Bad Therapy (& More July Reads)
I finished reading Abigail Shrier’s Bad Therapy plus four other books in March. Well, I really read five, but one of them was a manuscript for the new M is for Mama book that won’t be published until September 2025, so I’ll wait until then to tell you about that one. In the meantime, read on for my impressions of the remainder of my July Reads:
5 Books I read in July:
168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam
My husband and I listenied to 168 Hours together after one of our daughters-in-law gave it a glowing recommendation. She called it “the best nonfiction book I’ve read in perhaps years!” and noted “168 hours refers to the time you have in a week.
[The author’s goal is to help readers align their time with their values.”
We’ve found the book inspiring, as well. There’s a lot to digest, but we definitely agree with the Vanderkam’s premise: that we have all the hours we need to accomplish the things that are most important to us.
The problem is not a shortage of time, but a tendency to squander the time we’ve been given.
Launch by Chap Bettis
Although the majority of my kids launched a long time ago, I sometimes hear from parents wanting advice on preparing their teens and young adults for life beyond graduation. I’ve devoted an episode of my podcast to that topic, but I also read Chap Bettis’s book, Launch, to see if it might be a good read for parents facing such transitions for the first time. And sure enough, it is.
Subtitled “Biblical Help for Moving Your Teen or Young Adult into the Real World,” this short read is meant for the parents doing the launching, not for the kids being launched.
If you’re not yet to that point yet in your own parenting journey, you may be interested in another of Bettis’s books called The Disciple-Making Parent (the audiobook for which you can now download FREE at the Disciple-Making Parent website)
Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier
Bad Therapy is another book my husband and I listened to on the road recently. It’s a New York Times bestseller for good reason. It’s also a book I wish every parent on the planet would read.
It explains how and why so many popular parenting and educational philosophies are terribly misguided.
In their risk-avoidant efforts to keep kids safe and to protect their mental health, these tactics are doing far more harm than good. They have produced an entire generation of kids who are intently focused on their own emotions but seem incapable of empathizing with anyone else’s, who want all the perks of adulthood and none of the responsibilities, who are plagued by anxiety and terrified of growing up.
In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms by Dr. Laura Schelssinger
In Praise of Stay at Home Moms is another of the books I enjoyed reading last month. A quick read, it’s very short and sweet.
In her signature straightforward, no-nonsense style, Dr. Laura Schlessinger encourages mothers to make the most of the time they have at home with their children.
For those who are already SAHMs, she offers statistics and anecdotes that will help you feel good about investing your time and energy in your family.
For working moms who would love to be at home more, she gives advice for making that dream a reality.
Showers of Blessing by Jennifer Flanders
I not only finished reading, but also finished writing this last book in July. Entitled Showers of Blessing, it is the newest addition to my line of devotional journals and, like the others, is packed with scripture, writing prompts, word studies, and gorgeous vintage artwork on nearly every page.
This volume features sixteen more beloved Christian hymns, along with the scriptures they were drawn from and questions pertaining to how their truth applies to our life today. I hope they (and this book) will bring other readers the same kind of joy they’ve brought me.
Do you love to read as much as we do? I’ve gathered all my best resources for bibliophiles onto this page, or you can read more of my book reviews by following this link .
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