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happiestwhenreading

@happiestwhenreading

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āœØ 2026 HALFWAY TOP 10 āœØ My Halfway Top 10 of 2026! New releases arenā€™t really doing it for me this year, so thank goodness for a couple worthy rereads (two of them) and some backlist books (FIVE of them!) to keep me turning the pages! šŸ“ Whistler šŸ‡·šŸ‡ŗ The Eighth Life šŸ’˜ Emma M. Lion Vol: 4 (Honestly, all of them!) šŸ’§ Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt šŸŽ­ Hamnet šŸš€ Celestial Lights šŸ• The Hounding šŸœļø Lightbreakers šŸÆ Honey in the Wound šŸ—½ So Old, So Young HONORABLE MENTIONS: šŸ’™ Into the Blue šŸ’ Where the Wildflowers Grow šŸŽ§ Good People šŸ”„ The Burning Side ā€ØSome quick stats: šŸ“š Total books read: 51 (51%) šŸ“ˆ YTD avg rating: 3.9 šŸ„“ ā—ļøTotal pages read: 19,113 šŸŒŸ 5-star ratings: 10 (20%) šŸ†• Debuts: 11 (22%) ā¤ļø Most underhyped book: Where the Wildflowers Grow šŸ–¤ Most overhyped book: Yesteryear If thereā€™s one thing better than the monthly wrap up posts, itā€™s the Halfway Top Ten lists hitting up bookstagram lately! What are some of your favorite books of 2026 so far? #hwrreads2026 | Halfway Top 10 | 2026 Halfway Top 10 | Best Books of 2026 | Favorite Reads | Backlist Books | Book List | 2026 New Boooks by @happiestwhenreading
25
3 months ago
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Q2 FAVORITES | tagged gifted This quarter I read about 25 books (monthā€™s not over yet!)! Not all of them are necessarily 5ā­ļø reads for me, but these are the books that stood out and made my reading pleasurable (in the order I read them). šŸÆ Honey in the Wound šŸš€ Celestial Lights 8ļøāƒ£ The Eighth Life šŸ’° The Calamity Club šŸ“ Whistler ā˜€ļø Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt šŸŒ³ Land šŸŒµ Lightbreakers Itā€™s been the most interesting reading year for me in quite some time. Iā€™m trying to tamper expectations as we head into the second half of the year! What were some of your favorite reads from Q2? Q2 Favorite Reads | Favorite Books | Book Recommendations | Top Books | Read | Books | Book Lists by @happiestwhenreading
9
3 months ago
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12 + 12 + 12 CHALLENGE I attempted this reading challenge twice - one year was a resounding success and one year was a miserable failure. Iā€™m hoping 2026 falls on the successful side! Thank you to all of my bookish friends that helped me curate this stack: January - HAMNET suggested by @suethebookie February - THE SUNFLOWER BOYS suggested by @novelvisits March - BEFORE I FORGET suggested by @thoughtsfromapage April - THE TORTOISEā€™S TALE suggested by @chelseahudsonreads May - THREE DAYS IN JUNE suggested by @readingthroughatlanta June - THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY suggested by @mrd_reads July - NIGHTCRAWLING suggested by @thewilltoread August - STILL ALICE suggested by @thefictionphysician September - BUCKEYE suggested by @bookedwithbecca October - AFTERTASTE suggested by @basicbsguide November - THE DAMAGE suggested by @kates.great.reads December - WE THE ANIMALS suggested by @bernie.lombardi Have you read any from this list? What are your thoughts on any of the books listed? by @happiestwhenreading
30
9 months ago
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BUCKEYE | gifted @randomhouse Septemberā€™s 12+12+12 Challenge suggestion was BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan. It was suggested by @bookedwithbecca! After trying this last year and DNFing it, I only heard really positive things. I hoped maybe it was just the wrong book at the wrong time for me, so when Becca suggested it, it felt like the perfect opportunity to give it another try. Hereā€™s what I really loved about this one: šŸ The time period. Set in a roughly 50-year time period btw the 1940s-1990s, it was nostalgic, atmospheric, and interesting. Just on the cusp of my own birth, a lot of the events in this story were ones I heard a lot from my parents and grandparentsā€™ perspectives growing up, so this was interesting to learn more about from a fictional perspective. šŸThe characters. I really came to care deeply about each of them. Their motivations and reasoning. I canā€™t say that I totally agreed with a lot of them, but the depth and care def made me invested. šŸ How it grew on me. I can now see that I dnfd too early last time. This story gets better and better the further you get into it. The layers slowly get revealed and I became more interested the further I got. This book is totally for fans of Ann Patchett or Kristin Hannah. It contains some drama but not in the sense that sometimes Kristin Hannah can feel like sheā€™s overdone it. I think if this time line of history is fascinating to you in any way, this is def a book you should consider picking up! // 76 #hwrreads2026 Book Recommendation | Book Reader | Book Review | Bookstagram | Backlist Book | Book Challenge by @happiestwhenreading
