may reads.

one of these days, the end of the month won't sneak up on me and i will post about my monthly reads in the month i actually read them. until then, let's start off another month talking about last month.

blue like jazz, by donald miller

i've read this one before, and i'd bet money that i'll be reading it again. there are so many parts that i love. i underline, mark of sections, turn the corners of the pages down. i've even taken pictures of certain parts and posted them on instagram (@sarahhsquires), because they're too good not to share. and, if you know me at all, you know i don't usually do this kind of thing. especially the marking up the pages thing. i like my books looking new and clean. but this one's just too good to leave it clean.

here are my favorite chapters, without listing all of them:

magic: the problem with romeo
shifts: find a penny
change: new starts at ancient faith
confession: coming out of the closet
romance: meeting girls is easy
love: how to really love other people
Jesus: the lines on His face

traveling mercies, by anne lamott

this is one that i've heard about on multiple occasions. it's been on my list, and in my "to read" pile, for i don't even know how long. but i finally got around to reading it and was kind of surprised by it. i don't know what i was expecting. maybe that her life was not as messy as it was? maybe that she had more faith or prayed more in-depth prayers than a simple, one word, "help"?

i don't know, but i liked it. i liked reading her story and about her struggles. i liked her honesty and the way she'd write about her son. i liked her writing style. i liked the way she made her life, with its confusion and hurt and difficult times, sound like art.