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As an avid reader and closet book nerd, I am constantly trying to take in as many books each month as possible. I love to read and I also love to listen to audio books so to catch me not in the middle of at least two books at any given time is a rare occurrence. Like a true dork, I have notebooks (yes, plural) where I record each book I read and write a mini book report about it including if I enjoyed the book, other books by the author and powerful/impacting quotes from the story. I don’t even care how nerdy this makes me; it makes my heart happy and I love it!

I have loved reading since before I can even remember. Some of my absolute favorite memories with my mom (besides the incredible trips we took together) are all the times we spent reading together; she used to read us all sorts of books but The Boxcar Children were a favorite along with anything by Roald Dahl. This made such an impact on me that I fought a hard fight to name our future daughter Matilda [which was promptly shot down]. Many of my Saturdays were spent reading at the library down the street from where I grew up. Even at the age of 5 and 6 I chose to spend my days quietly absorbing these stories and was fully supported in that. I learned to read early on (actually by teaching myself with a set of hooked on phonics tapes gifted by my grandparents’ neighbor who was a retired teacher) and I have loved it ever since!

Often I am asked by friends, family and coworkers for reading suggestions and wanted to extend those recommendations on to my readers! In this time of social isolation, it is even more important to find something to fill our time and mental energy. As is obvious from this blog, I absolutely love to travel, however, that is just not a current possibility at this time. Instead, I will continue to expand my world through books and the stories within them; I encourage you to do the same!

Each month I will post short reviews of the books I’ve read that month and let you know if they’re worth your time! These books will be both old and new releases from all sorts of genres. Comment below to leave recommendations!

Rating scale:

1 star = Couldn’t even finish it
2 stars = Pretty bad; definitely don’t waste your time
3 stars = Okay, but better options out there
4 stars = Really liked this book & recommend it
5 stars = Incredible & you must read it ASAP!

Please comment below if you have suggestions!!

January 2020

Idiot
by Laura Clery

**Debut Novel**
Publisher: Gallery Books
Date: September 24th, 2019
Genre: Memoir

Review: This is the story of Laura’s struggle with addiction while attempting to make it in the entertainment industry. She is widely known now for her YouTube videos but spent years and years in the industry working her way to where she is now. Her story was fun, entertaining and full of light-hearted life lessons.

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes

We’re Going to Need More Wine
by Gabrielle Union

**Debut Novel**
Publisher: Day Street Books
Date: October 17th, 2017
Genre: Memoir

Review: This is the story of how Gabrielle grew up and her struggles with race growing up in a white area of California and later in life in Hollywood. She has some incredible stories and life experiences to tell of that will stay with you for a long time.

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes

Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered
by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark

**Debut Novel**
Publisher: Forge Books
Date: May 28th, 2019
Genre: Memoir/Advice

Review: The hosts of the popular podcast My Favorite Murder take turns telling life stories that have led them to be proficient murderinos & gotten them to where they are today. I listened to this on Audible & it read just like an episode of the podcast. I loved it & was thoroughly entertained! I didn’t want it to end!

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes

February 2020

This Will Only Hurt a Little
by Busy Philipps

**Debut Novel**
Publisher: Gallery Books
Date: October 16th, 2018
Genre: Memoir

Review: I’ve never seen anything of Busy’s but I loved this memoir! Tons of juicy celeb gossip and a very realistic account of what it’s like to be a star in Hollywood (weight issues and losing her home due to not getting hired for any roles). Super honest!

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes

Inside Out: A Memoir
by Demi Moore

**Debut Novel**
Publisher: Harper
Date: September 24th, 2019
Genre: Memoir

Review: This is the very dark story of Demi from birth to present day. It explores in depth how the strangled relationship with her mother shaped every relationship in her life. Heartbreaking and raw.

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes

If for Any Reason
by Courtney Walsh

**FAVORITE AUTHOR**
Publisher: Tyndale House
Date: February 3rd, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Review: This is the love story of Emily and Hollis who find themselves at rock bottom and back to a romance that started when they were kids. This explores relationships between parent and child written with an undertone of faith and Christian values without ever being preachy.

Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommend?: YES!

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness & Murder
by Charles Graeber

Publisher: Twelve
Date: July 29th, 2014
Genre: True Crime

Review: This is the story of a nurse serial killer who murdered over 400 people during his 16 year long career and almost got away with it. Told from the point of view of the murderer, Charles Cullen, detectives involved in the case and most interestingly Charles’ best friend, love interest and coworker who acted as the informant that ultimately put him in prison. A little dry at times because of the vast amount of detail but well worth the read!

