It’s hard to believe, but another quarter of 2019 has passed. I don’t know about you, but I’m all, “but where did the summer go?!?” Well, as usual, for me a lot of it went to reading 🙂 (I wish it was even more, actually, and I had a few more books on this list, but several of these were 700+ pages, quite a few were 400+, and a couple were pretty serious topics, so they took me a little more time than my usual two or three days!)
As is now custom ‘round these parts, I’m sharing my quarterly reads with you so that you might be inspired to add something fun or different to your list, or even get another vote for something that’s already been on it.
Without further ado, Kourtney’s Q3 Book Recommendations (with snippet reviews, of course).
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J.K. Rowling (Continuing my HP re-read, and it just keeps getting better! As my good friend Jody pointed out, this is the one where Harry is super teenage angsty, which I had forgotten, but got a kick out of. The next book is my fav, and I can’t wait to get to it!)
Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America Beth Macy (OK, READ THIS. Next. I learned so much about the opioid crisis, about addiction, about how different opioid addiction and treatment is from any other kind of addiction and treatment. And about the history of opiates. But mostly, this crisis is big, it’s different, it’s personal, it’s important, and it deserves your informed attention.)
The Golden Hour: A Novel Beatriz Williams (I hadn’t read an Beatriz Williams before, but this was a good start. Super fun weave of true history and love stories, plus a twist at the end.)
Inland: A Novel Téa Obreht (Oh, this was an odd one! But a really, really cool interpretation of westward expansion in the 1800s.)
Dark Age (Red Rising Series Book 5) Pierce Brown (BE STILL MY BEATING HEART! The second to last installment in my favorite epic space saga of all time, and it did not disappoint. Damn, these books are so good. The character development is just out of this world (#punny!), and the plot twists never fail to keep even an 800-page book exciting with every chapter. Incredible. Get it.)
Space Opera Catherynne M. Valente (Hilarious and weird sci-fi a little bit a la Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.)
The Wedding Party Jasmine Guillory (Jasmine never disappoints for a fun rom-com!)
The Unbreakables: A Novel Lisa Barr (This was for sure one of my top three of the quarter. I’m still thinking about it and telling people about it. I adored the main character and her story. Love and art and pain and self-reflection…just a beautiful book.)
Waisted: A Novel Randy Susan Meyers (This was a great one. If you’ve ever noticed how damaging diet culture is – and who hasn’t noticed that? – you’ll probably enjoy this one.)
Witchmark (The Kingston Cycle Book 1) C. L. Polk (Oooooh, this one was gorgeous. In a similar vein to Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, but I liked this even better. Bonus: LGBTQ+ main characters!)
What You Don’t Know About Charlie Outlaw Leah Stewart (This was not at all what I expected from the summary, in kind of the best way.)
The Cuckoo’s Calling (Cormoran Strike Book 1) Robert Galbraith (This was great! Detective murder mystery stuff, but the main characters are pretty fun. Definitely a series I’ll put on my list.)
Beautiful Player (The Beautiful Series Book 5) Christina Lauren (I don’t think I need to say more about the Beautiful series than I already have, ha. I enjoyed this new couple’s story though!)
Beautiful Bombshell (The Beautiful Series Book 4) Christina Lauren (See above.)
The Silent Patient Alex Michaelides (Ooooh, psychological thriller!!! Excellent ending. And not too long, so a quick, exciting read.)
The Idea of You: A Novel Robinne Lee (Also one of my top three for the quarter. I STILL can’t stop thinking about this book! I adored the characters, and I won’t give you any other spoilers other than I’m hoping against hope that there’s a damn sequel to this one.)
Beautiful Bitch (The Beautiful Series Book 3) Christina Lauren (Listen, put some dirty reading on your list for the winter. Holiday stress is coming, after all.)
The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession Susan Orlean (This was a super fun and interesting one. Definitely a I-can’t-believe-this-is-real-life true story that reads like fiction.)
Pond Claire-Louise Bennett (Short little stream-of-consciousness style read from an Irish author.)
Tell Me Lies: A Novel Carola Lovering (I flat out hated this book. It was honestly one of the most fucked up books I’ve ever read in my entire life. I finished it only to see how fucked up it could end. Jeez. I’m getting all angry and riled up just writing about it for two seconds. But, if you’ve ever had a crazy, narcissistic, pathological liar boyfriend or girlfriend, this one’s for you. Ha.)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J.K. Rowling (See above! Yay, HP!)
Bowlaway: A Novel Elizabeth McCracken (This one was really great. Fun and interesting genealogy story. Definitely recommend it.)
There you have it! I hope there’s something that piques your interest. I’d love to hear if you’ve read any of these and what you thought. And I’d definitely love any recommendations you have! My library wait list is extensive, but I think I can put, like, 48 more books on it, so bring it on!
Reading is probably my favorite hobby. Ever want to talk books? Email me here!