"Don't Miss Monday" - Intro and Author Feature
I read. A lot. I'm pretty lousy at keeping track of how many books I have read, but when our family's little homeschool breaks for the summer, I tend to read as many as four or five books per week. During the school year, my reading time is more limited, so I may only get through one or two books in a week.
Although I have now returned to a pattern of reading voraciously, when my children were small, it was much harder to carve out time to read. Library trips were few and far between. I had grand illusions of taking leisurely trips to the library for story time and carefully selecting beautiful storybooks, but let's face it - three boys within four and a half years means NO trip was easy. Groceries were necessary, so that's where the emotional energy went. And buying books? Again - let's be real. Groceries were (and are increasingly) necessary. And at the rate I read, I couldn't afford a book habit. (Thankfully, my children have two sets of generous grandparents who ensured they had lots of excellent reading material.) I'm also excessively frugal. I was downloading all the free e-books I could find and reading them on my iPhone until my hubby upgraded me to an iPad Mini, courtesy of our tax return.
Due to the major baby-induced blackout period in my reading, I missed quite a few great books when they were shiny and new. In the past few years, as I have traded my diaper bag for backpacks, I have discovered several authors who had already written several books by the time I found them. As I begin building a base of reviews, I'd like to take Mondays to share with you some authors whose work you shouldn't miss.
Our first "Don't Miss Monday" featured author is... (drum roll, please) Julie Klassen. Lovers of Regency Romance (think Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, or Sense and Sensibility) will adore Julie's books. While she gives a significant nod to period details, the true beauty is found in her character development. In her early novels, I was almost surprised at the level of authenticity and nod to "real life dilemmas" her heroines faced. Christian fiction is often dominated by idealism or shallow spirituality. Julie doesn't shy away from brokenness of spirit, whether it occurs due to sin or simply mirrors the brokenness of the world in which we live. Her characters often take winding journeys through valleys fraught with shadow, but Julie carefully weaves hope, grace, and mercy into their stories.
Since Julie has already written a dozen books (the latest doesn't release until December), three of which have won Christy Awards, you may be able to find several at your local library. Her first title, The Lady of Milkweed Manor, is an excellent introduction to her work. Additional titles which I heartily recommend and have earned a spot on my list of "Read it again" favorites are Lady Maybe and The Painter's Daughter.
Have you discovered Julie Klassen already? Which of her books is your favorite?