Six Fantastic Books I'll be Reading this Summer

It’s the middle of April, and I’m already so excited for Summer – mostly for more free time to relax by the pool without the stress of school looming over my shoulders, but also three whole months to finally get around to reading all the books that have been on my reading list for a while. I just wanted to share what I’ll be reading to give you some ideas – and also because I can’t not recommend them!

1 - Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson

Adorning the Dark is a beautiful book written by the author of the Wingfeather Saga, which was one of my favorite series’ growing up. Andrew Peterson explores the ideas of creating and making beautiful things, sharing pieces of his own journey as a songwriter and a follower of Christ. I have already read the first few chapters, and I love how it has already inspired me to continue on my creative journey to the glory of God.

2 - You Who: Why You Matter and How to Deal With It by Rachel Jankovic

In this book, Rachel Jankovic explores the origins of the self-love movement and the problems that come as a result. I read this book several years ago as I was going into high school, and there was not a more perfect time! Rachel does a fantastic job explaining that your identity is not created by you, and that you are not the center of your world … but that is a blessing. We were created by God, and our identity should be in Christ, instead of ourselves. We ultimately exist to bring glory to Him.

(See related post – Live not for Yourself: A Call to Rest in who God Says you are, which was inspired by this book!)

3 - Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

I read this one for school this past semester, but I can’t not read it again! Lewis presents his arguments for Christianity in a way that is so easy to understand, yet so profound and with rich truth. My friends and I joked that we wanted to dunk the entire book in highlighter ink. I recommend this book to those who may be struggling to find a reason for why they believe what they do, or for those who want to dive deeper into their faith or be equipped to explain their faith to someone who doesn’t believe.

4 - The Valley of Vision

The Valley of Vision is a book of Puritan prayers from the 1800s, compiled by Arthur Bennett. These prayers were written from a place of humility and glorify God with every phrase. With language that is beautiful and simple, these prayers make wonderful devotions and present such wonderful truths that we should be reminded of daily.

5 - Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

Of course I had to add a fiction book to my list. Anne of Avonlea is the sequel to Anne of Green Gables, and surprisingly I’ve never read it. I’ve heard great things about it though, and I’m so glad I’m finally getting around to it! This is the only copy they had at the library, but a prettier one (and without any grammar errors!) is on my Amazon list.

6 - Romans - inspired by God, written by the apostle Paul

I love the book of Romans, and I don’t think I’ve ever read it straight through before unless it was for a study plan. It was originally a letter written by Paul to the Christians who were persecuted in Rome. He wrote to tell them of the salvation that is found in Christ alone, and is still a wonderful reminder of the righteousness of God and the freedom we find through Christ’s sacrifice today.

So this is what I’ll be reading in my free time all summer! I hope you’ve enjoyed this list or gotten some good ideas. Comment below if you’ve read any of these, and I'd love to know what’s on your summer reading list!