Monthly Miscellany: July Edition

Recent Reads and Favorite Things

Recent Reads

I have been on a reading rampage of late, and I am loving it. I was in a rut for a long time, struggling to either start or finish books, and it seemed like I had completely lost my love of reading. Finally I realized that I was letting myself be burdened by the belief that I had to read certain kinds of books in order to be a well-rounded, intellectual person. But honestly, I don’t often read books in order to be more intellectual; I read to have fun, and I decided to stop feeling some sort of obligation to read only “meaningful” books and to read for the sheer joy of it. And what do you know? My reading life has been thriving! If you want to see all the books I’m reading, follow me on Goodreads.

Here are 3 books I read and enjoyed recently:

1. Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The author took inspiration from Fleetwood Mac, a band I have grown to love over the past year. The characters are richly drawn and the book explores some thought-provoking themes. (Heads up: this book has some unsavory content in it, given that it’s focused on a rock band making it big in the 70s.)

2. All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore. I was not prepared for how much I would love this book. Moore has not been shy about certain parts of her life, but reading this book reminded me that you truly never know what someone is going through. It is beautifully written, and I highly recommend it.

3. Falling by TJ Newman. Disclaimer: if you have a fear of flying, maybe skip this one. This book about a pilot faced with an impossible decision was written by a former flight attendant and is quite the page-turner!

Favorite Music

“Emotional” by Ashe. This song is such a bop.

“I’m Alive” by Paul Zach.

“Made You Too” by We the Least. These lyrics go great with my 2 recent posts: “You’ll be chasin’ your worth until you know you’re mine.”

“Take Off Running” by FAITHFUL. “When you’re all I see what can man do to me?”

I made a summertime playlist filled with upbeat, happy songs that make me think of summer nights and warm breezes: Summer Breeze

Favorite Finds Around the Web

I loved looking at these finalists for the 2023 Comedy Pet Photography Awards.

“The Song That Sustains Creation” by Joel Strand. Tim Challies linked to this article a while ago, and Stephen and I both keep coming back to it. “God is saying ‘light’ continuously, and should He ever stop saying that illuminating word, then we would be left in darkness. We exist moment by moment only because God is speaking us into being. (Hebrews 1:3)”

“Hospitality is an Everyday Endeavor” by Melissa Edgington. “Practicing hospitality is cultivating a spirit that is generous, welcoming, and warm, and its purpose is to show what the love of Jesus is like.”

“Finding Child’s Pose” by Callie Feyen. This is one of my favorite essays in the recent summer collection in Coffee + Crumbs.

I came across “Gate A-4” by Naomi Shihab Nye several months ago and keep coming back to it. I also love this poem by her.

Just for Fun

I got Ava this water bottle for school, and I kind of want it for myself! It has 3 different lid options and even a fruit strainer.

Memes about theology and “The Office?” Yes, please. The Office Theology Instagram account makes me laugh on a daily basis.

This video making fun of IG influencers cracks me up. I love following Riley on Instagram.

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That’s it for this month’s favorites! What are you reading, listening to, or watching lately?