Ryanne Molinari

I read ten books in February and, as usual, my reading tastes are unpredictable. The genres I enjoyed range from speculative fiction to poetry to journalism and nonfiction to historical biblical fiction. It would be a wild ride if I weren’t, well, sitting comfortably on my couch with a cup of coffee and a blanket.

Here are my top five reads from February 2023:

1. Thirst by Mary Oliver: From the opening line of this poetry collection (“My work is loving the world”) I fell in love with Oliver’s unabashedly joyful, intentional, lovely work. If your soul feels the weight of this sin-stained world, read this collection and be encouraged: there will always be lovely things (and things to love!) and this is a fact worth celebrating.
2. The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World by Bruce W. Longenecker: My husband is not a reader of fiction, so the fact that he recommended this book was surprising—until I read it. I had to check the cover several times to be sure that this was fiction, not history. It was meticulously researched and so well-crafted that I felt that I was not only reading letters from the ancient world but living in it myself.
3. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes: My sixth-grade teacher recommended the short story by the same name as this full-length novel. Since then, I’ve been wanting to read this heart-wrenching, thought-provoking story. A poignant argument for personhood being far more than mere intelligence or knowledge, this book shattered me. If you love novels and this isn’t on your to-read list, it needs to be.
4. Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing our Daughters by Abigail Shrier: I really appreciated the nuanced, thorough, and compassionate approach of this author. Most of the work I’ve read on this subject is from a Christian perspective, so this was doubly useful as the author is not (as far as I am aware) a believer. She takes personal experiences seriously while also weighing data rationally. The title comes across as more abrasive than the writing, which is consistently fair-minded and kind-hearted.
5. Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis: I’ve read this book at least three times now, but think Lewis would approve of this. After all, he once wrote, “I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.” This story of Psyche and Cupid continues to be the best myth retellings I’ve ever read. For more of my thoughts (and questions) on this book, see the following post: https://abookishcharm.com/2023/02/16/til-we-have-faces-discussion-questions/

There you have it! Another update on my eclectic reading life. Enjoy!