Petalume’s Summer Reading List: Dreamy Classics, Faith-Filled Reads & Inspiring Nonfiction
There is something sacred about summer reading. When the days stretch long and golden, and the world slows just enough to let a good book linger in your hands. This season, we’ve gathered a collection of titles that stir the heart, challenge the mind, and awaken wonder—each chosen to complement the Petalume spirit of beauty, faith, and purposeful living.
Whether you’re stealing quiet moments in the hammock or tucking a paperback into your straw tote for a trip to the lake, these books are companions worth keeping close. And because we value beauty here at Petalume, we’ve sourced some of the most lovely versions of these books for you! Click each title below and you’ll discover something that looks just as lovely as the story within it’s cover. Some of them are rare, vintage versions so there’s only one available! Others are available only in one version but rest assured, there’s plenty of beauty to be found in the pages that follow.
Romantic & Dreamy Classics
For the woman who keeps a pressed flower in her journal and a sonnet in her soul.
A slow-blooming love story filled with regret, hope, and second chances. Anne Elliot, overlooked and gentle, is one of Austen’s most quietly noble heroines—and her rediscovery of love is tender, bittersweet, and breathtaking.
2. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Four English women escape their grey realities and find healing and joy in a sun-drenched Italian villa. With wisteria-covered walls and slow afternoons, this is a story that reads like a holiday for the heart.
3. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
Lucy Honeychurch travels from the stiffness of Edwardian society to the freedom of the Florentine countryside, where she must choose between convention and true connection. Romantic, witty, and rich with symbolism.
4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
A tale of fierce inner strength cloaked in gothic romance. Jane’s moral clarity, dignity, and quiet devotion elevate this story beyond its love plot, making it a spiritual as much as a romantic journey. This is perhaps my all-time favorite classic literature novel!
Spiritual & Faith-Based Nonfiction
For hearts yearning for deeper roots, brighter light, and the beauty of God’s truth.
5. Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
A theological balm that meditates on the heart of Christ for sinners and sufferers. Written with tenderness and reverence, it reminds us that God’s deepest disposition is not anger—but mercy and love.
6. Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren
This book transforms the everyday—making your bed, brushing your teeth, sitting in traffic—into sacred acts of worship. With poetic insight, Warren invites readers to encounter God in the rhythms of daily life.
7. Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose
A gripping memoir of a missionary captured in the jungles of New Guinea during WWII. Her unshakable faith, even in solitary confinement and suffering, is both humbling and awe-inspiring.
8. Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley
For mothers and families seeking rhythms of grace at home. This gentle guide helps anchor daily routines in love, Scripture, and formation—shaping the atmosphere of the home one habit at a time.
Biographies of Remarkable Lives
For those fascinated by courage, integrity, and quiet revolutions led by faith.
9. A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot
A powerful biography of a woman who gave her life to rescuing and loving India’s forgotten children. Written by Elliot (a kindred spirit in courage), this is a portrait of faith in action, lived without applause but rich in eternal fruit.
10. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
The extraordinary true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who resisted the Nazi regime and ultimately paid with his life. A vivid look at what it means to live—and die—for truth.
11. Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn
Drawing on personal journals and unpublished letters, this biography paints a human and holy portrait of one of the most influential Christian women of the 20th century. Vulnerable, inspiring, and beautifully written.
12. Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur
An exploration of biblical women who displayed bold faith in quiet, powerful ways—from Ruth and Hannah to Mary Magdalene. Each chapter offers both historical insight and practical application for women today.
One of Our Muses
12 1/2. Botanical Shakespeare by Gerit Quealy, Illustrated by Sumie Hasegawa Collins
Illustrator: Sumié Hasegawa Collins
And no list would be complete without a book that inspires our designs here at Petalume. Botanical Shakespeare is a lush treasury of flowers, herbs, and trees from the works of the Bard, Botanical Shakespeare pairs each plant mentioned in his plays and sonnets with vintage botanical illustrations and lyrical context. Equal parts literary and botanical delight, it’s a feast for the senses—and a quiet muse behind many of Petalume’s floral designs. A perfect companion for those who find poetry in petals.
A Final Word
At Petalume, we believe that stories shape souls. That beauty—whether found in language, landscape, or living testimony—is never wasted. We hope this reading list offers not only enjoyment but formation, not only escape but return. May these pages draw you closer to God, to truth, and to the woman He’s forming in you.
And to help you get the most out of your read, you can download a free reading journal page at the button below — print out a few, three hole punch them, and put them in a pretty binder (love this simple one available in multiple colors, and this one!). Voila! Your very own reading journal, with an endless supply of pages for an endless stack of beautiful books!
If you read one of these titles, let us know! Tag us on Instagram or send us an email at petalumecovers@gmail.com—we’d love to hear which lines you underlined, which scenes you savored, and which characters stayed with you.
And if you’re looking to bring a bit of beauty to your everyday routine, don’t miss our newest collection of phone wallpapers and lock screens—thoughtfully designed to inspire stillness, faith, and wonder each time you reach for your phone.
Subscribe to the Petalume Post, our weekly newsletter — a letter of light sent straight to your inbox, filled with beauty meant to be lingered over.
Inside, you’ll find:
New seasonal wallpapers to dress your screen with meaning
Gentle musings from the Petalume Journal on faith, slow living, and finding wonder in the everyday
Early access to our latest collections, sales, and exclusive treasures
Thoughtful prompts and curated inspiration to help you craft a life of purpose and poetry.
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