Books I’ve Read Lately

One of my earliest childhood memories is spending a LOT of time at the library. I would ask my mom to take me multiple times a week since I would devour books. For my 8th birthday, I asked for my own library card (apparently I asked for the two years before but I wasn’t old enough for my own). And eventually, I learned to ride a bike for the sole purpose of going to the library whenever I wanted. I did NOT like riding a bike and struggled to learn, but I was willing to stick with it for the library’s sake. And even as I went through middle school and high school, I loved going to the public library to study and do homework. And, of course, to check out a massive stack of books. All that to say, I’ve always loved reading.

I credit my mom for my love of reading. She was an elementary school librarian for over 20 years and almost always has a book in hand, if she’s not running, Crossfitting or baking her famous bread. I read every single night in bed to wind down as part of my nighttime routine. I used to read for HOURS at a time and finish books in 1-2 days, and that never happens now unless I’m on vacation. But adding just 20-30 minutes at the end of the day brings me so much joy (and really helps with stress!).

I don’t make it to the library nearly as often as I used to, but two or three years ago, I joined Book of the Month and LOVE it. If you’re also a book worm, I highly recommend it. It’s a monthly book subscription, often featuring new authors. They give you a few options to choose from each month and, while I hate getting boxes in the mail, I always look forward to this one! (Note: You can skip a month at any point and it seems cheaper on average than Amazon.)

I also love that BOTM includes a bookmark. My mom purchases a bookmark wherever she travels and I think it’s such a lovely way to remember a trip since you use it all the time. Sometimes the books are terrible, but for the most part I’ve been happy and it’s really fun, especially when my friends are reading the same book. And then I’m happy to pass along my latest read to a friend when I’m done! Another good resource for finding good books is the New York Times Bestseller List.

Below are the books I’m currently working on or just finished.

Books I’ve Read Lately

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

I got this book two days ago in my most recent Book of the Month!

Happy Place by Emily Henry

I read this most recently. “Happy Place” by Emily Henry is a novel about a young woman who is searching for her own happiness. It turns into a love story in a small town, and I thought it was sweet and an easy read. A great option for the beach!

Israel: Beauty, Light, and Luxury Beauty, Light, and Luxury by Tara-Leigh Cobble

This isn’t a novel, but rather a coffee table book/devotional by Tara-Leigh Cobble, the creator of The Bible Recap, which I’ve been going through this year. The photos are stunning, and I love the devotionals that go with the images. It’s so neat to see the locations where things took place that I’ve been reading about. This makes a great gift as well.

Choosing to Run: A Memoir by Des Linden

This was an amazing read. I’ve always admired and cheered for Des and love that she won Boston in 2018, in those horrific conditions, since I also ran in the 2018 Boston Marathon. Her memoir is inspiring and empowering, and will make you want to go on a run after each chapter. I loved learning about her personal life and humble beginnings that lead to her achievements. If you follow running at all, you’ll love this.

People We Met on Vacation by Emily Henry

This is another good beach or summer read. “People We Met on Vacation” by Emily Henry a lighthearted novel about two best friends and their summer vacations. It took me a little bit of time to get into it, but I liked it by the end, even if it was predictable. The timelines swap from past to present throughout the book, and and I thought it was a sweet story. I didn’t get totally hooked on this one, but it’s an easy read for the pool this summer.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

The Four Winds is a much more emotional and serious book than the one above, although still fiction. It’s set in the Great Depression era in the USA, and follows a woman who faces poverty and drought in Texas. She embarks on a journey with her children and the story captures what it would have been like during the Dust Bowl. If you like period pieces, this is fantastic. I HATED the ending though.

The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team by Kara Goucher

If you know anything about the world of professional running, you probably know a tiny bit about this. The Longest Race is a memoir by former elite runner Kara Goucher. She shares her personal experiences and exposes the wild stuff going with Nike’s elite running team. I enjoyed hearing her thoughts and perspectives on the world of elite sports (I listened to the Audible version, which is read by Kara). I’m not as big of a Kara Goucher fan as I am of Des and Shalane Flanagan, but her story still broke my heart and made me admire her for speaking up.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

The Soulmate was an interesting one and I’m not sure that I’d recommend it. I found the characters just a little annoying but I did find it easy to picture where everything was taking place and had a couple unexpected twists and turns.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

This book is a thriller (and I LOVE a thriller). The setting is an abandoned boarding school with a sketchy history, and the plot focuses on a journalist who’s uncovering the secrets connected to it. I really loved this one, even though it was a bit sad.

Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes

A wealthy wife (Nisha) is left out to dry amidst a messy divorce and she’s trying everything to hold on to her old life while Sam Kemp, who’s poor and in the bleakest point of her life, finds Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes. The writing and storyline aren’t anything epic, but it was a fun, easy read.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

This took a while to get into (I stopped reading it about 10 times in favor of somethings else) but about 1/3 of the way in, I started enjoying it more.

Books I Want To Read

These are the books on my list! If you’ve read any of them, let me know your thoughts in the comments!

• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
• Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• Verity by Colleen Hoover
• November 9 by Colleen Hoover
• It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
• Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
• Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

What books are you currently reading or what have you read lately that you’ve loved?