Friends. I finally did it. I joined an actual book club last quarter!
Funny enough, I missed the first book and meeting (because I was in Bali, heyyyyyy), but it’s been not-so-surprisingly lovely for the last couple of months.
Double funny, the friend who started the club and asked me to join had zero clue what an avid reader I am and that I’ve been sharing this little list for the past eight years or so.
It would follow that I (ahem, a little selfishly) made last month’s book selection because I really didn’t want to only read thrillers and crime mystery type stuff, which were the first two selections (why are so many women into that stuff?!?). Interestingly, it’s one of the only books I’ve ever actively, willingly, excitedly re-read. If you’ve been around for a while, you may be able to guess which one I picked, because it’s absolutely one of my top three books of all time. And naturally, everyone loved it too because I’m great at book recommendations, of course.
Given this success, I’ve got a list of five books prepped for next month’s recommendations, but you’ll have to wait for those until next quarter.
In the meantime, I got through nine books in Q2, and grrrrrrl, they were all top notch in their own way. Really solid selection, particularly for what’s left of summer, so I hope you find something you love from the list!
The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake (The final book in the Atlas series, and it was a doozie. Actually took me a while to get through because it pulled everything together in a very deep, psychological, philosophical way. Really good end to this story though.)
Next-Door Nemesis by Alexa Martin (Alexa is just so great at writing these sweet and funny little rom-coms. You can’t go wrong. I very much enjoyed this one and am already on the waitlist for her most recent!)
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle (One of my top five favorite authors, Rebecca does it again. I say it with every one of my reviews for her books, but her use of magical realism is just so perfectly well done every single time. This book was short and sweet, but still managed to include surprises along the way.)
Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Y’all. I love Arnold. Of course I love Arnold! And of course, I positively devoured this book. While Arnold has definitely had a life full of very unique circumstances and is now in a position that only a handful of others will ever be in, the way he got there is surprisingly and weirdly relatable and approachable, and dare I say it – approachable for pretty much anyone, in our own way. I won’t give away all the seven tools, but I will say that this book left me truly inspired, and with a clearer vision and path to achieving it. Highly, highly recommend.)
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (Another book with an element of magical realism. This one was just so heartfelt, heartwarming. I kept skipping it for some reason, and I’m so glad I finally just dove in. Loved it completely. Beautiful, beautiful story and characters.)
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (First book club book, and as you might guess, I did not pick it. Not my style at all. But I’m a good sport, and I’m glad I didn’t skip it, just to mix things up a bit. Interesting concept for sure, and if you like the crime/mystery/thriller category, you might like this one.)
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan (The second I saw Kevin Kwan had a new book releasing, I got on the library pre-order list. He is just so, so good at writing these incredibly rich and detailed books about the rich. As always, this was ridiculous and chaotic and surprising and silly. But with love, of course. Great fun read for sure.)
Funny Story by Emily Henry (Another one of my top five fav authors, but ugh, her last two or three books have been so disappointing. Guess what, everyone – Emily Henry’s back! I really, really enjoyed this one. The concept is maybe a bit far-fetched, but the main characters and their chemistry make up for it.)
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (Did you guess it?!? This is my book club recommendation and the first book I’ve re-read in probably ten years. WORTH IT. 100%. If you haven’t read The Idea of You, do it now. If you have, read it again. It’s as good, if not better, the second time around. And if you’re in the first category, all you need to know is this book is about a 40-year-old woman and a 20-year-old boy band superstar falling in real love. Every millennial girl’s dream, but *ahem* all grown up in the best way.)
That’s my list. But don’t worry, we’re not done! Boyfriend has a few to add too…
Hey everyone! It’s Matt. Back again to tell you the books I read!
First up – Circe by Madeline Miller. If you like Greek mythology and the ancient world, I highly recommend this book. Basically, it is about a woman who is a nymph, whose father is Helios, the god of the sun (I think). She has only ever known her life as a nymph and her life as a “less than important” figure in her father’s world. She goes to earth and eventually discovers she has some unique abilities that force her to be outcast from her place at her father’s feet, to an island on Earth. There she lives her life in solitude but with various guests showing up in her life and her adventures mingle with other famous people from antiquity. Daedalus, Icarus and Minotaurs. So if you would be into that, I think you would be really into this book. I gave it 4/5 stars. At some points in the book, it dragged on a bit but I love this Greek shit, so I stuck through it.
Next, wanted to try something with a little more humorous, and not so fantasy driven. I read Starter Villian by John Scalzi. This book was great. Essentally, it is about a 30-something teacher from middle America whose uncle dies and he suddenly becomes the heir to a vast empire of evil doings. From talking dolphins to cats that are super intelligent, this book is a great ride. Super easy to read and funny. 5/5 stars.
After that, as some of you may know, Kourtney and I went to Bali in April and if you have ever been on a long-haul flight and can’t sleep, you find yourself literally bored out of your mind. I started Book #2 of Red Rising, Golden Son by Pierce Brown. After reading the first one, I was hooked. I read about half of it on the plane and finished it about 5 days later next to the pool. This one ends on a cliffhanger where I literally said, “What the eff”? So while still at the pool, I dove right back into it with book #3, Morning Star. Why is this series so good? WHY! I am thankful I discovered this after the books have been out awhile (Kourtney edit: You’re welcome.) so I can dive into the next one, cause if I had to wait years for this, I’d go bonkers. Always 5/5 stars.
Most recently, I picked up The Martian by Andy Weir. I first discovered Andy Weir when I read Hail Mary (which is amazing af – 5/5 stars), and I wanted to read something that started it all for this author. This author writes very “personal”, and I mean that as he writes like how someone would think in their head and it is easily relatable. The Martian is a great book, it is funny, sweet, super heavy in the science parts (cause duh, space) – but super good. I give this one 4/5 stars.
Currently, I am reading The Will of the Many by James Islington. Super interesting book so far, I am about halfway through and I am excited that it is going to be a series as well. It is a story based in “modern” roman times but ancient? They wear togas, wax tablets, and coliseums. I will have an update for you all next time!
Happy to report that I hit my book goal for the year already. I wanted to read more than 6 (I know, rookie shit), but happy to hit it!
Well, there you go! 15 freshies for you. Plus you got some fun, totally unedited book commentary from boyfriend. Isn’t he so funny and cute with his summaries? Trust me, he’s really this funny and cute IRL too. It’s the best.
I digress! Maybe that’s another blog for another day 🙂
Anyway, what are you reading lately? Give me the goods! Have you read anything I’ve suggested previously? Did you love it? Hate it? And as always, let’s be friends on Goodreads to keep up in real time, too. I think we’re both off to a good start here in Q3, so stay tuned for another good time installment in the fall.
In the meantime, I’m noodling on some good stuff. Work related. Relationships. Finding your place when the world is burning. You know, typical stuff we talk about here. In between getting lost in our books, of course.
Here’s to turning the pages.
If you want the next book list direct-to-inbox, sign up here!
One of the things I’m noodling on has to do with this survey about fitness for full-time working professionals I asked about a while back. If you’re potentially interested in beta testing something for me, click here. It’ll put you on a list and I’ll email you directly. More to come soon.
Also: Hugs. The world may be burning (in some locations, literally), but we’re still here to love each other through it the best that we can. I love hugs, and I’m sending a big, ten-second one your way.