During June I spent a lot of time in the car – we drove from our home in eastern Pennsylvania to Utah and southern Colorado and back. LOTS of hours in the car. Then I flew to visit my mom, my plane had issues and we were delayed several hours in the airport. So my 6 hour trip home became almost 11. I’ve had plenty of time for reading. Here are some of my favorites from June.
Notes From a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider. I first heard Tsh speak at The Relevant Conference (now Allume) in 2011. She and her family live simply, travel the world and I enjoyed the auto-biographical writing style. I would not say it is the BEST book I’ve ever read, but I did enjoy it. I could smell the smells and hear the sounds of the open air market she referenced. The book did make me want to live with less and I am absolutely getting rid of things and buying less. So that is a good thing!
bread and wine by Shauna Niequist. I loved this book. Not everyone did, but I did! I reviewed it here. I was not given this book in exchange for a review, but I cannot remember where I got it. I loved her writing style. I loved the recipes. I love the way she shares her journey. I loved it all and will read it again. I keep it in the kitchen with my cookbooks so I can refer to the recipes. I love the Esquites/Mexican Grilled Corn on page 203!! She is speaking at Allume this year…I am SO excited!!
Surprised by Motherhood by Lisa Jo Baker. I have read Lisa Jo’s blog for several years. I don’t know that there is a better champion of women and moms anywhere on the planet! She reminds us that all is good…no matter how many bumps and rolls we have on our body. She tells her story of being raised in South Africa, losing her mother just after she turned 18 and deciding she never wanted to have children. She invites us into her life and how the Lord changed her heart and she welcomed children into her life. The book is easy to read and written in Lisa Jo’s conversational style.
Angela’s Song by AnnMarie Creedon. I distinctly remember getting this for free from Bookbub. It is a beautiful love story of loss, grief, redemption, forgiveness and hope all wrapped in a neat package. I could not put this book down.
Love Isn’t Supposed to Hurt by Christi Paul. Christi Paul is an award-winning journalist and works for CNN. This is her journey through an abusive relationship and how it strengthened her faith as she found her way out. I got this book from Bookbub also and found it to be riveting. A beautiful story of believing in God…all the time.
Unglued Devotional by Lysa TerKeurst. I read Unglued earlier this year. I just got the devotional and I am using it daily during my quiet time. I cannot tell you the difference it is making in my reactions and the way I respond to people. I believe it was the perfect time for me to read this because I am open to what it is saying. If you are finding that your reactions are disproportionate to the situations at hand, please check out this devotional book…and read the book. Great stuff written by someone who has been there. She seriously gets it!
The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith. The Nester, as she is know in the blog world, says it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. She shops thrift stores, garage sales and her own house to make a house a home. Lysa TerKeurst did a series on her blog Turning a House into a Home on a Thrift Store Budget. I have not yet gotten up the courage to paint a piece of furniture yet…but I’m getting there. It is an encouraging read. I actually read this in May, but thought it was worth including!
I love seeing your book list, Mary. I had a lot of time in the car lately too so it was fun to get some books finished. I've not read any on your list but I've heard of many of them and they all sound good. I'm thinking I may have Unglued somewhere on my Kindle or maybe the devotional (it's getting messy in there so it's hard to keep up!). And how have I never heard of BookBub? Headed there now! Thanks!
I have not read Christi Pauls book and look forward to reading it. The Book Thief was the last book I read and it was really good!
Hi Mary! What a fun book list! You are a really an avid reader…I get involved in several books at once, so it takes me a while to get through them.
Right now I'm reading The Return of the Prodigal Son, Love Idol (by Jennifer Dukes Lee, she blogs too), and Reaching Out.
Thanks for the tip on BookBub too!
Ceil