Guys….I have read so. many. books. It’s what I set out to do this summer…read all the books I could. I succeeded. Well, except I have one more on my list that I really want to read, but it’s good knowing I have one carrying me into the school year. I’ll tell you what it is at the end of this post.
Okay, why do I love reading so much? I think it’s because I love a good story. I find stories evoke feeling and learning and entertainment. So far I’ve read 41 books this year, which is nothing for some, but 41 books is a lot for me. I know I’m not the only avid reader here so I wanted to give you some ideas on what you could be reading next.
Now without further ado…..
Books I Read in June
The Big Door Prize by M. O. Walsh
Imagine you could know what you should actually be doing with your life. All you need to do is step into a dinky little booth inside the local grocery store, swab your cheek, wait two minutes, and bam! You find out you are supposed to be a magician, a baseball star, or even royalty. This is exactly what happens in a small Louisiana town, and you can just imagine the kind of upheaval such a machine might cause. I gave this one 5/5 stars.
Matrix by Lauren Groff
This book is not for everyone, okay. It deeply dives into spirituality, sexuality, and the appeal of gaining power in a tender and troublesome way. It is, however, one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. It’s not long, but each sentence contains so much that you must take it slowly. It’s loosely based on the real life of Marie de France, and spans her entire existence within the walls of an abbey. I gave it 3.5/5 stars.
Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind- Ann B. Ross
Miss Julia is exactly the kind of sharp-tongued, quick-witted friend you didn’t know you needed. And if you’re lucky enough to already have one of those in your life, you’ll immediately pick up on the similarities of their personalities. In the first book of the Miss Julia series, we meet Julia, recently widowed and made wealthy. One fateful day a young woman and her son show up on Miss Julia’s doorstep making outrageous accusations. A grand adventure ensues and left me wanting more from Miss Julia and her friends. 4/5 stars.
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher
Belle is the new personal librarian to the one and only J. P. Morgan, but she has a secret- She is is passing as a white woman. She claims to have a darker complexion due to her alleged Portuguese heritage, but she’s actually African American. Belle goes to great lengths to protect herself, her family, and Mr. Morgan’s library in a brilliantly told history of a remarkable woman. I listened to this one and adored the narrator. 3.5/5 stars.
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E. L. Konigsburg
I started this book in the classroom with my third graders, but they didn’t take to it. It was a bit over their heads, so I suggest maybe fifth grade and up. Claudia and Jamie decide to run away from home and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They save their money, hide out in bathroom stalls, take baths in the fountain and make a brilliant discovery along the way. I though it was a fantastic story. One I’m sure I was supposed to read as a child, but we won’t talk about all the books I should have read in school but didn’t. 4/5 stars.
Meant to Be by Emily Giffin
A Camelot revision. Joe is the darling boy of American society, and Cate is a girl with a troubled past. We get to go on the ultimate relationship ride picturing JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy as we do. The ending is a total adrenaline rush. 5/5 stars for me.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Here’s the thing, I didn’t like it. I’ve yet to like a book by Emily Henry. Her book titles (and covers for that matter) are misleading. This book isn’t about the beach or beach reads- spoiler alert. I all the way thumbs down this book. No stars.
Books I Read in July
Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
I heard about Yinka on a book podcast that I listen to called From the Front Porch. Annie talked it up so much that I had to check it out for myself. Yinka is in desperate need for a date to her cousin’s wedding, but she’s not too long ago ended a relationship and has no prospects. Let’s also throw in that her younger sister is about to have a baby, her mother is extremely overbearing, and, oh yeah, she’s just been fired from her job. This story is light and funny but also heartfelt and real. It’s about relationships with family and lovers and friends, and it’s also about finding out who you really are and being okay with that. It was beautifully written. I loved it. 4/5 stars.
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
This was the July pick for book club. When we all started discussing the book we realized that we all liked the story up until the big twist was revealed and then we were all out. Unanimous dislike from the club. I think that was a first for us. Right out of the gate this book will hook you. Casey is living at her family’s lake house because she’s in need of some peace and rest. But, sometimes she drinks too much and spies on her neighbors across the lake with binoculars and sees things she shouldn’t and then intervenes when she shouldn’t. And that’s how we end up knowing in chapter one that Casey has a man gagged in her upstairs bedroom. Sounds super promising, right? Welllllll, I have seen lots of people on the internet giving it high praise, but it was just too….unrealistic, out of left field, stupid….I say skip this one.
