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📍Midwest
📚32/50
📖 The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty
🎧 Mercury by Amy Jo Burns

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BOOK TOUR STOP for Sarah Monzon’s Checking Out Love series. Thank you to partners @bibliolifestyle and @bethanyhousefiction for including me on this tour.

This series sounds like the perfect cozy read series for a cool, fall day. I’m most excited to read Hearts in Circulation, but am looking forward to the other two books in the series as well.

HIGH-LEVEL SYNOPSES

BOOK 1: An Overdue Match
Can a librarian’s matchmaking mischief lead to a love that rewrites their stories?

BOOK 2: Hearts in Circulation
Can a rundown bookmobile be the vehicle that brings two unlikely hearts together?

BOOK 3: Bookmarked for Love
Can a jeopardized children’s library program spark a partnership that saves their careers but costs them their hearts?

QOTD: Which of these books would you read first?

#bookstagram #booktour #bibliolifestyle #bookworm #bookishbooks by @bookserireads

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12

3 days ago

Our Perfect Storm was another enthralling read from Carley Fortune.

Much like the author’s previous novels, this is a romance. This story is about two best friends, Frankie and George who are both afraid of ruining the friendship. They’ve been best friends since they were 8 years old and Frankie is about to be married. However, the last time she saw George, they got into the biggest fight of her life, so she doesn’t even know if he will show up for her on her wedding day. Then, her fiancé ends up dumping her and George is there to help pick up the pieces. To help heal her broken heart, he insists they go to Tofino for her honeymoon, together, as friends. Will they able to repair the friendship? Will they realize they can no longer hide how they feel about each other? Will they come out happily ever after? Or will they fall apart for good?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. While I found the characters’ inability to communicate with each other infuriating, I did like the intensity of their feelings and the depth of their emotions conveyed. I also enjoyed how the story included flashbacks to the past so that readers could have the full story of their friendship to better understand the current state of the relationship. All in all this was a great read and I look forward to reading whatever this author writes next.

QOTD: What are you currently reading? by @bookserireads

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17 days ago

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan was a cute and light-hearted read about finding love again after going through a tough time.

In this book, Ali is in the midst of a divorce and still grieving the loss of her mother when she meets Ethan at the dog park. She’s not necessarily looking to date, but there’s a spark and an undeniable connection, so when he asks her out, she says yes. However, she doesn’t realize that Ethan is actually her friend’s younger brother, also known as Scooter, and has gotten a definite glow up since she saw him last. Ethan now is a successful lawyer, so he offers to help her navigate her divorce proceedings if she will help him clean out his parents’ house over the summer before he goes back to his life several hours away. Ali thinks a summer fling could be good for her, but will she be able to say goodbye when summer is over? Only time will tell.

Overall, this was a cute and enjoyable read. I thought it was a very sweet romance and I loved how much Ethan cared about her and fit in with her children. I was a little annoyed at Ali for self-sabotaging, but glad that she eventually figured out what she really wanted. I have enjoyed some of this authors books more than this one (It’s a Love Story is probably my favorite), but this was still a great read.

QOTD: What are your plans for the weekend?

AOTD: I am running a 5K tomorrow. by @bookserireads

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22 days ago

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi was an highly-engaging, historical fiction read.

This book takes place in the 1950s and is about a woman, Lakshmi, who escapes from an abusive marriage and becomes a Henna artist in Jaipur, gaining favor with many of the women in the upper class. Everything is going great. She is building her own home and is dipping her toe in arranging marriages, a much more lucrative job. But one day, her husband tracks her down and brings along a girl, who claims to be Lakshmi’s sister. Suddenly her whole life is turned upside down and everything she’s worked so hard to build is at risk of being destroyed. However, no matter what challenges she’s faces, Lakshmi keeps her spirits up and keeps moving towards her goals.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job of keeping my attention from start to finish. I appreciated learning more about a different time and place in history through this novel. I thought Lakshmi was a strong and admirable woman who was brave enough to take her destiny in her own hands. I also admired her ability to keep going even as new challenges constantly arose, especially after her sister came to town. While her relationship with her sister was complicated, I was glad that they were able to eventually find peace and understanding with one another. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to continuing the series.

