Once again, I was able to get through five books in February. Sadly, there were no “5 star” reads this time around. My favorites included a re-reading Ortberg’s “Love Beyond Reason” and a first-time read of Ortlund’s “Surprised by Jesus.”
1. The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) - Brandon Sanderson
Picking up this book, a year after reading the first book in the series, I was a little out of it as I began. However, as the book moved along, I found myself reading this in larger chunks because I couldn’t wait to finish it. In the end, it was a page turner, albeit one that took me a while to get going. In the end, I really enjoyed the book. I give it the same score as I did the first Mistborn book, 4 stars.
2. Stoner - John Williams
This book shows up on many “best of” lists as a classic that everyone needs to read. Well, I took the plunge and read it. Williams writes in an easy to grasp fashion, and the book moves along at a comfortable pace. Still, the story of Professor Stoner is not that compelling (to me anyway), and is often rather sad. While I liked the book, I would never add this to my “best of” list. I would give this 3.75 stars but I will round up and give it 4 stars.
3. Love Beyond Reason - John Ortberg
This was one of my first Ortberg books that I ever read. In fact, it’s the same copy that I read back when it was first published, and it shows! Most recently, I made my way through the book yet again in preparation for a teaching series on “love” that we worked through at church. It did not disappoint, and gave me several nuggets, stories, and anecdotes that I was grateful for. I give the book 4 stars.
4. Surprised by Jesus - Dane Ortlund
This is now my third book I’ve read by Ortlund. As before, I’m incredibly impressed by Ortlund’s depth, his writing style, and the incredible insights he shares about the Jesus we meet in each of the four gospels. I give the book 4 stars.
5. The Narrow Path - Rich Villodas
This book was part of a book club I was part of. I loved the order, and the flow of the book, however, I just felt like I’ve heard all of this before. While the book was good, and the writing was easy to follow, I was hoping for something new but this was not it. I give the book 3 stars.
