Inspira’s Summer Reading List

It’s the height of summer, and we at Inspira hope you are finding lots of time to enjoy it! This week, we’re calling out some of our favorite titles for fun summer reading.

These books have all been produced by Inspira, and we are delighted to share them with you! There were so many to choose from; it was hard to pick—so please check out our portfolio for even more excellent choices from our own Inspira authors. Fiction or nonfiction, dystopian thriller or picture book, there’s sure to be something for everyone.

Adult Fiction

The Color of God: This feel-good novel by Grace Running-Nichols is an endearing adventure novel brimming with delightful characters in a colorful urban community in which a guarded woman, jarred by a chance encounter with a child in peril, dares to choose courage.

The Christmas Tea Shoppe: Calling all “Christmas in July” lovers! Jaclyn Robinson’s charming love story about small-town Abigail, the smitten Matthew, and the power of forgiveness will have you swooning.

The Northfield Way: Rick Dunn’s novel is set against the backdrop of high-school basketball in the small Southern town of Northfield, the scene of Derrick Walker’s meteoric rise to fame as a basketball player—and his dramatic fall from grace. Read along as Derrick takes a second career as a basketball coach with the help of his girlfriend and his mentor and high school coach, “Coach Mac”—and learns just how much redemption there is to be found in life.

Fire and Flood: Dawn Morris brilliantly tells the stories of two young women, one near the beginning of history―at the time of Noahic flood―and one at the end of Earth’s history―at the time of the tribulation of Revelation. Join both on their epic journeys to find God’s place and path for them in their unique moments in history. This book also has a companion Bible study guide available, suitable for group or personal study.

One Will Be Taken: Another page-turner by Dawn Morris! This Christian suspense novel features a thought-provoking fictionalization of biblical prophecy and the end times. Follow it up with the sequel, One Will Be Left.

Trees in the Mist: Mike Neil’s sweeping, five-part epic is the story of one family’s journey to—and life in—the American West over the span of 150 years and four generations, based on his own family history discovered through researching his genealogy. Full of love, loss, tragedy, and triumph, it will inspire you to “clear the mist” in the history of your own family tree.

 Young Adult Fiction

Augland: If you liked The Hunger Games, you’ll love Erin Carrougher’s Augland. Set in a not-too-distant future Seattle, this dystopian adventure follows Ashton as she navigates, falls victim to, and rises up against a wildly corrupt government. (The second book is coming soon: add it to your 2024 summer reading list!)

The Keeper and the Compass: Lovers of fractured fairy tales and fantasy, rejoice! This gem by Katie Baker is for every age, every place in life, and every guy and gal who loves adventure and mystery, a hint of romance, and nods to great works of literature within a modern, twisting plot.

Kids’ Books

Where Two Worlds Meet: This charming picture book by Karen Kennedy Floyd inspires children (of all ages) to notice the little miracles of life all around us.

10 to 1 Garden Fun: See the world through Max’s eyes as he adventures with his Nana through her beautiful garden, learning about plants and about math concepts such as 1 to 1 number correspondence and how to count backward from 10 to 1. Written in catchy rhyme by an experienced kindergarten teacher, this book is a treat for toddlers and preschoolers.

Little Stories for Big Hearts: Six colorfully illustrated stories by author Amanda Lee feature Panda, a lovable friend who learns and demonstrates how to trust one’s instincts, try new things, withhold judgment, and pick the right friends. This book can open up crucial conversations with the children in your life about how they are feeling and what to do with their emotions.

Seven Days with God: Help teach your little one how special he or she is, and how much God loves them. There is no one on this earth quite like your child, and this book by David Meador provides a great opportunity to start discussing God's love for them in a straightforward and visually appealing format with interactive questions.

The Yawn the Went Around the World: Join Stephanie as she learns a lesson from her mom about the big difference one little person can make! If the action or inaction of one person can affect people around the world, imagine what a smile, a hug, or a shared word of encouragement can do! By Patty Labriola and Dayna Pappalardo, with illustrations by Kathleen Gurchie.

Non-Fiction

Leave It All: In this raw, rollicking travel journal, Inspira editor Chelsea Greenwood details her joys and struggles as a missionary backpacking through 11 countries in 11 months.

Becoming: Former Seattle Seahawk player Clint Gresham reflects and teaches on the lessons of identity and grit through his transformational journey in the NFL. This book serves as a roadmap in learning how to like who you are, while you have yet to become who you want to be.

52 Parenting Principles: Miles Mettler outlines simple strategies to help parents prepare their kids with important life skills for when they leave home. The 52 principles are bite-sized nuggets—perfect for beach reading—that parents can learn, understand, and apply to kids of all ages.

The Miracles of Shepherd’s Hill: Forsaking home and all that was familiar to pursue a divinely inspired vision, Trace and Beth Embry knew only that God was calling them out of their comfort zone and into the great unknown of a life of radical faith. This is the true account of one family's journey to unfamiliar territory where, with only two hundred dollars and a handshake, they would be launched into a more than 30-year odyssey of miraculous events and struggles that defied all odds. Out of this odyssey, a globally recognized healing work to troubled teens and families was birthed—Shepherd’s Hill Academy.