There are many reasons why summer is the perfect time to knock out that book wish list you’ve been hoarding all year. Pool days, warm summer nights, and vacations all call for a good book or two.
I want to share with you a few of my favorite current reads that you may want to add to your list and a couple that is at the top of mine for the summer.
Some links are affiliated for your ease of shopping.
1 || Unexpected – Christine Caine
Christine Caine has recently been on a few of my favorite podcasts, and I’ve been blown away after listening to her speak on peace in an unpeaceful, uncertain world. It’s certainly been a struggle of mine to trust that God placed me in this moment of time to care for my baby girl, be a good wife to my husband, and follow Him no matter what in the crazy times of 2018. God knew exactly what would be going on in the world, and has placed here in this season for a reason. She’s full of truth and incredible wisdom. To say that I’m excited to read Caine’s words in Unexpected is an understatement.
2 || Soul Rest – Curtis Zackery
It seems like I find all of my next reads on podcasts. Do you do the same? I just listened to Annie F. Down’s This Sounds Fun podcast last week with Curtis Zackery. He spoke so intentionally and enthusiastically about the Sabbath and how God has commanded us to rest, especially those who pour out to others everyday, i.e. ministry workers and moms!
Ugh! That’s hard. I’ve been craving this thing called rest, but I rarely allow myself to partake in this it. I need this Biblical truth in my life more than anything right now. Without rest and reflection, we will quickly run dry…I will quickly run dry.
3 || If You Only Knew – Jamie Ivey
Ok, now to books I’ve recently read that you may want to add to your list. I’m an OG Happy Hour listener (and I don’t even know what OG means!). Again, it’s another podcast, but If You Only Knew is written by the podcast host, Jamie Ivey. She has a story to tell that every woman should read. Whether you’ve gone through similar situations as hers or not, her story of redemption and God’s grace is something everyone can relate to.
4 || Hillbilly Elegy – JD Vance
I just finished this one last week, so it’s the most fresh and the one I want to talk all about, but I’ll spare you the best I can.
Being from small Appalachian in East Tennessee and with both sides of my family growing up in small coal towns of the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, this book hit home.
Vance vividly portrays his tumultuous childhood in Appalachia Ohio while placing a lens the “culture in crisis”. This book will open your eyes to this overlooked American region. Must read!
My mom’s review: “It’s nothing I didn’t already know.”
5 || CSB Study Bible for Women
Don’t be fooled. I do not plan on reading the entire Bible this summer, but I have a yearning to dig deeper in God’s word and make it a part of my every day.
The Study Bible is in the Christian Standard Version and is a lot like the She Reads Truth Bible but much more in depth. The extensive notes, detailed book introductions, character profiles, and answers to hard questions sections are just a few of my favorite features of this new study bible for women.
If you’ve been searching for a way to learn more about the Bible without buying another short Bible study or devotional, this is such a great option.
Good news! You can enter for you chance to win one to add to your summer reading list by clicking the link below.
What’s on your summer reading list that I need to add to mine? Let me know in the comments below.
