Chelsey's March 2025 Reads

Space, zombies, marriage, Elvis, and horses having babies

If you read my March Chelsey Chats post, you’ll know that I’m going to start doing a separate post for the books I’ve read each month. I want to actually talk about the books instead of just listing them, but I don’t want to send you a novella each month by combining the two posts. From here on out, I’ll be sharing my favorite book, my least favorite book, and then the rest of them by category—fiction, nonfiction, and spiritual.

This month I read *15* books! That’s near my max (I think once I read 19 books in a month) but unfortunately I wouldn’t characterize March as a great reading month. There were a few books that stood out, but not as many as I would have hoped. Overall, I read 4 fiction, 7 nonfiction, and 4 spiritual books this month.

Favorite Book

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham

📖 I vividly remember being old enough to read and flipping through my baby book. In the section about major events that happened around the time that I was born, my mom had written “Challenger explosion.” I was born in March 1986, and the shuttle exploded in January 1986, so my mom was in late pregnancy, watching with bated breath with millions of other people around the world—first full of hope and awe and then of horror and shock. It had a huge impact on her. I grew to become someone who is mostly not interested in space other than a few key shows and movies (the new Battlestar Galactica, the original Star Wars, and Firefly). The reason I even started this book is because I read the author’s previous book Midnight in Chernobyl and was mesmerized by the way he made nuclear reactors make sense and yet also fully communicated the horrors of “the world’s greatest nuclear disaster.”

So even though I don’t really enjoy reading about space or rockets or astronauts, I eagerly dove into this book and GUYS. Not only did I learn so much about the history of the space program, which was more interesting than I expected, but the pace of this book is phenomenal. We all know how the story is going to end—not well. But the build up to the actual explosion is full of real stories about real people. I felt like I knew the seven astronauts who were on the shuttle when it disintegrated. I felt like I was also sitting in the shuttle with them, feeling the incredible sound of engines with enough fuel to shoot me into outer space. I felt the despair of the scientists and engineers who tried to delay the launch. I did not expect this to be my favorite book of the month, but here we are. I loved every second of it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(A bonus was a brief reference to Operation Paperclip, the subject of another book I read earlier this year!)

Least Favorite Book

The Unmothers by Leslie J. Anderson

📖 If you read my post on how I use Libby, then you’ll know that sometimes when I am waiting on a book I have on hold, I listen to something I tagged that looked interesting. That is how I came to listen to this book, and I clearly was not paying enough attention, least of all to the cover, which I didn’t realize until after I finished it shows a blood-drenched horseshoe. First of all, this book is about horses. I was never a horse girl. I’m not even an animal girl (except I do love rabbits; keep reading). But not just about horses — about horses having human babies? And some kind of demigod that lives in the woods and hates humans and maybe also horses? And a journalist who shows up and inexplicably gets herself enmeshed in the town while also referring to her own past trauma without any warning? It was not well written, I don’t care about horses, and while it didn’t get weirdly sexual like it totally could have, it was just not a good book. ⭐⭐

Fiction

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

📖 This was a disappointment. I have loved several of Moriarty’s books, most notably Big Little Lies. She is a good writer, and I have no qualms with the writing. It was mostly the plot and the characters that got to me. First of all, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. Secondly, the intensity of the beginning of the book on which the entire premise rests just didn’t deliver. The book got less and less exciting as it went on, instead of making me want to keep reading. When the big reveal happened, I didn’t care. ⭐⭐⭐

Watership Down by Richard Adams

📖I first read this book more than 5 years ago. After several disappointing fiction books this month, I needed a palate cleanser. I remembered loving this book but couldn’t remember fully what had drawn me in, so I listened to it again. This time the narrator was Ralph Cosham, who narrated the first many books of Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series, which I will one day write more about. His voice is pure comfort to me, so that was a delight before the book really even got going.

I’m happy to say that I still love this book, and yes, it is all about rabbits as well as a few other woodland animals. This book started from Adams telling his little girls stories about rabbits and grew into an entire novel. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m just going to encourage you to give this one a try. After I finished listening, I bought the hard copy in the hopes that I can read it out loud to my younger two kids this summer, because I think they will love it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

📖 I ran across this accidentally, but when I read the description, I knew I had to give it a try. It is about a crow who has been raised by a human, along with the human’s dog, Dennis. One day the crow, who is sentient and narrates most of the book, sees his human’s eyeball fall out of his head. The rest of the book is then a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller from the perspective of the crow. I laughed out loud. It is dark humor at its finest, but it is not for everyone. There is a lot of language and, as I already mentioned, zombies, who are not known for not eating people and animals. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nonfiction

4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

📖 I had seen this all over Substack and because I will read almost any book on time management or productivity, I gave it a go. I struggled through it. The book was not poorly written and there wasn’t anything I inherently disagreed with. I just felt I had already read this book in some other form. I read Stolen Focus a few months ago and many sections of this book were extremely similar—our phones are making us miss out on the world, our attention spans are down, the constant influx of information makes us feel like we can never stop and slow down. It also felt heavily influenced by Stoicism, and as a Christian, it just didn’t click with me. I can’t talk myself into having mental wellness. I can’t convince myself that what I do during my life here matters apart from believing that this world isn’t everything. And were it not for Jesus, I would be terrified to die. I can keep going, doing the best I can, only because the Lord sustains me.

