Last night, Rick and I were out on the back porch enjoying some whiskey and talking about our upcoming beach trip. No matter where I go for a trip, I usually have several books with me even if I know that the probability of reading is super slim. Going to the beach though where I'll be sitting in the sun, chatting with family and flipping through magazines or books, sounds like a perfect wrap up to summer.

This summer, I've been reading a ton which has really helped with one of my 30 Things for Year 30 goals. I've really enjoyed fully delving into reading in a way that I haven't done for years. Summers are usually overly hectic for me, but I've enjoyed being able to step back and have a summer with a different pace and my nose in a book. If you're looking for a great beach read, I highly recommend these 4 that I've loved reading this summer:

Waiting for Tom Hanks if you're looking for something in the rom-com genre.
Remember God if you're looking to connect with God while looking out over the ocean.
Where'd You Go Bernadette? if you want to be whisked into a mysterious story that'll have you on a traveling adventure.
Where the Crawdads Sing if you're desiring to be carried off to a very distinct, beautiful and heartbreaking life of a young girl growing up.

What book have you read this summer that I need to throw into my beach bag? Please let me know in the comments!

If you’re looking for a book that you can already get your hands on (because waiting for books is really exciting but really hard too!), feel free to check out the last edition for June + July here or the entire series here.

Coming in August 2019 + Ready for Preorder

August 6 –The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me by Keah Brown

From the disability rights advocate and creator of the #DisabledAndCute viral campaign, a thoughtful, inspiring, and charming collection of essays exploring what it means to be black and disabled in a mostly able-bodied white America.

Keah Brown loves herself, but that hadn’t always been the case. Born with cerebral palsy, her greatest desire used to be normalcy and refuge from the steady stream of self-hate society strengthened inside her. But after years of introspection and reaching out to others in her community, she has reclaimed herself and changed her perspective.

In The Pretty One, Brown gives a contemporary and relatable voice to the disabled—so often portrayed as mute, weak, or isolated. With clear, fresh, and light-hearted prose, these essays explore everything from her relationship with her able-bodied identical twin (called “the pretty one” by friends) to navigating romance; her deep affinity for all things pop culture—and her disappointment with the media’s distorted view of disability; and her declaration of self-love with the viral hashtag #DisabledAndCute.

By “smashing stigmas, empowering her community, and celebrating herself” (Teen Vogue), Brown and The Pretty One aims to expand the conversation about disability and inspire self-love for people of all backgrounds.

August 20 –Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World by Audrey Frank

Hiding behind the Muslim woman’s veil is a heart longing for honor but often covered in shame. Meeting her will transform us all.

Muslim women are coming out of hiding and telling their stories. With courageous voices, they disclose tales of shame and a fierce desire to be valued. We hold our breath as they whisper accounts of Jesus dressed in light, coming to them in dreams, offering honor in the place of shame, freedom instead of oppression.

Their tales narrate a secret reality for all of us. We all long to be known, to be valued, to be rescued. We all are in desperate need of a Savior.

In Covered Glory, you will meet Muslim women living in a culture with an honor-shame worldview that perpetuates their shame. As you discover how these women find freedom when they uncover their true identity, you will find that shame affects each one of us. Learn that while…

shame tells us we are unworthy, truth tells us we were made to be loved
shame tells us we are nobody, Jesus tells us, “You are somebody to me”
shame tells us we are broken, God’s Word tells us healing comes from him

It is only when we begin to understand the honor-shame gospel that we are set free. And so is our Muslim neighbor when we learn to tell her of the love of Jesus in a language she understands: the language of honor and shame.

August 20 –The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good by Elizabeth L. Cline

Hiding behind the Muslim woman’s veil is a heart longing for honor but often covered in shame. Meeting her will transform us all.

Muslim women are coming out of hiding and telling their stories. With courageous voices, they disclose tales of shame and a fierce desire to be valued. We hold our breath as they whisper accounts of Jesus dressed in light, coming to them in dreams, offering honor in the place of shame, freedom instead of oppression.

