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Summer is a great time to catch up on your reading! Whether you throw a book or two in your beach bag, sit on the back deck on a sunny Sunday afternoon with a book, or throw in those earbuds and turn on an audiobook while on a walk, somehow summer and good books seem to go together.
Here are 8 books I'm planning to read this summer. Maybe you'll find a book or two in my stack that you want to add to your own.
I'm continuing to read this 365-day devotional this summer. It is gospel-centered, grace-focused and designed to help us encounter the living God each morning.
"Forget “behaviour modification” or feel-good aphorisms. Tripp knows that what we really need is an encounter with the living God. Then we’ll be prepared to trust in God’s goodness, rely on his grace, and live for his glory each and every day."
I learned of this book from Jamie Ivey's Happy Hour interview with the author. Her story from bondage to freedom in Christ was fascinating to me, so I'm looking forward to reading this book.
"Jinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, recounts how she began to question the unhealthy ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ."
This book is one of the handful of books I'm considering as a textbook for the Story of Redemption class I'm preparing for this fall at my local church. I LOVE seeing Christ in every book of the Bible.
"Christ from Beginning to End is written to help Christians understand just how the different stories and parts of Scripture fits together to reveal the glory of Christ Jesus."
This is another book recommendation from a podcast. I love books on productivity and time management, and this one not only claims to have all the best practical tips, it also is filled with the gospel. Why does productivity matter? Because God prepared good works in advance for us to do, and because He instructs us to redeem the time.
"We don’t need just another approach to changing our habits. What we need is an operating system that takes into account the full scope of our lives. In these pages, bestselling author Jordan Raynor presents this system, using seven powerful time- management principles drawn from the example of how Jesus lived:
1. Start with the Word: Find meaningful connection with the author of time daily.
2. Let Your Yes Be Yes: Accept only the commitments you can fulfill.
3. Dissent from the Kingdom of Noise: Create room for silence, stillness, and reflection.
4. Prioritize Your Yeses: Confidently maintain your commitments.
5. Accept Your “Unipresence”: Focus on one important thing at a time.
6. Embrace Productive Rest: Live the God-designed rhythms of rest which are productive for our goals and souls.
7. Eliminate All Hurry: Embrace productive busyness while ruthlessly eliminating hurry from our lives."
This book is probably not be for everyone, but as someone who loves to speak and share messages, I'm excited to read this one. Grant Baldwin also has a podcast for speakers.
"In The Successful Speaker, you will learn the five-step road map to start and scale a speaking business from the ground up, including:
- how to hone your message and know exactly who it's for
- the preparation process to help your next speech move an audience to action
- what it takes to establish yourself as an in-demand expert
- practical steps to finding and booking paid speaking gigs
- how to know when it's time to grow your impact and income"
I stumbled upon this author, and have since read several of her books. She writes biblical fiction, beautifully weaving stories of what might have happened in the lives of some of our favourite biblical characters. This is a fun, light read.
"When the daughter of a prominent Roman general meets a disinherited Jewish immigrant, neither one can dream of God’s plan to transform them into the most influential couple of the early church. Nor can they anticipate the mountains that will threaten to bury them. Their courtship unwittingly shadowed by murder and betrayal, Priscilla and Aquila slowly work to build a community of believers, while their lives grow increasingly complicated thanks to a shaggy dog, a mysterious runaway, and a ruthless foe desperate for love. But when they’re banished from their home by a capricious emperor, they must join forces with an unusual rabbi named Paul and fight to turn treachery into redemption."
This one is on my list because we are featuring it on our women's ministry podcast at my local church. I've come to really appreciate Alisa Childers' podcast and her voice in the evangelical landscape.
"We’ve all seen the memes that populate the internet: live your truth, follow your heart, you only have one life to live. They sound nice and positive. But what if these slogans are actually lies that unhinge us from reality and leave us anxious and exhausted? Another Gospel? author Alisa Childers invites you to examine modern lies that are disguised as truths in today’s culture. Everyday messages of peace, fulfillment, and empowerment swirl around social media. On the surface, they seem like sentiments of freedom and hope, but in reality they are deeply deceptive."
This is another book that was recommended on a podcast. I love the bravery in talking about the struggles and disappointments of motherhood.
"Each mother’s story is unique. While motherhood brings joy and love, it can also bring pain and heartache. It’s often different than expected and it can be hard to know where to turn when difficulty and loneliness rise up. God Is Still Good: Gospel Hope and Comfort for the Unexpected Sorrows of Motherhood invites women to experience God’s comfort and leads moms to put their hope in Christ, despite the unexpected trials of raising children."
What books are you reading this summer?