28 Summer by Elin Hilderbrand
While waiting for my turn to read Elin Hilderbrand’s newest book (it’s coming up), I decided to give one of her backlist titles a try. Mallory and Jake meet up every year to rekindle their romance. They’re both with other people and don’t speak to each other until that one weekend when they’re brought back to each other. When Mallory receives a diagnosis that potentially puts their meetings at risk, they have to face the possibility of their summers together coming to an end. One thing I really liked about this book is that each year that passed was marked with the question, “What were we talking about in (insert year)?” This is followed by a list of buzzwords from each year. It was a fun, nostalgic nod to news, pop culture, and life as we knew it. This book was a win for me. 4.5/5 stars
The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh
It took a little while for this one to grab ahold of me, but once it did I couldn’t stop reading. Emma, Leo, and their daughter, Ruby, have a picture perfect life. Emma studies marine biology, Leo rights obituaries, and Ruby is just adorable. Emma has battled illness before, and in the event that things go badly, Leo has decided to write an obituary for his wife. Only when he starts to research her life and write about it, he learns that his wife doesn’t exist. Emma is not even her real name. There’s so much more to this incredible story, and I highly recommend sticking with it if you give it a try and aren’t hooked right away. It was a wild ride. 4/5 stars.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Full disclosure- I read Verity by Colleen Hoover and figured I’d be done with this author. I didn’t know what to make of all the hype around this woman, but on a whim one day in the library I picked up the most talked about CoHo book. I started it immediately and couldn’t put it down. I’m sure most of you have read the story of Lily and Ryle and Atlas, but if you haven’t, please do it. I went in totally blind, and I liked it that way, so I’m not going to say anything further about the book. It’s officially been greenlit to become a movie, and the sequel comes out in October. Don’t worry, I’ve already requested it for the library. 5/5 stars for me.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
I was indifferent about this book. It had a few things I liked about it, but overall the story was a little underwhelming. Jess needs a new start in life, so she contacts her brother who is staying in a hotel in Paris. When she arrives, she discovers that Ben is missing and everyone else that lives in this apartment doesn’t seem to have any idea where he is. Jess does plenty of digging into the whereabouts of her brother and makes several unsettling discoveries along the way. Here’s a little bonus of listening to the audiobook version- you’ll learn a few French swear words. Good luck pronouncing them correctly! 3/5 stars
The Lifestyle by Taylor Hahn
Annie got me intrigued again when she was talking about this book on her podcast, and she hooked me when she said she thought she was reading a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma but ended up accidentally reading a book about swingers. HA! I decided I had to read that after hearing her talk about it. Georgina discovers her husband cheating on her and decides that they are going to enter into the lifestyle of swingers as a way to save their marriage. Call me crazy, but that sounds like the wrong way to do it. You’ll have to read it to see if it works. The writing was great and the parallels to Emma are few but they are there. 3/5 stars.
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Yet another Annie rec. Nora writes Hallmark Christmas movie scripts for a living. They’re okay. She gets by. Not well but she’s making it. Then she gets divorced and writes a screenplay that her editor recognizes as something way better than anything she’s ever written. When it gets picked up to be a major motion picture, she’s asked if the filming can occur at her actual house. Nora agrees and is greeted with the lead actor who wants to live in his RV on her property for the duration of the shoot. Their limited time together quickly leads to feelings which leads to a fun and heartfelt romcom. I really enjoyed this one. 4/5 stars.
The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
The latest from Elin Hilderbrand will have you wanting to book your trip to Nantucket, which will be super easy to do because in the back of this novel is something called The Blue Book. It’s a guide to ALL things Nantucket. I hope to visit one day. Lizbet is a little down on her luck after a breakup and takes a job at the haunted Hotel Nantucket after a billionaire decides to buy the dump and fix it up. Lizbet must hire and run a full staff, which is quite the cast of characters, and try to impress Shelly Carpenter, the hotel evaluating Instagram sensation. This book was so much fun. Even the ghost was a great character. I definitely think you should pick this one up. 5/5 stars.
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Finally, I read CoHo’s newest book. Okay, I don’t cry at books. I just don’t. I might get misty-eyed, but I don’t usually cry real tears. I think the last one I cried over was Me Before You. Gah…sobs! But I cried for three straight chapters of this one. Kenna is just released from jail and moving back to her small town where she hopes to be reunited with her daughter. She wants to work hard to make things right, but no one seems to want to give her a chance. Enter Ledger, the only one who hasn’t completely shut her out. After hearing her side of things, Ledger starts to soften and they begin a romance. Tensions are high and feelings are deep as this story plays out. Have your tissues ready. 5/5 stars.
If you want to follow along in real time with what I’m reading, I’ve basically turned my Instagram account into a Bookstagram account. Follow along there. There’s also a Highlight with all of the books I’ve read this year and a few thoughts on each of them. All 41 are there, I promise!
As mentioned at the beginning of the post, the one that got away from my summer reading is the one I was most excited to read strangely enough. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is yet another Annie recommendation. I felt confident I’d love it, so I have purchased it and plan to start it as soon as I can.
*As someone who just rediscovered her local library, I highly recommend stopping by there first to find your next read. I also believe in supporting independent bookstores. Do I buy books on Amazon? Yes I do. But if I can get a book at an independent bookstore and support a small business, I like to do that. Another great way to ensure you’ll read at least one book a month is to join Book of the Month or participate in something like Shelf Subscriptions from my favorite independent bookstore, The Bookshelf.
I hope you’ve found a few to add to your list of books to read, and if you have any recommendations, drop them in the comments. Happy reading!
