As you know, during the school year ‘teacher wife’ does not get much time to read for pleasure. I spend so many of my waking hours teaching reading and writing to 5th graders, including read alouds, so by the time my head hits the pillow most nights, its pretty much lights out. This year I read aloud to my kiddos:

–Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (we do a Gary Paulsen author study about November and the kids love it)

–Wonder by RJ Palacio

–Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

–Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen, just to name a few.

But, despite my sleepy, little head, I did TRY to read more for pleasure myself when I could find the time. Usually this was on Saturday mornings or on breaks. So, I wanted to share with you a few reads from this year and some of my favorite quotes from them in case you are looking for a good read this summer. You might notice a theme in the list below — many are self-help-y/spiritual, but those reads are a little lighter and just what we all need during the THICK of the workplace/school year.

All the Light We Cannot See – I am not going to lie. I started this book in August before I went back to school. Worst mistake ever! I did not finish it until almost spring break….

However, that being said. It is the tale of a French blind girl and a German boy whose stories cross paths during WWII. It is such a great read! I cannot say enough good things about this book!

“We rise again in the grass. In the flowers. In songs.” – Anthony Doerr

Sisters First – I am a huge fan of JBH and was so excited when I received this book for Christmas. Heartwarming stories of Jeanna and Barbara Bush’s lives. So sweet!

Oola Find Balance in an Unbalanced World: For Women – My mom gifted me this book. The idea behind Oola is that we are always trying to find the oola-la in life. This book gives great tips on finding balance and shares personal accounts from real women’s lives.

Present Over Perfect – Who doesn’t just love Shauna Niequist? The way she writes is so down to earth. I have read several of her books and this might be my favorite one yet. I feel like this is a book I will come back to and read again in the future.

“I told her that this journey from pushing to peace had changed my life…” – Shauna Niequist

The Best Yes – My co-worker, Shelly, shared this book with me. It was a pretty quick read and discusses how we must say ‘no’ to some things in our lives to make room for our ‘best yes’. This is a must read for teachers/educators in our profession.

“It’s not the activities or accomplishments we string together that make lives well lived as much as it is the hearts of wisdom we gain and use along the way.” -Lysa Terkeurst

As the summer days linger on, I will share another book post about books I read this summer. And as I build my list I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments below. Enjoy and happy reading!