Do you track the books you’ve read? I go through cycles, where I’ll track on Goodreads, then forget for a while if I’m reading a hardcopy instead of on my Kindle. Then I have the habit of picking up multiple books at the same time, depending on my mood. I love the idea of reading nonfiction in the morning and fiction in the evening. So intentional. I am not that way and have failed to keep that model going. Instead, I am very much a mood reader, and I never read in the morning. If I read in the morning I’d never get my day going! Below is a running list of books I’ve enjoyed lately.
The Bridgerton Series. My friend and I did a fun Bridgerton bingo based on commonly used historical romance phrases and tropes. We ended up sending each other bookish mugs as a treat.
Michelle Obama, Becoming. I’ve really enjoyed her narration on audiobook.
The Selection Series. I listened to this series. It was a fun palette cleanser without anything too heavy.
A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Give me all of Sarah J. Maas. I am not a fantasy reader and did not think this was for me…but, wow. I’m in awe. I raced through this series on audio and bought the latest release in hardcover.
The Roommate, Rosie Danan. I picked this up because I had to know how this book was getting so many recommendations (it’s a contemporary romance and one character is a porn star). I KNOW! Somehow, it works, and it was a cute, fun read.
The Happy Ever After Playlist, Abby Jimenez. Anything with a playlist to go along with a book, I’m all in. This author touches on debilitating grief for the main character and how she powers through it. I loved the dog’s antics in this too.
Love Lettering, Kate Clayborn. How adorable was this book? If you love stationary and design, this is a fun, clever read.
The Devil Wears Black, LJ Shen. Sometimes I just love the mean (ish), quirky dialogue and black heart that LJ Shen’s heroes offer. And they’re not really the devil incarnate, but have big hearts and fierce loyalty underneath all that prickly exterior.
All Rhodes Lead Here, Mariana Zapata. Some of her releases haven’t clicked with me, but I loved this one. If you love slow burn, with the girl down on her luck, and the details are very slowly revealed, this is for you.
My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan. This was excellent. I went into this thinking it would be a sweet, formulaic romance, but oh my goodness it is not. It goes deeper, with literary references and quotes from famous poets at the heading of each chapter. The book raises the question of the meaning of life and love and choosing to live fully or safely. This book is so much bigger than I expected. Supposedly there is a move in the works and Jamie Fraser–excuse me, Sam Heughan–was tagged to it. This was before the pandemic, so who knows if that’s still happening. But I’m here for it.