Books I Read In July

It is now three days after my 49th birthday, and I feel like I'm 90 years old for some reason. Maybe it's because I was so busy in July that I only read six books all the way through. Oh, I have several started with a couple pulled for the TBR pile, but only finished six. And one of those was a birthday present! Here are the books I read in July:

Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States by Dave Barry. In honor of the 250th anniversary of our nation, it felt right to bring out this favorite. If you've ever read one of his books or newspaper columns over the years, our senses of humor match perfectly. Knowing more about (actual) history than the last time I read this classic, it's funnier than ever!

Hidden In Time by Michael Phillips. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a novel about discovering the ark of the covenant, a work of fiction, because it was so well written. It is full of Bible truth, along with several very clear and well-written scenes giving the plan of salvation. I especially enjoyed the plot line of a resurgence of Bible reading and study as more people realized the Bible is a true, living, breathing book, and they wanted to know more. And, once again, it's not the first book of a series, so I'll have to find the rest now.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The only Doyle I've ever read is the Hound of the Baskervilles, so I picked up the Memoirs at the last Pages for Pennies book sale. It's a lovely collection of short stories told almost entirely through dialogue, and I absolutely adored it. I read two or three every night before bed, and immediately recognized which one they used for the 2011 Sherlock Holmes movie. Truly a classic!

Mount Vernon Love Story by Mary Higgins Clark. This was in my mom's library, and I honestly put off reading it for more than two and a half years. Knowing as much as I do about President and Mrs. Washington, I was afraid a novel about their love and marriage would trivialize them. But remembering that the author has done research too, and it's just a fanciful look at what might have happened, it's a very tender story. 

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett. This is one of my birthday books that my wonderful husband bought me, and I finished it in two days. I was captivated by the actual layout of the book - it's all told through texts, emails, and conversation transcriptions - which is the most wonderful thing! The storyline is incredibly clever, the characters are so much fun, and the twists come out of nowhere. There is foul language in it, which unfortunately got worse as the story progressed and was totally unnecessary. It would have been a just-about-perfect book without that.

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller. This essential read, written in 1970, has been the perfect companion book for our The Lord is My Shepherd-themed Vacation Bible School this summer. Seeing the well-known verses through the eyes of a living, breathing shepherd changes everything, and Keller makes the connections between the sheep and us, and the shepherd and our Lord, absolutely come to life. We've shared many of his stories and descriptions with our teens, and they've been riveted. This is a must-read for everyone.

What was on your reading pile in July?

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