July 2025 Reading Wrap-Up

July turned into a surprisingly cohesive reading month, less about variety, more about depth in a few specific directions. A lot of what I picked up circled around faith, introspection, and (interestingly) charismatic personalities, both the admirable and the questionable.

Also, if June hinted at a theme, July pretty much confirmed it: I keep gravitating toward books about rest, prayer, and spiritual reflection… which probably means I need them more than I’d like to admit.

Creative Work & Content Creation

So You Want to Start a Podcast: Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Story, and Building a Community That Will Listen by Kristen Meinzer — ⭐⭐⭐
This one feels very much geared toward beginners—which is great, just not where I’m at. Having hosted a podcast since 2017, there wasn’t much here that felt new. That said, if you’re just getting started, this would be a helpful and approachable guide.

Faith, Growth & Inner Life

Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This one hit hard. A compelling invitation into a deeper, more intentional prayer life—something I clearly keep circling back to this year. It’s thoughtful, challenging, and rooted in a kind of quiet depth that lingers after you finish.

Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane C. Ortlund — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Simple, direct, and surprisingly profound. This felt very aligned with my current season of life—less about complexity, more about meaningful, internal change. One of those books that doesn’t try to do too much, and is better for it.

History, Religion & Larger-Than-Life Figures

Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson by Claire Hoffman — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I went into this knowing I have a complicated relationship with charismatic spiritual leaders: low patience, high fascination. This book delivered on that tension. Full of intrigue, contradiction, and larger-than-life moments, it’s a deep dive into early 20th-century Pentecostalism and one of its most enigmatic figures. Absolutely fascinating.