. And the illustrations are great!

** Mrs. Martin’s Little Boy

By Florence E Burch

I picked this one up at an antique store. It’s a short little story put out by the Religious Tract Society. I remember it being a sweet tale, but can’t recall just what it was about now. I remember enjoying it though.

** Jo Boat Boys 

By Rev. J.F. Cowan

This was another antique book, written in 1891. My mom read it to me. It follows the story of a young boy who was kidnapped from his family and years later reunited. It focuses on the plight of the newsboy, and the evils of drink and wayward living. It’s a good story overall, but just preachy in that style of the era.

** Moth and Rust 

Author Unknown

Another in my collection of beautiful books. I slogged through this one… all because it had a pretty cover, ha! It felt like listening to a broken record… the same three notes playing out page after page. Again, it was written in the victorian era with the sole purpose of giving warning to all, Christian and heathen alike, that “…love of money is a root of all kinds of evils…” 1 Tim. 6:10, and “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy…” Matt. 6:19. 

I whole heartedly agree with the message, and throughout the book all things considered it had the making of a good story, but it was oh so prosaic. And you did feel that the author was “beating a dead horse,” and felt like the horse was you.

Ones that won’t stay on my shelves, though so lovely… 

** Margaret, The Young Wife

Author Unknown

Written in 1863, Margaret is the embodiment of the Biblical passage, “For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife…” 1 Corinthians 7:14. It’s purposefully preachy, and paints Margaret as the perfect little wife who keeps her money loving husband from going to ruin by her patient example. It’s sweet, but the characters are just not very believable. 

The Vicar of Wakefield 

By Oliver Goldsmith

Since reading this book I’ve heard it mentioned several times in period dramas, so it must have been popular in its era. I found it hard to follow and silly. I think that’s the point, it’s making fun of the class of ministers and their families. It was sad how worldly the minister’s family was even though he was supposed to be a man of faith who teaches the word of God. The edition I have it a lovely old book, but I don’t think I’ll keep it since it’s just not one I would ever recommend to someone else to read.

The Girls of St. Wodes

By L.T. Meade

One day I’m going to learn the lesson of the old adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” But… I’m not there yet. This was one of the beautiful antique books in my collection that I wanted to read through. Thankfully though, it was available as an audiobook! 

I listened to this one on Youtube, produced as a Libravox recording. I felt the story was lacking in a lot of ways. It felt disjointed. There were elements of a good story, but it just didn’t feel like it was well executed. In the end, reading it felt like a waste of time. Perhaps it was one of her early works. I read online that… 

“L. T. Meade was the pseudonym of Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Smith (1844–1914), a prolific writer of girls' stories… She began writing at 17 and produced over 300 books in her lifetime, being so prolific that no fewer than eleven new titles under her byline appeared in the first few years after her death.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._T._Meade

** Dodo Everyday

By Ilse-Margret Vogel

A sweet little short story with lots of lovely line drawings about a young girl and the lessons she learns from her grandmother, or “Dodo.”

** Helps to Happiness

By (I forgot to write down the name)

This was an antique book of inspirational quotes. I got about a third of the way through the book (67 of 166 pages), before I called it quits. There were some good ones, but a lot of them I just didn’t find that interesting to me personally and some of the passages were quite long. So, I decided not to continue to invest my time there. 

Best Loved Authors: 

** Gift from the Sea 

By Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.” - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I discovered this little gem while vacationing at the beach one year through the above quote found on the wall of bookshop. I loved reading this little volume, and it launched me into reading more of Anne’s work, and there is a lot! She was a prolific writer. Gift from The Sea is still my favorite, and I would love to try and read it each January. I was pleasantly surprised to find that of the Clarkson women, either Sarah or her mom Sally, also try to read it each year! In each chapter Anne likens an aspect of her life to a sea shell. It’s an introspective and thought-provoking look at womanhood. 

