What We're Reading in July 2019

Last week, I opened the email of a popular Christian blogger. She's an online personality that thousands of well-read women flock to for their next book suggestions. She's just one of five or six Christian women who have online women's book clubs or book lists for summer. Her email included a handful of her favorite books that she's read in 2019 so far.

I was saddened to see that so many of her book suggestions were fraught with traumatic and graphic violence, sexual perversion, and language that should make us all blush. I think this "anything goes" attitude is becoming a cancer in the church and definitely is not in line with Phil. 4:8--that we are to think on things that are true, noble, pure, lovely, and admirable.


If those are the qualities we look for when finding books for our kids, why shouldn't we also look for them when finding books for ourselves?

So, I'm working on something to make it easier to find books that are filled with truth, goodness, and beauty and I need your help. To be clear, what I'm creating is not a book club or a book list, but will partner well with both of those.

(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)

I need fiction book/author suggestions that would fall under the clean-but-captivating category. Here's the thing: I'm not looking for Christian fiction suggestions like Karen Kingsbury or Francine Rivers, as I think Christian fiction should be an obvious YES. However, they can be written by Christians.

I'm looking instead for traditional trade fiction that would be considered clean but which does not have an overtly Christian message to it like Jane of Austin (a light romance that won't make you feel like you're peering into someone's bedroom) or Marilla of Green Gables (a newly released fan fiction prequel).

Got any books or authors you could suggest that would fit that bill? I'll give you a few minutes to search your shelves and get back to me.

In the meantime, here's a look at what we're reading this month.

Read Aloud- everybody

Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine- This book has garnered quite a lot of buzz on a few popular kid lit blogs, podcasts, and sites lately. But, I'm just not sure what all the fuss is about. The writing is kind of bumpy. The plot drags. And the premise that two young boys leave their home, no matter how troublesome it may be, in order to head to the Klondike on their own in the middle of winter with nothing but a washboard and a few odds and ends to their names and still survive is a bit unbelievable even for middle-grade fiction. I'm all for fantastical tales and grand adventures, but this fell a little flat, in my opinion.

If you're looking for a riveting gold-mine adventure story, skip this one and pick up By the Great Horn Spoon instead.

Jamie- that's me!

The Printed Letter Bookshop- Reeling from a lost law firm partnership, Madeline Cullen heads to the suburbs of Chicago to settle the estate of her recently deceased aunt. She soon discovers that by the terms of the Will, she's been left everything--her aunt's home, her bookshop, her debt, and even her friends.

At first, Madeline hopes to unload it all and move onward and upward, but quickly finds her life intertwining with both the employees and the customers of the Printed Letter Bookshop in ways she didn't think were possible.

This one is both clean and captivating and would make for a great, light read for summer!

Three From Galilee- I just turned the final page on this sequel to Two From Galilee, a fictionalized look at the love story of Mary and Joseph that I read last December. I wish that I could say I loved this follow-up that tells of the childhood, adolescence, and pre-ministry years of Jesus just as much as I loved that former book. But, I didn't. Like most second books in a trilogy, it was kind of just written to get you from Point A to Point B.

The storyline seemed forced and overworked--too many words, too many unnecessary plot points. And to add insult to injury, the author decided to give Jesus a love interest, which in and of itself is not necessarily a bad inclusion as He was, in fact, carrying human flesh with the ability to be tempted. But, I think the author took her creative license too far, describing an impassioned Jesus who stumbles upon and then stares at the woman bathing in a brook. The story ends rather abruptly, assuming that a reader will go on to enjoy The Messiah, the third book in the trilogy. I'm not sure that I will. 

Sweetie Pea- 11th grade

My girl is working as a counselor at a Bible camp through most of July and is unable to read anything. I'm sure she'll come back with plenty of stories to tell, though!

Super Boy- 8th grade

SEAL of God- My son just turned the final page of this military memoir which tells the true story of Chad Williams, a former Navy SEAL who accepts Christ and then uses his SEAL experience to lead others to faith. He absolutely loved it and has been recommending it to many of his friends.

Please note: This book details some of the horrors of war and may not be suitable for every reader.

Blonde Warrior- 7th grade

Redwall- My fantasy-loving son is really enjoying this one. It is the introductory title of the entire Redwall series and features an unlikely hero, the fledgling apprentice Matthias who rallies his fellow mice to defend Redwall Abbey against an army of rats.

Greased Lightning- 5th grade

I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967- The I Survived series of books, which are fictionalized retellings of famous national and world history events, is quite a bit below my son's reading and comprehension level. He read through most of them at the beginning of fourth grade. But last week, he stumbled upon a few titles that he never knew existed and began rereading the entire series.

The Dude- 2nd grade

The Secret Three- This book is one of my most favorite readers for young boys. It tells the story of three boys who send secret messages to one another in order to form a club. Readers must decode these messages in order to understand the plot.

My son, like his three big brothers before him, can't seem to put this one down!

And that's what we'll be reading during the month of July. What about you?

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