Saturday, June 30, 2018

June Books

I am stoked that even with our MoviePass membership, I am still getting in a decent amount of books. Let's be real, not having cable TV to keep me "entertained" gives me more free time to dive into a great book or seven ;)

There were TWENTY-NINE books in the first five months of the year, so when I add June's FOUR that brings the total to THIRTY-THREE for 2018 thus far! If you're interested in what I read (and how I'd rate them) or need suggestions on books, check my previous write-ups! {January's Books / February Books / March Books / April Books / May Books}


  • Love Does by Bob Goff - A friend of mine gifted me this book (and the follow up - Everyone Always) and I was STOKED to get into it. I didn't know anything about it before it arrived, but the sweet note that came with it said the book reminded her of how I lived my life and thought I'd enjoy it. And enjoy it I did. I LOVED this book! And if she hadn't asked me to pass it along to someone else who would love reading it I definitely would have kept it in my personal library. This book is written by an AWESOME man with some FANTASTIC stories... but what is even better is that he is constantly pointing back to his AMAZING God! The whole premise of the book is that love isn't a feeling, but an action. Bob shares personal stories (some of which are so outrageous you wouldn't think they were true) and ties them all back to Jesus. Although it is a Christian book, I would say non-Christians would enjoy it all the same because of the stories Bob tells and the calling to make love something that we DO! This book can literally change your perspective on living and loving! I would give it a 10 out of 10.


  • An American Marriage by Tayari Jones - I don't remember how this on got on my library list, but it felt like I had been waiting in line for it for a while, so it had to be good, right?! Well, thankfully it seems like everyone who was on the waitlist had the right idea because I really enjoyed it. I had a hard time putting it down because I just had to know what happened next. It sort of felt like a reality TV show (like you were looking in on two real people's lives and watching it all unfold right in front of you). It's a story about injustice, betrayal, love and forgiveness. The characters all felt real and by the end I was really pulling for them (or at least a couple of them over the others, but shhhhh I'll never tell which ;) ). The author truly made the story come alive. I enjoyed how the format went from a normal chapter book to letters written back and forth between the two main characters and then back to your standard novel format. As with life, there were no real winners or losers in this story - just people doing the best they could with the cards they'd been dealt. I would give it a 9 out of 10.


  • Everybody Always by Bob Goff - Remember how I mentioned a friend sent me Love Does by Bob Goff? Well, this was his follow-up book. And just like his first one, I gobbled this one up. Bob is so passionate about "becoming" love that it oozes off of the pages. His storytelling ability is amazing and the way he relates his life to that of Jesus is unparalleled. I can't believe I had never heard of Bob Goff before, but now I want to try to get my hands on everything he's ever done. Bob's love for others, especially the "creepy" ones seems authentic and one I hope we can all emulate. Similar to the first book, if my friend who gifted me the books hadn't asked me to pass it along to someone else who would love reading it I definitely would have kept it in my personal library - in fact, I better add both of them to my Amazon wish-list right now! Although it is a Christian book, I would say non-Christians would enjoy it all the same because of the stories Bob tells and the calling to love everybody, always! This book can change your perspective on love! I would give it a 10 out of 10.


  • The Wind Blows Backward by Mary Downing Hahn - A friend of mine heard I fancied Young Adult books and brought me a stack when she was in town last; this was the first one I was able to dive into. And let's just say I dove hard and fast because I flew through this book in a few hours. I know I'm almost 34 years old, but man I can get lost in a YA book - especially a love story. This was written back in 1993, back before the age of the Internet and when walkmans were the wave of the future. Unlike many of the YA books today, it's more than just drama - it's deep. I appreciate she touches on topics such as suicide and alcoholism. The underlying theme that we can't save the ones we love, they have to save themselves rings true today just as it did over 25 years ago when the book was first published. Sure it may be a coming of age story, but I think the author did an amazing job telling it. Growing up is hard and Mary doesn't sugarcoat it. I would give it a 9 out of 10.


With that, June has come to a close. My reading may have slowed, but I definitely hope it never completely stops. If you have any suggestions, let me know! I'm always willing to add them to my queue if our library offers them!

What was the best book you read this month?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

You have to read Uprooted by Naomi Novik. It’s a YA and if your library does not have it, let me know.

Virjinia @ With Purpose and Kindness said...

I have Everybody Always on my list to read and I'm adding Love Does to it as well! They sound like good books and I look reading books that challenge me to love others and do for them!

San said...

My favorite June book was "Did you ever have a family" by Bill Clegg.

J.Blo said...

Jen Hatmaker recently interviewed Bob Goff on her podcast, For The Love. BTW - Have yiubread any of Jen Hatmaker’s stuff? You’d probably love her!