With running records off the table, I went for a reading record instead, and I made this decision late in the game. I read (and listened to) 20 books in March. On May 22, I was only at 10 or 11 books for the month, however. That meant I would need to read 10 or 11 more books in the final 9 days of the month to meet my goal. Challenge on. I listened to audiobooks instead of podcasts. I might have tuned out my husband a little bit while I tried to cram in pages (not recommended). I read books (e.g. novellas) I probably would not have apart from this goal. Is that sort of cheating? Maybe. But whether it is cheating or not, it required effort and intention, and I am giving myself credit for that. Books for the month included:
65. Strong is the New Beautiful: Embrace Your Natural Beauty, Eat Clean, and Harness Your Power by Lindsey Vonn with Sarah Toland—Lindsey Vonn came back into prominence with her 2026 Olympics appearance (and near deadly crash). This book is dated—from 2016–but I still thought it might give me a window into who she is and how she lives. It did. While I don’t agree with everything in this book (and some pictures are inappropriate), I do appreciate her encouragement to work out to be strong (instead of just to lose weight), and learn to love (or at least appreciate) one’s own body. The book does contain some basic nutrition and workout advice, but it’s basic and at, this point, dated. I look forward to getting into more of Vonn’s actual life story through her autobiography, Rise.
66. For the Love of the Grind by Sara Hall—Man am I glad I read this book! I have been a fan of Sara Hall (and her husband Ryan) for quite some time! The Halls live in Flagstaff, and they are professed Christians who unashamedly share their faith and how it has changed over the years. This book shares more of Sara’s story in particular (since Ryan already wrote two books), from how Sara and Ryan met, to their journey of adoption, and the recent injury cycles Sara has overcome in order to keep competing in the marathon. This book is gritty, raw, and real. In it, Sara Hall shares some of the struggles of parenting children with a history of trauma (which she does so eloquently, naming the pains, but not the particulars, so as to protect her daughters’ privacies). She shares moments of despair, as well as true moments of joy. This is really a book not just for runners, but for anyone wrestling with their calling and trying to figure out not just how to show up in the world, but how to show up with love, care, and compassion for self and others. I don’t know how long Hall will get to run, but I do know that she is making a difference in the sport of marathoning, and many (including me) admire her for it.
67. Strong Like Water: Finding the Freedom, Safety & Compassion to Move Through Hard Things & Experience True Flourishing by Aundi Kolber MA, LPC [Audiobook]—Aundi Kolber is a trauma survivor and a therapist. In this book, she uses her own experience, as well as the composite experiences of her clients (written as individual characters) to share techniques for trauma recovery. Although she does not suggest doing self-EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), she does suggest using some tools from EMDR in the trauma recovery process. While this book is very good, empirically based and written with so much empathy, I still think it might be a bit clinical for most people. I would recommend using this book in work with a trusted therapist for most safety and best prognosis for healing.
68. Eat. Lift. Thrive. by Sohee Lee—Lindsey Vonn’s book Strong in the New Beautiful got me interested in strength and conditioning and personal training concepts, and so I read this book. While I don’t intend to be a power lifter or body builder, I found it interesting to read about the “big rocks” of nutrition and sleep. The exercise descriptions and photos could be helpful to someone trying to fine tune a strength program. I would argue that hiring a personal trainer would be easier than trying to study and figure out moves on one’s own, but if that is what a person wants, this book even includes some starter body building plans. I do appreciate Lee’s focus on having a fulfilling life outside of exercise, and I hope reading this book can continue to help me, and others, continue to seek that full life.
69. An Apology in Bloom by Suzanne Woods Fisher—I didn’t realize this was a novella, so I was a little shocked to see how few pages loaded when I checked out the book on Libby. Still, it was fun, and it turns out there are three other novellas in the lot. A post-COVID book, this follows Jaime Harper as she attempts to make it as a wedding florist in New York City. This isn’t her home, but rather the place she escaped after she left her home in North Carolina. Jaime lacks self-confidence and even gets her job at Epic Events because of viral apology bouquets she makes for her neighbor. There are definitely some ends left untied with this story, but I am eager to read the next installment of the story and see if any of them get knotted, or tied into a bow.