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes

March 2020

A Sweethaven Romance
by Courtney Walsh

Publisher: Unknown
Date: December 12th, 2017
Genre: Novella/Contemporary Romance

Review: This is the love story of 2 people from opposite walks of life who uncover a truth about their small town that can’t be ignored. Discusses struggles with family expectations and doing the right thing no matter what. A quick, sweet read from one of my favorite authors!

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend: Yes

Such a Fun Age
by Kiley Reid

**Debut Novel**
Publisher: GP Putnam’s Sons
Date: December 31st, 2019
Genre: Adult Fiction

Review: This is the story of 2 women, one an affluent white 30-something and one a struggling black 20-something whose lives intertwine. Race is a huge undertone of this story with the main take away feel for me being white people cannot do anything that isn’t racist. The audiobook narrator of this was also painful to listen to but it came so highly recommended I still wanted to read it.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend?: Skip it…more annoying than enlightening.

Get Out of Your Own Way
by Dave Hollis

**Debut Novel**
Publisher: Harper Collins
Date: March 10th, 2020
Genre: Self-improvement

Review: This is a list of Dave’s 20 biggest mistakes that got in the way of his own success and happiness. He includes tons of engaging stories & is brutally honest about his own mess-ups & short comings. His guidance is so real & tangible to literally everyone’s life. Inspiring & a perfect motivator for both men & women!

Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommend: Hell yes!

Party Girl
by Rachel Hollis

**Debut Novel**
Publisher: Lake Union
Date: December 9th, 2014
Genre: Adult Fiction

Review: This is the story of Landon who is new to LA and trying to make it in the cut throat world of event planning. Part love story part coming of age tale, the beginning does read more like a YA novel but finds its place along the way as an adult novel. Enjoyable, feel-good story great for some light-hearted entertainment. Kindle edition includes a short novella to wrap up the story called Party Girl’s First Date!

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Publisher: William Morrow
Date: June 13th, 2017
Genre: Adult Fiction

Review: This is the story of a group of Punjabi women led by Nikki, a young modern Indian woman who signs up to teach an English class and ends up becoming close with a group of conservative widows through the story telling of many hidden exotic stories these women keep secret. Incorporating murder, sexy stories, struggles with societal and parental expectations, this book wasn’t at all what I expected but everything I wanted!

Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommend?: Absolutely!!

April 2020

How to Skimm Your Life

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date: June 11th, 2019
Genre: Informational

Review: This book is EVERYTHING for the young adult crowd!! The Skimm is a daily news source that I absolutely love with unbiased NEWS, not opinions. Founded by two millennial-aged women, topics such as taxes, loans, global issues, world history, wine pairings and so much more are featured. If there is information you should know as an independent, functioning adult, it’s in this book. My biggest take-away? I FINALLY understand how electoral vs popular votes work in the US…why it took 31 years and this hilariously informational book to teach me that is another mystery entirely!

Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommend?: 100% yes!!

When Breath Becomes Air
by Paul Kilanithi

Publisher: Random House
Date: January 12th, 2016
Genre: Memoir/ Philosophical Reflection

Review: This was a very well-told story of a man named Paul written in his last year of life as he succumbs to his early-life diagnosis of lung cancer which eventually metastasizes to his brain. Paul is a neurosurgeon and brand new father who speaks heavily on the life he planned for himself and his family vs the life he was given. The overall theme of finding the meaning to life is eloquently worded with a touching, heart-felt epilogue written by his wife. His honesty is truly heartbreaking although the novel can feel a bit wordy at times.

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes

This is Where It Ends
by Marieke Nijkamp

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Date: May 7th, 2019
Genre: Fiction

Review: This is the story of a school shooting told minute by minute by four different narrators all connected by relationships (romantic and familial). Although this story had HUGE potential for monumental impact, it failed to deliver on multiple levels. The characters were so numerous I had to make a chart to keep everyone straight. The character development was extraordinarily weak making each characters death fall flat and lack the emotional devastation the author could have inflicted. In what could have been a can’t-put-down page turner, I truthfully couldn’t wait for it to be over.

Rating: 2/5 stars
Recommend?: Skip it!

