Everything I Read in July & August
I am back on my reading kick, and boy does it feel good! I feel like I was in a rut, and couldn’t find anything to read (or listen in my case) that I was interested in. I think I just needed a little break and was on a sensory overload after a busy school year. However, I am back in my rhythm and have found so many good books to share!
I listed these books from most to least favorite! However, I have to say…I read a lot this month and they were all so damn good!
Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life- Christie Tate
Without a doubt this book was my favorite read from these past two months (well, maybe even the year)! Christie Tate so bravely wrote about her own experience seeking out group therapy during law school. As a recovering binge eater and with the mounting pressure of school, she realized she could use support around these stressors, as well as for developing healthy relationships. This book details her experiences and how her group work transformed her life. It is smart, honest, and raw. This is a MUST!
The Unhoneymooners- Christina Lauren
This is definitely classified as chick lit, but it was so well written that it had me hooked! Olive (sister of the bride) and Ethan (brother of the groom) end up on their siblings honeymoon, after most of the wedding party ends up with severe food poisoning. While these two start out tolerating each others presences (at best), their trip to Maui turns out to be eventful and changes their perspective on each other. This is witty, fun, and so well-written! I devoured this on a road trip to my parents house and was so thankful for this road companion!
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue- V.E. Schwab
This book has received mixed reviews from friends that have read it, but I LOVED this book! Bear with me, because the plot is hard to describe. Addie grew up living in France during the 1700s. and is desperate to escape a conventional life for women of this time- marriage. She makes a pack with a god of night, who grants her escape with the exchange of her soul when she is done with living. The caveat of this exchange is that no one will remember her through time, and her existence will be hard and lonely. The book shifts between her life in 1700s France to living present day in New York, when she finally meets a young man who remembers her. Without giving more away, I consider this book so unique and refreshing…it’s a must read!
Social Graces- Renee Rosen
I love historical fiction, and this was just what I needed to spark my reading kick! This book details the women of the Astor and Vanderbilt families in the early 1900s. This book details the real power struggle between Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt as they vied for control of New York society. After devouring this book, I loved reading about the actual women. The author, Renee Rosen, did extensive research to make this book historically accurate!
The Maidens- Alex Michaelides
Ok, this book was right up my psychological-suspense reading alley! Written by the same author of The Silent Patient, this book did not disappoint! Marianna, a psychotherapist living in London, is called to help her college niece, whose friend was murdered at Cambridge. The murdered student was a part of a secret society called The Maidens. When Marianna goes to support her niece, she starts to uncover many clues to the mysterious death. This is a must read if psychological-suspense books are your thing!
The Scent Keeper- Erica Bauermeister
I loved this book, because it is very different from my usual reads! The first half of the book details a young girl, who grows up on a remote island with her father where he teaches her about the world through her senses. I became hooked on the story halfway through, when she grows up and is trying to reconcile the way she grew up with now living in the real world. While this book is hard to describe, it is an absolute gem to read!
We Were Never Here- Andrea Bartz
Kristen and Emily, who have been inseparable since college, travel the world and backpack to exotic locations. On a trip to Chile, Kristen claims that a fellow backpacker attacked her and she killed him in self-defense. As the two girls cover up his death, the aftermath of this incident and secrets that begin to unfold in their friendship will have you hooked until the end!
Who is Maud Dixon?- Alexandra Andrews
A woman is hired to be the assistant to an author of a famous book. The author, who uses a pseudonym for privacy, is hiding many secrets about her past, which start to be uncovered by her new employee. This is a fun suspense read!
*This post was sponsored by Andrew Hook and his unlimited audible account.