As I mentioned in my birthday bucket list post, my goal was to read at least eight books this year. Well, I can’t even believe it, but as of August, I have already read TWELVE this year! I was able to read eight books this summer alone. I am blown away in the shift that has happened this year in terms of my reading volume. While I know this partly due to a benefit of having older kids, I also believe it has helped to consciously avoid “scrolling” less and reading more!
I always love hearing about book recommendations from girlfriends and family. I am sharing a quick recap on all the books I read this summer and hopefully you can add a few to your reading list. So I am going to pick up down below where I left off back in April with book number five of the year….
5. Where the Crawdads Sing- Delia Owens
I will go ahead and start with my favorite! I think it’s safe to say this was THE BOOK of the summer for me. Probably of the whole year. (For me last year it was The Nightingale) I loved the unique story of this book, that combines a coming of age story along with a murder mystery in such a unique way. I also loved the way the author described nature throughout the book!
6. Southern Side of Paradise- Kristy Woodson Harvey
This book was the perfect summer read for me! It is the third novel in the Peachtree Bluff Series about three sisters and their mother. I had read the previous two and was delighted to have another one to plow through while sitting by the pool. Side note- the author is young, adorable and a blogger! How fun!
7. Little Fires Everywhere- Celeste Ng
My sister told me to add this one to my ongoing reading list and I am SO GLAD she did! Such a great read and one that I devoured in just a few short days. Also- BIG BONUS- Reese Witherspoon is creating a miniseries based on this book (much like she did with Big Little Lies) that is set to come out in 2020- so definitely add this one to your list to get read before that comes out!
I really enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10 by this same author so I figured I would give this one a try. This thriller was just “ok” for me. I enjoyed it enough to finish it- it was a very quick read- but I wouldn’t say it was my favorite. If you haven’t read Woman in Cabin 10 yet, I would definitely start with that one first.
9. The Identicals- Elin Hilderbrand
This was my second Elin Hilderbrand book and another one that I read in just a few short days. I absolutely loved the story and also just loved reading about Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. A great easy read and definitely had some fun and unexpected twists along the way.
It’s always hard to write a recap about a thriller because I don’t want to give anything away. But if you liked The Last Mrs. Parrish or Girl on the Train, you will like this book… it was a good read but the storyline wasn’t anything super original. In fact, I had to go back and read about what this book was about just now because I had already kind of forgotten and I only read it a month ago! #mombrain
This was my first book by this author and I didn’t love it… The story is cool as it jumps back and forth to present time and historic St. Simon’s down on the coast of Georgia. It was definitely unique but the writing was too “flowery” for my taste. Just way too much detail about mundane stuff. However, I think I will try another by this author because she has some others that have come recommended by my friends.
12. All We Ever Wanted – Emily Giffin
It’s been a hot minute since I have read an Emily Giffin book and was excited to pick this one up. As a mother, this storyline hit home for me as I anticipate navigating through the woes of raising kids with cell phones and social media. This was a super easy read, and I didn’t hate it or love it. The ending also left me feeling a little unsatisfied as it seems to end somewhat abruptly!
To see my 2019 Reading List: January- April
- The Perfect Couple- Elin Hilderbrand
- The Last Mrs. Parrish- Liv Constantine
- It Ends With Us- Colleen Hoover
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Happy reading!
xoxo-
Heather
I seriously can’t believe you have read 12 this year! I am on number TWO!! I think I’m going to read little fires everywhere next! Thanks for encouraging and motivating me to read more and scroll LESS 🙂
It has been shocking for me too, but I am loving it! I just finished number 13 so need to find another good one quick! And we need one for our flight to NYC!!