This is a recap for most of the summer, due to keeping busy with my kids and also family circumstances out of my control (more here). This summer was something else but a lot of reading time, it didn't contain. I *did* get in a lot more runs without any kids which definitely cut into my reading time, as well as life things. BUT...when I did get in some books, I largely liked everything I read which was nice! I was looking back on June's book in prepping and was delighted to even see the covers for some. So many good books out this summer. Now with school back and my childlessness during the day (SO MANY THOUGHTS on my baby starting kindergarten), I'm getting back into a regular reading routine as well as catching up on the many, many things that got pushed over the summer.
I'm very active on Goodreads here, somewhat active on Instagram here, and linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy whenever I get this done!
The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
My annual Memorial Day weekend read that I didn't finish until June this year. Love it, every time. 4.5 Stars
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
I couldn't remember what this was about (I read it over 2 months ago) so I read the description...and it's still ringing very few bells. I do remember it being more sex-positive than even their other books. I think I liked it but didn't love it. A follow-up to a side character from The Soulmate Equation but I didn't remember her even though I read that book too. 3 Stars
The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton
I've been hit or miss with her books, some I've really enjoyed, others were fine. This one followed a few women on a fancy cruise to Cuban and back...awhile ago. I was more interested in some stories than others and a few parts made me more tense than others (I wasn't expecting that from this book) but overall, enjoyable. Not my favorite or least favorite of hers. 3.5 Stars
The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady
This takes place in Chicago which was great having just been there earlier this year (post coming...some day). Two sisters and a business they are trying to rescue (the business degree side of me wonders who inherits a whole business when maybe they don't have the knowledge or ability to keep it going???). It wasn't very heavy on the Chicago but a nice backdrop. I gave it 4 stars so I liked it! 4 Stars
Love Buzz by Neely Tubati Alexander
The book opens with a quote from the movie Serendipity which I enjoyed quite a bit in college and now I feel like I should rewatch come winter. There's a meet cute between strangers in New Orleans and they both live in Seattle and want to find each other again but it takes some searching. WILL THEY??? It's a romance book so you can guess the ending. It drug a little bit but a fine time. 3.25 Stars
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
This is one I bought before reading because of how much I loved Nora Goes Off Script last summer. Takes place in a Long Island beach town where she runs into her long lost love from next door. It was a near perfect summer read. 4 Stars
Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman
A one time popstar reunites with a member of a boy band who she opened for in her teen years. Sparks fly. They are putting on a Broadway show together. This played right into my interests in 90s/00s pop music AND behind the scenes of Broadway. 3.5 Stars
Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore
Another stage adjacent book! And ANOTHER female protagonist named Sam! More family drama, another New England set small beach town. Another former child star. I didn't realize this contained so many pieces of other books I had read this month...I guess I liked it, I gave it 4 stars! So...4 Stars!
The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
There are very few Elin Hilderbrand books I haven't enjoyed and I always look forward to her new one every summer (but only for one more summer!). A woman brings together 5 friends for a weekend on Nantucket, a woman from each major time period of her life (high school, college, etc.) THINGS HAPPEN. One is a stranger pretty much. The original woman's husband died a year-ish ago. She's also a famous food blogger. Easy to pick up and just keep reading. 4 Stars
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
This was a bit different format than his other two, the previous ones I couldn't always tell how the different stories were going to tie together and this one was a little more straight forward. A dying "supper club" in Minnesota and the going arounds of that. His books just always take a little bit for me to get into even though I always am glad to have read them. 3.25 Stars
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
I thought this would be a much quicker read for me than it was, especially since it was only 200ish pages. Told through interviews of one woman as she tries to get a temp job after losing her apartment. Mostly a stream of consciousness with a few "reports" from her interviewer sprinkled in. It takes place largely around Washington Heights in NYC which I only know from In the Heights, a movie I loved 2 years ago. 3.25 Stars
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
Fiona Davis takes NYC landmarks and finds some interesting history about them to write about. This one was the Radio City Music Hall, the Rockettes, and a mysterious murderer going around NYC for many years. Tense at times but SO INTERESTING to read about that building and the Rockettes. I always enjoy her books. 4 Stars
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
This one was a delight, most of these characters are not great people, all living in another New England beach town. It opens with someone dying but takes awhile to reveal who died and if it was an accident or a murder or what. People cheating on spouses and making bad decisions. I don't know why it's fun to read about bad people with a lot of money. But it is. 3.5 Stars
The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
I flew through the first 100ish pages of this on a camping trip and then it ended up sitting in my bag at the hospital over two days when my MIL was in there and took me over a week to finish. That is what I will always think of when I see this cover. It's World War II and I liked it well enough, as I do all of Kristin Harmel's books. But the circumstances of my reading it stand out much more than the actual content (I never actually opened it at the hospital). 3.75 Stars
The Devil Wear Prada by Lauren Weisberger
This was our buddy read book for July that I ended up finishing on our beach vacation, despite it not being a very beach-y book. I LOVE the movie but had never read the book because I always heard the movie was better. I could pick out so many things that are different and same between this and the movie. The book is a bit more tragic but better than all the "the movie is better" comments that I've heard. 3.5 Stars
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
This was the book I picked for Matt to give me for my birthday this year and we picked it up from the delightful Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia, on our way to Florida. I have enjoyed every single one of Katherine Center's books that I've read and this one stretched believability for me at times BUT it all came together in the end. She just writes such lovely, enjoyable romances. 4.25 Stars
Read with Luke and/or Sam
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
I read this with Sam, my youngest who just started kindergarten, after I had read it to Luke when he was around the same age. This largely takes place in a school which Sam found fascinating. He liked this series even more than Luke did. 4 Stars
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
This was a short (hour-ish) audio book that we listened to on our long drive home from Florida. Sam HATED IT and asked for it to be turned off multiple times. I would have maybe liked it better without those constant requests but Matt, Luke, and I all liked it. We've never done a family audio book before. 3.5 Stars
That's what I've been reading lately! Or, more like through most of the summer. What about you??
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