5 books worth reading

Summer reading is in full swing, but sometimes its hard to find a good one. Here are five of my most recent reads, all of them a different genre and all excellent in their own way.

1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Perhaps the most captivating book I’ve ever read, this is a true story about an troubled Olympic athlete who joins the fight in WWII as a bombardier. I don’t want to ruin the story for you, but I will say that if you like a bit of history, a true survival story and a surprise ending, this is the perfect read. Your husband will probably love it, too.

2. Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman

It all started when the author, her husband and 18-month old daughter were out to eat at a cafe in France.  She took a peek around and realized that even though the restaurant was filled with other families like hers, her daughter was the only one throwing food, needing constant attention and making the meal unenjoyable for her parents. Which got Ms. Druckerman thinking: what do French parents do to raise such polite, calm children?

I loved this book.  The writing is clever and journalistic, learning about the different parenting styles and social norms in France was fascinating, inspiring and made me double-think how we do things here in America. If you are a parent, want an entertaining, educational book, this is a good one.

3. Redemption by Bryan Clay

Reigning Olympic gold medalist in the decathalon {and the World’s Greatest Athlete} Bryan Clay wrote this memoir about his difficult childhood, his entrance into the world of track & field, how the sport changed his direction and his faith journey through it all.

Bryan and his wife, Sarah, went to college with me and Ryan {Azusa Pacific University}, so of course we’ve been big fans of our fellow APU alumni. It has been so exciting to watch this unlikely champion achieve such great success.  This is the perfect book to get you in the Olympic spirit {plus you learn a ton about the decathalon, which makes watching it much more enjoyable}. Another great book for the men in your life.

4. 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

Need a life-changing book? This could be it.

7 is the true story of how Jen {along with her husband and her children to varying degrees} took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.

Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. They would spend thirty days on each topic, boiling it down to the number seven. Only eat seven foods, wear seven articles of clothing, and spend money in seven places. Eliminate use of seven media types, give away seven things each day for one month, adopt seven green habits, and observe “seven sacred pauses.” So, what’s the payoff from living a deeply reduced life? It’s the discovery of a greatly increased God—a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that transcends social experiment to become a radically better existence. {from amazon book description}

If you read nothing else this summer, please pick up this one. It is written in a very conversational, humorous, blog-style and so you’ll be entertained. But more importantly, you’ll be challenged to take a look at how our feasting {consuming} has become so out-of-balance with fasting {giving}.  I was challenged and motivated to change because of this book.  It is SO good.

5. The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

The story of a rich American {Cora Cash} in the late 1800′s who travels to England and ends up marrying into a royal family. It is a novel that explores an opulent time in history, touching on the social issues of the time and the romance between Cora and her withdrawn husband.

Do you ever read a book and feel like you become friends with the main character? That is how it was for this one. I missed Cora when the story was over! I’ve heard this is right up the Downton Abbey feel, so if you’re a fan of the pbs show, you’ll love this book. Its just a fun read with lots of story twists. A great beach read.

So there they are, five books worth reading according to me.

Have you read any of these? Any other great summer book suggestions?