What I'm Reading / / January Edition

You guys, it's no secret that I dropped the ball on my book reviews last year. But, I think I've come up with a solution to these posts that will make them a lot easier, and therefore much more likely to actually be written. I compiled a list of last years reads along with what I've read so far this year here. You can always friend me on Goodreads as well. (It's a lifesaver when you're standing in the library trying to remember that book you wanted to read.)

I read 61 books last year and set a reading goal of 80 for 2016. 80 books, y'all! I originally set it at 60 again, but realized I actually wanted to read more but also wanted to set the bar lower because I already know 60 is doable. I don't want to be that girl in any area of my life, even the small parts. So 80 it is. And January was a big reading month. 

5 stars

Only Time Will Tell (Clifton Chronicles Book 1) by Jeffrey Archer:
I snagged this book for free through BookBub and wasn't sure what to expect, but I was captivated by Harry Clifton's story from the beginning. Harry is from a poor family: he never knew his father and is supported by his uncle Stan who works at the docks and his mother who works as a waitress. He has a beautiful voice and, through several mentors and lots of hard work, earns a choral scholarship to a highly regarded boarding school. He quickly becomes friends with Giles Barrington, of the wealthy Barrington Shipyard family, and Deakins, a scholar. During Harry's school time and into his adulthood, he searches for the real reason his father died. His quest for the truth confronts him with some very difficult personal decisions. Who is his real father? Can he marry Emma, the love of his life? The unexpected ending to this beautifully written novel only leaves you wanting more. I can't wait to read the rest of the Clifton Chronicles and can only hope Jeffrey Archer has continued to write completely spell-bounding tales of Harry Clifton. (And that the rest of my 2016 reading is as entertaining!)

4 stars

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert:
I use the OverDrive app on my phone to check out free audiobooks from my local library and was thrilled when Big Magic, which I'd had on hold for over a month, was finally released to me. Elizabeth Gilbert captures the heart of what it means to live creatively by tapping into your interests, curiosity, and ideas no matter your circumstance or age and following wherever they lead. She boldly states that we are all created to create. She writes specifically about not wanting to burden her creativity with meeting her financial needs, which I thought particularly interesting. (She didn't quit her day job until after Eat, Pray, Love.) She also hilariously and truthfully writes that everything sucks some of the time and challenges her reader to find something they love so much that the parts that suck are still worthwhile. Big Magic is written from a spiritual perspective, although not gospel centered. I read this book while also praying for discernment. And I'm so glad I did. Definitely a good read. 

2 stars

Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault that Changed a Presidency by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard:
It's no secret that I love to read about history - historical fiction, autobiographies, biographies, etc - and was eager to read Killing Reagan. I loved learning about Ronald Reagan's career as an actor, appearing in over 50 movies before transitioning to television, a new and controversial technology at the time for movie actors. He was president of the Screen Actors Guild, married two times, a Democrat before he converted to the Republican party, etc. However, while filled with interesting information, it also paints Reagan and his wife Nancy in a rather unfavorable light. O'Reilly and Dugard assert that the assassination attempt on Reagan's life by John Hinckley Jr. hastened Reagan's early onset Alzheimer's. They claim Reagan was easily confused and therefore easily manipulated by his wife in presidential matters. While Killing Reagan was more well-written than Lincoln's Last Days, there was enough conjecture - and out-right error - to recommend that you pass in favor of more credible biographies. 

5 stars

The Kennedy Connection: A Gil Malloy Novel by R. G. Belsky:
This was another book I found on BookBub ($1.99). At any given point, I'm usually reading a few books, some of while are very introspective and thought-provoking - and a good story always balances me out. I got lost in the story of Gil Malloy, a disgraced journalist for Daily News, who is caught up in the connection of three modern-day murders, a Kennedy half-dollar found at each murder scene. Malloy is also put into contact with Lee Harvey Oswald Jr., the illegitimate and secret son of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. The more he dives into each story, determined to redeem himself as an investigative reporter, the more he believes the present-day murders and the assassination of JFK in 1963 are connected. His determination to find the truth soon finds him unemployed and searching for where he went wrong. He quickly learns the information he's unearthed not only ended his career, but may potentially end his life. I absolutely loved every page of this book.

