Recent Reads

Hey there friends! Thanks for taking time out of your day to visit Madison from Madison! I am constantly in awe of all the support and love I get from you all through my blog. Today I bring you a super fun post (in my eyes)! I hope you enjoy and hopefully get something out of it!

Summer is one of the best and most convenient times to read, read, and read some more! I absolutely love to read and with more down time, mostly gorgeous weather, and some days by the pool or ocean, I've loved getting to cross some books off of my to-read list. Here are five of the fantastic books that I've read this summer:

1. "In The Company of Women" - Grace Bonney

I discovered this amazing book through my sweet friend and ADPi sister, Grace of withgracefashion.com . I received it as a birthday present and have been loving it ever since! "In The Company of Women" is a beautiful and inspiring collection of stories and advice from women in all professions. Curated by Grace Bonney, the founder of Design*Sponge, the complex interview the women are captivating. Additionally, the images in this book are stunning and full of life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in need of inspiration or some amazing motivation to go out into the world and do what you were made to do.

2. "The Chemist" - Stephanie Meyer

I am a sucker for a good sci-fi novel! The author of this book may look familiar, in fact, Meyer is the author of the acclaimed "Twilight" series. "The Chemist" however, is on a whole different level. This book follows an ex-government agent as she runs from the very organization she was once employed by. Using her scientific expertise, she tries to complete one last mission to clear her name and the target from her back. My favorite part of this novel was the fact that is was not only action packed, and scientific, but it also included some romance :) I truly could not put this book down once I started.

3. "Hope Heals" - Katherine & Jay Wolf

In early January I was lucky enough to attend the Passion conference in Atlanta, Georgia. On one of the days we had the pleasure of listening to Katherine and Jay Wolf discuss their journey together in life and faith. Humbly and subtly they mentioned that they had a book further detailing their lives. Moved, I asked for this book for my birthday as well. I read this during our family trip to Greece and I finished it in no time! The Wolfs tell the story of how they met and fell in love, and described life with their son. Six months after his birth, Katherine suffered a massive brain stem stroke with no warning. This launched their family into long stays in the hospital, then rehab centers. The most amazing part of this book, told from both perspectives, is the fact that despite the struggle, the pain, and the brokenness, both Katherine and Jay bring everything back to hope. The hope that they continue to cling to is nothing if not inspiring.

4. "The Sun Is Also a Star" - Nicola Yoon

This book was also one I read while traveling. It was worth the extra pounds in my backpack :) Yoon is the author of another amazing novel "Everything, Everything", which was recently made into a movie. "The Sun Is Also a Star" is a book full of romance and you will find yourself rooting for the main characters and dying to figure out if they get their happy ending. When Natasha and Daniel run into each other (literally), they begin a day filled with adventure in New York City and falling in love. However, their different beliefs and the threat of deportation for Natasha and her family may impede their love story.

5. "31 Prayers For My Future Husband" - Jennifer & Aaron Smith

Recently I have been using this amazing book as a devotional. A little disclaimer- Before picking up this book for yourself, I think it is important to understand that God is the author of our future, and a husband is not something he has planned for everyone of his daughters. And that is beautiful, his plan for my life is far greater than anything I could ever imagine. When reading this book or praying the prayers, I start by comprehending this. While my future may not include a husband, this book has allowed me to dive deeper into who God desires me to be. The 31 prayers each focus on a different theme or character trait and although meant to describe a godly man, many of the ideas and callings work for women as well. Each prayer is associated with a bible verse and the book also includes pages for journaling and writing prayers. I have loved exploring God's word through this book and journaling with this focus. The Smiths, of the Unveiled Wife and Husband Revolution online ministry, wrote this book as well as "31 Prayers For My Future Wife".

I hope you enjoyed learning about some of my recent reads! Let me know if this motivates you to read one of them (or all of them) and if you like it. Also, let me know if you've already read any of them! I'd love to know your thoughts. Thank you for stopping by and have an amazing day!

#LIFESTYLE