On my nightstand

Summer Reading Review

It was a wonderful summer here in the Northwest. I can count on one hand the number of days it rained. The temperature was well above 85 most days and to a born and raised Midwest girl that is glorious. So I spent most days soaking up the sun, relishing every warm, dry day while I could, knowing the rain and cold would soon take over again. While the kids played, bickered or watched TV, I had my nose buried in a book. I’d love to share some of those books with you, in no particular order.

Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch

Blog: We are THAT family

I picked up this book thinking it would be a humorous tale about a woman's journey from shallow to deep faith. While it is about her realizing faith is more than just wearing it on your shirt as she did with her rhinestone Jesus pin, I wasn’t expected to be challenged that I really can do anything as “just a mom.” God took Welch to the darkest places of Africa and showed her how she could make a difference from her home in America. 

“Saying yes isn’t really about doing it all. It’s about saying yes right where you are. It may seem small of insignificant, but any time you love someone or care for another person’s needs, you’re changing their work, and yours, too.” -Welch

The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle

Blog: The Big Mama

If you need a book that will make you laugh about the ins and outs of marriage, run out and get this book today! Melanie is hilarious. Her tales of learning what marriage looks like for her and her husband will leave you not only laughing, but also permission to give your marriage some grace.

“In a lot of ways home improvement is like marriage. It’s not glamorous. It can take a lot of hard work and effort. There are days it feels like it might be easier to burn the whole thing to the ground and start all over again. Then you remember how much you love the house or your husband and you recommit yourself to what it takes to see the whole thing through.” -Shankle

Freefall to Fly by Rebekah Lyons

Blog: Rebekah Lyons

Rebekah Lyons does a beautiful job in this memoir of letting us into the journey she takes from moving from one city to another with her husband and three children. The challenges she faces and questions she is forced to ask will leave you cheering for her. She shows the reader the beauty in what is found when we face our fears and allow ourselves to fly.

“When we spend a lifetime trying to distance ourselves from the parts of our lives that don’t fit with who we think were supposed to be, we stand outside of our story and hustle for our worthiness by constantly performing, perfecting, pleasing, and proving.” -Lyons

Let’s All Be Brave by Annie Downs

Blog: Annie Downs

Annie is wonderful at letting you into her life to show you what it looks like for her to have courage and be brave. She challenges you to do the same, to step out in boldness and take the steps that we may be too afraid to.

“And I’m just not sure you are going to get it right every time- saying the right yes and the right no. I don’t get it right all the time. But courage doesn’t equal right; courage equals stepping out and trying. Be brave and say yes. But also be brave and say no.” -Downs

Notes from a Blue Bike by Tish Oxenreider

Blog: The Art of Simple

If you want to simplify your life or make changes to live more intentionally, this book will definitely make you think. Tish shares her stories of living overseas and her adjustment then to American life. She takes the elements she loved from her life outside of America and makes them work as best she can into her life in America. The book is broken down into education, food, travel, entertainment and work.

"When we intentionally take more time to cook dinner, we carve out mental space to appreciate the color of the vegetables, the slice of the blade, the waft of the spices. When we chew each bite with the forks resting on our plates, we better savor each flavor. All in all, the meal is a more enjoyable experience. The same goes for every part of our lives.” –Oxenreider

*please note My House and Me (Linnea Ingrid Photography) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com