Image commercially licensed from Unsplash
Whether you’re looking for life-changing advice, a compelling biography, seeking out a little spiritual inspiration, want to read some red hot summer romances, or check out a fantasy series making waves, we have some great picks to pack in your backpack or beach bag. You’ll find something for everyone on this list of quality reads!
CONFIDENT AS A PEACOCK – The Recipe to Unleash Your Confidence
By Shannon Norman
Do you ever want to be more confident? Have you ever felt like your confidence has been stolen? Well, look no further than Confident as a Peacock! This extraordinary resource is intentionally designed to provide useful guidance to help anyone increase their confidence. In this insightful book, the author shares personal stories from her childhood. These stories impart invaluable lessons and wisdom that readers can use to overcome life’s challenges and take control of their own lives.
WITH THE BAND – Memoir of a Music Shop Owner
By Bill Cole
Two days are never the same in the life of Billy Cole, a music instrument repairman. Plans of scheduled clarinet overhaul are quickly shuffled aside as a renowned artist walks through the door for an adjustment, a chat and tickets to that night’s concert. Over the course of nearly 50 years in the music business, Billy has become a personal friend and respected repairman to some of the top musicians in the industry. Throughout the serendipitous twists and turns of life, Billy navigates it the best way he knows how, with faith and with his wife, his partner, his best friend. Together, they share the journey, forging an unconventional, yet traditional family lifestyle.
AN AFTERNOON’S DICTATION Inclusive Revelation for the 21st Century
By Steven Greenebaum
At Fifty years old, the author could not make sense of his life or the world around him. For several months he angrily demanded answers from God, if God were there. One afternoon, an inner voice told him to get a pen and paper and write. Steven then took dictation – three pages, not of commandments but guidance for leading a meaningful life. The book’s sections include deep explorations into “The Call to Interfaith,” “The Call to Love One Another,” “The Call to Justice,” and “The Call to Community.” An Afternoon’s Dictation builds on what unites our diverse spiritual traditions, not what divides us.
THE MADIGAN CHRONICLES
By Marieke Lexmond
This new mystical, magical, six-book series featuring three generations of powerful, headstrong witches from the Madigan Family and their struggle to work together to keep a centuries-old promise and stop a dark witch from claiming a powerful elemental object. There are four magical objects in the world that rule the elements: earth, water, air, and fire. The Madigans guard the Wand of Wisdom, which governs the power of fire. When Lucy, Grandma Madigan’s evil twin, steals the Dagger of Consciousness, which governs the power of air, it sets off a rollercoaster of magical mayhem. Lucy wants to possess all four magical objects and be all-powerful. If the Madigans are going to stop her, they need to overcome their differences.
The series has wracked up many previous awards and honorable mentions.
A THEOLOGY FOR THE REST OF US
By Arthur Yavelberg
“If God exists and is good, why is there evil?” Avoiding such questions underlies the spiritual emptiness and anxiety in today’s world. A Theology for the Rest of Us explores how to approach the divine through Eastern and Western religious traditions–without dogma; challenging readers to “Be ye lamps unto yourselves.” Eye-opening book shares the roots of theology, compares faiths. Objective discussions let readers identify personal beliefs. Insight into cultures, history, and humanity.
ONE WEDDING AND AN EARL (The Duchess Society Book 4)
By Tracy Sumner
In this sizzling Regency romance by USA Today bestselling author Tracy Sumner, a notorious earl and an infamous hellion need to face an unforgettable passion. A scarred earl with a big heart—and a big problem. Since his return from war, the Earl of Stanford’s life has been anything but simple. A meddling older brother, a raucous group of friends, a crumbling estate, and an injury that forever changed him. Now this. Her. His brother’s bright idea of a way out. The most infamous landscape architect in England arriving on his doorstep to restore his ruined gardens and his ruined heart.
SOMETHING SACRED I LOST The Unspoken World of Male Sexual Abuse
by Emmy Vine
The subject of male sexual abuse is not often discussed, and it comes with its own set of unique challenges. In this story, a young, handsome horse trainer pushes everyone away, including the girl of his dreams. To what end? To protect his darkest secrets, secrets of abuse that brought on years of shame, pain, damaged self-esteem, and mental health issues. The book opens this topic by looking at the mental health issues that come along with this type of abuse. The novel explores the drama and healing of a life lived after abuse, written with Emmy’s signature humor.
THE BAD GIRL LIST
By Marie Matthew
An interracial rom-com in wine country – A recovering perfectionist. A man who prefers the company of his three-legged dog. One drunken arrangement. Determined to turn her life around, perfectionist Dominique Chen undertakes the Bad Girl List– a list of 10 outrageous things she must complete over 10 days of vacation in wine country. But checking off #10 – a holiday fling – puts her heart on the line when she meets sexy wine grower Trevor Moretti. Still mourning the loss of his fiancée, Trevor just wants to be left alone to tend his award-winning Sonoma County vineyard. But after two years of grieving, his parents are pushing him to date again. Under the influence of many, many glasses of wine, Trevor and Dom realize they can help one another. She agrees to be his fake date to a family dinner, and he agrees to help her complete the Bad Girl List. It seems like an ideal arrangement–until their feelings intensify. Is Trevor ready to let go of the memory of his lost fiancée, or will he watch his second chance at love walk away? This second-chance, fake dating RomCom is packed with heart, heat, and all the feels.
COME PASSION : The Soulful ART of Healing Trauma
By Colleen Clark
Colleen Clark is a globally recognized trauma therapist, and trainer, and in her new book, “Come Passion: The Soulful ART of Healing Trauma,” she shares a whole new way of looking at trauma. While this one was written by a therapist for therapists, the author shares concepts that matter to all of us, especially in these times. Recommend it to your therapist or read it yourself for a very valuable perspective.
Happy Reading!
