On My Nightstand this Summer

Love Life and See Good Days by Emily Freeman – This positive little book is rich with encouraging thoughts that help you see life differently. It will make you laugh, change your perspective, help you focus on the kind of understanding that comes from God. My friend Emilie dropped it by one Sunday afternoon. Her smile lit up our porch and filled our living room. She (it) was just what I needed.

Grayson by Lynne Cox – I loved this book. It’s the perfect summer/beach read. It tells the true story of a miraculous encounter between a teenage girl and a baby whale off the coast of California. Lynne Cox has set records all over the world for open-water swimming. One morning while swimming the last half mile of her workout, Lynne became aware that a baby gray whale was following alongside her. Knowing if the whale followed her to the pier its lungs would collapse, Lynne determined to keep swimming in search of the baby’s mother. I won’t tell you what happens, but I will tell you I’m pretty sure I held my breath the ENTIRE book. And didn’t exhale until the last page. Her writing is mesmerizing, gripping, and offers a mysterious, magical glimpse into the natural world of the sea. Four stars!

The Place of Knowing by Emma Lou Warner Thayne – This is the spiritual autobiography of one of Utah’s most revered and loved Mormon poets. It is an eloquent memoir, full of essays and poetry, in which Emma Lou tells of her near-death experience. Without warning, an iron rod smashed through a car windshield into her face. Emma Lou narrates her long recovery, and as always, is insightful and full of wisdom. Her words and stories will fill any spiritual seeker, no matter their background or religion. While reading, I realized I have so very much to discover. According to Emma Lou, knowing is a process, not an arrival.

Dare, Dream, Do by Whitney Johnson – Whitney, my friend, if you’re reading this, I must tell you, you blew me away. Your book is remarkable, energizing, inspiring. When I met Whitney two years ago, this book was a dream in the works. To hold it in my hands and consider what it took for her to make this dream come true was a lesson of its own. Whitney, mother of two, popular Harvard Business Review blogger, and successful Wall Street analyst, had a goal: to help women identify and achieve their dreams. While living in New York City, she began asking women about their dreams. To her surprise, some women didn’t have a dream. In fact, they weren’t even sure it was alright for them to dream. Whitney gently and wisely helps women identify a dream that is right for their time and space in life. She helps readers recognize what would be required to realize that dream – the costs, the benefits. And she encourages all kinds of dreams. The dream of being a mother, a photographer, a humanitarian, a writer, a teacher. She recognizes that our dreams are as varied as we are. Whitney’s book is full of amazing personal stories that help us consider the great good we can put in motion if we simply dare to dream.

Crossed by Ally Condie – Last summer I read Ally’s first book, Matched. Loved it. Better than Hunger Games. It was good YA fiction to get lost in. But I’m an Ally Condie fan. I like her writing. Her second book moved slower for me and I was a bit confused at the onset, since each chapter alternates between Ky and Cassia as voice. But my brain finally got the hang of it and I enjoyed it. You can guarantee, I’ll be reading her third book, Reached, when it comes out in November 2012.

The lower half of the stack are books I am currently reading or hoping to read by the end of summer. I know, a lofty goal.