3 stars

The Candidate's Daughter (Elizabeth McClain Thriller Book 1) by Catherine Lea:
The Candidate's Daughter is another book I found for free using BookBub. Six-year old Holly McClain is kidnapped by Kelsey Money, her controlling boyfriend Matt, and Matt's strung out brother. While Kelsey hopes to return Holly safely home after the ransom has been received, she quickly discovers Matt and his brother have a very different plan and promises herself and Holly that she'll keep Holly safe, no matter what. Elizabeth McClain, struggling with postpartum depression, and Richard McClain, a self-absorbed politician, have distanced themselves from each other and from their daughter Holly since birth. Now realizing her terrible mistake, Elizabeth stops at nothing to find her daughter and bring her home safely. The Candidate's Daughter is the first book in the Elizabeth McClain Thriller series, but I doubt I'll read the rest of them. It was a good story, but I don't think these characters are worth investing more time in.

3 stars

Run Girl (Ingrid Skyberg Thriller #1) by Eva Hudson:
This was another free book I found through BookBub. At only 115 pages, it was a quick read. Secretary of State, Jayne Whitticker, is in London negotiating peace talks with three warring African nations when her granddaughter, Rachel, goes missing. Special Agent Ingrid Skyberg, in London to lead an FBI training conference, is summoned to help. With no back-up, very few leads, and only a few hours, she must find Rachel before the peace talks are completed and her grandmother discovers she's missing. Although it was a bit predictable, this series might be worth finishing. 

4 stars

The Innocent by Harlan Coben:
I picked up a few Harlan Coben books at a rummage sale last year and have been looking forward to re-reading this one. Matt Hunter's life comes to a screeching halt  when he kills someone while trying to break up a fight at a frat house. After serving four years of his sentence, Matt is released from prison and works hard to lead a normal, unassuming life. Fast forward nine years: Matt is married to Olivia Hunter, the love of his life, expecting his first child, and working as a paralegal. When his wife, who is away on business, starts sending him suspicious text messages, he can feel it all unraveling. Unwilling to believe his wife would be unfaithful, he is determined to find Olivia but instead finds himself as the primary suspect in a triple-homicide investigation.  When he finds his wife and learns the truth about her past, they are determined to find the real killer and bring him to justice. Harlan Coben is the master of surprise endings, and this one did not disappoint. 

5 stars

Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss, and Hope in an African Slum by Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner:
Find Me Unafraid is the true story of Kennedy Odede, born in Kibera, Africa's largest slum, and Jessica Posner from Denver, Colorado. Kennedy grew up poor, scavenging for food, experiencing violence, lack of opportunity, and sometimes even living on the streets, but he had a hunger for knowledge and a determination to be a light in his community. As a teenager, he bought a soccer ball for twenty cents and started SHOFCO, Shining Hope for Communities, a youth program designed to effect change in Kibera. In 2007, Jessica Posner studied abroad in Kenya, working with SHOFCO's theater group. Although she had a host family, Jessica convinced Kennedy that living with him in Kibera would give her a more authentic experience and allow her to have a better understanding of SHOFCO and why it is so necessary. Despite all odds, and with Jessica's perseverance, Kennedy is able to graduate with his Bachelor's degree, return to Kibera, and change his community, building a school for girls among other community services. Find Me Unafraid is their story of love, light, and determination to make a difference. My heart was so encouraged by their bravery. (You can learn more about SHOFCO by visiting their website.)

