Summer Reading, Part One

As I mentioned before, I am a big reader.  If I leave the house, I almost always have a book packed with me.  I choose my purse based on whether or not it can hold a paperback.  I have a section of my bookshelf dedicated to books I've purchased but not yet read.  It's a glamorous life of staying up later than I should, measuring daily accomplishments by how many chapters read, and making Post-Its lists of to whom I loaned which series.

Since graduation, I've already devoured seven books (that's a low figure for me, but I've been working, helping with our home remodel, and I didn't read over my five-day vacation). Most of them have been what I refer to as Semi-Trashy Romance Novels (distinguished from Trashy Romance Novels because the Semi-Trashy are historical, lending them a small bit of decorum).  Two of the novels I've read that fall outside this category were the first two novels in the newest Cindy Woodsmall trilogy.

Woodsmall writes Amish fiction, focusing on Amish life in the current time period.  Because of the Amish focus, Woodsmall's writing examines ideas of God, community, belonging, and the nature of modern living.  I find that, for many, these themes prevent books like Woodsmall's from even been picked off the shelf. 

The third book of Woodsmall's trilogy comes out in August.

Don't let that put you off right from the start.  Woodsmall's prose makes Amish life, language, and ideas easy to access, even for someone with no experience with Amish customs.  The ideas of God brought out in the characters' thoughts and speech are not the fire-and-brimestone that many people expect, but rather a gentle exploration of beliefs.  In the world of Christian fiction, Woodsmall creates beautiful settings and characters without trying to force her readers into a belief system.