5 Books for June 2025

5 Books...

📚 Book club read: The Overstory by Richard Powers || Listen, I love this book. I can count on one hand the number of books that I have re-read and this is one of them. Also, it’s long. But the writing is so enchanting, and the themes are so important. I cannot wait to discuss this with my Year of Belonging folks at the end of this month. There’s still time to join us!

📚 In the middle of reading: Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music by Rob Sheffield | I saw this on the “new” shelf at my library and grabbed it. I’m finding the author to be a bit annoying, however, I am enjoying a walk down memory lane of deep cut Taylor lore. It has sent me to Google more than once to watch old performances and truly marvel at the way she was able to improve her vocal presence and delivery. Masterful.

📚 Just finished: The Wedding People by Alison Espach || I tend to avoid books that have a “Read with _____” sticker on them. That probably makes me a snob, but I always feel like, well, that author is getting a lot of people to read their book, they don’t need me. Nevertheless, my local book club chose this one and I read it and it was fine.

📚 Seasonal read: Every Summer After by Carley Fortune | This is also on my short list of books that I have re-read. It’s just lovely and if you’re into moderately spicy second chance romance, you’ll like it. It’ll make you feel 16 again with your first love.

📚 Timely recommendation: This is a bit of a throwback, but if you find yourself still frustrated and confused that so many Christians seem okay with racist policies (see the news regarding ICE raids and LA protests), read the Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby. I returned to it recently to cite it in my manuscript and it lays out the history of racism within white evangelicalism from the past until today.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these? I'd love to hear back from you; just hit reply!