5 stars

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker:
If you know me at all, you know I've already professed my undying love for all things Jen Hatmaker, not because of her, but because of how God is using her to move His kingdom forward. Also, she's sarcastic and loves good food. So we're friends, obviously. Anyway...I was nervous to read 7. I just knew God would use it to seriously shed some light on my indulgent lifestyle and root out my love of stuff. I put off reading it for months and finally gave in, because January is a good time for all things new and this would definitely be new to me. And I was right. 7 is Jen's attempt to radically reduce the excess in her life in seven areas: food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending and stress. All in an effort to make more room for God. He teaches over and over that we are to take care of and tangibly love those who are "least" (Matthew 25). But what would our lives look like if we took that seriously? Jen sheds light on our irresponsibility and shows us that we can do better. Not coincidentally, because I'm sure God knew I needed accountability, I was invited to work through this book this year with some ladies in my area and am looking forward to (and simultaneously am so nervous for) what God will do in our lives. This is not just a book for women and I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

2 stars

Lockdown (Ryan Lock #1) by Sean Black:
I started out really liking this book. Ryan Lock is head of security at the world's largest bio-tech company. When animal rights protesters convince Meditech to stop all animal testing, they think they've won a hard fought battle. But when Nicholas Van Stratten, the CEO, and Gray Stokes, the leader of the animal rights activists announce this on television, Gray is assassinated by a sniper. But this is where things start to get crazy. Because then a high-level former Meditech employee finds out his child has been kidnapped. And then it starts to look like Meditech orchestrated the whole thing. And then Ryan discovers Meditech will no longer be testing on animals, but on humans. And then he finds out the human test subjects are terrorists from the middle east and Russia. And then the test subjects escape and take Meditech employees hostage and inject the CEO and his power mongering son with a live Ebola virus for which there is only an untested and potentially fatal vaccine. And then that Russian terrorist becomes a suicide bomber who escapes into Times Square with the remaining tubes of Ebola virus that could knock out all of New York. Oh yeah, and it's New Years Eve. When I finally finished the book, it had strayed way too far from where it started and I thought to myself, what the heck just happened. While some may love the unexpected nature of the book, I was just trying to get through it. 

5 stars

The Sins of the Father (Clifton Chronicles Book 2) by Jeffrey Archer:
I was so excited when I found the second book in the Clifton Chronicles at my local library. I didn't rent the third book because I thought it would take me a week to get through, but I came down with a cold, stayed in bed for two days, and finished it off just in time to make it my 11th book in January. Whoa. Anyway, if it's even possible, I loved this book even more than the first. England has just entered WWII, and while Harry is serving time in an American prison, Giles has joined the military and quickly worked his way up to an officer. His father Hugo is still in hiding. And Emma is quickly figuring out that Harry really isn't dead and goes to America in search of him. It all sounds very soap-opera, but I promise you, it's so good (and isn't nearly as cheesy). The cliff hanger at the end of the book left me so frustrated that I didn't grab the third book from the library as well. I can't wait to get my hands on it! (Sometimes I do this thing where I find an author I really like and then proceed to read everything they've ever written. Jeffrey Archer may just be the next one.)

So there you have it! I read 11 books this month and am already at 14% of my goal! 

Did you set a reading goal for the year? I'd love to hear about your reading challenge and what you're currently reading!

Less

You know how God whispers to your heart the same thing, in different ways, over and over again? He beckons you. And He does it quietly, that in order to really hear Him, you have to draw closer and closer to His Father heart.

Somehow it happens that, when He whispers to me, I simultaneously run toward Him and push Him away. I am so interested and I want to know Him and His will so desperately, but I'm always scared. Because of course, even when He's revealing something you long for, when He's calling something out of you that He created and is so precious to Him, it is hard.

He has been whispering over and over to me for months. It is the convicting, reassuring, push and pull of less.

Less of me.

Less stuff.

Less wastefulness.

Less worry.

It has showed up time and again in my experiences this year, in my reading, in my conversation. He has consistently affirmed this for me.

And so this is my adventure this year - to follow hard after His heart in an effort for less. All to make infinitely more space for Him. And I hope to keep you updated along the way.

What about you? What has He been whispering to your heart lately? You can email me at leeannamariesmith@gmail.com - I'd love to pray for you.

July Reads: Catching Up

Guys, I'm so lame. I've been reading like a CRAZY person, but not writing about any of it! First of all, I met my original goal of reading 30 books this year - in August! So I upped my goal to 52. At the beginning of the year, reading 30 books seemed on the very out-est outskirts of possible, and now I'm closing in on 52 - I'm SO close! So settle in and get ready to read about some really good books!