QOTD: What are you currently reading? by @bookserireads

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23 days ago

Here’s to Us was another wonderful book from Elin Hilderbrand. It was a great summertime read that I got to partially enjoy at a beach.

In this book, celebrity chef Deacon Sharpe tragically dies of a heart attack and leaves behind three ex wives (Laurel, Belinda and Scarlett) and three children (Hayes, Angie and Ellery). His financial situation wasn’t great after bailing out his children and his restaurant and his most recent wife. But, he does still have a house on Nantucket that he leaves behind to his three wives to share. However, they are at risk of losing the house too, unless the wives can pull together the money to keep in for their children.

This book is told primarily through the POV of the wives, but also includes chapters for Deacon’s best friend and manager, Buck and his two eldest children, Hayes and Angie. I liked the full perspectives and felt it told a really well rounded out story that captured the lives and relationships of a very complicated man before and after his death. I also enjoyed the personal predicaments that the characters were dealing with as they grieved Deacon and how they somehow helped, or in some cases, hurt each other along the way. This was a messy family, so naturally it was a messy story. But, u did enjoy reading it and was happy to see everything work out in the end. All in all, this was a solid summer read.

QOTD: It’s officially fall now. What are you looking forward to most?

AOTD: cinnamon apple donuts and the colors of the leaves as they change by @bookserireads

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3

23 days ago

All the Water in the World was a book that had an interesting premise, but had a hard time keeping my attention. I listened to the audiobook and that could be part of it, but I kept having to re-listen to chapters to try and figure out what had happened.

The premise of the book is that the world has flooded. New York City is underwater and the last safe place, the settlement on the roof of the Natural History Museum with the people working carefully to preserve a record of what was there. But when a superstorm causes the water to rise even higher, those who remain leave on a boat in search of another safe haven. They go from place to place encountering danger and trying to find their way to their relative’s farm, where they may find safety once again.

Overall, I just couldn’t get into this book. Maybe it just wasn’t for me. There were a lot of details that didn’t seem overly important and there were also a lot of characters (and new ones constantly being introduced), so it was difficult to keep track of. I was intrigued of the concept of this climate change-driven “thriller” and what the world would be like if it flooded, but just found the overall story to fall short of expectations.

If this concept does intrigue though, I’d recommend checking out After the Flood by Kassandra Montag instead. That book was much more engaging and interesting than this one.

QOTD: What was the last book that didn’t live up to your expectations?

#bookstagram #bookish #literarythriller #climatechangethriller #dystopian by @bookserireads

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a month ago

Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez was a highly engaging read that transported me back in time to Brooklyn in the mid-aughts.

In this story, Alicia is engaged, but feels smothered by the relationship. So instead of visiting her fiancé every weekend at med school, she finds an excuse to stay home in Brooklyn. Soon, she becomes friends with the secretive and infamous La Garza, and up-and-coming fashion designer who throws the wildest parties. But is the friendship real? Or is La Garza just using Alicia to get to her married cousin, who La Garza used to date. Soon Alicia finds herself tangled up in a web of secrets and lies that she cannot escape. Will it be worth it? Or will it only bring chaos and destruction?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The author painted a vivid picture of life in Brooklyn in 2007. I also loved the mess she created and that she made Alicia a catalyst in the process. It was interesting to see how quickly things can fall apart and how in the end most people are only looking out for themselves, no matter whose lives they destroy in the process. All in all, a solid read. And at 256 pages, a quick read too.

QOTD: What are you currently reading?

AOTD: Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

#bookstagram #bookworm #xochitlgonzales #lastnightinbrooklyn #bibliophile by @bookserireads

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2 months ago

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett was a beautiful story by Ann Patchett. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep and thought it was phenomenal.

This is the story of a former actress, Lara, reflecting on her coming-of-age years as she tells her daughters the story of those years her life and her relationship with the famous actor, Peter Duke.

Overall, I loved everything about this story. The characters, the Michigan setting, the strong family dynamic, the deep reflection on life choices and acceptance of how everything worked out, and the storytelling itself. This was just a terrific read that captivated my attention and transported me into the story. All in all this is a book I would read again and definitely one that I would recommend.

QOTD: It’s the last day of August. What was your favorite book you read this month?

