0 Shares
My 2024 summer booklist is shorter than previous summer booklists because I’m leaving room for two big projects and the research reading that go along with them.
You’ll also notice that while I write on grief, this isn’t a list of grief books. I’m continually reading, researching, and thinking through grief topics. While some of these books touch on loss, my summer booklist is mostly a respite from that heaviness, through lightish fiction or other non-fiction topics I’m interested in.
If you’re looking for a book on grief, my book Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart will walk you through the hard emotions and tough questions of loss with scriptural-saturated ways to renew your hope and begin piecing your shattered heart back together again.
These are clean books, mostly Christian, with a few historical or general market reads. Without further ado, here’s my 2024 summer booklist!
(This post contains my affiliate links. Find my full disclosure policy here.)
2024 Summer Nonfiction Books
Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance during the Blitz, Erik Larson
I’m one-third of the way through this #1 New York Times bestseller that traces Churchill’s irreplaceable leadership and implacable spirit in his first year as prime minister during WWII, as Germany turned its attention and air power on England. The chapters are mercifully short (think All The Light We Cannot See) but the material is somewhat dense so I’m slowly making my way through.
Psalm 23: Jesus our Shepherd, Companion, and Host, David Gibson
First, how amazing is this book cover? ::heart eyes:: Psalm 23 was the first scripture I memorized. It comforted me in my darkest valley. I’ve taught it in a ladies’ Bible class and spoken on it at retreats. But one thing I know about God’s Word: there’s infinite treasure if we’re willing to dig for it. So I plan to not just read, but dig into this psalm and prayerfully, love my good Shepherd better and deeper for it.
Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain, Davey Blackburn (releasing July 2024)
Davey Blackburn was a young pastor in Indianapolis when his wife and unborn child were murdered during a home invasion. He went on to found the Nothing Is Wasted ministry, one of my favorite ministries and podcasts for those grieving. You can listen to my podcast episode with Davey here. LINK
2024 Summer Fiction Books
Give me clean fiction with a riveting plot and interwoven subplots and I’m a happy girl. I’ve either read these authors or done enough due diligence to be satisfied these books meet those criteria.
The London House, Katherine Reay
This is one of my current audiobook listens. (Audible helps me fit so many more books into my schedule!)
I’m a long-time Katherine Reay reader, whose books usually include a feminine protagonist, an engaging storyline, and, more recently, an international setting. In this time-split novel, Carolyn Payne returns to her family’s London home to untangle a family secret about two sisters and their involvement in Britain’s WWII spy network. Reay’s books stay light enough not to mess with my thoughts or emotions. Sometimes you just need a good book that won’t rip your heart out.
The British Booksellers, Kristy Cambron
It’s shaping up to be the summer of English bookstores for me. I mean, if I’m not there I may as well read about it! In The British Booksellers, aristocratic Charlotte Terrington secretly falls for Amos Darby, the son of tenant farmers, until they’re separated during WWI.
The book description goes on: “From deep in the trenches of the Great War to the storied English countryside and the devastating Coventry Blitz of World War II,The British Booksellersexplores the unbreakable bonds that unite us through love, loss, and the enduring solace that can be found between the pages of a book.” Looks like a great beach (or lake or mountain) read!
These Are My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1901, Nancy E. Turner
I found this book recommended here and with a 4.4 Goodreads rating of almost 76,000 entries, I’m adding it to my summerlist with great anticipation.
Here’s the book description: “A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author’s own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier. Scrupulously recording her steps down the path Providence has set her upon—from child to determined young adult to loving mother—she shares the turbulent events, both joyous and tragic, that molded her, and recalls the enduring love with cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot that gave her strength and purpose.
Rich in authentic everyday details and alive with truly unforgettable characters,These Is My Wordsbrilliantly brings a vanished world to breathtaking life again.”
Swoon. I’m sold.
2024 Summer Bonus Books
God Who Became Bread: A True Story of Starving, Feasting, and Feeding Others, Emily T. Wierenga
Emily founded The Lulu Tree to serve the spiritually and physically impoverished through the local church in nations around the world. Her work with widows, single mothers, and orphans resonates deeply with me because I know firsthand that ministering to a widow is ministering to her family and the generations to follow.
Emily actually stepped away from a thriving writing career to establish The Lulu Tree. In this new surprise memoir, she poetically weaves her story of the anorexia that nearly killed her, a dry faith that disappointed her, and the rich faith and healing she found as she returned to Africa.
She Believed HE Could, So She Did: Trading Culture’s Lies for Christ-Centered Empowerment, Becky Beresford
Becky is long-time writing friend and I’m thrilled with her recently released, debut book. Chapter by chapter, Becky tackles some of the lies culture sells us with scripture and inspiring stories. Lies like “You are enough!” and “Speak Your Truth” and “The Future is Female.” (I’m cheering my two girls, but I’m also the mom of five young men who love the Lord and I pray will be used mightily for his kingdom!)
ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD, by Penn and Kim Holderness
This is another audiobook I’ll listen to while I’m walking. I bought it the day they announced pre-orders! I’m investigating ADHD because someone I love may have it, and that in itself is a whole rabbit hole of learning. I hope this book will be an upbeat approach that will answer some questions and ways to navigate life with ADHD.