Awakening Wonder 

By Sally Clarkson

Sally is an amazing woman. This account of her homeschooling journey has you feeling so inspired to curate basketfuls of good books for your children, light all the candles, sip tea and eat every meal to the “lilt of instrumental Celtic music.” My only criticism would be that a lot of the parts felt repetitive. It would have been helpful to the reader to have a good proofreader go through and excise several redundant sections. But, on the whole it was great and I have nothing but respect for this woman and her labor of love in writing this book.

This Beautiful Truth, How God's Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness

By Sarah Clarkson

Overall I enjoyed this one, but I felt like it was a little too flowery. I’ve followed Sarah and her family for the last few years, really appreciating their ministry and the things they’ve shared online and with the believing community around the world. I feel like I understand for the most part where she is coming from. I just can’t really resonate with her journey. I know she’s trying to share from her personal experience, I just don’t feel like she’s the one who should be writing this kind of book, at least not focused on her own life. I would have enjoyed the book more had it shared stories about other’s journey’s of faith. Though I’ve enjoyed several of Sarah’s other books, I found this one to be lacking in depth. Which, I feel harsh even writing. Because, I know I couldn’t write this kind of book either. It’s a huge undertaking! I just feel that sometimes books are written and popularized because people have a platform, but not always because they are the ones who can best speak to a topic. A book I love and go back to time and again is “Authentic Faith” by Gary Thomas. I feel like this would have been a more valuable work had it been written more in that style, sharing the stories of others mingled with personal experience. 

Wives and Daughters

By Elizabeth Gaskell

I had enjoyed the period drama and thought I was try out the book. As with all victorian authors, it’s lengthy. But it was an enjoyable listen. 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 

By Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

The movie is very good, but not nearly as wonderful as the book! {Remainder of review copied from last year’s book report.} One of my all-time favorite books. I’m always sad to leave the world of Guernsey when the story is over. Yes, I’ve listened to this audiobook several times, and probably will continue at least an annual listen. It’s a rare gem. Through a series of letters Juliet gets to know members of a book club on the island of Guernsey. Through the letters she learns about their lives during the German occupation.

A Scandel in Bohemia

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This is a fun one in that Sherlock Holmes is bested by a woman! No murder, just a self important count and lovely woman, according to Holmes “The Woman,” who can match him in wits, and even get the better of him. 

The 1059 Assassin 

By John Taylor

Inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this is a short story in much the same vein as the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Truthfully I remember nothing about it, except that I enjoyed it.

Peace Like a River 

By Leif Enger

I had a hard time getting into this one initially. But by the end I was really enjoying it. As others have said, the music interludes are annoying and unnecessary. The reader is great. The plot is sad, but I enjoyed seeing it through the boy's eyes. I wish they made it a little more clear about the apparent miracles the boy saw - helped you to see it through the boy's eyes, and told you if it really was unexplainable or not. I wish there had been a better outcome for Davey. His sister's poetry is great, a neat thread throughout. Overall I recommend it as an enjoyable listen.

Daughter of the Land 

By Gene Stratton Porter

This one rankled me because the heroine, Kate Bates, seems to get into one scrape after the next. She’s stubborn and an incredibly hard worker. And you do feel sorry for her, and by the end come to respect her all things considered, I just didn’t find her plight one I could really sympathize with. It felt like reading a memoir, or a true story. She was too raw of a character, too flawed for a novel. It was certainly a more true to life, realistic portrayal of family dynamics, and what it means to pull yourself up by the boot straps and get back up even who life knocks you down… again. Just not my favourite of Porter’s books.

Michael O’Halloran 

By Gene Stratton Porter

This one was just a little too sappy for me. The main character, Michael, is one of those “Gary Stu” who despite all odds has a shining character and always knows just how to get things done. It’s a sweet story, but just not for me. I find myself losing interest quickly in tales where all the adults are learning from a child, and that child can do no wrong. Makes me think of the Elsie Dinsmore books my mom read us when I was growing up. I know that the character isn’t meant to be true to life, but rather the high moral ideal, but I find myself preferring the stories where the main character does make some mistakes or wrong choices and has to learn from them.

