Reading Lists – Page 2

August 2023 Books Read

Read each book’s complete synopsis on Goodreads and check out my quick thoughts below:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

A woman who has lost her family finds solace in cleaning the local aquarium, befriends the resident octopus, and seeks the truth behind her son’s mysterious death.

This is an incredibly heartfelt story about a woman who cleans the Sowell Bay Aquarium and befriends one of its residents, a cranky old octopus named Marcellus. The story deftly navigates loss and trying to embrace the future when the past still has a tight grasp on your heart. I was completely charmed by Marcellus’ narration and really loved that this sweet story also explored themes of friendship and family and what it means to move on. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

Sally Diamond knows she is different from other people, but when she removes the body of her dead father with the rubbish, she doesn’t understand why she becomes the media’s focus…she was only carrying out his wishes. As she slowly learns about the horrors of her childhood, someone from her past resurfaces and forces her to confront some difficult truths about her history.

Once I started reading, I could not put down this page-turner of a story. This is purposefully vague review because you need to go into this one knowing as little as possible. Wow. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Summit: How Triumph Turned to Tragedy on K2’s Deadliest Days by Pat Falvey and Pemba Gyalje

In 2008, 18 climbers from around the world set off for the peak of K2, the second tallest mountain in the world. Claiming one of every four climbers who attempt to reach its summit, it is also the deadliest. A series of catastrophic events led to 11 lives lost and even more lives changed forever.

In 2022, my husband and I developed an intense fascination with mountain climbing, particularly the tallest peaks in the world. We devoured documentary after documentary before I turned my attention to nonfiction. It had been awhile since I picked up a book on the topic, but I revisited the Karakoram mountains with this deep dive into the 2008 K2 climbing disaster. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

Elle has awoken many summer mornings at her family’s retreat, known affectionately as “The Paper Palace,” but everything changes the morning after she has sex with her childhood friend and young love. Although she is a happily married mother, Elle spends the next 24 hours trying to decide the future she wants.

I’ll be taking a look at my “Best of Summer” reads next week, but I dare say that The Paper Palace might come out on top. I absolutely adored everything about this story – the summer vibes that felt more “mossy pond and screen door slams”, young friendship evolving into love that becomes a distraction in the present, and the ways our past can continue to affect our lives. Moving back and forth through time provided me the history of the family and summers past. Amazing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Last One by Will Dean

A woman who embarks on a cruise with her boyfriend wakes up to realize she is completely alone on an ocean liner drifting at sea.

I was so intrigued by the premise for this thick thriller: a passenger on a cruise ship wakes up to discover she is completely alone. The plot became a bit bonkers from there, then became increasingly bonkers until the very last paragraph when I, quite literally, rolled my eyes and closed the cover on my Kindle. ⭐⭐

The Whispers by Ashley Audrain

The lives of four neighborhood families are forever changed when a young boy falls from his bedroom window in the middle of the night.

Audrain knows how to write a gripping story, and this book culminates in a shocker of a line in the book’s final paragraph, just like in The Push. I liked the themes of this book – friendships and marriages on a neighborhood street – but found The Push to be just a bit better. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

A beloved yet reclusive children’s author returns to writing and offers four contestants the chance to participate in a game with an incredible prize.

The plot synopsis felt very Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory for book lovers, which is what initially drew me to the story, but how it all came together was incredibly lackluster. The puzzles the contestants were to solve to win the grand prize started out promising and then quickly evolved into activities that were neither creative nor interesting. One of the main storylines, the protagonist hoping to adopt a young boy, was very unrealistic. I didn’t want or need a romance in this book either. A huge miss for me in just about all aspects. ⭐⭐

Puzzle House by Duncan Ralston

Six strangers arrive at the home of a renowned puzzle master for the reading of his will, only to discover they must solve a series of puzzles to escape with their lives.