70. Rise: My Story by Lindsey Vonn [Audiobook]—Lindsey Vonn recaptivated the sports world when, at 41, she skied in the 2026 Olympics, only to suffer a horrific crash that caused her to be airlifted off the mountain. This is her story of life before that moment, though, of her nine year-old dreams of becoming an Olympian; of the many injuries she suffered, and came back from; of the records she broke, and the sport that nearly broke her. She writes about mental health, relationships, identity, and more. This book could not have been more timely for me as I face a running injury and must take time off my sport. Sure, few are at Vonn’s level, but she is still an “every girl” in some ways because of how raw and real she is. With that, I do have to warn that she uses the “F” word (as well as some other colorful language) a lot in this book. If that is bothersome, read (or listen, as I did) with care. Otherwise, I think this is an insightful book.
71. Bouquet of Dreams by Suzanne Woods Fisher—Claire Murphy left Sunrise at the same time as her friends Jaime and Tessa. She ran off to work at Same Day Delivery florist in Georgia. After an altercation at a customer service rehabilitation conference, however, her job comes to an end. Her old boyfriend Chris Reid encourages her to go home, delivering to her a letter from her old boss, Rose Reid, inviting her to do so. Claire isn’t sure, but she decides to take the risk and go forward not on dreams, but on faith.
72. A Field of Beauty by Suzanne Woods Fisher —Tessa Anderson fled Sunrise, North Carolina after a series of bad high school decisions. Now she’s graduated college and turned an acre of land into a wildflower farm with the help of Dawson Greene, a sustainability instructor who becomes her farm manager. When things with her boyfriend go south and it looks like the city will eminent domain her farm, Tessa goes home to Sunrise and finds there an opportunity to once again compost the past and work to rehabilitate land and turn it into a place of beauty. This book, perhaps because of its more complex plot, is my favorite novella on the series so far. I am excited to see how all the stories align in the last installment of this series.
73. A Future in Blossom by Suzanne Woods Fisher—The Year of Flowers anthology concludes as Jaime, Claire, and Tessa all return to Sunrise, North Carolina. Jaime and Claire run Rose’s flower shop while Tessa works to start a new flower farm. They come together to throw a wedding for the client from An Apology in Bloom, and then to rehash what happened the night of the fire that drove them all apart. They learn about why Rose called them back, and get opportunities to love and be loved. Short and sweet, I liked each of theses stories and would recommend them to anyone—short attention span like me, or voracious reader who wants a lot of sweetness in not too much story.
74. And Then Came Joy by Jodi Cowles—Such an engaging heartwarming (and heart wrenching) story, and it’s true! Jodi is not only my cousin, but also a gifted author, and such a brave woman of faith. This is Jodi’s story of early loss and grief, the Beast of fear that dogged her for years, and the many victories God gave her over him, both small and great in degree. It is the story of Jodi and her husband Tim adopting their daughter Joy and getting Joy physically out of Joy’s birth country of Turkey, but also a story emotional, mental, and spiritual wrestling. Profound and deep, but also comical at times, this is a gritty memoir about joy in all its facets, as well as a continued celebration of the beautiful girl Joy herself.
Order the book here: https://bluehatpublishing.com/products/then-came-joy-by-jodi-cowles
75. Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal—This book came to me by way of citation in The Fun Habit, and it seemed apt for a season of life where I have been anything but indistractable. With nice short chapters containing clear headings and bulleted conclusion points, I found this book easy to read. (I tried not to let myself get distracted as I read each chapter, but alas, I still did sometimes.) In these chapters, Eyal details his own struggles with distraction, as well as giving readers a road map for exploring what they are trying to escape, addressing it, and then hacking back external triggers for distraction. He encourages values based-living, and time-blocking to live out those values (rather than just ignoring tech and other distractions all-together.) It would be great if I could just have the fruit of the Spirit of self-control and be indistractable, but the reality is that fruit takes some nurturing to grow. This book provides some ideas about how to get there.
76. Stranded in Paradise: A Story of Letting Go by Lori Copeland—A little bit romantic comedy, a little bit self-help, and an engaging enough story make this a fairly quick read. Tess Nelson just got laid off, but she still has her business plane tickets to Hawaii. Carter Nelson is trying to release the stress of his job as flight controller. They run into each other at the airport and together experience a series for very unfortunate events, including a hurricane. Carter’s faith grows, and Tess learns about trust, in God and in people. While I wouldn’t rank this book at the top of my preference list, it’s far from one I’d be forced to read if stranded. The takeaway message about trust is one I needed, too.
