I like to sit out on the front porch and read in the afternoons in Autumn, preferably with a cup of hot apple cider. I am just waiting for the day that I get some Cracker Barrell-esque rocking chairs to sit out there and then it will feel quintessential fall here. Also, I don’t know if you know this but Savannah Cinnamon Mix Syrup is the absolute best for making hot apple cider. I realize that not making my own apple cider recipe tutorial is a total blogger fail but listen, sometimes you just don’t mess with tradition.
So there is that little tip and here is what I’ve been reading lately:
Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet by Sara Hagerty – This book, read it. Sara is an incredible writer, the kind of writer where I read this book after I turned in my manuscript and then was all “WHY CAN’T I WRITE LIKE THIS IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL.” I know many of you have endured the harsh reality of infertility, back when I was struggling with my own diagnosis I wrote often about the bitterness of being barren. This book is for you, I promise. It is a great read for anyone, raw, and honest and compelling and I think that it is worth putting on your nightstand. But for those of you who feel the way I did a few years ago, this book will be such an encouragement. I am four years past, rejoicing in my wild little girl and only occasionally feel the pangs of sorrow that I can not physically bear another child to be her sibling. And still I was moved deeply by the words Sara wrote and the story she was brave enough to share.
Eight Twenty Eight by Larissa and Ian Murphy – This book showed up on my doorstep as a gift from my publisher and surprised me. I had never heard Ian and Larissa’s story before and so I watched their video on youtube really quickly before I read the book. I found the book well written but also incredibly intriguing. Ian and Larissa married after Ian suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him fairly incapacitated. I laid in bed and discussed it with my husband for a long time afterwards because it brought up such interesting questions. Honestly, it should. It is an inspiring story of what love will bear but it also raises hard questions, among them for me the idea of a more patriarchal spiritual authority. I think we fall on different ends of the spectrum when it comes to such things but it was a really thought-provoking read.
Enough: Ten Things We Should Be Telling Teenage Girls by Kate Conner – A must read for parents of teen and tween girls. I love Kate’s writing style, it’s fun and relatable, even if I do disagree with her on a few fundamentals. (While I am a proponent of modesty, I am not hugely keen on putting the onus of attracting unwanted sexual advances soley on girls who wear low cut shirts.) But I love the way Kate breaks down social media for parents and exposes some of the peer pressure that teenage girls are facing today. I also really enjoyed the way she opens up the conversation about the complicated emotions of being a teenage girl. I mean, that is a chaotic territory. When I think of my teenage girl self I think of how emotionally overwrought I was and how I had no one guiding me to how to handle that amount inner turmoil spiraling into outer drama. The chapter on honoring AND mastering emotions was my favorite. There is a companion book for girls too, so parents and daughters can go through them together.
Boring: Finding An Extraordinary God In An Ordinary Life by Michael Kelley. (This is only 99 cents on kindle right now!) Michael Kelley’s first book, Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal, was life changing for me. Boring isn’t quite as gripping but is raising interesting questions for me, the idea that there is passion and purpose in the ordinary. I’m still in the middle of reading this one so I’ll update this post to let you know how it turns out but so far I am really enjoying it. I think it’s an important conversation.
And in less heavy reading, I am working my way through the Pretty Little Liars series. I realize that is quite a departure from talking about my feelings on patriarchal spiritual authority. (The first book in the series is free for kindle right now, which is why I picked it up.) I thought that the books wouldn’t be as good since I’ve watched the show but since I had only seen the first couple of seasons it was fine. These are total fluff reads but a serious indulgence for me.
I also read the final book in the Hybrid Chronicles series (Echoes of Us) which was really good but left a little open ended for my taste. I had it read it though, I can’t not finish a series. Which is a problem because apparently there are like, five million Pretty Little Liars books.
(P.S. If you don’t have a kindle, you can get the free kindle reading app here to read kindle books on your desktop or most mobile devices, which is helpful since kindle books are so budget friendly)
What are you reading lately?
Disclosure: Most of the physical books were sent to me for the purpose of an honest review. If you’re interested in reviewing books, check out Booksneeze! The kindle books I purchased on my own. Some links may be affiliates, mostly so I can buy more kindle books 😉 thanks for the support!