6
10 hours ago
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SEPTEMBER READING WRAP-UP In September, I read 6 books! My average rating for the month was 3.5. šŸ‘ŽšŸ¼ šŸŒŸšŸŒŸšŸŒŸšŸŒŸšŸŒŸ šŸ„¬ East of Eden ā­ļøā­ļøā­ļøā­ļøāœØ šŸ«„ The Vanishing Family ā­ļøā­ļøā­ļøā­ļø šŸ‡ÆšŸ‡² The Disappearers ā­ļøā­ļøā­ļøšŸ’« āœļø American Hagwon ā­ļøā­ļø šŸ–¼ļø Exit Party āœļø The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman What was your favorite book of September? Tagged publishers | gifted #hwrreads2026 #HWRreads2026wrapups September Reads | Monthly Reads | Monthly Reading Wrap Up by @happiestwhenreading
10
7 days ago
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EXIT PARTY Well, well, wellā€¦what can I say that hasnā€™t already been said a million times this year. New releases are not working for me and, despite having high expectations for Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel, it ultimately didnā€™t deliver for me. Unfortunately, the plot reminded me so much of Under Story by Chloe Benjamin, another sort of alternate universe storyline released in September. Sadly for Mandel, I think Chloe Benjamin did it better. The book is just over 300 pages, yet it felt much, much longer. A rambling, confusing, alternating pov slog that I somewhat had to force myself to get through. It was just boring to me. I even switched to audiobook hoping that would helpā€¦but all it did was get the book over quicker (thankfully). Iā€™m so sorryā€¦Iā€™m more than likely an outlier on this opinion. Mandel is a beloved author, and for good reason! Station Eleven is still one of my favorite books of all time - and maybe this was trying to do that bc I do see some similarities - but, for me, it fell severely short. However, that cover!? Maybe the best cover of the year! Itā€™s beautiful! // 75 #hwrreads2026 Book Recommendation | Book Reader | Book Review | Bookstagram by @happiestwhenreading
15
8 days ago
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SLOW & STEADY | The Count of Monte Cristo Reading this chunky book has never been on my radar until @kenzienoelle.reads raved about it. She convinced me to give it a tryā€¦and after 1 week and 200/1243 pages read, Iā€™m so glad she did bc I AM LOVING THIS ONE! QUICK RECAP FROM WEEK 1: ā›“ļøThis is way more accessible than I thought it was going to be. Itā€™s fast-paced considering the size of the book and itā€™s very easy to follow. Great character development and crazy cliffhangers! ā›“ļøAbbeĢ Faria - another all-time favorite character. Loved him and his relationship to DanteĢs! ā›“ļøAlso, am loving DanteĢs and can only imagine that love is going to grow and grow! ā›“ļøItā€™s wild to say only 200 pages in, but Iā€™m already dreading this one ending. So far, itā€™s a book I wish would last forever. ā›“ļøThis was originally published weekly and I could only imagine the anticipation week to week for the next installment! Dumas really nailed the pacing! ā›“ļøThis is 100% the next book that will become my whole identity. I can already feel it. Have you read The Count of Monte Cristo? What other classics should I absolutely add to my list - bc classics are totally working for me right now! Might as well tackle them!! #hwrreads2026 Book Recommendation | Book Reader | Book Review | Bookstagram | The Count of Monte Cristo | Classics | Classic Literature | Alexandre Dumas | Big Books by @happiestwhenreading
9
13 days ago
