What I Read in July

1. The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia) by CS Lewis
Eustace and Jill are the heroes of this story, as they battle a different witch for the glory of Aslan. This is the 4th or 5th book in this series I've read and each have a good moral behind them.

2. Everyday Holy by Melanie Shankle
Shankle is one of my favorite authors and I love everything I've ever read by her. This book is a seris of short devotions that would be good to read each day. I read several in a day. They include a scripture and a devotion, and each are relatable. Highly recommend!

3. The Basic Steps of Bible Study by Kay Arthur
This is a basic overview of inductive Bible study, a way to dig into the Scriptures to get more out of what you read. There are other books that go deeper into the process, but this is a good introduction into a more thorough way of reading the Bible.

4. Stretched Too Thin by Jessica Turner
Turner is a working Mom who has a passion for helping other working moms. This book centers on the myth that today's moms have to do it all. Each chapter focuses on an area where a mom may feel like she is stretched too thin, and gives ideas for moms (working or otherwise) on how they can prioritize what really matters.

5. Wreck My Life by Mo Isom
I heard Mo speak at Southland Christian Church earlier this year and she was so inspirational. This book tells of how she fought back after a wreck in which she should have been killed. It's a delightful read and a good reminder of how when we think we are in control we really aren't.

The next four books were read with Melody at the library while waiting for Mamaw Karen to get finished with business. They were favorites of mine, or Caleb's, or Kami's. 
6. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie- This whole series was a favorite of Caleb's.
7. Blueberries for Sal- I loved this book when I was at LBJ.
8. Are You My Mother- Not sure why I like this book so much, but it was a childhood favorite.
9. Madeline- Kami used to love this one.

10. A Girl with No Name by Diney Costeloe
This book was set in England during WWII. The main character is a young German girl who had been evacuated to London from Germany because she was a Jew. She was injured in a bombing and suffered from amnesia. The rest of the book is about how she finds herself, comes to term with being German in a foreign country, and finds who she can trust.  I felt like this book moved a little slow but overall had a good plot.

11. Voyager (Outlander series) by Diana Gabaldon
This was the third in the series and in my opinion the best book so far. Claire finds herself back in Scotland with Jamie, and must come to terms with his life while she was absent. They find themselves heading across the ocean for high-sea adventures. Loved this one!

12. Anne of Avolea
This is the second book in the Anne of Green Gables series and is delightful as the first. Anne finds herself a teacher and works to better her community. A quick read, and pleasant! 
13. The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
I had read this years ago but rediscovered it, and it really makes sense. It made me think about why we often misunderstand each other in family and other relationships. Each of us have a prominent love language. You can give someone a million gifts and it does nothing, but if you put your phone down and actually listen to them it makes them feel like a million dollars. It's not that you don't love them... you just don't love them in away which they understand. I highly recommend this one for anyone who wants to do "better" in their relationships.

14. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
I can't say enough good about this book. I had seen it for years and had never read it, and then the film popped up on Netflix. Y'all know how I am about reading before I watch a movie, so I got this one and was delighted. It's written in a series of letters from different characters describing their experience in WWII. Funny, light-hearted, with just enough tragedy to pull at your heart strings.... so good. And the movie was great as well.

15. A Time to Love by Barbara Cameron
Set in Lancaster county, this novel centers on an Englisher who comes home to her Amish grandmother to heal from wounds she obtained as a war correspondent. She finds that she needs to heal physically and emotionally, and the novel follows her along that process. I love Amish novels, and this one is no exception.

16. Color Tour by Aaron Stander
Ray Elkins is investigating the death of a private school teacher and her friend, leading him on an adventure full of murder and mayhem. This book was slow to start, but picked up and I enjoyed it. The ending was definitely not what I expected. A great thriller to read by the pool!


As of the end of July, I had read 70 books. My goal for the year is 150. I'm behind and with school starting back I'm not sure how close I'll get to my goal, but I'll just keep reading in my free time and hope for the best. I'm currently reading 54 books. Yes, 54! I start one, then start another, and some of them are devotions or Bible study books that I read a little at a time. Some books are ones that I add to my reading list that I haven't really started.  I write that so that if you ever look at my goodreads list and see that it has taken me months to read a book, chances are I haven't really started reading it. I usually will read a chapter at a time, unless a book really grabs ahold and then I'll read more. I have stacks and stacks of books... but my stacks make me happy, and I find great pleasure in selecting what I'm reading next... so if you've got a good read let me know!