Summer is here!!!
My favorite things about summer: Oregon strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries (are you noticing a theme?), fresh salads, dinner from the garden, early morning sunrises and late night sunsets, and of course–summer reading.
Summer is the time when I stack up on my nightstand all the books I have neglected during the busy year, and dig in like the ravenous bibliophile that I am. A good book, ice cold lemonade, and a lounge chair are all that I need. Of course with two littles I may only make it 1/4 way through my list, but that’s ok. I’ll take what I can get and read the rest someday when they can no longer sit on my lap …
On my nightstand for this summer:
- Love Has a Face by Michele Perry (1/2 way through: Wow!)
- One Million Arrows by Julie Ferwerda
- The Missional Mom by Helen Lee
- From Eternity to Here by Frank Viola (1/2 way through: Great!)
- The Lost Art of Listening by Michael Nichols (1/2 way through: Very helpful!)
- The Waiting Place by Eileen Button
- Forty Thousand to One by Ben Petrick
- Live Beyond Organic by Jordan Rubin (1/2 way through: Awesome!)
- The Organized Heart by Staci Eastin
- Shopping for Time by Carolyn Mahaney
- A Way With Words by Christin Ditchfield
- Bringing Up Girls by James Dobson
- Love-Powered Parenting by Tom & Chaundel Holladay
(Ok, ok, this list may be a bit long and I have two small children. This may be my Summer Reading List from now until they are graduated from high school….)
Looking for ideas? Might I suggest these must-reads?
Now, onto the “bite”: The purpose of this particular bite is to downsize. For those of you who know us well you are laughing out loud. We have books. Lots of books. Thousands of books. We both love books and so people give us books and somehow I think our home is a breeding ground for books. That said, we’re learning to purge. We will still keep our well-loved and trusted volumes, and although Tsh says to switch to Kindle … I cannot. At least not now. I love real pages too much. But I’m tossing those that I don’t love. Only the gold nuggets remain. In fact, the back of our car is already packed with 5 boxes of sub-par books headed for the Goodwill truck. We’re on our way!
*THIS JUST IN: just had a great idea from a reader: Check out PaperBackSwap.com and you can swap those mediocre books (in your opinion) for some gems, for free! (Not just paperbacks, any books!) I just signed up and I’m so excited. Check it out!
Finally, just for fun, let’s do a little Summer Reading Giveaway! Here’s the deal:
- Leave a comment sharing 1-3 of your all-time favorite books.
- Toss 5 mediocre books from your house. (recycle or Goodwill or whatever)
So, what’s on your Summer Reading List this year? Do you have some “must-read” suggestions? Please share! I might as well start my 2013 list as well… Thanks for reading!
24 thoughts on “#7 Downsize your book collection {52 bites + Summer Reading List + a fun giveaway}”
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I can’t switch to Kindle either, but I did discover a great site called Paperbackswap. For only the price of postage (about $2), you can swap books you no longer want for books other people no longer want! They have books of every genre up there, including new releases and out-of-prints. It’s seriously helping me reduce my book overstock, and I’m racking up credits for the gems I want to add to my permanent collection – that I’ll get for free!
I don’t know if that will help anyone doing the bites challenge, but figured it was worth putting out there because it’s been a big help to me!
Oooh, GREAT suggestion! What a fabulous idea! Thanks so much, Jamie. Can you tell us a few of your favorite titles? I want to enter you into the contest!
I’m working on Ten Thousand Gifts-have been for a month, but i’ve got two toddles so you know how it goes. I don’t think I’ve pick it up in 3 1/2 weeks! But the book that resonates with me is The Power of the Praying Wife. Very much used during this time of my life.
Amen! With two toddles it’s ten thousand gifts when you have a 1/2 minute to read at all! Love both of those books, thanks for sharing.
I switched to an iPad 2 months ago and I am devouring books like no tomorrow! You can download books from the library and keep the for 2 weeks. Otherwise I am allotting myself a fixed allowance at christianbook.com! Some,of my favorite books of all time: One Thousand Gifts, What Women Fear by Angie Smith, The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller.
