Welcome to Library Binding. This is where I publish author interviews, book reviews, and literary musings.
Less than one month after our last ER visit, we found ourselves back at the hospital. Same kid, broken arm. Three weeks and one surgery later, he’s now in a bright blue cast scrawled with names and smiley faces.
Friends, it’s been quite the summer. We are praying for no more injuries. We are trying to be patient and learn what God is teaching us through these oh-so-normal trials.
In the middle of this, our church hosted a weeklong outreach event. Folks from around the country came to help us put on a week of tent meetings (sometimes called camp meetings) and a vacation Bible school. It was a whirlwind of activity and intense work. I got a bit of a “free pass” since I felt the need to keep a close eye on my son’s then-splinted and vulnerable arm—he had surgery that week, too—but I was happy that I got a chance to pitch in more than I initially thought would be possible.
Tent meetings are basically revival-style church meetings held in an outdoor tent. Our days started with chapel, followed by community outreach, then evening meetings and fellowship.
Sometimes, when people grow spiritually cold or feel disconnected from Jesus, a splashy event like this can be the spark that rekindles those dying embers. Our job was to scatter seeds and pray over them. That’s what we’re still doing, trusting that God will give the increase in whatever visible or invisible ways suit His purposes.
Now, without further ado, here’s my monthly recap.
Everything I wrote in June
What fun to interview Isabelle, a youngster who is busy writing novels halfway across the world from me.
An honest inventory of my boys’ best-loved books.
Short reviews of the nine books I finished this month.
What about you? What have you been reading lately?
Stuff I enjoyed in June
The internet tends to slow down in the summer, and I’ve been too busy with X-rays and wound care to read everything that caught my eye on Substack this month, but here are a few gems.
The team over at Reading Middle Grade, helmed by Afoma Umesi, published the trends they noticed while putting together their summer reading guide. I appreciate the level of detail that went into this article.
I love this perspective on motherhood from Théa Rosenburg. As a young mom struggling to dog-paddle my way through the day, I often compared myself to seasoned moms who were accomplishing what, to me, were great feats of creativity, business, and charity. This article reminds me that seasons change, and so do we.
What a fun summer book list by Dominika. Here is a box of literary morsels for when you’re “longing to swathe yourself in fine Indian muslin and make some questionable romantic decisions.”
Book marketing advice that’s “bananas” from J.J. Johnson. As a reader, I’d love to see more of this from authors.
And, in honor of the USA’s 250th, I would like to share my all-time favorite rendition of the national anthem. I love our national anthem. Please add your favorite rendition in the comments!
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. –Psalm 61:2
I’ll leave you with one irresistible indulgence—washy, washy!
Your devoted,
Michelle
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I also loved Thea's article, and what a cake!! Praying for swift healing for the arm. Enjoyed reading your work this past month.
“Way too many bookshelves” made me smile. Now it’s “way too many ebooks on my Kindle!! I designed folders and organized them recently. I’m also resisting the urge to sign up again for Kindle unlimited until I read more of the books I bought. AND, it’s clear I need to sell or give away my home school library for the next generation and free up a room for a guest room instead of a library of historic days