Growing up, I absolutely LOVED to read. To the point where I distinctly remember routinely reading my Saddle Club books or similar while I was walking from my house to the bus stop, and I recall that the only time that I ever got in trouble in elementary school was when I was caught reading under my desk when I was supposed to be paying attention to 6th grade math class.
Since high school or so though, I haven’t had time – or haven’t made a point to make time – to read nearly as much as I used to. This spring, I decided to make an effort to replace my nightly in bed ritual of scrolling through Instagram or sending last emails of the day that could probably wait until the morning, with reading.
Not going to lie, a book doesn’t always win out over the phone, but when it does, I definitely find myself falling asleep more easily and doing a better job of disconnecting from work, etc. Plus I’ve just gotten to enjoy reading a lot again! Since April, I’ve averaged about two or three books a month, so I thought it was about time I shared a round up of some of the ones that I’ve loved, liked, or tolerated!
I’m always looking for book recommendations and love reading others suggestions, so definitely comment with anything that I should add to my upcoming reading list! Along that same vein, I also started a Goodreads account here to keep track of what I’ve read and liked and to follow others recommendations. If you’re a Goodreads user as well, definitely add me! 🙂
Recent Reads I Loved:
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – I can tell how much I’m enjoying a book by how likely I am to read it while walking around the house, while walking Pumba down the street, etc., and this one I couldn’t put down. It was the first Liane Moriarty book I’ve read, and it got me jump started on reading several by her. I haven’t watched the HBO series made based on the book, but now I definitely want to, as I thought the book was a great read!
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty – Confession: this probably shouldn’t be on the list yet because I still have about 40 pages to go…but so far, my feelings toward the book are the same as with Big Little Lies: I don’t want to put it down! In this one, the lead character, Alice, suffers a head injury and wakes up thinking it’s 1998 rather than 2008, forgetting all of her memories of the last 10 years. In 1998 she was relatively newly married and pregnant with her first child; by 2008 she’s getting a divorce and so many things have changed, and now she’s trying to figure out why. It’s a really interesting premise, and the way Moriarty writes it makes you want to keep reading to find out what exactly Alice has forgotten.
The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines – My boyfriend got me this one for my birthday because I’m a big Chip and Joanna fan (which wasn’t super hard to pick up on given the amount of Fixer Upper I’ve put on TV at his house). I have to admit though, while I love Chip and Joanna Gaines, I really didn’t know what to expect from the book, and I almost thought maybe it wouldn’t be that interesting of a read…What was I thinking!? As with anything Chip and Joanna do, I loved it, and I love their story. Definitely recommend it for a quick, easy read.
Recent Reads I Liked:
The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty – Another Moriarty novel that I still really enjoyed, but for some reason this one didn’t keep me turning the pages quite the same way Big Little Lies or What Alice Forgot have. I’d still recommend it though!
Recent Reads I Tolerated:
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena – This book has been a best-seller, and the majority of the ratings on Barnes & Noble and Goodreads seem to be great, but for some reason I just wasn’t loving it. A bit like Big Little Lies (or more like other’s I’ve read earlier in this year such as The Girl on the Train) it’s a mystery that leaves you wanting to find out what happened, but unlike those where I wanted to keep reading to learn every bit of the story, with this one I felt bored and just wanted to jump and read the ending to find out what happened and pass over all the rest. (I didn’t, but I wanted to…) There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot which I’ll give it credit for…especially at the end of the book…I won’t spill anything, but I wasn’t a fan of the twist at the very end either..
Maybe it’s weird, but I love talking about books, and as mentioned before, reading and hearing other recommendations, so these book posts will likely become a recurring thing…which also means I need more suggestions on what to read next, so keep ’em coming! 🙂
