Summer Reading List

The Unnoticed Sins of Everyday Speech

In The Unnoticed Sins of Everyday Speech, Amelia Opie exposes the quiet, respectable ways people wound one another with their words. Moving beyond obvious slander, she traces everyday gossip, criticism, mockery, and careless conversation back to deeper roots-pride, rivalry, vanity, envy, and an unchecked desire to be noticed. Through vivid examples drawn from family life, society, religion, and friendship, she shows how easily the tongue becomes an instrument of harm while the heart remains blind to its own motives.

The Mother at Home

In The Mother at Home, John Abbott speaks with clear, practical warmth to the daily work of motherhood-showing how a mother's quiet influence shapes a child's character, habits, and eternal outlook. With vivid examples drawn from ordinary family life, Abbott explains why loving authority matters, how to establish willing obedience without constant conflict, and how a mother can correct faults fairly, wisely, and consistently.

A Basket of Flowers

The children's story A Basket of Flowers, written by G.T. Bedel (1832), is deeply moving, and the lessons it teaches are both valuable and important. I've rarely encountered lessons of practical piety presented as simply as they are in this little book, all drawn from the beauties of nature. Almost every chapter contains sermons directed at young hearts, using flowers from the garden as their texts. The translation of the story is quite free, with significant omissions in many places and considerable additions in others.

In His Steps

A clear and practical guide for young Christians learning how to begin the Christian life well and walk faithfully in the steps of Christ. In this classic devotional work, J. R. Miller gives counsel on joining with Christ's people, living for God, resisting temptation, serving others, prayer, Bible reading, and growing in Christian character.

The Practice of Prayer

The Practice of Prayer is a practical Christian audiobook on learning not merely how to pray, but how to truly live a life of prayer. G. Campbell Morgan unfolds prayer through the Father's love, the Son's mediation, and the Spirit's help, calling believers to seek God's kingdom, depend on Him daily, and pray with real spiritual power.

Each of these books are from the old writers and are part of The Library playlist to listen to for free.