July reading

First, the grown-up reads. Much more than June, though I don't actually remember why! Probably just the timing of starting some in June that wrapped up in July?

📚 Bumpology (secular, nonfiction, science/health, pregnancy)... This is a re-read about the science of pregnancy. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time.

📚 Called for Life by Kent + Amber Brantly (Christian, nonfiction)... So inspiring!! I really love all things medical despite my in-person squeamishness. I plowed through this one so quickly and felt so moved + inspired!

📚 How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson (secular, nonfiction)... This was a fun, quick read... Kind of a short history of random things. I added it to my kids' high school list.

📚 Move Your DNA (secular, nonfiction, health)... So good and has already made such a difference for my annoying 'dancer's hips' which are a mildly painful clicky-poppy issue every day but not quite as much now. I bought a copy for someone with a hip replacement, too.

📚 One Perfect Word by Debbie Macomber (Christian, nonfiction)... I think every single word had a section that made me cry, or at least tear up. I was inspired by this one, too.

📚 The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay (Christian, fiction)... It took me a while to warm up to a couple characters but I really liked this one and liked all the characters by the end. This has been on my list since before it released and I'm so happy I finally read it!

📚 Someone Like You by Karen Kingsbury (Christian, fiction)... this is the Karen Kingsbury Baxter family book that was recently made into a movie. The movie is not actually a Baxter movie as the characters and locations and such were changed, not sure why exactly. This one deals with a character learning that they were actually adopted as an embryo and they are of course grappling with what that means for their family identity. Basically, one of the Baxters is suddenly announced to have actually been adopted and I was not so sure that would actually work but she really did manage to pull that off very well in my humble opinion. Because this is one of the later Baxter books you do not at all have to have read any others to understand this one.

📚 Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates (secular, nonfiction, history)... This was about a piece of American history I knew nothing about. So fascinating! I added it to my kids' high school book list.

And for my kids' shelves:

📚Almost Home (Christian, middle grade, historical fiction)... This is the third Daughters of the Faith book I have read and liked. This one is a Mayflower story. 

📚King of the Wind (secular, middle grade, fiction)... Animal books are always a hit with some of my kids and horse books in particular are highly sought after.

📚Pigture Perfect (secular, middle grade, fiction)... Pig books are also highly sought after.

📚The Twenty-One Balloons (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I learned about this one from Read Aloud Revival. I had never read this one before but knew right away one of my kids was going to love it. Sure enough, it was a hit!

📚Tuck Everlasting (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I read this with my class in sixth grade. I couldn't remember the story at all and feel like I was ambivalent about it. I'm glad I re-read it though because I thought this one was pretty good.  

Also, Jesus loves you 💙