July was my best reading month yet! It‘s too bad this streak ends Friday when I go back to work. 😭

Favorites this month:
•Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
•Ask Again, Yes

Least Favorite
•The Cactus

I love Elin‘s books during the summertime, and this one didn‘t disappoint. There were a couple storylines that I wish had more depth, but other than that, it was a fun read.

“Indeed it is the same world that wants to keep lauding only those who have already been lauded, those who have, throughout history, been accepted.”

Three Women was equal parts intriguing, infuriating, & heartbreaking. The author chose these 3 women because of their relatability - their desires & insecurities absolutely were. It gave me so much to reflect upon: society‘s treatment & judgment of women & the role shame plays in women‘s lives.

Not sure I‘m the best person to review this book given I‘ve never listened to ”My Favorite Murder.” I also thought this book‘s content would contain more about serial killers than self-help advice. All in all, it was entertaining, and I‘ll likely given Georgia & Karen‘s podcast a listen. 💁🏻‍♀️

I just love Katherine Center and her new, wonderful book so much.

Reese let me down with this pick. The main character was so prickly and lacked even an ounce of empathy for the majority of the book, so I can‘t even compare this to Eleanor Oliphant. The ending was cute, but I‘m just not sure the hours listening to get there were worth it.

A perfectly fun and juicy summer read!

Not what I expected. While parts of the book intrigued me, I struggled to connect with June, the 20-something protagonist who is floating through life without much purpose. Her irreverence and cynicism struck me as inauthentic at times. This book will not be memorable for me.

Ask Again, Yes is a beautifully complex story about a terrible incident that forever binds two families. It‘s about mental illness, addiction, infidelity, hope, love, and forgiveness. It is real, raw, and thought-provoking.

I enjoyed this quick, thought-provoking memoir. The author, who has always felt somewhat out of place in her family, takes a DNA test on a whim and learns her biological father is not the dad who raised her.

Loved absolutely everything about this book. It was hard to hold back the tears toward the end. 5⭐️ read

I grew increasingly engrossed in this book as my understandings of the main characters evolved. Such a fun family drama and definitely a “pick!”

Woot woot! I‘ve got a lot of reading to do! 🎉

9 books this June - Most were available from the library and downloaded to the Kindle, so I could read while traveling. My favorites were Kitchen Confidential, Sisters First, & Sweetbitter.

Cute but not my favorite. As the book drew on, I grew increasingly frustrated with the characters‘ continual misunderstandings and miscommunications. I was more than ready to reach the end of this audiobook.

I loved so much about this book. Jenna and Barbara took turns writing chapters throughout the book, and while most of the book was sweet, they did not shy away from talking about some less-than-flattering moments and tough topics.

I completely get why some people hate this book, but I really enjoyed it. I loved the fast-paced, cut-throat, and indulgent setting described throughout the book. It was a fascinating read after listening to Kitchen Confidential earlier this month.

This book was all over the place with so many themes - ageism, gender fluidity, consent, internet consumption, and sexual orientation. Perrotta clearly wanted to say a lot within such a short book that a lot of it felt inauthentic to me. I‘m still looking forward to HBO‘s series, though, to see all the awkwardness play out on screen!

My 2nd Hoover book, and it was as much of an emotional rollercoaster as the 1st. 🎢💕Love, love, loved this super fast read.

What an entertaining audiobook! Bourdain‘s stories are great - shocking, hilarious, and unfiltered.

I don‘t really have the words to review this book - a book based on the experiences of two Holocaust survivors. The book was written first as a screenplay, and at times that‘s how it comes across. But, oh my gosh, the story is absolutely incredible.

While looking for an “available now” audiobook, I settled on this one because I loved the title.

This book is an all-encompassing call out, addressing anything and everything from social media over-posting to body-shaming. Luvvie delivers her call-outs with humor, and while none of her points are revolutionary, they are entertaining.

This book teeters between a “pick” and a “so-so” for me.

3⭐️ read - I skimmed all of the celebrity “Why I Love the Bachelor” sections, and while there was nothing earth-shattering or jaw-dropping in this tell-all, I was interested in the behind-the-scenes chapters that detail how the show was created and is run. What is scary is knowing how closely the show UNreal (on Lifetime) may mirror reality.