I have only read one other book by Duncan Ralston (Ghostland) and found it to be fun, although a bit lacking. My sentiments for Puzzle House are similar. Both of these books were good, but could have been great. The trapped participants in this story had completely bonkers puzzles to solve, many of which required a very specific breadth of knowledge to do so. It was fine.⭐⭐.5

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

Sam looks forward to a break from work and time with her mom watching British mysteries and sipping wine, but her mother’s odd behavior and unusual happenings in the house lead her to start digging for the truth about her childhood home.

I adore a haunted house story, and the lure of kicking off spooky season with a Southern Gothic read was very appealing. As the childhood home became increasingly creepy and the protagonist’s mom displayed more concerning behaviors, I found myself sucked deeper into the story. The tone was eerie with a hint of playfulness, which was a fun combination for my first official fall read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

Short story collections are difficult to rate and review because it’s rare that there is consistency throughout. This proved true yet again with Cursed Bunny. The first few stories were creative and gave my skin just a hint of that creepy-crawly feeling, but as I progressed through the book the stories weakened, became longer, and I quickly lost interest. It started as a four star read and was a two by the end. ⭐⭐

July 2023 Reading

This is the first post in a new series focusing on my monthly reads.

Each month’s post will be updated as I finish a book, so check back weekly for updates!

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

After the sudden death of a friend, a group of college friends makes a pact to call on one another when needed to hold a “funeral” for one another to celebrate the person who is need of a little extra care. The idea? That we shouldn’t wait until the people we love are gone to share the moments made together and the reasons why our loved ones are so important to us. Spanning decades, we revisit the friends at various vulnerable moments in their lives and how they gather to celebrate one another in the face of losing parents, facing cancer, etc.

The Guncle was one of my favorite books of 2022, and I anxiously awaited the publication date of The Celebrants after putting my copy on hold immediately upon its entry into our library’s system. Sadly, this book didn’t have any of the warmth or heart that I loved so very much in The Guncle. The only storyline I cared about was that of Jordy and Jordan, and when the book features an ensemble cast, it’s not good when there are more characters you don’t care about than those you do. Disappointing. ⭐⭐

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

The 1929, the Hope family murders rocked the Maine coast. Most people assumed teenage Lenora was responsible, but she was never proven guilty. Following the incident, she never spoke publicly about it nor left the walls of her home, Hope’s End, the cliffside manor where the crime occurred. In 1983, home-health aide Kit McDeere tends to Lenora after her previous nurse fled. One night, Lenora communicates to Kit that she wants to reveal everything about the massacre, but even as she reveals details, Kit questions her honesty. She is left to wonder if she is safe within the mansion’s walls…and with Lenora.

Since the publication of Final Girls, Sager’s first novel, I have looked forward to his new release each year. The two most recent titles, Survive the Night and The House Across the Lake, let me down a bit. The Only One Left, however, won me over immediately and proved to be a great palette cleanser that revitalized my love and appreciation for Sager’s storytelling. The creepy mansion on the cliff’s edge, mysterious Lenora, and the 1980s vibe all worked for me. Not knowing the direction the story was heading was nice too. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Harriett and Wynn are known among their friends as the perfect couple, together since college, happy in every way. Except, they aren’t. They have been broken up for six months but haven’t revealed this to the friends they vacation with each summer in Maine. Too afraid to break their friends’ hearts, they keep their secret, and each continues to play the part of loving partner. What happens when you still want each other while pretending you don’t?

Each Emily Henry novel is better than her last. I love how she writes relationships, but in Happy Place, I really loved the focus on friendship, group dynamics, and the strain that time and maturity places on friends who have known one another for so long and find themselves growing in different directions. It all just felt real and relatable.

