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July was a good month for reading for me. Summer was in full swing and there were many times I could enjoy the weather while reading. My to-read bookshelf is starting to dwindle down a little bit …
Here’s what I read:
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
This young adult novel lets the reader get a view into the world of Aza, who has anxiety that affects every area of her life. Through the distraction of a friend’s father’s disappearance, she finally comes to terms with how severe her condition is and how it affects her relationships.
Be the Hands and Feet by Nick Vujicic
Nick was born without arms, hands or legs, yet he has traveled the world telling his inspirational story of all he has accomplished. He also shares his faith and this book tells how he has incorporated his faith in every aspect of his life.
Ginger Kid by Steve Hofstetter
Growing up in New York City was hard on Steve, but he faced each obstacle with wisdom most teenagers don’t have and found himself in the midst of the turmoil. This autobiography is full of lessons learned in adolescence – and it is filled with humor!
The Better Mom by Ruth Schwenk
Moms try hard to find a balance in all things and Ruth Schwenk shares her stories and tips in this book. She helps her readers search for the balance between the mess and perfection, all with God’s grace.
Sister of Saidnaya by Rose Ann Kalister
Nadra is a Syrian immigrant who came to America as a child. Her family tries to find a balance between the old world and the new one, but Nadra is caught right in the middle. This book is fiction, but written in memoir-style, and takes the reader through Nadra’s journey to finding herself and freedom.
Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
We traveled to Omaha and stopped by The Field of Dreams on our way, so we listened to the audio version of Shoeless Joe, which the movie Field of Dreams was based on. The book was very much like the movie and it was really neat to listen to it before visiting the movie site.
The Horse Dancer by JoJo Moyes
A young girl who his training for a horse academy in France finds herself living with stranger’s after her grandfather’s stroke and must find a way to keep her horse, but finds herself in more trouble than she knows how to deal with.
Mandie and The Secret Tunnel by Lois Gladys Leppard
For our summer book club, my daughters read Mandie and The Secret Tunnel – a book I read when I was their age. It’s a mystery where Mandie is trying to find out where her uncle’s will is located so the estate can be settled and she can find a place to live.
The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope J. Stokes
On Christmas Day in 1929, four best friends meet in an attic to share their life dreams vowing to support each other in reaching those dreams. They stuff their dreams into a blue bottle and hide it in the attic rafters. Sixty-five years later, the house is scheduled to be demolished and a reporter covering the story is given the blue bottle, discovered by one of the men working on the demolition. Brendan reads the girls’ dreams and can’t put away the feeling that she is supposed to track them down and find out if they made their dreams come true – especially since she is at a point in life where she doesn’t know what her dreams are for herself.
The Eternal Current by Aaron Niequist
The Kingdom of God is like a river – an eternal current running through history, according to Aaron Niequist. Through his search for a relationship with God that was relevant to life today, Aaron studied history and found ways to bring the focus of church back to God instead of on worship or a sermon. Aaron explores this idea of a practice-focused church in The Eternal Current.
Call of the Wild by Jack London
It was great to re-read this classic novel. I did it as part of the library’s adult summer reading program. At this point in life, some of the details of this book and White Fang are fuzzy, so it was great to hear the story again and remember the details. It’s a bittersweet story of a dog searching for love, but hearing the call of the wild.
The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans
Christine’s heart is broken when her fiancé calls off their wedding a few days before it’s supposed to happen. To try and get her mind off her heart, Christine’s best friend signs them up for a trip to Peru where they will sight-see a bit, but mostly work to help people less fortunate than themselves. At first, Christine does not want to go, but is finally convinced. Their first stop is at an orphanage that is named after her favorite flower – The Sunflower. There she finds a special little girl who, along with the orphanage director, starts to heal her heart.
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Based on a real’s archbishop’s story from the Wild West days, this book could be placed in the historical fiction category. I read about the archbishop in the American Catholic Almanac and it mentioned this book. It’s not super exciting, but it is interesting to see how things worked for priests back in that time.
Share on the blog – I’m always looking for books to add to my to-read bookshelf!
C U R R E N T L Y
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