Bound to Please: Summer Recommendations

"This summer, trade a little screen time for story time

and see where a good book will take you"

Whether you're stretched out on a beach towel, relaxing on a porch swing, or enjoying a quiet morning coffee, every page is an invitation. Enjoy these book reviews and dive in!

Here's three books you'll want to find a favorite spot in the sun, and let the season unfold one chapter at a time.

The Atlas of Untold Stories is a classic women's fiction. A literary journey beckons them... and may profoundly rewrite their stories. Three women embark on a literary road trip through America's heartland, visiting classic book sites while confronting their personal struggles with honesty and family relationships. On their way they discover their true selves.

In Idiotic Things People Did in the Bible, Ray Comfort uses humor and storytelling to explore 30+ biblical blunders. Rather than just recounting history, he highlights how even prominent figures made foolish choices—proving that human nature remains deeply flawed—in order to emphasize the holiness, mercy, and redemptive power of God.

The book is structured into short chapters detailing specific missteps, urging readers to learn from these ancient warnings rather than repeating them.

“God only knows the endless possibilities

that lie enfolded in each of us.” - Lilias Trotter

"In the late 19th century, Lilias Trotter stood at the threshold of artistic fame, her extraordinary talent praised by the renowned critic John Ruskin. Yet, at the height of her promise, she made a radical choice that would define the course of her life. Turning away from worldly recognition and social convention, she forged her own path and followed God's leading. A visionary who saw the world with an artist’s eye and a missionary’s heart, and whose imaginative empathy and creative compassion transformed the lives of those she encountered. More than the story of one remarkable woman, this book is an invitation to experience the beauty of creation with fresh wonder, to look at our neighbors through new lenses, and to discover what “beautiful possible life” awaits each one of us as we follow the call of the Divine Artist."