From Farming to Forgiveness: Good Things Take Time
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Welcome to our third week of Summer Book Reviews! Read on for the next set of books from my shelf so far this year, and don’t forget to submit a review of a book you’ve read recently for a chance to be featured in the next installment—this is your last chance:)
Tractor Wars, by Neil Dahlstrom
This was another of my Christmas list titles, and I dove into it pretty promptly after finishing The Alchemy of Air this winter.
If you’re a little nerdy about farming, this is a great pick for you. If you’re a little nerdy about industrial progress and technology, this is also a great pick for you. If you’re a big Henry Ford fan, this might ruffle your feathers a bit, but likely will still be a good pick for you. All that to say, this book tells the story of the first players in the game of developing tractors for agricultural use, and not just the people and the business decisions: you’re going to learn about which model had how many horsepower and what type of bearings it had and how much it weighed.
I discovered this from Shane Thomas’s (of Upstream Ag Insights) list of important agricultural reads. I found it interesting in large part because of how many early “winners” in the tractor game have, in the last hundred years, either become entirely obsolete or at least far less prevalent, while the ones who were slowest to the market seem to have won out in the long run. In the spirit of frankness, it wasn’t as riveting as a storyline as I expected when it came to the people and business themes--as noted above, a lot of technical details instead--but I still felt it was worth the read.
One Thing Differently:
If you want to be doing something for awhile, it’s generally better to take it slow and do it right, rather than chasing quick gains and taking shortcuts to get there.
One Summer in Savannah, by Terah Shelton Harris
This one came at recommendation from my sister, and I read it on Kindle earlier this summer--while I prefer physical books, I often resort to Kindle for seasons when I’m traveling more so I don’t have to worry about carrying physical books around with me.
A powerful story of forgiveness, family ties, and incredibly complex and difficult decisions. If you’re someone who cares about people and is always seeking to better understand how people make decisions and how relationships are formed (or broken), this one is for you.
My sister’s recommendation gave me a good reason to pick it up, and the sheer weight of the story made it hard to put back down until I was finished with it. The character development was wonderful, and the decisions they had to face left you wondering if you would have the same courage they did if you were faced with the same scenarios.
One Thing Differently:
While I know it’s a cliche, this book reminded me yet again of the truth that holding onto bitterness does nothing but eat away at your soul.
Guest Review: The Magnificence of Death by Rhea Rainwater
One of my best book friends, Kasey Young, shared this review she had written on Goodreads and it is a beautiful testament to her own raw vulnerability as reader and, more importantly, as a friend.
I have only had three five-star reads this year and this makes one of them. I cannot be convinced this is her debut novel. This story is so hauntingly devastating. I am writing this review still sniffling. This wasn’t a tear-down-face ending, this was sobs racking my chest and my boyfriend waking up to ask me if I was okay.
There are very few authors in this world who have the innate ability to not only put the human experience into literature that touches you in a way that is tender yet brutal, but also have the ability to write that in a character that is quite literally not human — that is true talent.
This book is about deep and bone-hollowing grief, perseverance, strength, courage, forgiveness, second chances, fate, and most importantly love. This book has forever changed me in the same ways that Addie Larue did. Addie found me when I needed her first, 5 years ago, and Astoria found me tonight. I have so much to say about this book still, but alas, I will leave you with one lasting word — masterpiece.
About Kasey:
I’m originally from eastern Kentucky (Sko Cats!) and I’ve always loved to read. I’m in ag finance, engaged to the coolest guy I know, with a houseful of animals — 2 cats (Buck and Banjo) and 2 dogs (Rick and Tucker).
Have a book you’d like to share with us? Send me an email or a message with your review, following the template below:
1) Title and author of the book, and when you read it (recent is better but it doesn’t have to be this year).
2) A few sentences to let us know the general premise of the book. Genre/target audience would be helpful here, too. (Fiction and non-fiction are both welcome!)
3) What made you pick it up, and why was it worth finishing?
4) What is your “One Thing Differently” from the book? It can be a tangible change you’ve made to your life as a result, or simply something you look at differently or more deeply than you did before reading it.
5) Share a couple of sentences about who you are, and how you found your way to The Next Step.