My kids are out of school and we just returned home from a beach vacation—summer is here! And I’ve been thinking about my summer reading list for a few weeks now.
Last summer, I followed an idea by The Lazy Genius to create a “reading queue.” This involves choosing books ahead of time that fit the reading vibe you’d like in this season. Then when it’s time to choose your next book, you have a smaller stack to choose from instead of the entire Amazon/library book catalog.
The Thing about Reading Lists
Here’s the problem with reading lists—no two people read the same books all the time. I’m not sharing my reading list so that you can copy it book for book. But I’m sharing my reading queue idea because it may be a place to start for fellow readers who buy more books than we can read!
When I set up my reading queue, I chose from books I already own. If you’re like me, you have a problem with accumulating books and then never reading them. So this is my attempt to not buy stacks of books that I will never have time to read! And I’ll also check out books from the library.
My goal is not to read all of these, but to keep my reading life simple this summer!
What I’ve Read Recently
Just for fun, here are the books I finished this month:
- What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline
- Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain
- Behind Esther: Thriving When God Seems Distant by Chris Altrock
- Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
- The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
If you’re on Goodreads, you can follow along here!
My Summer Reading Queue
Nonfiction
Look to Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible by JL Gerhardt
My favorite Bible-teaching author.
I think I’ve read all of her books except this one.
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Sweet Like Jasmine: Finding Identity in a Culture of Loneliness by Bonnie Gray
I heard this author on a podcast.
I want to read more of her story.
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Friendship—It’s Complicated by Andi Andrews
I also heard this author on a podcast.
I enjoy reading and learning about friendship from others.
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Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge
“fresh momentum in your quiet time with Jesus”
I’m excited about this one.
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Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
A must read for writers.
At least, that’s what I’ve heard!
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River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard
I’ve already started reading this one for Sharon McMahon’s summer book club.
It’s interesting, but very long (I feel like I’ve been reading it for hours, but I am only 22% done!).
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The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
The other book for Sharon’s book club.
I think I will enjoy this one more than the one above!
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Fiction
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
I live in a suburb of Memphis, so this one caught my eye.
It’s on Anne Bogel’s 2022 Summer Reading Guide, so I’m encouraged by that.
I currently have it on hold at the library.
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Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
Allen is one of my favorite fiction authors!
She hasn’t released a book in years due to health reasons.
This book releases August 30th, so I don’t own it yet—but it’s the book I’m most excited about on my summer reading list.
Garden Spells, her first book from 2008, is on Anne’s 2022Summer Reading Guide. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it while we wait together for Other Birds to release!
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Summer Reading Recommendations
Like I said, you may have no interest in reading these books I’ve listed. But if you’re looking for some summer-themed books, I recommend this podcast episode of What Should I Read Next: books with a Strong Sense of Summer. I hope to check out a couple of those for my Kindle, so I can read while I’m on the go doing all the kid summer things—swim lessons, appointments, camps, etc.
Let me know what you’re reading this summer!
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