Their tales narrate a secret reality for all of us. We all long to be known, to be valued, to be rescued. We all are in desperate need of a Savior.

In Covered Glory, you will meet Muslim women living in a culture with an honor-shame worldview that perpetuates their shame. As you discover how these women find freedom when they uncover their true identity, you will find that shame affects each one of us. Learn that while…

August 27 –Friendish: Reclaiming Real Friendship in a Culture of Confusion by Kelly Needham

As the family unit grows more unstable and the average age of marriage increases, a shift is taking place in our culture: for many people, friends now play the role of family. And just as with family relationships, our friendships often don't turn out quite as we envisioned or hoped, and we wonder, Is there a better way to do this?

Bible teacher Kelly Needham debunks our world's constricted, small view of friendship and casts a richer, more life-giving, biblical vision for friendship as God meant it to be.

In Friend-ish, Kelly Needham takes a close look at what Scripture says about friendship. She reveals the distorted view most of us have of it and recasts a glorious vision for a Christian understanding. By teaching us how to recognize symptoms of idolatry and dependency, she equips us to understand and address the problems that arise in friendship--from neediness to discord and even sexual temptation. With hard-fought wisdom, a clear view of Scripture, and been-there perspective, Needham reorients us toward the purposeful, loving relationships we all crave that ultimately bring us closer to God.

August 27 –How to Have Your Life Not Suck: Becoming Today Who You Want to Be Tomorrow by Bianca Juarez Olthoff

Do you ever just want someone to help you figure life out - to tell you how to win at work, what guys to stay away from, and what jeans rock your body shape? With so much information at your fingertips, real success, good dates, and true friendships can still feel out of reach. Bianca Juarez Olthoff is your guide (minus the cargo shorts and tacky hat) to becoming today who you aspire to be tomorrow.

Packed with lessons Bianca learned from her own mistakes and heartache, this field guide will help you avoid unnecessary detours on the path to your best self. With her signature wit, engaging stories, and brilliant insights from a counselor friend, Bianca gives spot-on advice for adulting, career, relationships, and faith. Following the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, Bianca's humorous and honest anecdotes will empower you to create a successful life and discover all you can be.

This curated manual for the modern woman will help you:

Connect with a mentor, let go of bad friendships, and find a relationship worth keeping
Trust the goodness of God even in loss, betrayal, and unanswered questions
Take initiative, do hard things, and achieve meaningful success
Fall in love with God's Word and see the Bible come alive

The perfect cocktail of sass and down-to-earth guidance, How to Have Your Life Not Suck is just the book you need to navigate your way to the life you want to live. More than that, Bianca will show you that though life is tough, you are too.

Coming in September 2019 + Ready for Preorder

September 1 –His Testimonies, My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God by Kristie Anyabwile

From the disability rights advocate and creator of the #DisabledAndCute viral campaign, a thoughtful, inspiring, and charming collection of essays exploring what it means to be black and disabled in a mostly able-bodied white America.

Hear the voices of women of color on the most important subject in any age--the word of God.

This inspiring collection of devotions is by a diverse group of women of color--African-American, Hispanic, Caribbean, and Asian women. Contributors include Kristie Anyabwile, Jackie Hill-Perry, Trillia Newbell, Elicia Horton, Christina Edmondson, Blair Linne, Bev Chao Berrus and more.

It is a faithful exposition of Psalm 119 and incorporates each contributor's cultural expression both within the teaching and as they bring the word of God to bear on their lives.

You will be thrilled and encouraged by hearing God speak through his word as it is expounded by these faithful women teachers, and you will long for more.

September 10 –Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career by Kevin P. Rafferty

A forty-year storied career-beginning in the dish room at the Plaza Inn in Disneyland, Kevin Rafferty has conceived, designed, written, and overseen the creation of some of the Disney parks most memorable attractions including Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks, Cars Land, Toy Story Mania, Test Track, Tower of Terror, MuppetVision, and many others including the first-ever Mickey and Minnie Mouse attraction set to debut at Walt Disney World in 2019.

