Your Military Spouse Must Read and Listen Summer List

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I’m a Southern girl and even with the threat of constant humidity and my natural hair going from cute and curly to a frizzy ‘fro within mere seconds of stepping outside, summer is my all-time favorite season. It's a time where things go just a little bit slower. The hustle and bustle of getting the kids off to school when the rooster crows is gone and there’s no shortage of iced tea (I’ll take mine sweet, thank you very much), lemonade and the musical stylings of the ice cream truck’s symphony filling your neighborhood’s air.

Whether you work full time or not, are a parent or not, the fact remains that you have so much more during summer.

More daylight.

More beautiful days.

More time with friends.

And, for my fellow book lovers -- more time to read!

Like any good bibliophile, creating a Summer Read and Listen List is a must. The list must include books, blogs and podcasts that I want to definitely read (and/or listen to!) before the first school bell rings in late August. Because I adore you so much, I decided to share my list with you. And if you’re compiling one -- feel free to share in the comments!

This list has everything from fiction to nonfiction to military affiliated authors, and plots that I can identify with as a military spouse, but not written by a military spouse. You’ll find it all here -- fun reads, serious reads and everything in between.

Favorite New Blog:


There are several blogs I follow by incredible military spouses, like Army Wife 101Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life  and Humans on the Homefront. My latest obsession is the newly launched How To Milspouse. It’s sassy and real and laugh out loud funny. They’re not afraid to touch on hard subjects, but balance it perfectly with subjects that aren’t as heavy. I just adore everything about it from their branding to hearing the different voices of the women behind the blog. You’re sure to be following this blog long after this summer.

Currently Listening To:


Mocha Milspouse: This ensemble cast of black military spouse entrepreneurs keeps me laughing! Their newly launched podcast aims to be the definitive voice for military spouses of color, and they’ve started off strong.

Some of my favorite podcasts that aren’t military related include True Crime Garage which breaks down both well known and not-so-well-known crimes (the banter between the hosts are my favorite part of this show) and You Must Remember This, /) by Karina Longworth about stories from old Hollywood.

Am Reading:


Confessions of a Domestic Failure  by Bunmi Laditan. If you have kids and don’t follow Honest Toddler then you stop what you’re doing right now and go follow the blog on all social media channels. It’ll only take reading one post to wonder how this woman is writing about your life. Confessions of a Domestic Failure is Ladtan’s first foray into writing fiction in book form and the perfect light read that will leave you feeling like the Super Mom (or Dad) that you are!

On the Shelf:


I love supporting other military spouses and even more when successful entrepreneurs share their tips and secrets to help other spouses thrive in this lifestyle. Lakesha Cole does both of those in her book, “Mommy Retailing: A Mom’s Guide To Starting A Boutique."  Even if your plans don’t include opening a boutique, but owning your own business is something you’re exploring, she drops incredible gems that ensure you’ll walk away a better business owner having read her book.

Finally, A Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes is the one book that all my girlfriends have told me that I must read, and if I’m being honest -- most have said listening to it is more impactful than actually reading it. When most of the world is telling us to embrace the word no more often, so that life feels less busy and we have more time for what matters, Rhimes takes us on a journey of her one year of saying yes to new things and new challenges. As a woman and mother who finds herself saying no a lot -- to my children, to ideas and opportunities that are just outside of my comfort zone, I’m looking forward to learning to say YES and grow.

So spill it! What are you looking forward to reading, following and listening to this summer?

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