The Keeper of the Bees

By Gene Stratton Porter

Enjoyed this one on my walks. Fell in love with, "The Little Scout." Jaimie is the man you dream of - true, honest, and real. I felt like the character development for most of the characters was really strong. I loved all the descriptions of nature, I can picture the bee gardens by the ocean. I want to visit! I loved the part about Jaimie being, "The Keeper of the Bees" - not, "The Bee Master" because he knew so little. And how God made and loved the bees, and they are amazingly intricate little workers. Perfectly designed. Great story that kept getting better and more interesting. I was a bit disappointed in what felt like a rush ending. It builds and builds, and then in one page you feel like it's all over and stamped happily ever after, for most people. I felt like the baby deserved a better ending too. But anyways, certainly one of my favorite of her books. Highly recommended. Loved the faith, love of nature and strength of character spoken of throughout the book. Full of conviction, but not annoyingly preachy. Great reader too. You'll enjoy it!

Freckles 

By Gene Stratton Porter

As with all Porter books, love for nature is beautifully woven throughout. I felt like the character of Freckles was in the vein of the "Gary-Stu" - too perfect to be true to life, but more the untarnished ideal. He grows up maimed, orphaned and mistreated and yet has rare honesty, hard work ethic and nobility. It's a fairytale ending, and everyone's character is either very good, or very bad. And, sadly life just isn't that black and white. BUT, it is a sweet story and if you don't try and make it too realistic, it's enjoyable. But still, my favourite Porter books are "The Keeper of the Bees” and “The Harvester.”

MiddleMarch

By George Eliot

George Eliot, pen name for victorian author Mary Anne Evans, never could write anything concisely. This book follows through story of heroine Dorothea through her ups and downs in life. I enjoyed it overall, somehow it always feels nice in the hubbub of fast paced life to slip into the world of provincial England, take a breath and breathe the country air, and just slow down. Listening to the thoughts of people not so very different, in a world that seems so distant and removed from life today. 

Elizabeth and Her German Garden

Elizabeth von Arnim

First published in 1898, the book was very popular and frequently reprinted during the early years of the 20th century. Since reading it, I’ve heard it mentioned also several times in period dramas. It felt a bit unkind, the way Elizabeth wrote of and made fun of acquaintances, but it was also humorous and lighthearted. Overall I enjoyed it and found it an amusing listen. It’s a pretty short book, just under 4 hours on audible.

** Not Forgetting to Sing

By Nancy E. Robbins

Having read so many of Amy Carmichael’s books, it was neat to read this continuing story of the work started by Amy in India. Nancy was one of the many faithful ones who answered the call to carry on the work at Dohnavur. 

Susanna Wesley 

By Kathy McReynolds

I think I stumbled upon this one when looking up on audible books read by Nadia May (she is one of my favourite audio book readers, and YES, a good reader makes a world of difference). It’s a short little work, just over three hours long. She was absolutely incredible. Just now I read through this article on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanna_Wesley, and my goodness, wow. It’s an inspiring little book about a woman of faith, wife and mother.

A Day No Pigs Would Die

By Robert Newton Peck

Such a sweet coming of age story. Really enjoyed listening to this one. Down to earth and engaging. It’s a tear jerker, but very good. My husband Adam recommended this one to me.

Beric the Britain

By G.A. Henty

Much of that part of history seems veiled in shadow and unknown. I enjoyed this story because I don't know much about that era / part of the world. It's historical fiction, so the outcome isn't very plausible. But on the whole I really enjoyed it. It was fascinating learning more about the Britons and Rome. I struggle with Jim Hodges as a reader, but you just have to give it a chance and once you're into the story you forget about the narration. 