 

1. Home Is Where My People Are: The Roads That Lead Us to Where We Belong by Sophie Hudson

Y'all, Sophie Hudson is a trip. I listened to the podcast she does with Melanie Shankle and fell in love with these ladies. They are hilarious, insightful, and they love college sports. Plus, they have southern accents. Sold. So of course, I had to read their books... Duh. And I loved this one. She's shared her beautiful story about Home - not the place, but the people.

They were my friends. Plain and simple. And there was something about their unconditional acceptance that met me right in the dead center of my need. I doubt that any of them knew how much they were ministering to me, but they opened up their homes and their arms and their hearts at a time when what I needed more than anything else was to see real life integrated with real faith--in all of its messy wonderfulness.

It's the perfect balance of hysterical and real and it's all totally relatable.
5 stars

2. 41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I loved the unique perspective George W. Bush was able to share about his father. And I loved learning about George H. W. Bush's family life and political career from his early years through the present. He lost a daughter when she was very young. He was the U.S. Representative to China and the Director of the CIA! He was successful, but lost a few elections early on: he could have quit, but he pressed on. He's a man of honesty and integrity and I loved getting to know him. And I love that George W. Bush read the audiobook. Like him or not, this was a good read - or listen.
4 stars

3. The Racketeer by John Grisham
The Racketeer is a story about a wrongfully imprisoned lawyer. Malcolm Bannister, and a murdered judge. Luckily for Malcolm, he knows who killed Judge Fawcett and uses that to secure his release from prison. I read a John Grisham novel earlier this year and loved it. But while this one started out strong, it drifted for so long I almost gave up on it. It finally did come full circle, in a way I definitely did not expect, but it took a little too long to get there.
3 stars

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I re-read this book in anticipation of Go Set a Watchmen. It had been a few years since I last read it, and it was like sitting down with an old friend. Scout, Jem, and Atticus are beloved characters - compassionate, full of integrity, forward-thinking. I loved familiarizing myself with Maycomb, the Finches, and their neighbors all over again. Everyone should read this book at least once in their life.
5 stars

5. Game Plan by Tim Roehl 
Game Plan discusses the importance of a church that gets outside itself and really ministers to its community. My church read this together and we were really excited about the how-to steps this book provided. The writing itself was a little cheesy, but Game Plan was full of insightful information that we'll be putting to use for years to come.
4 stars

6. The Target (Will Robie, #3) by David  Baldacci
As I'm reading really thought provoking books that require so much processing, I always like to read an easy, mindless, but interesting story. (Enter this book.) Will Robie is an exciting character, an assassin for the CIA, who partners with Jessica Reel for a mission in North Korea. The ramifications of their success follow them all the way back to the States. I've read some of this series before and enjoyed reading this one again.
4 stars

7. The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
It's no secret that I love the Anne of Green Gables series. So it's only natural to read other books by the famed Lucy Maud Montgomery. Valancy Stirling is a docile, obedient daughter to her over-bearing mother. In her twenties, she is already considered an old maid. After learning she has a terminal illness, she sheds her compliant ways and becomes the person she's always dreamed of being. The Blue Castle is endearing and funny and was a great read!
5 stars

August books will be posted soon! What are YOU reading? Book recommendations are always welcome!

Happy reading, friends!

 

 

 



Pumpkin Pie

So often we don't know our family is special until we're older. We don't understand the beauty or the heritage infused into what we think are our regular days.

I know this, of course, from experience.

My gramma Evalyne baked a few pies for my dad's 10th birthday. And she baked a few more for his 11th. Over a period of years, the Saturday before Halloween was affectionately dubbed Pumpkin Pie Day.  And in 2011, the 39th annual Pumpkin Pie Day, our last with our precious gramma, we baked 154 pumpkin pies.

