It’s been a great reading summer! Fourteen books—six novels, three memoirs, and five non-fiction—and all four or five stars. I listened to five of these as audiobooks and the other nine I read with my eyes, either on paper or on my Kindle (do you use Libby for Kindle reading? It has been an absolute gift for my reading adventures). So let’s get to it!
FICTION
The Unwedding by Ally Condie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I live in NorCal & have visited Big Sur many times so I could picture the whole setting including the weather-related disaster that traps them at an exclusive resort. 4 stars instead of 5 because it’s a little repetitive, as if the reader won’t catch details unless they’re repeated every few chapters. Otherwise a very entertaining story that moves characters through grief to hope entwined with friendship. Also, the audiobook narrator did an excellent job!
The Women by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was engaging, well-researched to tell a story many have never heard nor even considered. 4 instead of 5 stars for 2 reasons: too many repetitive phrases throughout, & too much tragedy (in other words, emotional manipulation) to end with hope. Overall, though, worth the read.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don’t often listen to novels because the voices tend to bug me, but this one is well done. And I think it’s my favorite Rachel Hawkins book so far! Chapters alternate between a narrator reading magazine or newspaper articles about the characters, and the two main characters, all read by different characters.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I didn’t realize this was part of a series until I read the acknowledgments & was impressed that it can stand alone. It starts with a fun concept & was mostly enjoyable to read, with enough fun to balance its emotional depth.
However, from the acknowledgments I know that the author made an intentional choice that, to me, seemed illogical within the story’s context: a pair of nurses should know more about mental health than they appear to…?
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A perfect pandemic story: forced togetherness during an anxious time &, despite the constant pressure of picking enough cherries to keep the family farm afloat, they needed the distraction of a long story that explains their family origins.
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rowley’s sequel to his 2021 novel, The Guncle, this one is also a delight. People grow, grief twists itself through hearts in different ways, & family & friends are everything. I liked the first one better, but I’m grateful for the continuation of the story.
MEMOIR
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman’s Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine by Sue Monk Kidd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
While I might say this book has been hiding in plain sight (I’ve read her novels), I also believe that some books come to us at the right time. This might be one of the most important books I’ve encountered for my spiritual journey, wounded & breaking loose from patriarchal constraints in society & primarily in the Church, standing solidly in mid-life & trying to find my way forward with new imagination. It won’t be for everyone, as Kidd says, she has been called “a dangerous woman,” & if you hang in with an open mind, you’ll learn more than a few things.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sublime! This isn’t just the story of a marriage ending, but of a family living. Also, this memoir could be a masterclass in writing techniques: of course it’s a memoir, & openly addresses how much to say or not, but also contains poetry, playwriting, author Q&A’s, novel characteristics such as character & inciting incidents-climax-resolution, & metaphors so deep you can swim in them. I listened to the audiobook which was a moving experience & plan to buy the book to study her writing more closely.
Between Two Trailers by J. Dana Trent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wowza… I listened to the audiobook, & it’s such a painful story I don’t know if I would have finished it without the author’s gentle, lilting voice pulling me forward. She writes beautifully, with such grace for her parents & extended family, many of whom suffered with severe mental illness. She has obviously done the hard work to understand her parents’ issues and honor her own healing journey.
NONFICTION
The Artist’s Joy by Merideth Hite Estevez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So helpful! The strengths of this book are in its guiding questions & exercises. I expect this will be a resource I reach for often.
How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away by Emily P. Freeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent! I need to go back through again to process all of my underlining & highlighting. Such great thoughts & questions to help you through the process of discerning when to stay & when to go.
What It Takes to Heal: How Transforming Ourselves Can Change the World by Prentis Hemphill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I listened to the audiobook, & it’s so rich I could listen to it 5x over & absorb new ideas each time. Societal transformation starts with personal transformation – hold onto that gem, because society needs such a massive overhaul that it can be overwhelming. But we start with us, we do the work, & we care for our neighbors, & change happens…not as fast as we’d like, but over time.
Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive by Kristin Neff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book, written specifically to women, contained a lot of truly helpful topics + guided mindfulness experiences. I took pages of notes & have already recommended it to several friends.
Sacred Self-Care: Daily Practices for Nurturing Our Whole Selves by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So good! Culturally, our views of self-care swing from “selfish” to “sacrificed for the good of others,” when in reality, God loves those God created & would certainly prefer we take care of us. Instead of reading one reflection daily, I read one set of seven devotions per day. It works that way, but also, this would be a great Lenten devotion – & she has it set up to work perfectly in that season.