The setting of fictional town Knott’s Landing, Maine is the perfect backdrop for a summer read, which is essential to my enjoyment when I read June through August. I want the cute little town with its quaint shops, descriptions of summer foods, morning boat rides hikes, and walks to get morning coffee (from a place with a cute name of course.) Absolutely delightful. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Beach Trap by Ali Brady

DNF at 39% – I realized I didn’t care for the characters or the story, so I decided to move on

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin

In 1960’s California, the Donnelly sisters grow up in a household with an absent father and a mother who would rather be out in the waves than at home prepping casseroles. But when Carol introduces daughters Mindy and Ginger to surfing, the girls view it as a way to keep their family together and ignite some mothering instincts in Carol, as they constantly fear she will leave them. The girls grow up, and their paths veer in different directions: Mindy excels in surfing, takes roles in films, attends parties, takes a tour with the USO in Vietnam, and delights in her minor celebrity status. Ginger; however, struggles with finding her identity, and ultimately seeks community and love through a cult. No matter where they are in the world, there are things that tie them together.

When I first requested this ARC, I was pulled in by the description of a surf family’s saga, set against the backdrop of 1960s California with its party scene, drugs, and cults with the Vietnam War happening abroad. I generally enjoyed the story, but there were just too many big themes there and none of them received enough attention. It all felt a bit surface-level, and I wanted to go deeper. More surfing, or more about the cult, or more about the USO tour in Vietnam, rather than a little bit of everything. ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Summer Reading List 2023

Creating a summer reading list is one of my annual traditions to welcome my favorite season, but this year I dedicated even more time to the process. I combed websites, listened to podcast episodes, explored Goodreads, and consulted fellow bookworms to make sure I was creating a list perfectly aligned with my reading wants and needs.

This year’s list (and here I interject that I don’t expect to read all of these between June and August, but I like to have options to pull from) is a nice mix of generally lighter fare: thrillers, rom coms, gripping family sagas, and a bit of horror. I’ll be sharing a monthly update as summer progresses, so stay tuned for some recommendations as the weeks pass.

What are you looking forward to reading this summer?

Five Star February Romance Reads

It’s February and love is in the air…so why not put your nose in a book? A sweet, romantic, escapist novel to give you all the Valentine’s Day feels is just what the month orders.

Here are a few romantic reads I have loved:

🌟 NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT BY ANNABEL MONAGHAN

As a screenwriter for a popular romance channel, Nora Hamilton turns the story of her husband leaving her and their two children into the best script she’s ever created. When it’s picked up for the big screen, cast and crew descend on her old home’s property for filming. After everyone else departs, former Sexiest Man Alive/current leading man Leo Vance sticks around because he craves a little normalcy in his life. The love that unfolds is bigger than either could have imagined, but can it overcome his big-screen life and her emotional baggage?

🌟 BOOK LOVERS BY EMILY HENRY

Cutthroat literary agent Nora Stephens is a city girl at heart, but when her sister Libby begs for a girls’ getaway to small town Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, Nora can’t refuse. Even in this rural refuge, she can’t escape the city. Charlie Lastra, a surly editor she’s had many unpleasant encounters with, is also in Sunshine Falls. Amidst their constant run-ins, Nora must remind herself she can’t stand him, or risk being engulfed by their chemistry. An ode to bookworms and romance fans alike, Henry’s latest is another winner.

🌟 JUST HAVEN’T MET YOU YET BY SOPHIE COUSENS

When Laura arrives at the hotel for her business trip to the Channel Islands, she realizes she grabbed the wrong luggage at the airport. Upon inspecting the bag, its fascinating contents helps her craft a fantasy of the bag’s owner, sparking her determination to meet him. As she tours the island with surly cab driver Ted, she works to uncover her parents’ love story and write the romantic piece her editor has assigned her while also attempting to hunt down the bag’s owner. She slowly discovers her family’s story isn’t what she was brought up believing, leading her to reevaluate what she wants in life and in love.