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AMERICAN HAGWON | gifted @cardinalpublishing @grandcentralpub @hachetteus Count me among the many who could hardly wait for this release! Min Jin Lee has so many fans after her epic book, Pachinko. Similar in size and scope, American Hagwon promised to be another family saga that took us across continents, decades, and multiple generations. The Koh family starts out in Australia, moves to Korea, and eventually ends up in Los Angeles. While they move bc of jobs, there is always a focus on the childrenā€™s education. Bo, DH, and Mida are extremely gifted educationally, and their parents have high aspirations for what their college experiences will look like. At the heart of the book are hagwons - an after-school tutoring and exam prep program standard for most Korean families. While they generally offer their studentā€™s improved test scores and confidence, they also add a lot of pressure to the idea that grades, college, and money are what matters the most. Min Jin Lee develops characters so well. While there were a lot of them, it was easy to distinguish them and their storylines. Learning about hagwons and their business models was fascinating to me and I was curious about the trajectory of these characters and their circumstances. What I felt was lacking was an emotional connection. I didnā€™t feel for these characters as much as I should have given the amount of time I devoted to their stories. The writing felt flat and kind of simplistic. It was also unnecessarily repetitive - which could have cut the length down substantially- making it a more enjoyable reading experience. The ending was abrupt - almost like Lee realized how long the book was, didnā€™t know what to do about it, so just called it quits. Obviously, I finished this 656 page book, so it was interesting enough, but unfortunately, it did fall short of my hopes after loving Pachinko so much. I suspect this one will still be a big book this fall so it would be worth checking out more reviews to see if itā€™s a fit for you! // 74 Pub Date: Sept 29, 2026 #hwrreads2026 Book Recommendation | Book Reader | Book Review | Bookstagram by @happiestwhenreading
4
15 days ago
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THE DISAPPEARERS This book is challenging and it demands a lot from its readers. It contains graphic sex and violence and takes you to some dark and disturbing places. My first reaction was that I wasnā€™t smart enough for it. I struggled to follow some of the stream-of-consciousness, inner thoughts and had to really force myself to focus and pay attention. My second reaction was that it wasnā€™t for meā€¦and I DNFd it. But then, by the next day, I found myself trying again. This happened maybe 5 different times. I wanted to walk awayā€¦but the book wouldnā€™t let me. In the end, I still have conflicted feelingsā€¦but mostly Iā€™m glad I read it. Hailed in a NY Times review as the ā€œNovel of the Decadeā€, The Disappearers is layered and deep and thought-provoking. It explores how trauma fractures memories differently for people, it examines what it means to survive, and it examines the different ways those in a marginalized groups fight societyā€™s attempts to make them disappear. I feel like if I decided to read this one again, it would actually read so differently and much more compellingly bc, since finishing, I cannot stop thinking about it and drawing more and more connections to themes, actions, and meanings. Thank you, @bernie.lombardi, who put this one on my radar long ago! // 73 #hwrreads2026 Book Recommendation | Book Reader | Book Review | Bookstagram | New Release | Booker Prize | National Book Award by @happiestwhenreading
8
17 days ago
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EAST OF EDEN Apparently itā€™s ā€œperformativeā€ to read East of Eden right now, so itā€™s probably also ā€œperformativeā€ to say that it just might be THE BEST BOOK Iā€™VE EVER READ! For a book thatā€™s 600 pages, I dreaded the moment it would be over. Never once did I feel that length and never before have I intentionally read so slowly. Every word, every paragraph, every page of this book is a literary masterpiece and I savored every second of it. As mentioned, the pacing of this book never felt off - a feat when itā€™s as long as it is. The characters were layered and nuanced and fascinating. Lee, Sam, and Cal might just have my heart foreverā€¦and Cathy may be the best literal villain ever written. Timshel is a concept I will reflect on every single day for the rest of my life. Itā€™s beautiful and boils down so much of humanity into one simple word. Humans are complex creatures, but good news, yā€™all! WE GET TO CHOOSE! After so many disappointing new release reads, I craved a book that made me fall in love with the act of readingā€¦East of Eden delivered. It helps that itā€™s the bookstagram (ā€œperformativeā€) darling of the moment as many are reading before the Netflix adaptation releases on October 1st. I, for one, is grateful for these silly adaptations bc theyā€™re often just the push I need to finally pick the book up! If you havenā€™t read this one yet, or remember nothing about it from when you did in high school, I think now is the perfect time! Itā€™s an incredible story that I will never forget! And now that Iā€™m on this classics journey, what are your favorite classics to recommend? // 72 #hwrreads2026 Book Recommendation | Book Reader | Book Review | Bookstagram by @happiestwhenreading
