12 Books I Read in May
12 Books I Read in May
By: Brittany Shields
May is in the books!
Some of these books were part of my 2021 Spring/Summer Reading Challenge, others were recommendations from other readers, and some were just ones that captured my interest!
This month was a little heavy on the nonfiction side of things, but I read a few shorter ones this month that enabled me to fit in more books than normal.
I hope you can find something on this list that piques your interest!
It’s also not too late to join my reading challenge— summer is the perfect time to pick up a book and sit outside and read. Click the link above to find the reading challenge list; comment on that blog post what you plan to read, I’d love to see!
Below you will find a quote or short blurb for each book and a link that’ll take you to the full reviews. Don’t forget to share your favorites to your social media pages or pin to your Pinterest reading lists!
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh
Genre: Memoir/Humor
For dog-lovers, fans of weird drawings, and random crazy stories, with a smidge bit of depression awareness.
2. Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story by Angie Smith
Genre: Theology
God gave us the entire Bible because we need the entire Bible. If you don’t know why, then this study is for you! While useful for all, it would make a great Bible study option for young girls.
3. Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice by Thaddeus J. Williams
Genre: Nonfiction, Christian Living, Cultural
This is one of the best books I’ve read on social justice! Intelligent, well-researched, yet conversational, this is a must-read for anyone trying to do justice! Pairs well with Tisby’s book below. Together we see a fuller picture of how the church and social justice fit together.
4. The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby
Genre: Nonfiction, Christian Living, Cultural
Heartbreaking look at the church’s complicity in racism. Would pair best with Williams’s book above. Together we see a fuller picture of how the church and social justice fit together.
5. The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris
Genre: Historical Fiction
The lives of an inmate in Alcatraz and an orphan immigrant from Ireland are inextricably linked and their fates depend on one little girl who has gone missing.
6. Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller
Genre: Theology, Christian Living
“You should not begin to pray for all you want until you realize that in God you have all you need.”
This is one of the best books I’ve read on prayer. It’s deep yet practical and will change your perception of prayer.
7. Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael J. Kruger
Genre: Theology, Christian Living, Cultural
A book every high school graduate should read before heading out into the world. Reminds us that Christianity is not baseless and wishful thinking— we have solid reasons and evidence for our beliefs.
8. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
“Happiness is brief, and history is lasting, and in the end, everyone wants to be remembered.”
A (stupid) deal with the devil results in Addie who cannot be remembered by anyone until she meets Henry and everything changes. (I’m not sure if you will like this book, but you might at least enjoy my review.)
9. Ten Words to Live By: Delighting in and Doing What God Commands by Jen Wilkin
Genre: Christian Living
“Christianity is about relationship with God and others, and because this statement is true, Christianity is also unapologetically about rules, for rules show us how to live in those relationships.”
This will turn everything you think you know about the Ten Commandments on its head. They are not freedom-killing rules but life-promoting gifts, followed not out of the need to earn God’s favor but because we already have it!
10. Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Set in London, this is a story of a friendship-turned-problem with a dysfunctional and mysterious woman, intertwined with family secrets and unsuspecting danger. Who and what can be trusted?
11. Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop
Genre: Christian Living
“Lament is the honest cry of a hurting heart wrestling with the paradox of pain and the promise of God’s goodness.”
One of my new favorites! It provides a place for both feelings and truth. A way to process our pain that leads us to trust in a God we can know and believe. For anyone who has ever experienced pain or desires to lament for their hurting neighbor.
12. Castle Shade (Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes #17) by Laurie R. King
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction
A fan fiction series of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock and Russell head to Castle Bran in Transylvania where danger lurks. They must get to the bottom of incidents reminiscent of Dracula or the Blood Countess (history’s most prolific female serial killer) before harm befalls the Queen of Romania.
If you give any of these a try, let me know what you think! And share what you read in May in the comments below.
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