For the Temple 

By G.A. Henty

The thing I love about Henty’s books is that your hero is always a young man of strong moral character, and despite the horrific events of the day, he is not going to die. Which… given the subject of this book is highly comforting. I knew about the destruction of the temple, and nigh unto complete wipe out of the Jewish people, but listening to this book gave me a whole new perspective. It’s just so very sad. And the thing is, Yeshua and the prophets before his coming predicted it all. And those who followed him knew, but there were so many blinded by religious fanaticism, greed, power… on and on. I also really appreciate that though you know that events mentioned like starvation, ransack and pillage, death and slavery are also accompanied by horrible acts of violence, the author never has you wade through these accounts of pain and suffering. The intended audience for Henty’s books was young boys maturing to manhood, and his goal was to instill in them excellence of moral integrity, faith and courage. 

In the Reign of Terror

By G.A. Henty

Such a tragic era! Well written, very engaging historical fiction. I felt like this was one of the best G.A. Henty books I've listened to because you felt connected to the characters and are so impressed by the hero. Well written, and Stuart Langton is a great reader! 

With Wolf in Canada

By G.A. Henty

First off, I'm a big fan of G.A. Henty's work! But I struggle with Jim Hodges as a reader, and this story never gripped me. You know from the beginning the out come, and the second half of the book is all military campaign with very little human interest. If you're looking for an overview of the military movements of this era, it's well done, well researched (though always with bias). But as a historical fiction story, I felt like it lacked a lot of interest. I've enjoyed other G.A. Henty novels far more! 

The Dragon and the Raven 

By G.A. Henty

This was an abridged radio drama produced by https://heirloomaudio.com/audio-adventures/. I was so (SO!) excited to find that someone had produced radio dramas of Henty’s books. This one was well done, really good. But it felt like it jumped a lot and just made me want to know the full story. Like how watching a movie, a good movie, should make you want to read the book. 

With Clive in India

By G.A. Henty

Sigh… this one was another slogger. I found it available as a libravox recording on Youtube, and though the guy reading was decent, the story was just so dull. So much military detail.

Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne's House of Dreams, Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside, and Chronicles of Avonlea 

By L. M. Montgomery

Ahh what to say about the matchless Anne that has not already been said. I won’t try. Suffice to say I knew it was high time I delve into the Anne books for myself, and I was not disappointed. I revelled in the season of time that I listened to these classics by Montgomery. I got this set of six plus two of her short story works on audible. I realized later that there are a couple from the Anne series this set didn’t include, so I’ll need to go back and listen to those at some point. 

I grew up watching the movies, and really enjoyed the series too. It’s hard to say I like one over the other, I like both for different reasons. I think the Anne book I enjoyed the most was Anne of the Island, perhaps because the events if covers aren’t really shown in the movies. And perhaps because it felt reminiscent of my own college days. 

The Hidden Hand

Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte (aka "E.D.E.N.") Southworth 

This was an abridged Lamplighter audio drama. Growing up I was a huge fan of Adventures in Odyssey, and so listening to this story where one of the main characters is voiced by Katie Leigh, all I could think of was Connie Kendall! 

I really love the Lamplighter stories, but this one was not a favourite. It felt like too mature of a story for children, in fact I really can’t understand why Lamplighter chose it because the events throughout the story are just not ones for kids. And also the way the Uncle is voiced it’s just so much shouting. It grates on you after awhile every time he talks because he is always yelling. 

The Ones I Struggled With: 

Daisy Miller 

By Henry James

In the movie, “Age of Adeline” Ellis give Adeline “flowers” in the form of three novels with floral names. One of them is Daisy Miller. I found it available on YouTube. It’s about a young, wealthy, thoughtless woman traveling in Europe in the victorian era. She goes off with an Italian guy and catches cold, and dies. It’s horribly silly and was such a waste of time. I am no longer interested in Ellis’ choice of books, because though the flower idea is cute, if the others are anything like this one they are duds.

** Issue 40 : : CURE

This is was the third Taproot Magazine I’ve read through. Honestly, I can’t remember anything about it, so it must not have moved me.

