In 2021, I made a goal to try and read at least 2 nights a week (I know. Not a big goal haha but you gotta start small) and recently I have been a reading machine and LOVING IT. Michael and I used to watch a show most nights after dinner and now we either read instead OR we’ll watch a show and then get in bed early and read. It’s been so nice. So today i wanted to share a roundup of what I have been reading lately! I’ve got a lot of books going at once – from Christian books to parenting, fiction, self help, etc!
Seeing Beautiful Again
This is a new devotional by Lysa Terkeurst who is one of my all time favorite Christian authors. This devotional is especially great for anyone who is walking through a hard season of life right now – whether it be grief or health issues or infertility or any kind of hard season…this daily devotional has been so encouraging to me. It’s something you can read every morning, with scripture, and it’s spoken to me + encouraged me in so many ways! I’m only a few days into it but I can tell already, this will probably be one of my all time favorite devotionals.
One in a Million
I just finished this book a few weeks ago and it’s probably in my top 5 favorite Christian books I’ve ever read! Priscilla Shirer is such a gifted writer and this book was so encouraging & inspiring for me. If you feel like you are walking in a ‘wilderness’ season right now…this book will encourage you that God has a plan even in the wilderness and he will never leave you alone. It also encourages you to make the journey to your promised land and believe God for miracles and that He longs for you to walk in fullness of life! This is a book I think I will read over and over again because it spoke to me so much!
Discerning the Voice of God
This is another book by Priscilla Shirer that I started about 2 weeks ago! It’s a Bible study I have heard SO many women rave about (including my mom) so I decided to see what all the hype was about haha. I’m about two weeks in and loving it so far! This Bible study helps you dig into the Word and also gives you very practical + tangible ways to help you learn to listen to God and discern how the Holy Spirit is leading you. It’s a little bit more time consuming than a daily devotional, so to speak. I’d say on average it takes me about 30 minutes each morning. But, 30 minutes well spent and I’m really loving it so far!
The Whole Brain Child
I bought this book when Shiloh had just turned 1 and felt like it didn’t really apply to us at that stage…so I’ve recently picked it back up. It has been so helpful in understanding how a toddler’s brain works, and how to communicate with them in a way that is loving and effective. The doctors who wrote it do a great job of explaining the science behind how a child’s brain is wired, and then give simple and practical tips on how we can best parent, guide, and love them well. I’m about 3/4 of the way through and it’s been very helpful!
The Wife Upstairs
This is a fiction book i’m reading on my kindle right now and it’s been SO good! If you like mysteries / suspense thrillers…you will love this. Some suspense books are a little too dark for me, but so far this one hasn’t been. I love reading this at night when I just want to be mindless haha. This is also a great pool / summer read!
Quit Like a Woman
Whew. I have so many thoughts about this book / I’ll probably do an entire blog post sharing my thoughts + journey with this. But essentially…this book is about quitting alcohol, the effects alcohol has on our mind and bodies, how obsessed our society is alcohol, and finding freedom from an alcohol addiction. For a long time I’ve kind of wondered if I depend too much on alcohol to help me “unwind”. I didn’t drink a ton but I always looked forward to my glass of wine at 6pm at the end of a stressful day bc I just wanted to calm down. I saw Melissa Wood share this book on her stories and I was intrigued.
I just finished the book a few nights ago and while I don’t necessarily agree with every single thing in the book…I thought it was SO insightful, eye opening, and very helpful in my own journey! If this is a topic you have also been curious about…I highly recommend this book! If nothing else, it offers a really interesting perspective on alcohol and our culture you probably haven’t considered before. I also think this book is really helpful no matter what your addiction is – she talks a lot about addiction and recovery and even if alcohol isn’t your vice…i think the book is really helpful.
follow along @laurenkaysims
Okay your turn! I would love to hear what you are reading right now! Leave any book recommendations in the comments below!
xo Lauren
