I was thinking about what to write this week, and happened to look at the date, realizing with a start that OMG! It’s JULY. And while that’s terrifying for a lot of reasons, it’s also fun for equally as many, one of them being the fact that it’s time for my Q2 book list.
This spring has been rich with excellent fiction, not too much non-fiction, which I think is just perfect for recommending summer reads. If you’ve been listening to the podcast, you already know about quite a few of these, but if you haven’t – here you go!
Crooked Kingdom: A Sequel to Six of Crows Leigh Bardugo
No One Tells You This: A Memoir Glynnis MacNicol (I cannot stress how great this book is. Please read it.)
Co-Active Coaching Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandahl, Laura Whitworth
Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman Anne Helen Petersen (If you’ve ever found yourself criticizing a certain celebrity or public figure, and then feeling like a bad feminist about it – read this. I learned a lot and loved the conversation.)
The Dreamers: A Novel Karen Thompson Walker (a la Station Eleven.)
I Take You: A Novel Eliza Kennedy (This one was a little wild for me, but fun nonetheless.)
Cards on the Table: Hercule Poirot Investigates Agatha Christie
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (The Hollows, Book 2) Kim Harrison (If you were into Sookie Stackhouse, you’ll like this series.)
The Water Cure: A Novel Sophie Mackintosh (Hooooly mama. This was beautiful and strange and scary and very, very good. If you liked The Handmaid’s Tale, try this one.)
The Assistants Camille Perri (So cute and funny!)
Finale: A Caraval Novel Stephanie Garber (Excellent ending to the Caraval series.)
Beautiful Stranger (The Beautiful Series Book 2) Christina Lauren (I like the main couple from Book 1 a little better, but these two are hotsy totsy in all different ways. You cannot go wrong with the Beautiful series.)
Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Agatha Christie (Classics! Short and witty.)
Do This for Me: A Novel Eliza Kennedy (This one, I absolutely loved. Big fan of the main character.)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J.K. Rowling (I am loving making my way through these again!)
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World Cal Newport (Life changing. A bit academic, so took me a while to get through, but I recommend this to literally anyone and everyone.)
The Historian Elizabeth Kostova (Long. Very long. But interesting and well-written.)
Puddin’ (Dumplin’ Book 2) Julie Murphy (So good! These stories just make you see the good in the world and want to be part of it.)
Beautiful Bastard (The Beautiful Series Book 1) Christina Lauren (I’m not saying I identify with the main character, because my story looks a lot like hers, but…I kinda am, which made this book extra fun for me. But outside of that, put the entire Beautiful series on your list. FIRE. And well-written fire that isn’t just crappy or cheesy smut. It’s quality, realistic sexy reading from a woman’s lens.)
Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears Pema Chodron
11/22/63: A Novel Stephen King (If you like history, this is a good one. I love how the fiction part was incorporated into real life events.
The Core 4 Steph Gaudreau (Steph is a master, and this book encompasses all her mastery. It’s coming out soon, and I highly recommend pre-purchasing! This is absolutely a book I’ll use as a resource for my clients.)
Take the time to do some reading this summer. Sign up for a library program! (I win free Cardinals tickets every year after, like, the first week.) You won’t regret the time you spend with your nose in a book. Promise.
Enjoy!
If you have book recommendations, I’ll always take them! Email me your favorites, right here.