Spring Have-Read List

It's time again! Summer is officially here (says the calendar) and even though it's been a slightly chilly week, it has been grand. I've already made the first of the annual trips to my favorite Michigan state park and experienced the first summer sunburn. (That actually happened before the camping trip, and in my defense, I was wearing sunscreen so I can't explain it.) The yard is filled with blooming beauties and as is usual I'm scrambling to keep up with the weeds. There have been nightly walks to breathe in the fresh air, and baby kisses from and to nieces and my nephew. To make room for all of this, Ember has only gotten one night this month and my idea-bank is overfilled. Or maybe you could say the Muse has gained some weight. But it has been so worth it.

Here are some books I hope you will be encouraged to read this summer, and enjoy them as much as I did this spring!

Till We Have Faces, by CS Lewis
Till We Have Faces was a surprising read for me. I have a confession to make, one which I hope you won't judge me too harshly on... I am seriously lacking my knowledge of Lewis's works. I have only actually read the first four of his Narnian tales (The Magician's Nephew is so good, by the way, and sorely underappreciated!). With that in mind, I did not expect such a dark and depraved world as was presented in the story of Orual and Psyche. If you're not even a little familiar with Greek mythology beforehand, some of the story might even be more unexpected. What follows is a re-telling of the Psyche and Cupid mythology. I think I may need to read it again at some point. There are several themes throughout, and it is obvious Lewis loved writing this story. Though Orual is frustratingly, obviously faulted, you feel a sympathy for her and you want to keep reading because you want know her, not just because you're seeking answers...

Maggie Bright, by Tracey Groot

This, oh, this.
I'm sorry but I have to babble a little here because the reason I chose this book was not because I saw it on Goodreads or a shelving cart and nabbed it. It was because of Tracey Groot herself.
I met Tracey Groot at my first ever Breathe Christian Writer's Conference in 2016. She was spell-binding; it was evident in the way she carried herself and spoke of her characters that she knew them intimately and loved them deeply. There are some words that you carry with you for a long time, and hers were some of those. We had heard James Scott Bell already at the conference (the King of Outlines, if you didn't know) and I was struggling with determining my direction as a writer (were the Atremento Chronicles just a stepping stone or were they meant to be more?) and how to put together outlines in a way that felt comfortable and actually helpful to me. Tracey Groot said this most wonderful thing which carried me through that very blank tab in my brain that is labeled Outlines: the Bane of My Existence and quoted the Tolkien: "One writes such a story not out of the leaves of trees still to be observed, nor by means of botany and soil-science; but it grows like a seed in the dark out of the leaf-mould of mind: out of all that has been seen or thought or read, that has long ago been forgotten, descending into the deeps. No doubt there is much selection, as with a gardener: what one throws on one's personal compost-heap; and my mould is evidently made largely of linguistic matter." It's difficult for me to explain this to someone who doesn't write, but I will try to explain it from my memory of how Ms. Groot explained it. It basically means something like this: take all the information in, learn it, and then put it aside to your mental "compost heap". At some point, writer's instinct will kick in and the important pieces of that information will seep into your work, and you can pull it out and arrange it just so. I remembered that and applied it. That was the magic. I found my way around this terrible problem of being unable to write or use an outline. I have my own kind of outline, however non-traditional it is. (Bell could probably laugh at me and still say "I told you so!") I also had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Ms. Groot and she offered some great advice that was difficult to swallow and hard to grasp, but with such compassion. This was ultimately the final realization for me that I couldn't hold onto the same story forever, and sometimes it is okay to shelf something for a little while- even indefinitely- though it is painful. She did not look at me like I was crazy, and I have had very few people talk to me to genuinely about the stories that I weave or how alive they are. She shared with me a similar experience of letting go a story that she'd had years ago, and encouraged me. I was inspired by Ms. Groot's kindness to read this story and I'm so glad I did. This story reveals a deep compassion for human souls and a wild love for words. The characters can be seen in your head as if they are one of Murray's drawings come to life. This sweet and sad miracle-story of Dunkirk inspires the reader to an appreciation for those who fight for life and honor it.

Dagger's Sleep, by Tricia Mingerink

This book received it's very own post and review, which you can read here. I loved this tale, woven with beautiful themes and sweet friendships. I was genuinely in love with this story, and it nearly brought me to tears.

Crowning Heaven, by Emily Hayse

I met Emily through my friend Schuyler, and I'm so glad that I did! It was evident when we first met that Emily has a vivid and bright imagination! She has a big heart and big ideas, and I didn't know what to expect in her debut novel. Crowning Heaven takes place mostly in another world, one which it is obvious Emily poured her heart into. Her efforts bring forth a full and fresh new earth and cultures, and getting to know Heaven after hearing about her from Emily was intriguing. Emily's strengths in this story lie in her tender, careful effort of worldbuilding and knowing each of her characters intimately. At this very minute, I'm actually tasting Heaven Cassidae tea in my mother's Faith Over Fear mug from the Re:garding Him Conference 2018. It takes like vanilla-y peachy goodness! It's soooo tasty. (I wonder how it would taste with a little milk?)
I will be posting an author interview with Emily Hayse in the near future, Lord willing!

Happy reading, friends!