A quick post with confessions & my reading list
I was watching the 3rd Harry Potter movie with my son the other night and the scene with the night bus stuck with me.
That is how my summer has felt so far.
There is an odd reshaping that happens to our days and an unusual speed to the calendar that makes summer so unique.
I would say that my individual days have been full of slow moments but the activity, many people, and hosting events in our home have kept the weeks moving by at a quick pace.
The 4th of July was a big deal and there was lots of food, fireworks, and community gathered. I like that it’s a holiday without much pressure. We do something different each year and I enjoy the variety.
Let’s get into my July planning… 😁
Plans, hopes & goals for July:
- 📖reading stack — Dude, I am so behind in my reading stack!! My TBR has been sadly neglected and I need to get back into reading every night.
- 🌭🍔grilled dinners — We are turning grilled dinners into an art form this summer. I am blessed with many young adults who know how to cook and it’s a joy to show up to dinner when someone else is in charge.
- 💻writing — Each day is a little different but I make time to work on my writing goals.
- 🍿🎥summer movies — we have a few more Summer Movie Fun tickets left. I’m a bit skeptical about The GOAT movie… but I guess we will see.
- 🏊community pool — an afternoon at the pool just feels like summer and I want my youngest kids to have some of those memories.
- ⏰my morning routine — I need to be more intentional about getting up earlier 3-4 mornings a week to read and journal. I’ve been missing those practices lately.
- 🥭🍌🍓homemade smoothies — This is a household favorite snack right now and I love adding spinach to mine to get that extra iron and nutrition.
- 📚Little Libraries — I cleaned out the bookshelves in my office and now I have some books to take to the Little Free Libraries in my area.
- 📋summermeal planning — I want to up my game in this area and be better about going to the local market every week for fresh produce.
- check out this post + free printable
- Sometime soon I want to enjoy watching Hamilton and singing along with the subtitles (loudly, not in tune, but with much enthusiasm🤣).
First, a reading confession…
I didn’t have anything to write in my June personal curriculum recap post so I skipped it! My ambitious reading plans and real life are currently negotiating terms.😄
I’m choosing to enjoy a full season with family instead of stressing over a perfectly checked-off list, and I’m grateful there’s always next month. So here’s my TBR that I’m hoping to dive into this July but keep in mind that I am holding my plans loosely. 😜
My Reading Basket:
[note: this post is NOT sponsored, I just want to share what I’m reading and enjoying]Non-Fiction:
- books from my June plans that I need to finish:
- Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer by Tyler Staton 📖🎧— This book is keeping the things I learned at church summer camp fresh and alive in my busy life. It’s a book that challenges readers to rethink their approach to prayer. It blends historical Christian monastic rhythms with everyday, risk-taking faith to help readers experience genuine connection with God.
- Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg📖 — I’ve heard this book is an excellent read (thank you Niamh Celeste😁). Dr. BJ Fogg is the Director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University and this book is well researched. I’m looking forward to getting inspired for the homeschool year planning and fall habit planning that I have beginning in August.
- The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living by Hillary L. McBride 🎧I’ve listened to a few specific chapters and come away with some helpful concepts. My favorite so far has been using mindfulness (which for me is prayer) to avoid shooting the second arrow at myself. 🏹
The First Arrow (Pain): The unavoidable challenges of human existence—illness, injury, loss, or an off-hand comment. These are out of our immediate control and are a natural part of living.
The Second Arrow (Suffering): Our psychological reaction to the first arrow. When we get hurt, our minds often add self-blame, shame, rumination, or fear. By beating ourselves up or resisting the reality of the situation, we inflict our own emotional pain.
I would love to hear if anyone else finds this interesting… maybe a future post?
Fiction:
Books I need to finish:
- Remarkably Bright Creatures byShelby Van Pelt📖🎧🎥 —and I want to plan a fun day out at an aquarium. We watched the movie and I really enjoyed it. I loved the small town, the complicated relationships, and the attitude of the octopus.🐙
- It also reminded me of a documentary I loved: My Octopus Teacher🎥
- Theo of Golden by Allen Levi📖🎧— This has been highly recommended by several people in my life (shout out to Shannon W. and Brooke Z.😁) I’m about half way through and not sure my thoughts on it. I want to like the main character but he seems a bit suspicious. The writing is excellent though and I appreciate the way that the author sees people with compassion. Have you read this one? I would love to hear your thoughts!
- The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren🎧 — This book is a guilty pleasure summer read. It blends classic romance tropes like marriage of convenience, fake dating, and forced proximity.🌶️ Anna and Liam pretend to be happily married to secure his inheritance and help her financially, navigating high stakes and a slow-burn romance on a lavish private island.
- These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean🎧— MacLean’s regency romance series got me back into fiction years ago when I was in a reading slump. I am excited to read this contemporary fiction and the audiobook is read by the incomparable Julia Whelan. “A story about the transformative power of grief, love, and family, this luscious novel is at once wildly sexy and surprisingly tender, exploring past secrets, present truths, and futures forged in the wake of wild summer storms.”🌶️
Some more books on my summer TBR:
- Beach Read by Emily Henry — I really enjoyed this one last summer and I might reread it.
- The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez — This books looks and sounds like quintessential summer romance. I’m hoping I can add it in this month.
Family Reads:
- The Harry Potter series and related books 📖🎧🎥 (with my 11 year old son) — Audible has Full-Cast Audio Editions that I recently used my credits for. Kyle and I found this Marauder’s Map themed book by Scholastic and we have had fun reading it and looking at it with the special wand light to reveal hidden text printed in invisible ink. We also have a shelf of Harry Potter themed books we have collected over the years including these book Lego sets.
I’d love to hear what’s working for you!
Share your summer book recs and favorite vacation reads in the comments.
No matter if you fly through your reading stack or barely make it past chapter one, I hope you give yourself plenty of grace this month.
Books will patiently wait on the shelf, but the summer season goes by quickly. So enjoy the people, the slower moments, and whatever this month has to offer.
I hope your July is filled with good books, happy interruptions, and the freedom to enjoy both.
🎆🌭Happy July! –
📝Save these helpful posts for later:
- My Go-To Summer Dinner Ideas[free planning PDF]
- 7 Ways to Add Hygge this Summer 🌞— What does it look like to embrace the summer season and create a cozy atmosphere of home without thick blankets or a warm fire?
- 6 Quick Tips for Planning a Weekend Away
⭐consider this next step =
My online course pulls everything together in one place. You’ll get practical tools, simple templates, and a clear path forward (without the overwhelm).
A great companion to your summer personal curriculum!