Another seven book month, and I’m going to try to do a better job of summarizing the books for you than I did in June (Chatty Cathy up in here writing my own novel just trying to tell you about the books I read!).
The first book I completed in July was It’s Always the Husband. This is a thriller/mystery about three college friends who come back together twenty years after a crime that bound them all to an impossibly big mutually shared secret. Back at the scene of the crime, the story flashes back and forth from past to present telling the tale of how these women dealt with tragedy as college students and how it affected them their whole lives. Secrets are uncovered and one friend ends up dead and we’re all left wondering who-done-it. It was not my favorite of the thrillers I’ve read this year, but it’s a very popular one among reading groups and Bookstagrams, so if you love a good murder mystery, this may be your next read.
Speaking of murder mysteries, The Perfect Couple was a much better (in my opinion) Summer release by Elin Hilderbrand. I’ve read a lot of her books, and this one might take the cake as my favorite. The story and theme seemed thicker than most of her other stuff which usually dances around Nantucket romances, etc. On what was supposed to be a picture perfect Nantucket wedding weekend, the maid of honor is found dead the morning of the wedding and the whole wedding party and everyone associated gets caught up in the investigation. Stories and affairs are covered and uncovered, and it’s juicy and captivating. Again, a good Summer read.
Everybody Always was my first lawnmower audiobook of the month, and oh my gosh, you guys. Bob Goff is such an awesome man. I hadn’t read his first book yet, but I started with this one on a whim and I clung onto every word he said. His wise-old-dad voice was what hooked me after listening to Jen Hatmaker’s podcast with him as the guest, so I immediately went and downloaded Everybody Always and was not disappointed. I think this should be required reading for everyone seeking to live a life like Jesus.
The Life She Was Given is up next, and all I can say is this is like the dark stepsister of The Greatest Showman. It was tragic, heartbreaking, beautifully told and made me want a pet Elephant. Add this one to your reading list!
Love Lives Here was my second audiobook and is written and narrated by Maria Goff (I was obviously inspired by my love of Everybody Always to continue reading/listening to the Goff family stories about living a life after God’s own heart, so I grabbed Love Lives Here next). I love Maria; she is so aptly nicknamed Sweet Maria. Her stories of loving people right where you are and in the season you’re in have inspired my so much in this season of motherhood where my identity and employment are so rooted in my family’s well-being. She guided me in such a beautiful way, while reminding me of the great impact my work still has even if I’m not out there opening schools in Uganda at the moment. This book was a treasure to me.
Last month I listened to a Brene Brown book that didn’t really trip my trigger, but this month, she totally redeemed herself with an audiobook titled The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting. It’s quick listen (maybe just 2-3 hours) and I listened to it in a single day. The style of this book was much more conversational than Rising Strong was, so I found her research and message to be much more relatable via audiobook. SO many great takeaways from this book, including the importance of setting and holding boundaries for our kids, the important difference between shame and guilt, etc. I think this should be required listening for parents of both young and old children.
(Almost done! Are you still with me?).
The last book I completely in July was Everyone Brave is Forgiven. This author is DY. NA. MITE. He is so talented at storytelling and a clever and intriguing wordsmith. I found the reading to be challenging while still captivating me by the story he told. The story kind of reminded me of a Pearl Harbor-style love story (one girl, two guys, one war, a death, etc). This WWII novel is set in England for the most part and it was the first WWII novel I’d read from the perspective of the English. It was educating and entertaining, and the ending totally had me feeling all kinds of feels. Highly recommend for those who share my love of historical fiction.