 

Gramma Evalyne, Pumpkin Pie Day 2007

Thursday mornings were for preparing the long-neck [butter-nut] squash - pressure cooking to perfection and scooping the good stuff from the now-tender skin. Fridays were for making the crust [combining simple ingredients by hand], rolling them all out [no small task], mixing the squash with all the good stuff [in four-gallon Tupperware containers with a paint stirrer attached to a drill], filling each crust, and baking. Saturdays were for opening your home [no matter the messy-ness or lack of space], enjoying the best pumpkin pie I've ever had [my humble, but biased opinion], spending time with family and friends, and listening to the best music I'll never hear again.

 

Gramma mixing her crust, Pumpkin Pie Day 2009

 

 

First pie from the oven, Pumpkin Pie Day 2011

What was my regular Saturday-before-Halloween, I actually came to know was sacred.

This day taught me many things over the years - the importance of family, the beauty in feeding good food to the people you love. But it continues to teach me deeper lessons as I attempt to honor my gramma and this day year after year. She didn't wait for someone to invite her over; she gathered her people. She didn't only gather her people when her house was in perfect order; they were welcomed despite the mess of a house well lived-in. She didn't buy can after can of pumpkin from the grocery store [although there's no shame in that]; she cultivated and lovingly tended to her garden, and her long-neck squash, all Spring, Summer and Fall in affectionate anticipation of this day. She didn't insist on doing it all herself; she had a team of brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, granddaughters, grandsons, friends who willing sacrificed these days to be a part of something beautiful. [And I'll add that it didn't feel like a sacrifice, it felt like a privilege.]

 

Gramma and her sisters, Pumpkin Pie Day 2009

 

And this year, as I attempted to take her recipe for 20 pies [!!!], and divide each ingredient by roughly 1/12 to just make 2 [what is five pounds of sugar divided by 12? I don't know either. Guess inserted here.], I was reminded that the beauty is in the attempt, whether the pie tasted like gramma's pumpkin pie or not. Such a hard lesson when you just want to taste gramma's pie one more time. I have cried in years past [ok, every year since she's been gone], so discouraged when it didn't turn out like hers, even when it was good. But not this year. This year I told myself she was honored in my attempt. And I know that it is true.

 

Daddy and I, Pumpkin Pie Day 2015

I am so very thankful for such a rich heritage, for a gramma who has taught and will continue to teach me lessons, long after her passing. Not because of anything she ever said to us, but because of the way she lived her life, day after day, year upon year - pouring herself out for the things and the people she loved so well.

 

My beautiful gramma, Pumpkin Pie Day 2008

For the Love of Community and a Free Book!

Y'all, this has been a summer. It has been full, and terrifying, and good, and uncertain, and tear-jerking, and life-giving.

And in the midst of all that, there was For the Love and the launch team. When I got Jen's email that I had been accepted, I screamed, I laughed, and I immediately read it to my husband who said, "What's that mean?" To which I replied, "I'm not exactly sure." And y'all, there's no way I could've been.

In the first days of the launch team we were a group of 500 who rallied around this fantastic author, determined to help her make this book a best-seller. And in the following weeks, after falling hard over these words that Jen wrote, sharing our favorite parts (all of it), we realized that we were made of the same fabric. No matter what part of the world we lived in, no matter what our situation, no matter our marital or parental status, these words resonated in our hearts.

"We will mother all our children and grandmother all our grandchildren. We will cheer each other on, refusing to speak doubt into our gifts. When you are scared, I will declare, 'You can do this.' When you whisper a dream, I'll holler through a bullhorn that you are brave and wonderful and important! When I am beaten down, you will remind me that I am an approved worker with no shame; we lift each other's heads and handle truth for one another."

We want to love people well. We want safe spaces to tell our stories without fear of judgment. We want to be that safe space for others. We want to give grace to ourselves and we want to give ridiculous amounts of that grace to others. We want to follow the calling the Lord has placed on our lives. We want to cheer each other on as others are doing the same. We want to laugh hysterically at ourselves and with each other. We desire real, life-giving community. We want to do all that in the name of Jesus, who we love so desperately. And we hope that love, grace, and encouragement spills over into the lives of everyone around us, that it's contagious. We hope it spreads like wildfire.

