Staff Favorites: Beach Reads

With Spring Break just around the corner, now is the perfect time to stock up on a good beach read! To help you do that, we compiled a list of our staff’s go-to books for the break. Whether you’ll use this season to grow in wisdom or to enjoy a good ol’ mystery novel, we’ve got the perfect recommendations for you! 

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. One of the best books I’ve read in the last few years. An incredible true story and well written. I couldn’t put it down. I’m now reading another book by the same author. – Jeremiah ‘Claw’ Boatright, Senior Director of Development

This year I will be going through the Harry Potter series! I haven’t ever finished them, so I am excited to work through them! – Faith ‘Flora’ Courville, Risk and Safety Coordinator

I will be reading Whisper by Mark Batterson! – Dee ‘Hice-Cream Chase’ Young, RN, Regional Nurse Manager

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA! But also I’m going to read The Man in Black by Johnny Cash; it’s his autobiography/testimony of how he came to know Jesus. – Landon ‘Rhymes’ Fink, Towers Men’s Director

I am pumped to start reading The Men We Need: God’s Purpose for the Manly Man, the Avid Indoorsman, or Any Man Willing to Show Up by Brant Hansen! In the book he breaks down the six decisions that every man should make in order to be. I have heard he does an amazing job of charging men to live out their redemptive, kingdom-minded identities! – Marshall ‘Swole City’ Wallace, Crier Creek Associate Director

Favorite beach reads… gosh there are so many! The Selection series by Kiera Cass (easy read, great books), The Stranger in the Life Boat by Mitch Albom (set in the ocean so really fitting), Scary Close by Donald Miller (not a light read, but a really good one if you’re wanting good thoughts to chew on while you’re laying in the sand), and of course I’ll always recommend the Harry Potter series because it’s just good. – Annelise ‘Smilin’’ Morrison, Director of Silverado

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. – Lance ‘Socks’ Gilliland, Pine Cove City Site Director

Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson, Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortland, Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller. – JD ‘Rambus’ Moore Ranch Camp Director

I’m a huge fan of Agatha Christie, and one of my favorite of her novels is And Then There Were None. It’s a classic ‘everyone is trapped in a remote location and there’s a murderer on the loose’ mystery, which is such a fun setup. It’s clever and twisty and completely un-put-down-able. If you’re a murder mystery fan at all, you’ve got to check this one out!- Valerie ‘Ouch Potato’ Morby, Social Media and Copy Manager

21 Days to Childlike Prayer by Jed Coppenger. – TJ ‘Philly’ Connor, Senior Director of Ministries – CTX, Crier Creek Camp Director

I went to the beach after summer 2022 and read the The Summer I Turned Pretty series! They sucked me in and I read all three in like two days. Teen rom-coms are my WEAKNESS! – Remedy ‘Bo-v’ Applegate, Ranch Women’s Director