Into The Water
by Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Riverhead Books
Date: May 1st, 2018
Genre: Fiction/Murder Mystery

Review: This is a murder mystery told from many points-of-view about a small town that plays host to a water hole appropriately named “The Drowning Pool” which has hosted the death of many women throughout the town’s history. Everyone in the town has secrets and can’t seem to stop lying until the ultimate truth comes out. I loved this book even though following the huge amount of characters was difficult at first; again, I needed to make a chart to keep them all straight, however, every single character was important to the story. I let this one sit on my Kindle unread for way too long!

Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommend: YES!

May 2020

In Five Years
by Rebecca Serle

Publisher: Atria Books
Date: March 10th, 2020
Genre: Fiction

Review: This is an incredibly unexpected yet perfect story about a girl named Dannie who is a major planner, not unlike myself. She has her entire life course plotted out but when she falls asleep on the night of her engagement, she has a very realistic dream that she knows is more than just a dream; it’s a premonition of what her life will be 5 years in the future. When she wakes up her life takes a dramatically altered path and nothing is ever the same. This book develops relationships and characters so well, you will feel like you miss your friends at the end. I promise you, you won’t be able to put it down.

Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommend?: FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR!!! YES!

Fierce, Free and Full of Fire
by Jen Hatmaker

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Date: April 21st, 2020
Genre: Self-help/Christian guidance

Review: This is the accumulation of Jen’s lifetime of lessons summed up in a way that empowers and liberates women to be authentically themselves. The audiobook version includes great excerpts from Jen’s podcast as well as her own comments sprinkled in. Total side note: on her podcast and on social media, Jen tends to make this tongue clicking noise all the time when she speaks that I cannot stand; she does NOT do that in the audiobook much at all which made it much more enjoyable for me!

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes in Audible form for the extras!

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
by Greg McKeown

Publisher: Currency
Date: 2014
Genre: Business/Self-help

Review: This is the philosophy of Essentialism where less is always better. This way of thinking/acting/living is not limited to the workplace and business situations; it is also meant to be incorporated into your daily life. This philosophy means slowing down and taking on less in order to only say “yes” to the things that are the most important in your life. It also means being as far from busy as possible in order to enjoy the little things around you and have time to truly think and reflect; the path of Essentialism is the path to happiness and productivity.

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes- this book contains valuable lessons for all men and women alike, even if you don’t choose to adopt the entire Essentialist lifestyle

Magic Hour
by Kristin Hannah

Publisher: Ballantine
Date: February 2006
Genre: Fiction

Review: This is the story of 2 sisters, Ellie & Julie, who have an unexpected interruption in their lives – a found feral child needing lots of love and care. The sisters need to band together to save this child and give her the life that was so maliciously taken away from her. With the help of a couple very lovable characters and a small town full of good-hearted people, the boundaries of parenthood and family will be tested. The characters are very well-developed and the setting is easily pictured, both features Kristin Hannah is well-known and loved for. (This was actually my mom’s favorite book by her favorite author so I wanted to read it in honor of her during the month of Mother’s Day!)

Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommend?: Yes! I wish I would have read this sooner.

Open Book
by Jessica Simpson

Publisher: Dey Street Books
Date: February 2nd, 2020
Genre: Memoir

Review: This is the story of Jessica Simpson from her youth into present day complete with lots of juicy gossip about lots of your favorite celebrities (PS. John Mayer is an asshole)! She very openly discusses her faith, being sexually molested as a child, saving her virginity for marriage, multiple failed relationships, an at-times difficult career, body image issues, motherhood and her struggle with alcoholism. I greatly enjoyed listening to the audiobook version read by Jessica herself! My only audiobook-specific gripe is she over-uses her “crying” voice way too often and it ends up sounding forced and not at all genuine.

Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommend?: Even as a non-JS fan, I say give it a go!

The Silent Patient
by Alex Michaelides

Publisher: Celadon Books
Date: February 5th, 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller/Fiction

Review: This is the story of Theo, a psychotherapist, who purposefully gets hired at a mental hospital where a notorious patient named Alicia is held. She allegedly murdered her husband and then never spoke again; her only communication since the day of the crime has been a solitary painting she has named Alcestis. Theo is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery behind the events of the day Alicia stopped speaking and uncover what truths live in her silence. This book truly left me guessing up until the end and provided several shocking twists that are so hard to pull off in a novel such as this! Amazing debut novel.

Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommend?: Absolutely!

Well-read travels <3