2026 Summer Reading List: Mine
Earlier this week we kicked off Book Nerd Christmas: that time when the literary lovers start the summer by peering into each others beach book bag.
In that post, I gave you ten titles that I’ve read over the last year that I’d recommend to you. But now it’s time for my list. As I was assembling these titles, and theme emerged: I realized that almost 2/3 of these books are by folks who wrote some of my other favorite titles, so I’m returning to their Amazon author’s page to crack open another one.
Here’s my reading plan from Memorial Day to Labor Day:
All of Grace, Charles Spurgeon. A return trip to Spurgeon because … well … Spurgeon.
Be the Dad She Needs You to Be: The Indelible Imprint a Father Leaves on His Daughter’s Life, Kevin Leman. Leman has walked me through all types of marital and parental situations over the years. I’m trusting this will give me a kick in the britches at the dad to a 15 year old (!).
Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential, Tiago Forte. I for one welcome the presence of our robot overlords.
Fans First: Change The Game, Break the Rules & Create an Unforgettable Experience, Jesse Cole. The Savannah Bananas are a seemingly unstoppable force. Since my first SB game a few years ago, I’ve been fascinated at their take on customer service and experience.
Holy Is the Day: Living in the Gift of the Present, Carolyn Weber. Weber’s Suprised by Oxford is one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. I’m looking forward to this devotional-style reader.
Leading Leaders: Developing the Character and Competency to Lead Leaders, Mac Lake. Lake’s The Multiplication Effect in how we think about raising up volunteers, so adding this one to the library was a no-brainer.
Long-Distance Grandparenting: Nurturing the Faith of Your Grandchildren When You Can’t Be There in Person, Wayne Rice. Merriem and I are entering into a new season this summer (more on that next week), so this is especially timely. (I hope it comes with a box of tissues.)
Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy, Mary Roach. The inestimable Mary Roach is the best kind of science writer: wickedly smart, yet delightfully funny. I loved Fuzz and Stiff; this is her latest.
Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work, Liz Wiseman. I’ve taken countless leaders through Wiseman’s Multipliers. Count me in as a learner for this one.
Tar Heel Traveler Eats: Food Journeys across North Carolina, Scott Mason. Some have the spiritual gift of evangelism. Others, teaching. Me? I make (mostly) great food recommendations. I’ll use this to beef up (#didyouseewhatididthere) my own knowledge.
The Book Of Lost Tales, Part Two (History of Middle-Earth 2), J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, I know what I’m getting into here. Lost Tales is no Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, but it also ain’t quite the chew of Silmarillion.
The Book of the Dun Cow, Walter Wangerin. This year I’m slowly working through Wangerin’s The Book of God, a dramatic retelling of the story of scripture. This one looks really interesting.
The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic, Jason Surrell. On the heels of my Imagineering Story kick, I figured why not deep dive into a fun ride?
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams, Daniel Nayeri. Nayeri’s Everything Sad is Untrue rests solidly in the top three memoirs I’ve ever read. The Many Assassinations is a children’s book, and I’m 100% here for it.
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide, Will Guidara. Long-time readers know my love for Unreasonable Hospitality. This was one of the few books I’ve ever pre-ordered, going out on faith that it would simply be that good.
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