In honor of temperatures continuing to reach the mid-90s here in Austin, I’m sharing a quick round-up of the books I read and enjoyed over the summer (because apparently it’s still summer). As always, I only include books I recommend — not every book is my cup of tea, so I stick to the ones that are.
My top recommendation is This is Not a Book about Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan- it’s funny and smart, very niche. Carvan takes deep dives into things I care about — motherhood, fulfillment, being yourself and joy. She also takes deep dives into things I’m not sure I care about but found fascinating — fan fiction, music writing, Benedict Cumberbatch fans, and Benedict Cumberbatch. As the back cover says — this book is indeed “a hilarious, heartfelt memoir about the liberating power of reclaiming our passions as we age —whatever they may be.”
Recommended Reads
Memoir
You Could Make This Place Beautiful - Maggie Smith ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch - Tabitha Carvan (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Testimony - Jon Ward (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Here for It - R. Eric Thomas (audio) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Non-Fiction
You Are Not a Before Picture - Alex Light ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Screaming on the Inside - Jessica Grose (audio)⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Kaleidoscope: Broadening the Palette in the Art of Spiritual Direction - Ineda Pearl Adsanya ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sacred Rhythms - Ruth Haley Barton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Group Spiritual Direction - Rose Mary Dougherty ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Awakened Brain - Lisa Miller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Devotional
Good Enough - Kate Bowler & Jessica Richie⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Poetry / Poetic Essay
Consolations - David Whyte ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fiction
Bury Your Dead - Louise Penny ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
The Hangman - Louise Penny ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really Good Actually - Monica Heisey (audio)m⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan (I’m reading my son’s favorite series in anticipation of a new installment and it’s somewhat slow going — so I won’t say I recommend this on its own, but it’s been a fun experience chatting about the series and getting a peek into the books he loves.)
What about you? Do you tend to read less or more during the summer? This is a community of readers, so I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments!
If you’re new here, you might want to check out my other posts with book recommendations here, here and here!