And I'm telling you, this kind of community For the Love talks about, it's possible. I know it's true because I've seen it. This launch team has transcended anything I thought was possible. We are sisters (with four brothers thrown in) who share the funniest, most heart-warming, and even the most terrible parts of our days. And then we rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

When mom was in the hospital and we were waiting to hear if she had cancer, I told the 500 and knew they would carry us in prayer. When I felt like God was telling me to leave my job, I knew they would help me search for answers. We have watched some get married, been there when parent's passed, supported each other as we sell t-shirts, bracelets, mugs, prayed during surgeries of those close to us, and showed up for each other over and over again. They give me courage, hope.

In a world of darkness and difficulty, let's not make each other's lives harder. It's my prayer that we internalize these words and be the community we're hoping for. I want us to be the light of Jesus in a hurting and searching world. In a generation that is determined to make a lasting difference, this is it. This is the only thing that matters.

"I see you, cheering each other on and calling forth the best in one another, and it slays me. This is the stuff. This is what we were made for. This is how to live well. If we prefer each other as Jesus told us to there is nothing our community of women cannot handle. Give it to us: injustices, struggles, suffering, loss, heartbreaks, obstacles, life. We got this, together. Within this community, we strengthen each other to love our families and neighbors and cities and world. We point each other to God and call out our blessedness. It is so incredibly powerful."

Readers, I'm giving away a FREE copy of For the Love. All you need to do is find my giveaway post on my personal page and share it! Contest ends Thursday, 08/20 at midnight EST. Winner will be announced Friday morning! Happy sharing!

For the Love Favorites

So, y'all may have heard me talk about this little book by Jen Hatmaker called For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards, out next Tuesday. It's no big deal. I mean, seriously, it's not like I can't stop talking about it. Oh wait...

Being on the launch team for this book has been such a blessing this year. The #500 started as an online community who love Jen Hatmaker, but became a real life community who believe in the mission of this book. And we have loved, supported and cheered each other along in the midst of our every day lives. Also, we have watched a LOT of Gilmore Girls.

Full disclosure: this book is a game changer. It is hilarious, full of real life, and abounding in grace - for ourselves and each other. I should have guessed this would happen, but I fell in love with these words. And to give you just a glimpse, below are five of my favorite quotes.

 "This is why we live and breathe: for the love of Jesus, for the love of our own souls, for the love of our families and people, for the love of our neighbors and this world. This is all that will last. Honestly, it is all that matters. Because as Paul basically said: We can have our junk together in a thousand areas, but if we don't have love, we are totally bankrupt. Get this right and everything else follows. Get it wrong, and life becomes bitter, fear-based, and lonely. Dear ones, it doesn't have to be. Love really is the most excellent way."

 "I approach this one gently, because you are my beloved sisters, but I call to the witness stand high-waisted jeans. They were bad the first time and are now repeat offenders. (Watch early episodes of Friends if you need to be reminded.) I can't get behind a sixteen-inch rise. Three more inches and it's a strapless pantsuit. Heaven help if you have even a tiny pouch of belly flesh; high-rise jeans are basically a display case for your butterball. Sure, your waist looks tiny up in your rib cage, but your butt is half the length of your body. It looks like my Grandma King's backside, and all due respect to Grandma and may she rest in peace, but that is not a compliment. (Grandma, you had a great rack. We all have different strengths.)"

"If a sermon promises health and wealth to the faithful, it isn't true, because that theology makes God an absolute monster who only blesses rich westerners and despises Christians in Africa, India, China, South America, Russia, rural Appalachia, inner-city America, and everywhere else a sincere believer remains poor. If it isn't also true for a poor single Christian mom in Haiti, it isn't true."



 "Instead of waiting around for church to assemble a perfect group dynamic of People Who Can Meet on Tuesdays, maybe just invite some folks over. A shared table is the supreme expression of hospitality in every culture on earth. When your worn-out kitchen table hosts good people and good conversations, when it provides a safe place to break bread and share wine, your house becomes a sanctuary, holy as a cathedral. I've left a friend's table as sanctified and renewed as any church service. If you have a porch, then you have an altar to gather around."

"Be kind. Be you. Love Jesus."

If you read any book this year, For the Love should be it. And when you do read it, let me know. We'll go out for coffee and discuss.



