Hey friends,

Sending you some summer book love in case you need ideas or inspiration. Here’s what I’ve just finished or am currently reading. Let me know what book has your attention these days!

Non Fiction/Memoir

A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman

Emily is a new friend and fellow Revell author and this is her latest piece of gold. If you are passionate about finding and releasing your soulwork into this world, I so highly recommend this book. It will inspire you! Here’s Emily’s bottom line: You were made to create. You were made to share that creation. (Amen.)

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Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor

I’ve only just started this one, and it’s all that I’d hope it would be. One of my all time favorite authors, Barbara Brown Taylor is full of brilliance as she unpacks how the “darkness” in our lives might be less of a liability than we think. What if the darkness offered us gift we could never receive in the light? This is a challenging premise. Can’t wait to read more. And, you will die over the metallic stock they used for the dust jacket. Painfully gorgeous.

Mom and Me and Mom by Maya Angelou

Do yourself a favor and read something by Angelou this summer. You really do owe it to yourself. Think of it as a way to commemorate her voice, if nothing else. This was her last published memoir before her recent passing, and I loved it. I wrote a longer review when I first read this book, so you can read more about my thoughts on the book here, but pick up something by Angelou and let it speak to you.

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The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith (The Nester)

You will love “The Nester’s” mantra: It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. The size, photography, and layout of this book make it one you will want for yourself and as a gift for a special someone. The Nesting Place is about creating a space that’s “loved-on and lived-in.” She has a million good ideas in this book including a refreshing perspective on how to dwell well.

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Novels

A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

Set in New York, this novel weaves together the story of a nurse on Ellis island in 1911 with the story of a survivor of September 11, 2011. You will love the history, the poignant parallels between the two protagonists, and the twists and turns that keep you leaning in all the way to the end. Susan Meissner is a friend and a beautiful storyteller!

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

This book was candy to me. A family travels to Mallorca, Spain, for a vacation together with friends. Even as they’re escaping their lives and circumstances back home, they each bring something unresolved with them to Mallorca. What happens when everyone is shoved together in the vacation villa for 14 days? Disclaimer: there is definitely language and sexuality explicit material in this book.

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Children’s

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (child’s adaptation based on original) illustrated by Tudor Humphries 

I wanted to introduce my five year olds to the story of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but I knew they weren’t nearly ready to bite off the novel in its entirety. I searched Amazon for a book that told the story accurately and introduced the characters and basic plotline. This book is beautiful and already well loved in our household. Disclaimer: Aslan still dies in this version; however, the scene is not overly graphic or prolonged. If your child is sensitive to death themes, definitely read before sharing the book with him or her.

 

A Few More Favorites from the Archives . . .

Memoir/Non-Fiction

Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist

The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner

Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott

Lit by Mary Karr

Still by Lauren Winner

All is Grace by Brennan Manning

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris

Classic Lit

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Poetry

Celebrations by Maya Angelou

 

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