Summer Reading List

Does anyone else occasionally catch Rachel Hollis’ Instagram morning show? (FYI- in case you’re going “who”? She’s a best-selling author, and one of her books also happens to be on my summer reading list…keep going.)

I tune in on Instagram or listen to her podcasts every once in a while. About 70% of the time she gets on my nerves and I can’t figure out why I’m wasting my time. But then she says something really wise, or that I can totally relate to.

Anyway, one of her million dollar nuggets of advice is to start every day writing down what you want to accomplish. Hence, my summer reading list. I figure if I write it down, I’m more likely to accomplish it.

There’s no denying, it’s a tad ambitious.

I don’t mean that the literature itself will be challenging. Or that I don’t have the desire to spend countless hours with my nose in a book. However, the issue will be finding the time.

Perhaps I’m being overly optimistic, but I plan to do A LOT of vacation reading this summer!

My kiddos are finally at the age where I don’t have to be hands on 100% of the time. (Yep, the helicopter blades are slowing down.) Sure, they still need monitoring. But they aren’t as likely as they once were to paint on the sofa, or climb on the refrigerator.

I also wanted to share this list because a lot of Mom With A Map followers contributed their book suggestions. I asked for suggestions on social media, and got a great response. (Incidentally, I’d love for you to take the time to “follow” Mom With A Map on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter if you aren’t already!)

Two quick things before I get to my summer reading list:

• Since I haven’t read any of these yet, I’m not specifically endorsing them. Keep in mind, this is what I plan to read this summer. But I’d love your feedback in the comments section if you’ve read any of them, or if there are others I need to add to the list.
• These books aren’t hot off the press. Most of them have been collecting dust on my nightstand since last summer.

With that, here are the 20 books I will read this summer:

1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
2. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
3. This Is the Day by Tim Tebow
4. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
5. Uninvited by Lysa Terkeurst
6. Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks
7. Educated by Tara Westover
8. The Lieutenant’s Nurse by Sara Ackerman
9. Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
10. Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans (*my daughter’s favorite book series…I promised her I’d read book #1)
11. You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
12. Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
13. What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
14. The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede
15. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
16. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
17. When We Were Young by Karen Kingsbury
18. Point of View by Elisabeth Hasselbeck
19. The First Wave by Alex Kershaw
20. Shiny Things by Amanda Bacon and Anne Renee Gumley

Additionally, I’m sure I’ll read about a thousand children’s books to Miller. He is a newish reader, but absolutely refuses to read by himself. (I shouldn’t be surprised- he won’t do ANYTHING by himself!) If anyone has tips on transitioning to independent reading- I’m all ears. Please leave a comment below!

One final book (series) recommendation for anyone planning a road trip this summer…

Our whole family is obsessed with the Hank the Cowdog Audible series! People often ask how we can handle 8+ hours of driving in a day, and I credit Hank. Honestly, Brent and I enjoy it just as much as the kids do. If you haven’t already subscribed to audible, use the link below to get 2 free audiobooks.

Please be sure to pin and share this post:

What books are on your summer reading list?

You may also enjoy reading:

How To Homeschool Your Kids and Actually Enjoy It

Strange Things We Bring On Family Vacations

*This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase after clicking on a link, Mom With A Map will receive a commission.