77. Hungry for God: Honoring God’s Voice in the Ordinary and the Everyday by Margaret Feinberg [Audiobook]— Honestly, I listened to this book because it was short, and I had a book goal to meet for the month. It was a beneficial book in which the author lays out various ways to hear from God. She includes her own experiences as well as quotes and stories from others to show how God speaks through scripture, prayer, Lectio Divina, liturgy, dreams, journaling, conscience, wise counsel, art, nature, circumstances, and more. This is a good book, and one that encouraged me to consider more ways that I can attune to God’s voice.
78. Conquering Anorexia: The Route to Recovery by Clare Lindsay—Clare Lindsay had good enough parents, but she did not learn to express herself or be assertive with them. This, coupled with poor early peer relationships, resulted in low self-esteem, and a descent into anorexia that she realized she used to gain attention and care. Her story isn’t everyone’s story, and due to the potentially triggering details included, I cannot really recommend reading it. Lindsay writes that putting together this book gave her motivation to conquer anorexia, however, and that is admirable. At the time of writing, she was a counselor for individuals with eating, disorders, too. That also is laudable. The existence of this book, even if not a recommended read, does provide hope for recovery, and that is definitely worth writing about.
79. There’s Always Tomorrow by Darlene Mindrup—Dathan Adams lives in isolation, running the lighthouse. Adrella Murphy sees Dathan only occasionally when she and her father, a shopkeeper, take deliveries to Datah. Adrella is intrigued by Dathan, but knows little of his world. Then a hurricane thrusts them together for an extended, and frightening time on the island where their trust and friendship grow. When they are able to go back to shore, there is no place for Adrella to stay, so out of duty and propriety, Dathan marries her and takes her back to the lighthouse. For a shorter story, this tale really packs in a lot about learning to trust God and others. This book failed to be about Ireland, which is why I selected it, but there's always tomorrow for reading Irish books. This one was a good one, and I am glad I found it!
80. Serena’s Strength by DiAnn Mills—This is a true Texas novella, about Texas Ranger’s daughter Serena Talbot and the Ranger’s lieutenant, Chet Wilkinson. Just turning 18, Serena has been in love with Chet since he first came around. She may be slight, but she is strong, and when Chet sees her strength, he falls in love with her, too. Serena’s protective Pa, however, strictly forbids the relationship. It takes Chet (with Serena’s help), saving the family from banditos, to make Pa reconsider. Serena then gets both a new horse and a marriage proposal for her birthday. Historical fiction isn’t usually my thing, but since this novella was short, didn’t mind reading it in order to get to my reading goals for the month.
81. I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen And Other Lies I Think Will Make Me Happy: Simple Mindset Shifts to Love the Life You Already Have by Kate Strickler [Audiobook]—I think this book was more for moms than for me, but it was still a good one for me to listen to. In what she calls a "working memoir," Naptime Kitchen founder Kate Strickler works through ten lies she has believed. She encourages mindset shifts to reframe each lies, as well as ways to make the shifts "practical." She encourages thinking about priorities and focusing on those, letting other things go. "If I can get serious about what matters to me, I can own my choices and stop worrying abut how I stack up on score cards that aren’t even mine," she writes. That quote stuck with me. Loving my life really is more about increasing contentment and decreasing comparison-to my ideal self or to anyone else.
82. Recapturing the Wonder: Transcendent Faith in a Disenchanted World by Mike Casper—I read this book in my sprint to the finish of May so read this review in that light. I think this was a good book, but for me, it was a subject better covered by an article, than a book. In the book, Mike Casper argues for a more “enchanted” life in the world, being aware not only of the world, but of God and others in it. He has some good points. I agree that Christians need not just spiritual disciplines, but more connection with God. Casper suggestions some pathways towards that end. Those are interesting and could be helpful if practiced. Maybe I should have dug in deeper, and gotten more enchanted with this concept, but for me, this book was not particularly transformational.
