What I’m Reading (12.15.25)

The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Hoopla • Nonfiction • 2021

Short synopsis: Biblical womanhood is the belief that God designed women to be submissive wives, virtuous mothers, and joyful homemakers. Using church history and her own experience in evangelical spaces, Beth Allison Barr argues that biblical womanhood is not divinely ordained, but a product of historically constructed power systems.

I loved this book! I don’t read many books published by Christian presses anymore because much of U.S. Christianity does not align with my values. But this kind of book is right up my alley. In this book, Beth Allison Barr investigates what biblical womanhood really is and how the Bible has been twisted to fit modern social narratives about what it means to be a Christian woman. I love looking at Christianity and the Bible itself from a historical context, and in that sense, this book totally delivered for me. One of the most fascinating takeaways was realizing how different Bible translations can emphasize or downplay certain words and phrases. Even small changes can completely alter how a verse is written, interpreted, and taught.

Barr also discusses how we often fail to place the Bible in its historical context. If churches are using scripture to justify their rules and structures (such as not allowing women to preach), how do they reconcile that with other biblical practices that are no longer followed, like men having multiple wives? She also draws an intriguing distinction around the possibility of women apostles, arguing that because the Bible has been translated by generations of scholars (read: men), language about these women has often been erased or softened. This book was incredibly eye-opening for me and is exactly the kind of nonfiction I love to read. Highly recommend!

Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady (★★☆☆☆)

Print • Owned (Target) • Contemporary Romance • 2025

Short synopsis: When rival bookstore managers Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson are forced to compete for one job after their stores merge, their real-life animosity and anonymous online friendship collide, revealing that love may be the only thing they don’t have to compete for.

Oh, this is a book I should have abandoned. It just wasn’t the right book for me. It took me over two weeks to read, which should have been my sign that I wasn’t enjoying it. About halfway through, I realized that I might have liked it a whole lot more if it were a queer romance. On their own, Ryan and Josie could have been interesting characters. Ryan is the lovable owner of a romance bookstore. In contrast, Josie owns a bookstore specializing in literary fiction and is far more serious and Type A. Together, though, Ryan and Josie have no chemistry, and I never quite understood how their connection worked. Had Ryan been non-binary or a woman who helped Josie discover her own sexuality… *chef’s kiss*. You’ve got a book! I don’t think the author had a firm grasp on who these characters were or what motivated them. She clearly wanted to write a contemporary version of You’ve Got Mail, and honestly, for me, it was a flop. Meh.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Spotify • Contemporary Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: Sybil Van Antwerp has lived a full life, and she spends her days now penning handwritten letters to friends, family, and authors she admires. And then one day, a letter arrives that forces her to confront her past.

Oh, this book! I’m always worried when I start a highly recommended book that it won’t live up to my expectations. I needn’t have worried because this book was perfection from beginning to end. I listened to the audiobook, which has a full cast and was a phenomenal listening experience. It’s a must-listen if you’re into fiction audiobooks. Sybil is such a fully realized character, someone who is easy to root for, even if she did have her own flaws. What I really appreciated about this book is how the author trusted readers to follow the story without beating us over the head with exposition. So often in epistolary novels, letters are written in ways that don’t feel true to life, giving too much information that the letter receiver would already know. It’s a way for the author to give the reader details, and it’s a lazy way of writing. I love that Evans did not fall for this trap! She is a brilliant writer, and I just adored every single moment I spent with this book. A must-read!

What are you reading?