As a reminder to myself and for those of you who are curious, here is what I’ve read this month. Do your research before reading, because I love variety; I will overlook a lot to find the gems in a book and story.
This Messy Magnificent Life: A Field Guide by Geneen Roth
This month’s favorite: There are so many gems in this book! It’s one I plan to keep and re-read. It encourages me to embrace all that is while continuing to dream and discover contentment in the here and now. Reading this feels like coffee with a dear friend as you laugh, cry, and share the messy complications of life and being human.
Born of Gilden Mountains by Amanda Dykes
Born of Gilded Mountains took me a little while to settle into, but I’m so glad I stayed with it. The story is rooted in themes of friendship, forgiveness, and fresh beginnings—woven together with quiet strength and heart. One quote, in particular, stayed with me as a writer:
Don’t you stop playing…A gift’s a gift, plain and simple. Not just when someone sees it. Audience or not, God gave it to you , you give it to Him. Simple as that. You keep on, and He’ll take these notes wherever they were meant to go. Must be He meant them for the wild and free, not stuck in stuffy old concert houses.”
So that’s what he does, to this day, though his pa’s not around to see it anymore. He plays for his cows…Play for weddings. Plays for the requiem. Plays if someone’s sick.
That reminder: that we create and write not for applause but as an offering to God, is worth the read alone.
The Midnight Club by Margot Harrison
If you love time travel, memory, and the ripple effects of secrets, this book is for you. The Midnight Club delves into how tragedy shapes us and poses the haunting question: If you could change the past or the future, would you? Margo Harrison delivers a thought-provoking story in which characters grapple with the weight of knowledge, the burden of choice, and the consequences of knowing more than they were ever meant to.