The Murder on the Links 

By Agatha Christie

As I wrote in my book report last year, Christie’s books bother my conscious. I really enjoy Sherlock Holmes, but her books are written from just a different place, making the characters seem a lot more mentally disturbed. 

** The Scent of Water 

By Elizabeth Goudge

Sarah Clarkson loves Goudge, and I really enjoy Sarah’s writing, so I thought I’d give this one a try. Which was, all things considered, really saying something for me because it meant I actually had to purchase and read a physical book because for some reason none of Goudge’s many books are available as audiobooks. She is certainly a good writer, but I didn’t find the book to my taste. It’s a somewhat sad story of a womanMary, who leaves the bustle of city life for the countryside, moving into a home she inherited from a relative. The relative had regular bouts of madness. Through her journals, Mary comes to know her aunt better. The story follows Mary’s journey meeting people in the small town, and also understanding her relative (I think it was her aunt but I can’t remember), better. “The scent of water” is a word picture used throughout the book as an analogy for the grace of God breaking through the madness her aunt dealt with throughout her life. Some of the wording was really lovely, but because the spiritual aspects felt so romanticized and mixed with church practices / traditions it felt difficult for me to settle in my spirit with whether or not I always agreed with what the author was writing. 

** Through Welsh Doorways

By Jeannette Marks 

I only finished 6 of the 11 chapters before I decided to give up on this one. It always feels so hard for me to give up once I’ve started reading a book, but I could not focus on this one. The stories were hard to follow, it felt like a translation from another language. Or at least certainly an age so far removed that following the point of the story was difficult. It felt like you needed footnotes to understand what was even going on. 

Walking on Water 

By Madeline L’Engle

Another Clarkson recommendation in “Book Girl.” I don’t remember a lot of the specifics of the book, but I did enjoy it. The main draw back for me though was I felt life she was a little all over the place spiritually and it was hard to know if she truly had a relationship with God. 

The Rose Code 

By Kate Quinn

The Pros:

I found this to be a gripping narrative. Once I was several hours in, I felt like I was on a fast train racing to the station, listening in all my spare moments. The characters are well written. If you like mysteries and WWII era / history, it's superbly researched and written. I really didn't know anything about the code breakers during the war, and so I found this tale enlightening and it gave me a new facet of understanding for what went on in England during the war. It's a complex story jumping back and forth in time, lots of characters, but I felt like it was skillfully woven together. 

Having watched several seasons of The Crown, it was neat how Kate wove in Prince Philip (you like him a lot more in this novel than in the mini series) and the royal wedding. 

I loved the honor of the characters, the commitment to the war effort, Churchill, working together and working hard. I loved the tiny details, what the women wore and what they were talking about, the books they read and their love of fashion and smart hats even during war time rationing. The book truly pulled you in and during the time I was listening to the book I thought of little else than the world of this novel, which is the sign of a good book. 

The Cons:

Like any book, it's going to take a few hours to really get into it, but then you'll be hooked. While the theme is the code breakers, the underlying theme seems to be madness. And that was what really bothered me. So many references to Alice in Wonderland, the Rabbit Hole, and loosing it. Which, on the one hand given the horrors of war and the demands of their work was understandable - yes, that kind of day after day life is incredibly taxing and unnatural. 

Had I known before starting just how many sexual encounters there would be (spoiler, you read about each of the three heroines in bed, and about rape and asylum abuse), I wouldn't have listened to it. You don't need to put in graphic porn to have a compelling story. "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society," one of my favorite books, is evidence of that. 

As a reader and one who listens to many audiobooks, I do it for enjoyment and to learn something about the era / history. I feel like books like this don’t have to pull you under so far. It’s tough, disturbing stuff looking back in history at the asylums and the horrific abuse. And, I felt like it really pulled away from the enjoyment of this story. I think it’s important to know history, so we don’t repeat it, but also I think you can be historically accurate without having your reader dwell on illicit sex, adultery, rape, and abuse. 

I think that something truly missing from this story was not one of the characters had a strong moral compass, everyone was sort of just looking out for themselves, and when it suited their friends. And the only woman of faith was painted darkly as a Bible thumping terror. 

