I have not one, not two, but THREE books to recommend to you during this star-spangled month of July!

“Why We Fought”, stories of those who helped to defeat the Third Reich, “One Base At A Time”, a memoir of losses, gains, baseball and surviving PTSD, and “A Song & A Prayer”, a month’s worth of daily devotionals inspired by Loretta Lynn’s song lyrics.

There’s something for everything in this big beach stack - which is where I recommend you dive in to them!

“Why We Fought: Inspiring Stories of Resisting Hitler and Defending Freedom”
by Jerry Borrowman

The struggle to combat the Nazis during World War II encompassed front lines far beyond conventional battlefields.

In a panoramic and compelling account, author Jerry Borrowman shares seven largely untold stories of people who undertook extraordinary efforts at enormous personal risk to defeat the Third Reich.

Some were ordinary citizens like William Sebold, a German immigrant and US citizen, who could have been a deadly foe, but ultimately chose the Allied cause. Coerced by the Gestapo into becoming a spy in America, he instead approached the FBI, offering to become a double agent.

Among them was famous Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich, who was born in Germany but volunteered to entertain Allied troops in the European Theater of Operations and recorded radio messages designed to demoralize German soldiers.

As the Nazis swept through Europe, citizens around the world faced both an individual and a national complex moral question: How do you respond to tyranny and bloodthirsty madness?

These are stories of men and women who would not surrender or compromise. They resisted and fought with total commitment for freedom and democracy.

ORDER: “Why We Fought”

***One Base At A Time:* *How I Survived PTSD and Found My Field of Dreams***
by David R. Mellor

On July 10, 1981, David Mellor was just a baseball-crazed kid, a star high school pitcher preparing to go to college and dreaming of one day taking the mound in Fenway Park for his beloved Boston Red Sox.

His dream was derailed as he crossed the parking lot of a McDonald’s. He heard the racing engine, but couldn’t defend himself against the car coming straight at him.

It sent him flying through the air and into a wall, where it hit him again and pinned him, severely damaging his knee and destroying his hope of ever being a Major League pitcher.

In the wake of the accident, even as he reached the major leagues as a groundskeeper, David was tortured by the aftermath of his injuries and additional traumas, including being struck by a car again, this time in the outfield of Milwaukee’s County Stadium while he was working on overhauling the field for the Milwaukee Brewers. He suffered terribly from anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks, completely unaware that he was experiencing the debilitating symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD.

One Base at a Time recounts in vivid detail his subsequent twenty-nine-year struggle with PTSD. This harrowing but inspiring story, documents the remarkable journey of a man debilitated by physical and psychological injuries who refused to give up even when everything seemed hopeless. After a fortuitous event, he admitted to needing help, sought effective treatment and turned his life around. It’s a powerful, helpful outline of the steps one needs to take to overcome the powerful hold PTSD has on one’s life.

LISTEN to my podcast episode with guest, David R. Mellor

One Base at a Time is a must read for anyone suffering in silence or anyone who knows someone suffering in the wake of severe traumatic events. Those who seem broken can be fixed and live a happy, fulfilling life.

ORDER: One Base At A Time

“A Song & A Prayer: 30 Devotions Inspired by My Favorite Songs”
by Loretta Lynn and Kim McLean

A Song & A Prayer is a collection of devotionals combined with song lyrics that delivers a unique form of worship.

Inspired by Loretta Lynn’s songwriting sessions with Kim McLean (a fellow songwriter, music producer, as well as ordained minister and reverend doctor), Loretta's love of God is felt on every page of this book.

Readers will learn to experience and maintain an intimate one-on-relationship with God. This volume will become a cherished companion for Loretta Lynn fans and readers everywhere as they strive to live each precious moment to the fullest and happiest.

Through A Song and A Prayer, readers of all faiths and walks of life will have the opportunity to bask in a month’s worth of spiritual encouragement. Loretta’s thoughts and lyrics not only capture the presence of God, but also capture a presence that transcends Christianity—the spirit of creativity.

In a busy world, Loretta’s lyrics and prayers remind readers that God loves them more than they could imagine.

ORDER: A Song & A Prayer

Summer is just getting started and really heating up! I hope you’re wearing your sunscreen, staying hydrated, and getting your summer reading in! If you needed a little inspiration as to which book(s) to pick up next, I hope I’ve provided it.

Grab your beach chair, sunbrella, water bottle, and a bag of books and head to the nearest beach or lake/river’s edge whenever you have a chance. Summer won’t last forever and great reads are calling you!

Even before I had my farm animals were a big part of my life. From birth to current day, every chapter of my personal story has had a family pet at the center. They are the other family members whose roles are vastly more impactful and important than we may ever fully realize.

My book club choice for the month of August speaks to that.

“Even The Dog Knows”, by New York Times best-selling author, Jason F. Wright, is about a family who’s been torn apart by grief.

Each member, now distanced, isolated, and lonely… and their dear old pup, who may provide the glue that can bring them together once again. The jacket reads: “A family’s old, beloved dog takes a final road trip to help his people find forgiveness and healing.”

“Meg Gorton finds herself alone and lonely in Florida. Three years earlier, she had packed what she could fit into her sister’s car and asked her estranged husband, Gary, to take care of Moses, their beloved black Labrador. Things between Meg and Gary hadn’t been the same after the loss of their only daughter many years ago. Even after raising their grandson, Troy, it was clear that if Meg wanted a new beginning, she would have to do it alone.

Haunted by the tragedy of his daughter’s death, Gary is stuck in his life in Woodstock, Virginia. He still owns and drives the bus for their hometown minor league baseball team, and he still thinks about the day his wife drove away.

Everything changes when Meg contacts Gary with a request to bring Moses to visit her one last time before the old dog passes on. Gary is reluctant, but Troy thinks it’s an excellent idea. They could even travel together in Gary’s bus. Along the way, Gary takes a detour to visit Troy’s ex-girlfriend, Grace. Gary might not know how to fix things with his wife, but he knows he doesn’t want Troy to make the same mistakes he did.

Although Moses is just a dog, he’s very observant. It doesn’t take long for him to figure out they are going on to see Meg. He knows he’s an old dog and that his time is near, but he also knows his family needs his help.

Even the Dog Knows is a novel that will take readers on a thousand-mile journey to find forgiveness, understanding, healing, and the meaning of true and lasting love.”

At a time when it seems as though every sound bite we come across is simply more depressing news, unplugging and immersing ourselves in feel-good moments are not just important but as necessary as eating healthfully and getting enough sleep.

Give yourself a dose of good medicine this summer. Find a moment, a glass of ice tea, pick up your copy of “Even The Dog Knows,” and travel along with Moses on the journey to unite his people.