🌟 ON THE ISLAND BY TRACEY GARVIS GRAVES

Teacher Anna Emerson can hardly believe her luck when she is offered a tutoring position for T.J. Callahan at his family’s summer retreat in The Maldives. While Anna excitedly awaits her summer in a tropical paradise, T.J., who is in remission from cancer and catching up on stacks of schoolwork, is less excited. As the pair fly to meet his family, the pilot has a fatal heart attack and the sea plane crashes in the Indian Ocean. Floating to the shores of an uninhabited island, Anna and T.J. quickly realize their survival depends on one another. As days turn to weeks and then to months, the pair grows closer as they work to overcome the island’s obstacles, all with the threat of T.J.’s cancer resurfacing.

10 Books I Can’t Wait to Read This Summer

People We Meet on Vacation

by Emily Henry (available now)

Although opposites in many ways, Alex and Poppy become the best of friends following a shared car ride home from college. Despite moving away from one another after graduation, they meet each year for a week-long vacation together. After a falling-out drives a wedge between them, Poppy eventually convinces Alex to spend one last vacation together to save their relationship.

Wild Women and the Blues

by Denny S. Bryce (available now)

It’s 1925 and in Chicago, jazz is king. Honoree Dalcour is trying to dance her way to the top at the Dreamland Café, the hottest club in town. Nearly 100 years later, past and present intertwine when film student Sawyer Hayes interviews Honoree on her deathbed to hear her story and finish his thesis.

Survive the Night

by Riley Sager (release date July 6th)

Charlie is anxious and grieving the death of her best friend who was the third victim of a murderer stalking their college campus. Wanting to get away, she accepts a ride from the school’s ride-share board with Josh, who claims to be leaving to care for his sick father. During the drive, she begins to suspect Josh might be the Campus Killer and the night becomes a fight for her life.

The Final Girl Support Group

by Grady Hendrix (release date July 13th)

final girl: the term given to the girl who survives the horror movie

Lynette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre but is haunted by its memory each day. She meets regularly with five other “final girls” and a therapist, who work together to try to reassemble their lives following the horrific events they experienced. When one of the girls goes missing, Lynette realizes someone knows about their support group and is hunting them one by one.

Shoulder Season

by Christina Clancy (release date July 6th)

Small-town good girl Sherri Taylor dons a too-small costume and too-small high heels for a job as a bunny at the nearby Playboy Resort.

The summer is magic – sex, drugs, rock and roll, friendships, and first love. Caught up in a love triangle by season’s end, a tragedy will haunt Sherri for the next several decades.

The Husbands

by Chandler Baker (release date August 3rd)

Norah Spangler is a high-powered attorney, wife, and mother who finds herself pulling most of the weight at home. When the family purchases a new home in neighborhood Dynasty Ranch, Norah is introduced to the successful women who reside there – authors, surgeons, CEOs – who are supported by their husbands. When Norah agrees to assist one of the wives with a wrongful death suit, she begins to uncover that things in Dynasty Ranch are just…different. And that maybe the key to “having it all” is worth killing for.

That Weekend

by Kara Thomas (release date June 29th)

A group of friends sets off for a fun weekend away at a lake house, but when Claire awakens alone and bloody on a hiking trail to find her friends missing, she fears the events of the previous night are locked in her memory.

Haven Point

by Virginia Hume (release date June 8th)

A family saga spanning seventy years, Haven Point explores the traditions of family and small towns, love and betrayal, and wars and storms.

The seaside setting of Haven Point, Maine, provides the backdrop of this family’s story and this novel is recommended for fans of Elin Hilderbrand.

Revival Season

by Monica West (available now)

Miriam Horton and her family spends their summers traveling through small southern towns for revival season, where Miriam’s famous-pastor father holds healing services.

When Miriam witnesses an act of violence she discovers she has the power to heal, but her church believes that such power is denied to women, forcing Miriam to grapple between faith, family, and her powers to help others, which she must conceal.

One Last Stop

by Casey McQuinston (available now)

August moves to New York City, waiting tables in a diner and trudging through her days. When she spots Jane, a punk-rock vision in leather, her subway crush becomes the highlight of her commute. When August discovers that Jane is displaced from the 1970s and cannot leave the subway, August’s past and present collide as she tries to help her.

Category: Reading Lists