Sooooo, who else is freaked out it’s already Q2? Does every year just keep doing this? Sheesh.
A lot happened, as it always does (I’ll be keeping up this writing habit and sharing more later), but a fun bonus is that a good amount of reading happened too – and – I’m even on top of writing up my list to share with you!
It’s a slimmer list than I would’ve liked, mostly due to a behemoth of a non-fiction book, but I’m pretty happy with everything I got through. I think you might find a good one or two for yourself to head into the rest of Spring and early Summer reading.
And because time is continuing to fly by, let’s just dig right into the eight great books of Q1 2024.
XOXO, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual’s Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness by Cody Rigsby (Y’all, Cody is my boo. He brings joy to my life weekly. His book didn’t disappoint. It was the perfect combination of hilarious fluff and some really deep, relatable life stuff. Highly recommended.)
A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan (Liked it. Pretty great exploration of professional perfectionism, relationships, avoidance, consequences, societal standards, following your heart. Plus, France. It was beautifully written and a very smooth read.)
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes (This one took a while due to the format, but it was so unusual, I’m glad I took this recommendation from one of the wonderful people who replied to the last list to share it! If you’re up for something different, I’d try this one.)
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club: A Novel by J. Ryan Stradal (As an upper Midwesterner, every single one of this author’s books speaks to me. But this one in particular was lovely. You really can’t go wrong here, especially if you’ve 1) ever spent time in the north, or 2) love a good generational story with excellent character development.)
The Gentleman’s Gambit (A League of Extraordinary Women Book 4) by Evie Dunmore (This series is fantastic. I really liked the blending of cultures and travel in this installment!)
Starter Villain by John Scalzi (Seriously, if there’s one recommendation you take from this quarter’s list – this is the one. I can’t even give you any hints here, just read the book jacket and go for it. It’s short, and you won’t be sorry! I laughed out loud all the way through, and I’m still thinking about it. Haven’t read a book so creative in a long time.)
Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus (I was on the waiting list for this one for a looonngg time, but it was worth it. Very worth it. This book has so much heart. Definitely recommend, despite the wreck of a TV show.)
The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson (Here’s the painful non-fiction I previously mentioned. But I’m trying to set myself up for day job success, and this is a classic in that world, so here we are with a completed sales read. I will say I learned some things, and if you’re in a position where you’re responsible for any revenue metrics, I would recommend this book.)
And now, for a very special addition to the quarterly book list – a cameo from The Boyfriend, including his reviews…of my reviews!
Hey everyone! Nice to meet you. I am Matt, The Boyfriend. To really understand my reviews, let me tell you about when I was 10 years old and my school tried to encourage me to read by offering free personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut… Just kidding. I won’t do a blog within a blog – a blog-ception if you will. Anyways, I have always enjoyed reading but was super casual before I met Kourtney. I used to read a book a year but now I try to average one every 1-2 months depending on the book. Kourtney has read so many that she offered some suggestions for me to dive into.
Now let’s dive right in!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (This book was bonkers. In a good way. It is kind of a slow burn for the first 1/3 of the book, but once it starts going, it REALLY makes your brain think about how she had to live her life this whole time. It weaves elements of a child in France and the life that she had, some love interests along the way and a mysterious figure who follows her throughout her entire journey. Eventually you see Addie become a professional of this life she is living and who she meets eventually, that makes it all worth it.)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (First off, I am a big believer in everyone is entitled to their own opinion but what my girlfriend wrote about this book was just wrong! Just kidding but seriously. This book holds a special place in my heart. Not because it is this complex book that reinvented the genre or any crap like that. I read this book during a very weird part of my life (I was 26, I think everyone felt that way). I had never left the country and it was like the first book that I read in years. This book inspired me to look outside of the world I am in and to EXPLORE this world we are given, not just visiting countries, but look outside of the world you have created. A quote from the book that I loved was “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” This book is an easy read and such a pleasure to read all the morals and wisdom woven throughout.)
The Atlas Six &The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake (This book series (so far), the characters dialogue is very engaging and the story is told form the perspective of 6 people, sometimes more. The story is very well woven together but teeters on the line of being one of those “young adult” books that has a guy and a girl meet each other for the first time then all of a sudden, 10 pages later, they are banging. The sex scenes are limited but it was like, “Oh okay, I guess we are having sex now”. The story gets more engaging as the books go on and I do plan on reading the 3rd and final installment soon.)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown (If there is one thing that I will forever thank my girlfriend for is for introducing me to this book series. I have only read the first book, but what the fuck. So good. Just read it people. I bill be reading Book 2 after The Starter Villian!)
Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles (This book is a non-fiction that is super simple to read. If you are struggling to find your passionate purpose or Ikigai, this book is for you. It goes over different studies and how people all over Japan have found what gives them their long lives. It goes into detail about the different “blue zones” around the world and how people live long lives, not just diet, but friends groups, love etc. Highly recommend. This will rewire your brain to change how you view all the daily and mundane bullshit you do everyday and make you think, “Does this bring me joy”?)
Well, it’s a short-ish list, but hopefully a solid one, and with some throwbacks from quarters and years past for fun. I hope you enjoyed the bonus too! I know I did 🙂
As always, if you have any recommendations to share from your first few months of the year, I’m all ears – please reach out and send them over! I’m about to head on a big vacation that involves a 17-hour international flight, so I’ll definitely need a mini-library to survive. And if you’ve read any of these or decide to try them, let me know. I always like to commiserate over a book.
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