The Reading Corner
So I’m going to combine things a bit for this post and write about the books I read in August as well as what’s on my “To Read List” for September. It’s the easiest way for me to catch up.
Books I Read in August
The Beantown Girls
Jane Healey
The Beantown Girls is a WWII historical fiction novel about three college-age friends from Boston who join the Red Cross and serve as “Donut Dollies,” driving their Clubmobile across war-torn Europe.
I was completely drawn into this story. The characters felt so real, their journeys were engaging, and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with yet another of Jane Healey’s novels. The pacing is wonderful—easy to read but never dull—and it swept me right along. I laughed, I cried, and I was on the edge of my seat when the girls suddenly found themselves in the middle of battle after the front lines shifted.
Jane Healey has firmly earned her spot on my list of favorite authors. The Beantown Girls is a solid 5/5 from me!
I Am a Church Member
Thom S. Rainer
I recently read I Am a Church Member by Thom S. Rainer, and even though it’s a short book (I finished it in about two hours), it really made me stop and think. Sometimes the smallest books leave the biggest impact.
What struck me most was how easy it is to slip into the mindset of “What can the church do for me?” when, in reality, being part of the body of Christ is about serving others. Rainer reminds us that church membership is less about receiving and more about giving—of our time, our prayers, our support, and ourselves.
One line that stuck with me is that “an inactive church member is an oxymoron.” That really hit home. We all have different capacities and seasons of life, but every member has a part to play—whether it’s teaching, serving, giving, or even faithfully praying when health or circumstances keep us from being physically present. No contribution is too small when it’s offered to the Lord.
I’ll be honest—some of the wording in the book felt more doctrinal than strictly biblical. But the heart of the message is one I needed to hear: church membership is not about my preferences, it’s about being a servant and investing in God’s people.
Reading this reminded me to examine my own heart and ask: Am I showing up as a consumer or as a servant? Am I giving myself to the work of Christ through His church, even in the small ways? Those are convicting questions, but also deeply encouraging ones—because God uses each of us, right where we are, for His glory.
If you’re new to church or maybe wrestling with your role in it, I think this little book could be a gentle but powerful reminder of what it means to belong to the body of Christ.
Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure
Rhys Bowen
Oh, how I love Rhys Bowen! I’ve been reading her books for nearly a decade now, and I honestly enjoy every single one. Her latest novel was no exception—it’s filled with the same rich storytelling and wonderfully developed characters I’ve come to expect from her.
The story begins in the UK just before WWI and soon takes us to a quiet little fishing village in France, right as Germany begins its reign of terror. The pacing throughout most of the book was fantastic—steady, engaging, and hard to put down. Toward the final chapters, though, things felt a bit rushed, almost as if the endings for each character were tied up too neatly and too quickly.
Even with that small critique, I truly loved the journey this book took me on. For me, it’s a solid 4.75/5!
Books to be Read in September
I finished reading The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen last night and look forward to writing a review at the end of the month. This story is set in the late 1960s but travels back to WWII in order to solve the mystery of several missing girls, the story behind a body found buried on the grounds of an ancestral home in England and uncovers shocking truths about the main character, Liz Houghton.
There are three other books I hope to finish this month:
The Saturday Evening Girls Club: A Novel — Jane Healey
The Secret Stealers: A Novel — Jane Healey
In the Midnight Rain — Barbara O’Neal
I’m not sure I’ll be able to read all four this month but we’ll see what happens. Work has kept me quite busy with my regular duties and on top of those, I’m currently designing a new website for the church to launch on our 5th anniversary.
It’s good to have things to do in my “senior” years. The title “Senior Citizen” doesn’t sit well with me unless it involves a discount at a restaurant or store. Life is good at 63 and I’m grateful for each and every day.
Peace,
B