Jennifer, I LOVE The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis, too! I didn’t think of it when I was writing my list. And I almost NEVER hear anyone mention that book as a favorite. Glad to know I’m not the only one! 🙂
I read the Hole in Our Gospel a few months ago and it was very challenging. Some other books along the same theme that I just read are Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis, and Radical by David Platt. I would highly recommend those books! When my kids get a little older I’m looking forward to reading The Little House on the Prairie series with them. Those are a classic!
Yes! I want to read Kisses from Katie so much. Ahh….no more room on my nightstand. Next summer! Yes, I want to read the LHonP series to my kids too. Great idea!
My favorites:
Jesus Calling by Sarah Young (I read this one every day)
The Hole in Our Gospel (changed my life!)
There is no Me without You
Oh, can I throw one more out there?
Journey of Desire by John Eldredge (also changed my life and was a fork in my road).
Great ones! I was no familiar with There is no Me without You…wow, it looks amazing! Adding that to next summer’s nightstand. 🙂
I love Frank Peretti and am currently reading This Present Darkness, which has been for quite awhile but I work full time outside of the home and have a pre-toddler and am pregnant so forgive my slowness 🙂
Life changer for me was Captivating by Staci Eldridge (sp?) and Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
Looking forward to reading some of Sheila Walsh hopefully soon 🙂
Love those books! Thanks for sharing!
3 favorites of ALL time…that’s a tough one!
1. The Singer
2. Anne of Green Gables
3. Hinds Feet on High Places
Ops my last submission was with a wrong email address..
3 favorites of ALL time…that’s a tough one!
1. The Singer
2. Anne of Green Gables
3. Hinds Feet on High Places
Hinds Feet in High Places!! Love that good old book, I had no idea other people had read it. Much Afraid. 🙂
I have a stack of books about 3 feet high that are ready to be sold at a yard sale. However, I might try the paperbackswap…Do you know if it has to be paperbacks? i know some of the books in my pile to get rid of are hardback.
I LOVE books! The 3 lesser known must reads on my list are:
1. The Mind of Christ by TW Hunt
2. Reese Howells, Intercessor by Norman Grubb
3. Uprising by Erwin McManus
Ooh, Uprising is one of my favs! So good. I had not heard of the others and they look fantastic! Thank you so much, Tawny. I’m adding them to my list.
Three all-time favorite books:
1) Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
2) A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Van Auken
3) Um… I’m kind of embarrassed to add my other favorite in a list with those two books. (It can be abbreviated to HP by J.K.R.). Don’t laugh at me!!! Ahahahahah! So let’s all pretend my favorite third book is actually something really deep and spiritual. 🙂
I have stacks of books in the garage ready for the Goodwill, or maybe Paperbackswap. Does that count?? Love this post, Kari! I always love having a look at your reading list. I almost never get to read anymore, poor me. 🙂
Hahaha! I love you. HP by J.K.R. I have no idea what you’re talking about. You are hysterical. Of course your stack of giveaway books counts! Love you so much!
PS I LOVE Perelandra too…I’ve never talked to anyone else who has read that series! Fun fun… I need to read a Severe Mercy, have heard of it so often. Adding to list. 🙂
I LOVE books, too, and can’t imagine a kindle…books just have such a rich feel to them! My favorites are pretty much anything by Catherine Palmer (christian love stories….but very good, especially any set in Africa), and Grace for the good girl, which I just finished, but want to start again right away!
Over the last 3 weeks I’ve been purging books around here, too. So far, I have 2 boxes, but hope to have a few more (the plan is to choose a book or two off each shelf to purge every week until things are manageable).
Only a true act of God would cause the Pattersons to get rid of books! 🙂
Most any books recommended by d-in-l Nikki and co-grandma Janie are worthy of my time.
To reduce book inventory:
Build book display ala Ann Voskamp where children’s books are easy to see,and then put a star on the ones available to visitors.. As visitors leave, they are invited to choose 1-3 books to take home..to keep….at their house!!! FUN!
Current reading:
What Happens When We Pray for our Families by E Christenson (Reading for 2nd or 3rd time, before as a mommie, now as a grandma. Loving my margin notes!)