Hello and happy Tuesday. If you’re reading this, it means this is my last day of work for almost a month and I am just so very excited for what’s to come. In previous years, I’ve blogged every day in July, and I’ll try to do that now, or at least to post as much as I can since my reading tends to increase, as well as my energy and my time to work on personal projects.

Today I want to talk to you about a book that I believe stands the test of time. It was released in 2017 and I’d probably had it in my TBR since until December 2024, when I found the audiobook version on Everand and decided to read it. I’m talking about The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord. Our main character’s dad is a pastor, and together they lead a Christian summer camp, but her mom has cancer, and they decide it’s best to send her (the MC) to another camp for children with complex life stories. Of course, she refuses at first and is full of prejudice, but as she starts to interact with the campers and fellow counsellors, well, we see some character development.

This is by no means your cutesy, light, fluffy summer read. It deals with heavy topics, such as the sickness of a parent, so I would read the content warnings before deciding to consume this book. The writing is very powerful, and I think you’ll get a lot out of it whether you read it with your eyes, your ears, or both.