This is about the time that you all will start filling up your list of books to read this summer, and I'm happy to say that I recommend all of these for you to devour this summer. Friendships, grace, and adoption are the topics, and might I ask what more do you need??

April involved two memoir type books and one Christian living book. Although I read a fiction novel that I didn't finish until May, so I will tell you about it next month. Fun thing about this month is that two of these authors have been on my podcast already and I'm hoping to get the other lady on as well in the future! So, you will love reading these books and hearing their voices as we chat on The Happy Hour!

1. Nobody's Cuter than You by Melanie Shankle 

This is the third book of Melanie's, and as I told her when she was on the Happy Hour with me, this is my favorite. In this book, she journeys through her friendships over the years and I must admit I found myself crying through some of the chapters. Friendships are something that as I get older are beginning to be more of a treasure to me than ever before, and so I found myself a bit sentimental through this book with her. Highly recommend this for a book you read as you lounge by the pool this summer.

// Podcast with Melanie: Episode #35 //

2. Everyday Grace by Jessica Thompson

Oh do I love Jessica Thompson. She's been a favorite on The Happy Hour, and her wisdom on grace is amazing. This book is about extneding grace throughout all of our relationships, but I wouldn't categorize it as a relationship book at all. It's 100% a book about how to love like Jesus loved and in turn that requires us extending grace upon grace to those around us. Loved this book, and how God used it to help me be a better parent. 

// Podcast with Jessica: Episode #25 & #38 //

3. Everything You Ever Wanted by Jillian Lauren
If you are an adoptive momma or going to be an adoptive mamma one day this is a must read for you. Jillian is a brilliant writer, who shares her most intimate and raw emotions from those first few years of her parenting journey. Her and her husband adopted their son from Ethiopia and this book is a journey through those first few years. I've said it openly before that the first year my kids were home from Haiti was probably the hardest year of my life, and the next few that followed that year were almost just as hard. Jillian says so many thoughts that I had and wondered if I was alone in. Please read this book.