Taking the good with the bad, it’s a compelling story, but I think it didn’t have to be so dark. It reminded me of, “The Lilac Girls” too - also a story woven around three woman. That one was incredibly sad too, but you know that going into it. That you’re going to walk through dark passages of history. I guess I just wasn’t prepared for it when I began this book. And, given all the elements Kate chose to put in this story, though I liked the mystery and historical fiction, it was too much for me so I don’t think I’ll try any other of her books. 

Eat Pray Love

By Elizabeth Gilbert

At first listening to this book was candy. I couldn't wait to hear the next part of the story. Liz is a fantastic writer, truly. And if you haven't watched her Ted Talk yet, go watch it today! Truly thought provoking. Listening to her journey to and through Italy made me want to eat all the pasta and gain my own 23 pounds of pure pleasure. 

And then in India it's interesting, her conversations with Richard, her quest to find inner peace... she is definitely connecting with spiritual powers, but you don't know if it's from God, or demonic. Her spiritual journey is literally all over the place - physically, emotionally, spiritually. 

By the time you get to Bali it's everything you don't like about Western tourism. Sex, alcohol, and seemingly all the time in the world to visit beaches, have your palm read and participate in all kinds of strange Eastern practices. It seems like a too good to be true ending, you're happy for her that she finds someone who she can enjoy, and who loves her for her. 

Sadly, if you look up Liz now her story has gotten really sad. You wish she could have stayed with the nice Brazilian. Anyways, I think Liz does a great job reading her book. I just wish that it wasn't filled with so much spiritual confusion. There are really dark, demonic sides to the things she engaged in. It's not all peace, harmony and light. She sounded very broken, hurting, and rather than find peace in God it sounded like she just wanted something that made the bad emotions go away, so she could get back to guilt free pasta and sex. 

Anyways, the first part was enjoyable :) 

The Lost Castle 

By Kristy Cambron

I enjoyed the historical aspects, but I thought spanning three different time periods was a little too much. I think that the author could have had more time to develop the characters if just two time periods were chosen. The modern day heroine was certainly the least interesting. I thought it was a little too coincidental that each heroine found love. But, I guess they do that in fiction. It was sweet, I just didn't find myself pulled in. I kept waiting for them to unlock a great mystery, or have something exciting happen, but it all felt a little too distant. I think it was because while the author was detailing gloves and ribbon, you're in the reign of terror. And she spends a lot of time talking about shoes and clothing while you're in WWII France, it just didn't feel like the seriousness, or the nitty gritty was captured, seemed a little too fanciful for my taste. But it's sweet. I appreciated the moral uprightness, and the fact that there was romance but it stayed clean. And there was mention of faith and God. 

Taliesin: The Pendragon Cycle, Book 1
By Stephen R. Lawhead

I got a little over half way through this book. It was one of the ones I listened to because it was recommended in Sarah Clarkson’s book, “Book Girl,” which I’ve listened to several times and really enjoy. It’s about the lost city of Atlantis. I wanted to like it, but right away it’s so full of druids and the pagan practices of Bel worship. It just didn’t sit right with me. I appreciated that though it talked about pagan practices, it didn’t delve into all the evil. But, I think that also rankled me because I know from other books how intensely evil those same worship practices are, and this book makes them seem innocent, more just cultural. I found myself struggling to stay focused on the narrative, or really caring what happened to the characters. So I decided to just give it up for those two reasons - It didn’t sit right with my spirit, and I didn’t feel as a believer that it was edifying. And the narrative was just not holding my attention and therefore wasn’t even enjoyable. 

For myself, I feel like audiobooks should be either informational and though perhaps hard to get through, highly profitable. Or just really enjoyable and good for me morally, something I can listen to as a believer with a clear conscience. While this is a standard I strive for, it’s not one I always attain to, as this honest list of my reading this past year can attest to. 

If you're interested, here is my 2020 Book Report.