30
23 days ago
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BOOK MAIL MONDAY | gifted tagged Iā€™m always so incredibly thankful for the publishersā€™ generosity when they send me these free books! Swipe left to see more information about each book! #hwrreads2026 Book Recommendation | Book Reader | Book Review | Bookstagram THE THOROUGHBREDS by @elinhilderbrand | @littlebrown I missed the first book in this series, but Iā€™ve really only heard good things about it. I think Iā€™m gonna get a library copy of The Academy and then tackle this one! ALLIGATOR TEARS by @otroedgargomez | @crownpublishing A memoir in essays where Gomez tackles growing up in Florida, watching his mom have a medical emergency, and grappling with his sexuality. Iā€™ve seen great reviews fro this one too! THE QUEEN OF BAD INFLUENCES by #jimsheperd | @aaknopf Eleven short stories about different catastrophe that are also based in historical fact. Early reviewers remark on Shepardā€™s writing ability so that alone makes me excited to pick it up! BLACKTAIL by @scotthawkinswrites | @crownpublishing I have yet to read The Library of Mount Char (I will tackle it in October!), but his fans have been waiting for his next bookā€¦and itā€™s finally here! A lone wolf sets out on an epic journey of revenge - yes, please! A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF @megha.maj | @aaknopf One of the best books I read last year, this is a book I STILL think about. It would be such a good pick for Book Club as there is SO MUCH to discuss! MAN IN THE MIRROR by @anandwrites | @aaknopf Several years ago, Daniel Penny, an ex-Marine restrained Jordan Neely, a homeless man, on a New York subway. Neely later died. This is an examiniation of these two men, the city under stringent, and our broken system when it comes to mental health in this country. THE ART OF FIELDING by #chadharbach | @littlebrown Harbach has a new book coming out in October (The Brightness) so I would love to revisit this story that I read years ago and donā€™t remember a lot about! AGRIPPA by @robertharrishome | @doubledaybooks I know many love this author and his books, but this would be a new author and the subtitle is interesting to me. THE PIRATE QUEEN by @ariel.lawhon Iā€™ve already read this one and LOVED by @happiestwhenreading
11
23 days ago
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THE VANISHING FAMILY: A STORY OF FATE, LOVE, AND THE DISAPPEARING MIND | gifted @doubledaybooks This book intrigued me for two reasons: 1.) I lost my grandma a few years ago to Alzheimerā€™s and constantly wondering if this fate is hereditary lingers in the back of my mind like an itch I cannot scratch. 2.) My family is also plagued by a devastating genetic defect: the BRCA gene which highly increases your risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer. My own mother passed away from Ovarian cancer and just this year, two more cousins of mine have found out theyā€™re BRCA positive and are currently fighting cancer - one ovarian and one inflammatory breast cancer. Though very different defects, I related to the story so much in a variety of ways: hopelessness, fear, guilt, sadness, devastation, anger, and a sense of urgency for science to figure out a way to stop this painful realization from stealing more and more of my family members. Itā€™s like living in a constant state of agitation to hear the news, once again, that someone near and dear to you is fighting for their lives. Books like this are so important bc they raise awareness. If more people are aware of the medical advances there are, they are more likely and able to make preventative decisions to help safeguard their futures. This book is well-researched and one of the things I loved the most about it was how the family continually rallied around each other and fought to take care of the siblings themselves. It was the definition of love and it was beautiful to read about - even when the reasons for that unconditional care was so heartbreaking. // 71 Pub Date: Sept 29, 2026 #hwrreads2026 Book Recommendation | Book Reader | Book Review | Bookstagram by @happiestwhenreading
18
a month ago
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