It’s the middle of July, and I feel like we are finally hitting our summer rhythm, which, no surprise, includes a lot of reading. We’ve discovered some great books this summer, and I wanted to share with you some of our favorites.
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Kids Books
The kids have all of them been reading up a storm. Ben has FINALLY reached the age that he is happy to sit for a book, and Charlotte is begging anyone with reading ability to read to her much of the time. If it weren’t for G, my voice would be hoarse from all the requests, but thankfully she is always happy to read aloud to her siblings. William is practicing his reading skills this summer as well, and his fluency is really starting to take off (fingers crossed it sticks this time). `
Without further ado, here are some of the books they’ve loved this summer:
- The Armor of God series: We were graciously sent the first few books in this series by the author, and G read all of them in the span of a weekend. She loved the storylines, and I loved that the books are all focused on (gently) teaching the virtues. Finding this series was definitely a win-win for our family.
- The Action Bible: This is a new staple in our mass bag. William loves the graphic novel style, and I do too because it lets him follow the stories of the Bible without needing to be read to- perfect for during mass.
- Jack Giorgio: The newest release from Katie Warner was another huge hit with William. Delivered in a charming rhyme, the story follows a boy as he discovers the concept of vocations and that priests are heroes too. I love the concept, and it’s presented in a very healthy way- Katie ties the superpowers of the priest directly to the sacraments and the priest’s willingness to love and sacrifice for his flock.
- Our Lady Undoer of Knots: Another new release, this one explains the title of Mary to children and gives beautiful examples of what being in relationship with her can look like day to day. I really like it because it’s simple and to the point without dumbing down or fluffing up any of the concepts.
Books I’m Reading
I too have been spending more time reading this summer. This pregnancy has been harder than previous, and I’m finding that I’m slowing down earlier than previously. Reading is helping me to be less bitter about that.
A lot of my current reads are research based as I’m deep into my latest book- this one is for moms! But I’m trying to balance out work-reading and pleasure reading.
- Peace in Pregnancy: I definitely have the best editors over at OSV, and they sweetly sent me this new release from their catalogue when I let them know I was expecting. Normally I’m not a fan of pregnancy devotionals as they tend to be sickly sweet and gloss over the hard parts of pregnancy, but this one was a breath of fresh air. The meditations are meaty without being dense and as practical as they are well-written. It’s a book I’m grateful to have in my prayer corner as I walk the last months of this pregnancy
- The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels: This witty and light read will take you to Victorian England, or at least a version of it where a group women are pirates who, instead of sailing ships, sail their houses throughout the air. It’s a delightful and charming read, and you’ll want to dive right in to it’s sequel, The League of Gentlewomen Witches.
- Book Lovers: I love books about books and people who love books, so this light read was right up my alley.
- Our Woman in Moscow: Beatriz Williams is a favorite author of mine because of her ability to seamlessly weave together two timelines. I really loved this tale of British spies during the Cold War and families caught in between.
These are just some of what we’re loving lately. If you’ve got any recommendations, I’d gladly take them, so please do send me a message!
Oh! And don’t forget that my next book, The Women Doctors of the Church is going to release early this fall. It’s currently available for pre-order, and please, please do. I’ve got lots of fun extras planned for those who do. I’ll be rolling them out later this summer as we approach the launch.