TBR: June 2024

Finally it feels like summer is here, with all its fun and possibility. We cracked open our first watermelon of the season, jumpstarting us girls with summer joy. We are brainstorming plans for picnics, roadtrips, playlists, and craft projects. 

I love June so dearly! 

June things I'm excited about:

Wildflower scouting with Meg

Turning FORTY-THREE years old

Practice shooting my new gun (now that we've found a good place to do it)

Disc golf lessons with Jackson

A concert with Jeff

Gardening

Our community garage sale

Lots of great books to read!

And speaking of books that I plan to read, let me share with you! My June TBR list is a little ambitious, but most of them are audio books so maybe it's doable. We'll see! Here's what's on the docket:

(Click the image of the book's cover to be taken to its Amazon page.)

The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin.

This'll be my second time through this book in as many summers. I am hoping to get a kick in the pants to grab ahold of life, "climb the night" (similar to seizing the day but with an Ingrid Michaelson twist, haha), and serve others. Just like last year! As I read it last time, I prayerfully examined my rhythms and asked God to show me where things needed to be tweaked. I plan to do the same this time. 

The Ship of Brides, by Jojo Moyes.

This is our book club's June pick. I read this four or five years ago and really enjoyed it, though I don't remember all the details. I read at least one Jojo Moyes book each summer and am excited to go back to this one! (I also snagged a copy of her book, "The Giver of Stars" from the thrift store recently, so that may end up on my July TBR list.)

One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia. 

A middle grade book to kick off the summer! I purchased this in 2013, for the girls' summer reading lists. I still haven't read it myself and recently it was recommended on an episode of "What Should I Read Next?" A Newberry Honor Book and a National Book Award finalist, it's also free to listen to with an active Audible membership. Bonus!

Summer Sisters, by Judy Blume.

I love Judy Blume, so decided to add this one to my June list. After hearing that there is some sexual content, I decided to read the physical book to skip over pages easily. (Listening can make it harder to do in summer, when my hands are often in the soil and my phone is in my pocket!) Jenna Bush Hagar said this book changed her life, which is high praise! I'm looking forward to reading it.

Disciplines of a Godly Woman, by Barbara Hughes.

This book has been on my TBR since a friend listed it as one of her favorites of 2023. I haven't read a book like this in a few years, and am happy to be finally getting to this one. 

The Sign of Four, by Arthur Conan Doyle.

A local book club is reading this as the last in their series of books that contain a death by poison. I'm trying to get out and meet more people in my community, so decided to join them at the end of the month. I've not read any Sherlock Holmes books, so this'll be a first.

The Lager Queen of Minnesota, by J. Ryan Stradal

I was so impressed with "Kitchens of the Great Midwest," and can't wait to read this one. It's supposed to be a fun summer read and is highly recommended.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson.

A book that has been on my TBR list for FIVE YEARS, I'm finally making time for this one in June. The book's sequel, The Book Woman's Daughter, came out in 2022. If I love this one, I'll likely read them both.

Wuthering Heights, by Emile Bronte.

Jordan is re-reading this one right now and remarked that it's one of her favorite books of all time. I've never read it! Sometimes with classics, I get a half-chapter in and all of a sudden it dawns on me that I read it in high school, but as far as I can remember, I haven't read this. I'm hopeful that I'll get to it this month.

Free to listen to on Audible with an active membership.

Other things we're up to:

Twenty-One Pilots released their new album, Clancy, and the lead-up to that has kept everyone buzzing. There were concert tickets to purchase (the good seats sold out in minutes, but we got 'em!), a launch party, and then a watch party after that. Now the Catos are listening to the Clancy album on repeat and that'll probably continue for the foreseeable future. It's fun that the whole family is into their music, and I like the way they made the album release feel like an event. 

I've been feeling the urge to be home and to be quiet, so I hope to do that in June. Jackson and I laid out on a blanket the other day, chatting and enjoying the sense that there was nothing else we needed to be doing. Jax said, "This was really nice. We should make time to do it more often." I agree! So let's! 

And that's the plan for June! I hope everyone has a wonderful month.