June Reading

Which books to take on our trip to Asia was an important decision! I even enlisted the help of my librarian friend in deciding what to take and what to leave behind. Yes, I took 14 books with me. I finished 6 completely and only got part way into a further 4. Sadly, 4 remained untouched. But those four books provided a good buffer against "nothing to read anxiety."

Here are some books I've read recently as well as some of the books from the trip. As usual any Scotland-related book will be posted on my Reading Scotland blog.


 A Tiger in the Kitchen by Cheryl Tan
I tried to find books to read before the trip set in the countries we were visiting. This was my most successful attempt -- a cooking journey by a journalist residing in NYC but born and raised in Singapore. Over the course of a year Tan returned to her roots in Singapore to learn some of her most-loved childhood dishes from the hands of her relatives. The dishes included things such as the famous Singaporean Chicken Rice, Duck Soup, and Pineapple Tarts. The book helped to give me a little glimpse into Singaporean Chinese culture.


 At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider
I devoured this book on the plane trip over to Singapore. It was so good! Oxenreider describes the 9 months she and her husband took to take their three children (all under 10) around the world. It was so fun to read about each place they visited -- and I was especially excited that the Oxenreider's visited Singapore and spent 6 weeks in Chiang Mai, Thailand where Michael and I were headed for a few days of vacation. I'll be sure to give you the full scoop on the restaurant Tsh recommended and how much we loved it too!


 Lust for Life by Irving Stone
This book tells the life story of Vincent Van Gogh in a historical fiction form. I really enjoyed learning more about Van Gogh and the story behind his art. There were many heart-breaking episodes in his life and I find it amazing that someone who struggled so much has become so admired and beloved by art enthusiasts around the world.

 G. K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense by Dale Ahlquist
Someone recommended this book as a good introduction to Chesterton. The book is broken up into chapters about some of Chesterton's major works as well as an introduction to the life of Chesterton. This was a helpful format as I could read important quotes from Chesterton's works and also decide which books I might want to actually read at length.


 Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I did not expect to love this book as much as I did because I'm not a huge fan of Elizabeth Gilbert. However, this book was great! I couldn't put it down. But then I love books about creativity that motivate me to move forward in the creative process.


 Living into Community by Christine Pohl
This book focuses on several practices of the Christian life: practicing gratitude, making and keeping promises, living truthfully, and practicing hospitality. Pohl does her research and condenses that into well-written paragraphs. This book was challenging and inspiring.


 The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
We finished this read-aloud right at the end of the school year. It is set in modern day Iran and tells the story of a young girl whose father is arrested. This results in her carrying the burden of providing food for her family. It's hard to read of the realities that are happening everyday across the world, but this is a well-told story and appropriate for elementary ages.

And that's it until next month!

Please note: this post contains affiliate links. Thanks for purchasing from Amazon through my links!