We got two months of reading to recap today! I’ve been a bit slow on the reading front these days so figured I’d combine August and September reads. I keep joking that I’m due to take a reading vacation where all I do is sit on a beach and read (a gal can dream, right?)
As you’ll see below, I’ve been on a total Colleen Hoover kick (although I think my favorite of hers is still It Ends With Us which I read in July). Her books are just SO good and filled with complex, flawed, but also very likable, characters.
Feel free to share any book recommendations in the comments or recent reads you’ve loved!
Also: Don’t forget to join me for my first book club on Zoom! We’re reading and discussing The Idea of You by Robinne Lee. All the details are here!
What I Read in August and September:
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
I saw so so many people posting about this book and how much they loved it. Some people even went so far as to say it was the best thing they’ve read since The Idea of You, which is a high honor in my book. I knew I had to read it as well.
This steamy romance follows long-lost high school sweethearts reconnecting in their 30’s. Both are beloved writers, one of critically acclaimed literary fiction, the other of a cult-following romance series. Woven in is their troubled past together as well as complicated mother-daughter dynamics.
The book is laug-outloud funny at times (the first page alone sold me) and devastatingly sad at others. While overall I really really liked it, I didn’t love it as much as some others did. Even so, a worthwhile, very well-written, read.
CW: Self-harm and drug abuse
My Rating: 4.5/5
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The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares
I initially read this book a few summers ago having grown up loving Ann Brashares’ Sister of the Traveling Pants series. I mean, what girl that hit adolescence in the ’00s did love those books!?
A good chunk of this book takes place on Fire Island. Having now been there twice I was curious to reread this book. I was also just in the mood for a beachy read.
Sisters Riley and Alice have spent every summer on Fire Island with their summer next-door neighbor and best friend Paul. Now in their 20’s, the dynamic between the three is shifting. Alice and Paul are scared to admit their feelings for one another, and where that leaves Riley as their third wheel.
There are parts of this book I truly love. Where it ends up going is my kind of tearjerker. But I forgot how long it takes to get there. Because of this, the book feels really slow at times, like you’re waiting for something to happen.
A good book if you’re craving something beachy or are in the mood for a tearjerker. Overall though it’s okay.
My Rating: 3.5/5
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Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover
I read this book in a span of 24 hours. That pretty much never happens for me. But once I started this book, much like others by Colleen Hoover, I couldn’t put it down.
CW: Drug abuse
An unexpected death leaves Beyah with nowhere to go except to stay with her father she barely knows and his new family in Texas. There she’s welcomed with open arms by her new stepmother and step-sister, both of whom Beyah wants nothing to do with.
Her plan to fly under the radar doesn’t go as planned when she starts developing feelings for her new next-door neighbor, Samson. The two couldn’t have less in common, but they start to realize they have a start connection.
This book totally sucked me in, hence finishing it in 24 hours. I did find the big twist and reveal to be predictable. Even so, I loved this book.
My Rating: 5/5
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All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
After finishing one Colleen Hoover book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on another. I will say this is my least favorite of the ones I’ve read by her. While the others I’ve LOVED this one is just okay to me.
CW: Pregnancy loss.
Quinn and Graham meet under the worst circumstances: Her fiances is cheating on her with his girlfriend. Misery loves company and the two end up reconnecting months later. Flash forward to a few years, their marriage is hanging on by a string as they struggle to have kids.
Much of this book centers around infertility and the pain this causes. While I totally empathize with this struggle even though I personally don’t want children, I struggled with the actions these characters took at times. It’s not bad, but wasn’t for me.
My Rating: 3.5/5
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Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
I was craving a good “back-to-school” book for September and woah does this YA book hit the spot. I’ve heard it perfectly described as Gossip Girl meets Get Out.
Niveus Academy student Devon Richards is shocked when he’s elected senior prefect at this elite high school. He’s always tried to fly under the radar, although that’s not totally possible as one of two black students as this private school. The other, Chiamaka, is less shocked to be named prefect seeing as she’s being fighting her way to the top since day one at the school, even if that meant losing a few friends along the way.
Shortly after the announcement is made, the whole school receives a text message from someone that goes by Aces. They reveal a big secret… and threaten to continue to reveal more.
I don’t want to give away too much because this book is full of mind-blowing twists and turns. But wow, is it a good, adrenaline-filled, and ridiculous ride. Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a not-too-scary thriller that will keep you guessing.
My Rating: 4.5/5
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