83. The Reluctant Fugitive by Darlene Mindrup—April Hansen feels ecstatic when her prodigal brother Ted returns home. Her elation is short lived, however, as Ted rapidly gets her involved in a bank heist that leads to her being taken hostage. Soon enough, April is no longer with the robbing band, but under the watch of Texas Ranger Yellow Wolf Jackson. While she initially rejects the ranger's attention, and he struggles to believe her innocence, they eventually fall for one another. Ted returns in an unexpected ending. Though I was a little reluctant to read another Texas novella, this one was a nice surprise!
84. Saving Grace by Kathleen Y’Barbo—Jedidiah Harte, aka Heartless Harte gives up his rangering ways when he comes to saving faith in Jesus. Unfortunately, his past follows him and he arrives at the home of his friends Grace and Bennett Delaney near death. What he doesn’t know is that his friend died two months ago, and that Widow Grace fears she may follow when she gives birth to her last child. Jedidiah survives, long enough to promise Grace he’ll take care of her children if she passes. She doesn’t, but he keeps his word to make sure she and her children have what they need. After orchestrating reconciliation between Grace and her father, he rides off to go back to rangering, or so he thinks. What he finds is a God who won’t let him go, and a scripture God impresses on his mind to show him what to do instead. For a novella, this had a pretty good plot line. Read carefully if squeamish, though, as injury recovery and medical drama and trauma make up much of it.
85. This is the Day: Reclaim Your Dream, Ignite Your Passion, Live Tour Purpose by Tim Tebow with A.J. Gregory, read by Fred Berman [Audiobook]—Self-help/feel-good/devotional/memoir? I am not really sure how to categorize this book. It’s somewhat about how Tim Tebow chased his dream to play professional baseball, but also includes stories from individuals served by the Tim Tebow foundation. It’s about taking chances, but also about prioritizing people. I would not call the book life-changing, but it was heart-warming and encouraging, without taking on airs of toxic positivity. In this season of my life, I will take it!
86. An Inconvenient Gamble by Michelle Ule—Charles Moss was once a gambler, but he quit betting four years ago after coming to faith. Jenny Duncan’s husband Tom was a gambler, and when she finds out that the man God sent to help her after her husband died of yellow fever struggled with the same temptation, she is livid. The problem is, that she needs Charles’ help, with the horse farm, her brothers, and the birth of her upcoming child. I honestly struggled to follow this story. Maybe there was just a little too much story and not enough exposition?
87. Angel in Disguise by Darlene Franklin—Rosie Carson is a redeemed thief. Owen Cooper is an injured (but recovering) Texas Ranger. (See a theme in these novellas?). The two meet at a church event and are somewhat taken with each other. The problem is that Rosie has not quite redeemed her ways, and Owen is tasked with finding the “Easter Angel.” I liked the element of mystery in this story, but struggled with the flight into righteousness/salvation from all of sin’s earthly consequences aspects of the story. In summary, I am torn on my review of this book.
88. Reuben’s Atonement by Lynette Sowell—Reuben Wilson left home early, and spent time thieving and otherwise breaking the law. Returning to Raider’s Crossing after a stint in jail and a come to Jesus moment, he is determined to make things right, and to make good on a promise he made to his dying mother. Charlotte Wilson, Reuben’s childhood friend, is determined not to let Reuben get into her heart…again. This is a sweet, slow-burn story, accentuated by Reuben’s understanding of Jesus’ atonement, and what that means for his life goals. I really enjoyed this one, both for the story, and for its theological truth!
89. The Peacemaker by DiAnn Mills—Finally, some continuity in these novellas! This one follows Colt Wilson (brother to Reuben) as he gets out of prison and takes care of the matter that plagued him. Finding Will Langley proves to be elusive, though, as the man has died. Somehow, Colt ends up as a ranch hand on the cattle and horse farm of Will’s widow, Anne, and there Colt falls not only for Anne and her daughters, but for Jesus as His Lord and Savior. Along the way, he has to wrestle with some cattle wrestlers and truly learn to trust God. This is truly a good book, one belied by its title, but good nonetheless.
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At 24 books, I exceeded my reading goal for the month. I am tired. I am not loving the novellas I am reading (though I do like the fact that I can read them in a day), so when I am done with this anthology, I think I will go back to a book of more substance. And as for audio books? They're great, but not all the time. I also have a lot of podcasts pinned for later listening. All that being said, expect a shorter reading list next month (but also hopefully less screen time, too).
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