That said, it did have some helpful tips on doing less and being more kind to yourself, so if that’s something you need encouragement toward, give it a go! ⭐⭐⭐

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

📖 I wanted to love this book SO BADLY. I watched Gilmore Girls when it came out, and like many type-A personalities could relate to Emily Gilmore in many ways. I, too, would be upset if I had a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants daughter like Lorelai. The first part of this memoir was really interesting. I had no idea she had originated a role in A Chorus Line on Broadway and I didn’t know about any of her work prior to Gilmore Girls. I had two major problems, not with her life story but rather with how she talked about her life. First, she spoke of two instances in particular very flippantly—one about an abortion and one about an affair with a married man. She had those experiences, and that’s fine, but the way she talked about them was off-putting. The other major problem was the same problem I have had with many celebrity memoirs: At the end of their books, the authors try to get weirdly spiritual and make sense of their lives. This is a normal thing to do as a human being. But it is often so bizarre that it makes me wonder if I can trust anything they said previously. To end on a happier note, one of the beautiful things about her story was how committed she was to her marriage to her husband Lee, even after he was mostly confined to his home due to cancer. ⭐⭐⭐

The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke

📖 I was eagerly awaiting this book as the first book written by a child of a family who made their living off of documenting their family life on YouTube,. I had never watched this family, as I try to avoid those YouTube channels at all costs, but I was curious to see the impact of that kind of childhood. Shari Franke is now in her 20s and this book is a harrowing story of abuse. It is not for the faint of heart. My issue with the book is not because I think what she and her siblings experienced wasn’t awful. I just don’t think enough time has passed for her to be able to process it. It doesn’t sound like it was written by someone in their 20s; it sounds like a ghostwriter did most of it. I think it’s wonderful that she spoke up about what her family’s YouTube channel did to her—but I think this story might have been better told in another ten years or so. ⭐⭐⭐

From Here to the Great Unknown by Riley Keough and Lisa Marie Presley

📖 I am a sucker for celebrity memoirs, even celebrities with whom I’m not very familiar. I knew who Lisa Marie Presley was, of course, but I didn’t know much about her or about her father. LMP wrote and recorded interviews for this book, but she hadn’t finished before she died, so her daughter, Riley Keough, finished it. If the book didn’t include Riley’s portions, it would have been very difficult to read. But her exposition and analysis of what her mother wrote, as well as the way she explains things that her mother maybe didn’t fully grasp, made it a compelling read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family by Jesselyn Cook

📖 This book was difficult to listen to. I have read other books about QAnon in general, but not from such an intimate perspective. The author tells the stories of several different families and how one family member getting sucked down the rabbit hole of QAnon ruined their families and livelihoods. In some cases, there is redemption at the end, but at great cost. This book is a hard read, but I am glad I read it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal by Matthew T. Martens

📖 I’m categorizing this book as “nonfiction” instead of “spiritual” despite the subtitle because it analyzes the current criminal justice system and has wonderful insight into how it could be done better, regardless of religion. The author is both a lawyer and a seminarian, so his experience guides his ideas. I especially liked the end of the book when he talks about what the average American can do after feeling the weight of corruption and injustice that is prevalent in the United States. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spiritual

Counseling Women: Biblical Wisdom for Life’s Battles by Kristin Kellen

📖 As the wife of a pastor, whether I want to or not, I find myself interacting with women who are struggling with or have struggled with any number of very difficult things. This book is written for anyone who regularly counsels and encourages other women, either in a clinical or more laid-back setting. I found it empathetic and compassionate, and it also includes homework assignments if you are working through any of these issues with someone in a more structured way. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy and Kathy Keller

📖 Christian and I got to do pre-marital counseling with a couple at our church who got married just last week, and as part of the process he had them read this book. Somehow I hadn’t ever read it, and wow! It’s really good! I shouldn’t have been surprised given the author, but man—I wish I had read this earlier in our marriage. After I finished it along with the engaged couple, Christian and I decided to work through it during our Friday morning coffee dates. If you’re married or about to be married, I can’t recommend this book enough. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Waiting Isn’t a Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life by Mark Vroegop

📖 I read this book as part of an online book club I’m doing. It came at just the right time for me, because I’m currently in a season of waiting in several different areas of life. The truth is, most of the Christian life is about waiting, so no matter what you’re currently experiencing, I think this book will be an encouragement. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Pastor’s Family: Shepherding Your Family through the Challenges of Pastoral Ministry by Brian and Cara Croft

📖 I first read this book about 10 years ago after my husband read it. I watned to revisit it and see if there was any new wisdom I could glean. For the most part, we have put into practice many of the things the authors talk about when it comes to being a pastor’s family. I’m grateful for the way my husband makes time for me and our kids despite his busy schedule. While I don’t know that I needed to read it again, I am glad I did, because I thought of several other ministry families who are just starting out who I can now recommend it to. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What did YOU read this month? I’d love to hear about it—your favorite, your least favorite, anything you’d recommend?