June books 🎉

May books | My favorite: Little Fires Everywhere 🔥

I could not put this book down. Rum did a beautiful job of weaving together the stories of three Palestinian women from different generations The book was heart-breaking (over and over again), thought-provoking, and hopeful.

A mostly light-hearted, non-linear memoir. I enjoyed Drew‘s stories, and hearing her read it on audio was fun - minus the moments of dramatic screaming & screeching. 🙉

About 1/3 of the way through, and I can‘t put this book down.

I loved absolutely everything about this book. One of the best books I‘ve read in a long time.

Such a great book that touches on racism, alcoholism, poverty, and privilege with deadpan humor sprinkled throughout.

Outside on the deck with a book and a drink... my favorite kind of Friday night.

This book was very interesting, and I recommend if you‘re interested in true crime (I hadn‘t heard of any of the 4 cases analyzed). Note that some of the information was repetitive, and though there is a clear overall structure to this book, the sections felt a little messy. I haven‘t read Mindhunter. I‘d love to hear opinions from those who have read both books!

I couldn‘t put this book down. It wasn‘t the twistiest thriller, but I was completely hooked by the main character‘s relationship with her future mother-in-law. 4⭐️

Normal People is a pick, but I enjoyed Conversations with Friends more.

Maid is a thoughtful and hopeful memoir, and it‘s just simply that. It‘s not a memoir with larger critiques on poverty and income inequality in America. If you‘re okay with that, you‘ll enjoy Maid. 3.5/5 ⭐️

If you enjoy true crime, this horrific book about Charles Cullen (The Angel of Death) is for you. It is well-researched and thorough, explaining Charlie‘s personal struggles, the actions the hospitals took (or didn‘t take), and the investigative work done to catch Charlie.

I realize a lot of thrillers are far fetched and unrealistic, but this one really was. I did enjoy how the story was told from multiple perspectives (not knowing which characters were reliable narrators), and it was a fast read. But I think my expectations were too high.

I really enjoyed Rooney‘s writing style. She created such complex, flawed characters, and I couldn‘t stop turning pages to read what (destructive) choices each made next. Such an impressive debut novel.

You know a book is great if you get goosebumps reading the ending on a beach in 80* weather!

Here are my March books because I don‘t think I‘ll finish another in the next two days. Daisy Jones was my favorite in this bunch, and I really didn‘t care for The Proposal.

Absolutely loved this book. My dad spent some time as a young adult working in Alaska, time that overlapped with this fictional world Hannah created. The setting was perfect, and the characters were excellent. I really enjoyed this tear-jerker.

Oh my gosh, this book did not disappoint. I could not put it down, and now that I‘ve finished it, I can‘t help but rewatch Fleetwood Mac‘s The Dance on YouTube.

Also, those hideous Target stickers are a serious pet peeve of mine. 😆

Just finished this on audio, and it was so much fun and adorably cute.

I wanted to like this book, but it was a predictable, shallow, snooze fest ⚾️🧢💍

Thrillers with unreliable narrators aren‘t my favorite, but the ending of this book was good!

It‘s been a day filled with yard work and just enough time to finish this one. If you enjoy thrillers, I highly recommend!

I was on the fence with this book when I started (partly due to the narrator‘s voices and partly because I felt David was attempting to rationalize and defend his parenting). I‘m glad I stuck with this book, because, whoa, it was complex, emotional, and honest. It‘s a raw account of how addiction affects an entire family with some sobering research woven in.

Here are my February books. An Anonymous Girl and American Housewife were my only “meh” reads. It was a pretty good reading month!

Happy I made this my #BOTM pick for February. I loved that it was based on real artists. I loved the setting - 1930s Paris. Such an intriguing book that totally captured my attention.

I‘m going to say the same thing everyone else has said, but that‘s okay. I can‘t recommend this audiobook enough. I loved learning more about Michelle‘s beautiful life. Her voice was such a comfort as I listened on my commute and working through chores.