For a young man who began studying for the priesthood at a seminary, the journey to halls of Imagineering has truly been a magical one. A master storyteller, Kevin chronicles his unimaginable career with great humor, honesty, and heart.

September 17 –Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need by David Platt

New York Times best-selling author David Platt takes readers on a heart-wrenching, soul-searching journey through impoverished villages in the Himalayan mountains. With riveting passion and surprising vulnerability, Platt dares readers to make a difference in a world of urgent need, starting right where they live.

While leading a team on a week-long trek of the Himalayas, bestselling author and pastor David Platt was stunned by the human needs he encountered, an experience so dramatic that it "changed the trajectory of my life." Meeting a man who'd lost his eye from a simple infection and seeing the faces of girls stolen from their families and trafficked in the cities, along with other unforgettable encounters, opened his eyes to the people behind the statistics and compelled him to wrestle with his assumptions about faith. In Something Needs to Change, Platt invites readers to come along on both the adventure of the trek, as well as the adventure of seeking answers to tough questions like, "Where is God in the middle of suffering?" "What makes my religion any better than someone else's religion?" and "What do I believe about eternal suffering?" Platt has crafted an irresistible message about what it means to give your life for the gospel--to finally stop talking about faith and truly start living it.

September 24 –Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business by Kindra Hall

The moment you take control of your stories, you take control of your business and your life.

You keep hearing how story is the latest-and-greatest business tool, and that storytelling can do everything—from helping leaders better communicate to motivating sales teams and winning customers away from competitors.

But what stories do you need to tell? And how do you tell them?

In Stories That Stick, Kindra Hall, professional storyteller and nationally-known speaker, reveals the four unique stories you can use to differentiate, captivate, and elevate:

the Value Story, to convince customers they need what you provide;
the Founder Story, to persuade investors and customers your organization is worth the investment;
the Purpose Story, to align and inspire your employees and internal customers; and
the Customer Story, to allow those who use your product or service to share their authentic experiences with others.

Telling these stories well is a simple, accessible skill anyone can develop. With case studies, company profiles, and anecdotes backed with original research, Hall presents storytelling as the underutilized talent that separates the good from the best in business. She offers specific, actionable steps readers can take to find, craft, and leverage the stories they already have and simply aren’t telling.

Every person, every organization has at least four stories at their disposal. Will you tell yours?

September 24 –Double Crossed: The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States During the Second World War by Matthew Avery Sutton

The untold story of the Christian missionaries who played a crucial role in the allied victory in World War II

What makes a good missionary makes a good spy. Or so thought "Wild" Bill Donovan when he secretly recruited a team of religious activists for the Office of Strategic Services. They entered into a world of lies, deception, and murder, confident that their nefarious deeds would eventually help them expand the kingdom of God.

In Double Crossed, historian Matthew Avery Sutton tells the extraordinary story of the entwined roles of spy-craft and faith in a world at war. Missionaries, priests, and rabbis, acutely aware of how their actions seemingly conflicted with their spiritual calling, carried out covert operations, bombings, and assassinations within the centers of global religious power, including Mecca, the Vatican, and Palestine. Working for eternal rewards rather than temporal spoils, these loyal secret soldiers proved willing to sacrifice and even to die for Franklin Roosevelt's crusade for global freedom of religion. Chosen for their intelligence, powers of persuasion, and ability to seamlessly blend into different environments, Donovan's recruits included people like John Birch, who led guerilla attacks against the Japanese, William Eddy, who laid the groundwork for the Allied invasion of North Africa, and Stewart Herman, who dropped lone-wolf agents into Nazi Germany. After securing victory, those who survived helped establish the CIA, ensuring that religion continued to influence American foreign policy.

Surprising and absorbing at every turn, Double Crossed is the untold story of World War II espionage and a profound account of the compromises and doubts that war forces on those who wage it.