Nothing hits quite like summer reading. When I was in school, I remember being given a list of books where I was supposed to choose three-to-five books to read over the summer break, and I always read the whole list — I didn’t want to have picked the wrong books! Let’s get started! one | Legendborn by Tracy Deonn Bree is looking to do anything but think about her mother’s recent death. When she gets accepted to the Early College program at UNC – Chapel Hill with her best friend, Bree thinks all her prayers have been answered. But before Bree can get settled into life as a kind of…
No Exit | A Book Review
Trigger Warnings: descriptions of extreme violence, torture, insinuations of rape, sex trafficking, and pedophilia, animal cruelty It’s a cold, snowy night when Darby is making the trip she never imagined herself taking — she’s driving home to tell her mother she loves her. Darby and her mother have never gotten along, but now, her mother’s been diagnosed with cancer, and Darby has to make amends for all the horrible things she said to her mother on Thanksgiving. So, that’s why Darby is driving through the worst blizzard she’s seen in her life. That’s why Darby is forced to pull over and wait out the storm at a highway rest stop with…
Best Books of 2021 So Far
I’ve read over 35 books in 2021 so far, and I’ve read some really great books as well, so I decided it was time to whittle down my reads to some of the best in 2021 thus far. Let’s get started! one | It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover Lilly didn’t have an easy childhood. From saving homeless boys from themselves to protecting her mother from her abusive father, she didn’t really get to be a kid. But, she moves to Boston once she graduates from college, and life couldn’t be better. She opens her own flower shop, falls in love with a neurosurgeon, and makes an amazing new best…
Top 10 Books to Read at the Beach
It officially summer, and I have very mixed feelings about it, so I’m trying to cheer myself up with the thought of reading lots of books by the pool this year. I don’t think I’ll be making any trips to the beach with a few weddings on the horizon, but I will be moving to a new apartment with a fancy salt water pool, so you bet your butt I’ll be taking advantage of that. If you are going to the beach though, these are some must reads while you’re there. Let’s get started! one | Beach Read by Emily Henry Duh. January and Augustus can’t write a single word. Which is…
Malibu Rising | A Book Review
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest published work on shelves now, and you’d be a fool not to pick it up. If you’ve been here for a while, you know how much I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & the Six, and Malibu Rising is another Reid hit to add to the shelves. The Riva family is kind of famous. Not only are a few of them pro-surfers and models, but they throw the wildest beach party every summer that anyone who is anyone always makes sure to attend. This year though, things are different. This year, by 8 a.m., everything is up in flames. Reid tells the timeless story of…
Books to Read During Pride Month (And Year Long) | 2021
Happy Pride! This month, I’m sending love to those that are out and proud, those finding their safe spaces to explore themselves, those still figuring it out, and everyone in between. I’ve rounded up a few books I’ve read or plan to read that I think showcase the varied experiences someone can have in life. Please note, I do identify as she/her and as straight, so please support LGBTQ creators and authors as much as possible this month! one | Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz Aristotle and Dante don’t fit in. Aristotle is angry at the world, and Dante is a know-it-all. But…
Books I Read In May | 2021
Happy June! I read such a wide variety of books in May, and I powered through a few library reads that I really enjoyed. From the number one book on TikTok to a local author’s first published work, I read seven books in May. Let’s get started! one | In Five Years by Rebecca Serle — Audiobook Dani has it all figured out. Down the specific day she will get married, she’s been mapping out her life since the moment it came crashing down. But, on the night of her engagement, everything changes. She’s somehow transported five years into the future, and she’s not with her new fiancé, but a…
Most Anticipated Summer Book Releases | 2021
It’s been a rainy few weeks in Nashville, but that doesn’t mean I’m not counting down the days to days in the park reading under the shade. Summer is the perfect time for a thriller, and these new releases will not disappoint. Let’s get started! one | Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Riva family is famous. Not only are a few of them pro-surfers and models, but they throw the wildest beach party every summer that anyone who is anyone always makes sure to attend. This year, things are different. This year, by 8 a.m., everything is up in flames. Reid tells the timeless story of what it…
Books I Read in April | 2021
Happy May! April wasn’t my best month for reading — between traveling and taking on some new responsibilities, some reading tip was chewed up by other activities, but I’m still proud of everything I read. From an antiracist book to an advanced reader copy of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest work, I read a lot of wide-ranging works this month. Let’s get started! one | Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi — Audiobook This abridged version of Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi edited and presented by Jason Reynolds is approachable, informative, and impactful. I’ve read many an antiracist book in the last…
Book Covers that Remind Me of Spring
We’ve had a few chilly days here in Nashville over the last few weeks, and it’s making me crave full-time spring. I thought it would be fun to share a wrap-up of the most spring-like book covers I’ve seen across the internet. Let’s get started! one | Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell It’s 1580s England, and a young Latin tutor falls in love with an eccentric woman, Agnes, who is known across the countryside for her unusual gifts as a healer. When the pair marry and settle into their home on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, she becomes a fiercely protective mother and a force of nature in her husband’s life. Agnes’s…
