Summer Reading Wrap Up
So it seems, I haven’t shared a reading wrap up since last August. Oops. We’ll get back to monthly recaps (I promise — I love sharing book thoughts and recommendations), but for now, with the changing season, let’s start with a summer reading wrap up. Today I’m sharing what I’ve been reading the past few months, highlighting a few mini reviews on my personal favorite books (because they weren’t all winners haha). Let’s recap June, July, and August reading!
June
9 books total — 3 physical books and 6 audiobooks. Favorite: A Court of Mist and Fury; least favorite: Big Summer.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas — 5 stars — best so far in the series and just SO good (the ending was IT)
The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements — 3 stars — celebrity drama… meh
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner — 2 stars — this book was not good and whoever green lit “beach read to end all beach reads” on the cover should be fired lol
Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson — 3 stars — pretty average, nothing remarkable
The Do-Over by Lynn Painter — 3 stars — I generally struggle with groundhog’s day as a central theme
The Darlings by Hannah McKinnon — 3 stars — it didn’t really give me anything, but kept my interest
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez — 5 stars — Book of the Month’s book of the year for 2023 releases — I get the hype
The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle — 3 stars — basically Harry and Meghan move to a small town, save your time on this one haha
Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren — 2 stars — I loathed this book… such an unnecessary plot devoid of any character (but I had it on my shelf so I read it)
July
9 books total — 4 physical books and 5 audiobooks. Favorite: Just for the Summer; least favorite: Georgie, All Along.
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren — 3 — I’ve come to the realization that CLo books are not for me (and that’s okay)
Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn — 2 stars — this was such a slog of a read for me… should have DNF’d it
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez — 5 stars — my favorite of the three Part of Your World books
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas — 5 stars — third book in the series and I loved it!
Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon — 3 stars — pretty forgettable romance…
A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson — 4 stars — technically part of a series, but I read as standalone and liked it
Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz — 4 stars — most surprising read of the month — I really enjoyed
If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay — 4 stars — super binge-able
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner — 4 stars — another one that surprised me in the best way
August
7 books total — 2 physical books and 5 audiobooks. Favorite: The God of the Woods; least favorite: All Adults Here.
Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson — 3 stars — you can really feel Dolly’s influence in the storyline and writing
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore — 5 stars — definitely one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far
The Siren by Katherine St. John — 3 stars — just okay — more celebrity/rich people drama which isn’t my favorite trope
The Martian by Andy Weir — 4 stars — audiobook was the way to go… super entertaining!
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams — 3 stars — was hoping for more, not sure if I’ll keep reading the series
Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr — 4 stars — wasn’t sure I’d like it, was pleasantly surprised!
All Adults Here by Emma Straub — 3 stars — one of those books where nothing really happens and you don’t know how to feel at the end
And now for a few mini reviews on each of the books I liked best.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Book thoughts — Disclaimer: I’m not your average fantasy reader, rather someone whose first foray into the faerie realm was reading A Court of Thorns and Roses (4 stars). I don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to fantasy novels, but I do know… I like what I like. And ACOMAF (ACOTAR book 2) was EVERYTHING to me. There wasn’t a single moment I didn’t love. The storyline!! The characters!! The romance!! The world building!! The ending!! So many pages… so many details… yet I couldn’t stop reading. I adored Feyre and her strength and determination, Rhysand and his grace and patience, the Night Court and all it’s surprises, and the bond between two mates that became the start of a greater, more powerful love story. I don’t want to spoil a single thing, but I will say — book 1 walked so book 2 could run. ACOMAF changed me as a person and I’m NOT being dramatic. Consider my brain chemistry ALTERED in the best way. BRB, going to daydream about Velaris…
My rating — 5 stars. A book I’ll never forget. I’m so proud of myself for investing in and sticking with this series. I have no doubt Taylor Swift wrote Guilty As Sin? with ACOTAR/ACOMAF in mind. It’s so lyrically coded to the plot, it plays on loop in my mind whenever I think of Feyre’s journey through Spring Court, Under the Mountain, and Night Court. So good!
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Book thoughts — Abby Jimenez writes the most relatable characters that’ll charm the heck out of you and I’m here for it! In Just for the Summer, Part of Your World’s third installment (which can absolutely be read as a standalone), Emma and Justin are both cursed when it comes to love — every person they date goes on to find the love of their life when they inevitably breakup. After meeting on a Reddit thread where Justin posted an r/amitheasshole post for naming his dog after his friend and ex-roommate (who’s happily dating his ex-girlfriend), Emma and Justin make a pact to date each other and later break up so both their curses cancel out with one another. As such, Emma, a traveling nurse and serial I-do-not-get-attached-to-anyone-or-anything-er, agrees to a new work assignment in Minnesota to be close to Justin and see out the terms of their agreement. Will it work the way they planned or will the fake dating scenario lead to something much deeper? I think you already know! Romance novels are pretty hit or miss from me (more miss than hit tbh), but when they hit, they hit. My favorite trope is usually fake dating — it’s always so much fun to watch characters develop from awkward companions to full blown lovers. In Just for the Summer, I believed in the romance between Emma and Justin and thought the attachment issues and overall miscommunication added aspects of ~real life~ to the story. Fake dating was totally on point!
My rating — 5 stars. A great summer read. I love me a happily ever after!
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Book thoughts — Add this book to your reading list now! The book of summer and it’s NOT a beach read. A simply incredible, atmospheric, summertime vibe-y slow burn mystery involving a teenager who goes missing from her Adirondack summer camp. Multiple POVs across different timelines help tell the story of Barbara Van Laar, the missing daughter of the family that owns and operates the summer camp. But Barbara’s not the first child in her family to go missing… her brother Bear disappeared before her, more than a decade prior, leaving no trace behind. Today, the unsolved disappearance of Bear Van Laar only complicates the feelings surrounding the younger Barbara. What could have happened to her? Are the two cases somehow related? Will the search and rescue efforts of the camp staff and townspeople yield positive results? Or will the Van Laar family crumble once again? The God of the Woods features so many gripping elements — parallel mysteries, deep-seeded family secrets, multi-layered webs of lies, and so much more. I had many theories circling my brain throughout. And every chapter made me second guess each of my theories. I love books that grab hold of your mind like that.
My rating — 5 stars. A well-written book that pulls you in and keeps you guessing. Not a fast-paced read, but one that’s worth it in the end. The last 200 pages had me asking my husband to drive the car so I could keep reading! You’ll want to see this one through to the very last page. One of my favorite books of 2024 for sure.
That’s a wrap on what I read this summer. My favorite book was The God of the Woods (perfect slow summer mystery sizzler), my least favorite was Big Summer (just couldn’t get past it). As always, much respect to the authors of each book. Whether I loved, liked, or disliked a book, it’s important to acknowledge that writing and publishing a book is an incredible feat in and of itself.
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Enjoy!
JB