#bookstagram #bookish #tomlake #annpatchett #audiobook by @bookserireads

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2 months ago

The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand was a lovely summer read about friendship and moving forward after tragedy.

When Hollis loses her husband unexpectedly in a car accident, she can barely function. A well-known food blogger, she takes comfort in messaging with one of her followers, Gigi, who has gone through something similar. Ready to begin the next chapter of her life, she plans a special weekend with her four best friends from previous chapters of her life, Tatum from High School, Dru-Ann from college, Brooke from her post-marriage life, and her newest online friend, Gigi. She invites the women to her Nantucket summer home and asks her daughter, Caroline, to document. However, all of the women are coming to this weekend with a secret. Will they remain secrets or will they change everything?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a light, easy read and I loved the theme of friendship throughout. It was interesting to see how each of the women playing an important role in Hollis’s life and how their friendship and lives had changed over the years. I appreciated the reveal of each of the secrets and the drama and intrigue they all added to the story. I also enjoyed that the story was told from all of the characters’ POV. All in all a fun summer read.

QOTD: Any fun plans for this weekend?
AOTD: We’re possibly going shopping for new kitchen appliances.

#bookstagram #bookish #thefivestarweekend #elinhilderbrand #summerreads by @bookserireads

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7

2 months ago

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang was a highly interesting and thought-provoking read about pretending to be someone who you are not. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was very engaging as well.

In this book, Juniper Hayward and Athena Liu went to college together and were both supposed to become successful writers. However, that isn’t the case. Athena becomes a darling author while Juniper struggles to get recognized. After Athena dies in a freak accident, Juniper impulsively steals her unpublished manuscript about the contributions of Chinese Laborers in World War I and sees it as the opportunity she needs for her big break. So what if she edits it and passes it off as her own under the name Juniper Song and with ethic ambiguity. No one will ever know… or will they? Only time will tell how it all turns out.

Overall, this was a fascinating take on why we should not pretend to be something we are not, while also reinforcing the consequences of plagiarism. In this book, Juniper continues to make one bad decision after another in the name of becoming a successful author. Some of her actions were honestly cringe-worthy and she ultimately got what she deserved. Stealing and pretending to be a different ethnicity are just plain awful. While the main character is completely unlikable, the story was enjoyable and the author did a great job of getting her point across in this work.

QOTD: What are you currently reading?

AOTD: I’m reading Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand. by @bookserireads

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2 months ago

The Shippers by Katherine Center was a cute, patience-testing friends-to-lovers romance read.

This book starts on JoJo’s wedding day. However, when her childhood bestie, Cooper shows up after RSVPing no, she ends up faking a faint and calls the whole thing off. Shortly after, JoJo’s sister is getting married on a cruise ship and their whole childhood neighborhood is going to be in attendance. So this presents the perfect opportunity for JoJo to get over her failed almost marriage by pursuing her childhood crush, Finn. However when Cooper shows up to this wedding unexpectedly, things get complicated again. Will he be the perfect wingman to help JoJo in her quest for landing Finn? Or will he bring up other feelings in JoJo that she never before realized she had.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I liked the execution of the friends to lovers trope. I also appreciated the author’s note at the beginning earning readers that it will be a somewhat infuriating path for them to get there. JoJo and Cooper are terrible at communicating with each other and it was frustrating to see them take one step forward and then misunderstand each other and take two steps back so many times. But overall, I still liked the story and how it all turned out. It just takes patience to get there. All in all a solid romance read.

QOTD: What is one of your favorite book tropes?

#bookstagram #bookish #theshippers #katherinecenter #romancereads by @bookserireads

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2 months ago

⚛️ Atomic Habits by James Clear was a fascinating read on how habits are built and maintained over time. ⚛️

I listened to the audiobook and the narration held my attention quite well, even as I pondered the concepts that were being presented. I also really appreciated that there was a summary at the end of every chapter, making it easy to jot down some notes about what I had just heard.

Overall, this was a terrific book and I’ve already begun to implement some of the principles presented as I work to build better habits and break habits that no longer serve me.

QOTD: What’s one new habit you’d like to add to your life? Or what’s on bad habit you’d like to break?

AOTD: I am working on making strength training a regular habit. It’s a bit more difficult in this busy summer season, but I’m aiming for 3x per week. by @bookserireads

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7

3 months ago