 

   

June Reads

Here we are, at the end of June, which means one thing - the fourth of July is right around the corner! I see family, fireworks, salmon burgers and watermelon in my very near future. Yay! 

Carter-bug and I at last year's parade. This picture expresses 
EXACTLY how I feel about the fourth. Pure joy!

It also means it's time for me to share my June reads! [I did my fair share of reading this past month, but to be fair, the first two books I read mostly in May and just happened to finish in June.]

1. Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna Niequist

Have I ever mentioned that I love Shauna Niequist? Yes, I believe I have. I, of course, loved every word of this book. And I love her short-essay writing style. It's a book you can leave on your coffee table to read when you have a few minutes and always pick it back up without missing a beat. Her words are beautiful:

"Grace isn't about having a second chance; grace is having so many chances that you could use them through all eternity and never come up empty. It's when you finally realize that the other shoe isn't going to drop, ever. It's the moment you feel as precious and handmade as every star, when you feel, finally, at home for the very first time."

For me, this book had the right words at the right time and was a breath of fresh air to my weary soul.
5 stars

2. Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood
This was a beautiful story of the Civil Rights movement in the south told from the perspective of Glory, an innocent girl about to turn 12. Everything she knows is challenged by people new to her town and she finds herself bravely doing the right thing in the face of persecution by those in her community. I really enjoyed listening to this one.
4 stars

3. The Inner Circle (Culper Ring, #1) by Brad Meltzer
Brad Meltzer is a master of intertwining the historically real with the tales of fascinating characters. Beecher, an archivist for the U.S. government, finds himself in the middle of a Presidential conspiracy and quickly realizes he doesn't know who he can trust. I first read this book on my honeymoon and loved it. With the new book in the series released this month, I re-read to brush up on the story again. I was caught up all over from the very first word. 
5 stars

4. The Fifth Assassin (Culper Ring, #2) by Brad Meltzer
The second book in the Culper Ring Series is just as fast-paced and gripping as the first. With someone killing local priests by copying presidential assassinations, it quickly becomes clear that an attempt on the life of current President, Orson Wallace, is inevitable. Beecher and the Culper Ring are leading their own investigation to try to catch the killer before it's too late. I actually picked this book up on our honeymoon in the Chicago airport on the way to Florida and read this one before I read the first book in the series. It was nice this time to read the books in order - even better the second time around.
5 stars

5. Unlucky 13 (Women's Murder Club, #13) by James Patterson
I finished the two Culper Ring books sooner than I thought and, while waiting for the third book to arrive in the mail, listened to this book. The series is full of quick and easy reads about four strong, female characters - an investigator, a coroner, a lawyer and a journalist - and I have enjoyed them all. Not particularly intricately written, but a good summer read.
3 stars

6. Gray Mountain by John Grisham
There was a summer in high school when I borrowed every John Grisham book from my local library and devoured them. Reading Gray Mountain reminded me why I love these books so much. This legal thriller about the evils of the mining industry had me on the edge of my seat. And bonus, they mentioned Pikeville, Kentucky a few times - an area near my family's [very] small town of McDowell, Kentucky. I was sad when it was over and plan to read more this summer!
5 stars

7. The Farm by Tom Rob Smith
I don't even remember how I heard about this book, but it's been on my list of books to read for quite some time. The Farm is a tale of a a son caught in between his parents' very different stories and his quest to find the truth. Touching on mental illness and abuse, The Farm keeps you interested until the very last word. 
4 stars

8. The President's Shadow (Culper Ring, #3)  by Brad Meltzer
I love this series and have been excited to read this book for a year and a half; it did not disappoint. When body parts turn up in the gardens at the White House and Camp David, Beecher and the Culper Ring are determined to find the killer and the weakness of the security provided by the Secret Service all while searching for the truth about Beecher's own father. Fantastic read.
5 stars

I'm currently reading Home is Where My People Are by Sophie Hudson and already have July reading plans that include How To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman,  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, along with a few [beautiful] recipe books - Date Night In and Sunday Suppers: Recipes + Gatherings. 

What are you reading this summer?