Kendra here! Michele and I are avid readers, texting each other titles we're enjoying and happily reading aloud to the kids.

But I've got a secret: of the 18 books I've read so far this year, 12 were audio versions. That's the only way I've "read" so many books with so many young people in my home! And you know what else? I read them at 1.5 or 2x speed.

These are affiliate links, but we do a whole lot of borrowing. We appreciate your purchases, but we also know that books can be found and borrowed, too!

Michele's List

BFG, by Roald Dahl
We have been reading this aloud so we are ready to see the movie!

Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full, by Gloria Thurman
A meaty, but short book that helped me see my work as a mother very clearly through the lens of the Gospel. I read this through with my ladies' small group.

Against All Grain, by Danielle Walker
At the beginning of the summer, our fourth child was diagnosed with a sensitivity to gluten, which caused him to break out in horrible eczema. The doctor saw him and told us to put him on a Paleo diet for six weeks so he could detox. Within two weeks his eczema was completely gone and now only returns when he is gluten-ed. This cookbook is my new best friend. I use it almost daily and we have loved so many of the recipes.

Kendra's List

Beloved Mess, by Kimm Crandall
Written by the author of Christ in the Chaos, Beloved Mess is all about running to Christ in the midst of our messes. It's a beautiful reminder of how loved we are. You can hear an interview with the author on our podcast, Homeschooling in Real Life.

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Every year our pastor chooses a biography for the church to read together. Past choices have been Dietrich Bonhoeffer and George Mueller, and this year it's MLK. I have enjoyed this far more than I thought I might; the audio version is read by Levar Burton and includes original recordings of MLK's speeches where they could add them. Considering all that is occurring around the world, it's a surprisingly timely read.

The Bronte Plot, by Katherine Reay
This is my current easy breezy summer title, and I'm enjoying it. I read author Katherine Reay's Dear Mr. Knightly and was touched by the story of a tough and tender young woman raised in a group home. The Bronte Plot profiles a woman with a secret, and it's what I call really good fluff.