I have been a self-proclaimed book nerd my entire life! It’s the ultimate self-care for me and something I make time for every single day. There is just something about cozying up, reading a good book and getting lost between the pages! I thought I’d share 5 books you need to read this summer just in case you are looking for some new reads!
1//Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
When I think of a summer read, I automatically think of Elin Hilderbrand! She is pretty much the queen of writing summer novels! She is one of my favorite authors and a lot of her books take place in Nantucket or Montauk. It always makes those East Coast beach towns seem so appealing! I definitely want to visit after reading all of her books!
Book Description // On a perfect June day, Vivian Howe, author of thirteen beach novels and mother of three nearly grown children, is killed in a hit-and-run car accident while jogging near her home on Nantucket. She ascends to the Beyond where she’s assigned to a Person named Martha, who allows Vivi to watch what happens below for one last summer. Vivi also is granted three “nudges” to change the outcome of events on earth, and with her daughter Willa on her third miscarriage, Carson partying until all hours, and Leo currently “off again” with his high-maintenance girlfriend, she’ll have to think carefully where to use them.
From the Beyond, Vivi watches “The Chief” Ed Kapenash investigate her death, but her greatest worry is her final book, which contains a secret from her own youth that could be disastrous for her reputation. But when hidden truths come to light, Vivi’s family will have to sort out their past and present mistakes—with or without a nudge of help from above—while Vivi finally lets them grow without her.
My thoughts// Obsessed! From the moment I picked up this book, I could not put it down! It was captivating and endearing and indefinitely stayed up way past my bedtime to finish reading this! Definitely a must read this summer!
2// That Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Jennifer Weiner is another one of my favorite authors! She writes so well, her words are witty and fun, and she weaves the most magical storylines. I have read and loved all of her books, so as soon as I saw this one come out, I knew I had to pick it up!
Book Description // Daisy Shoemaker can’t sleep. With a thriving cooking business, full schedule of volunteer work, and a beautiful home in the Philadelphia suburbs, she should be content. But her teenage daughter can be a handful, her husband can be distant, her work can feel trivial, and she has lots of acquaintances, but no real friends. Still, Daisy knows she’s got it good. So why is she up all night?
While Daisy tries to identify the root of her dissatisfaction, she’s also receiving misdirected emails meant for a woman named Diana Starling, whose email address is just one punctuation mark away from her own. When Daisy’s driving carpools, Diana is chairing meetings. While Daisy’s making dinner, Diana’s making plans to reorganize corporations. Diana’s glamorous, sophisticated, single-lady life is miles away from Daisy’s simpler existence. When an apology leads to an invitation, the two women meet and become friends. But, as they get closer, we learn that their connection was not completely accidental. Who IS this other woman, and what does she want with Daisy?
My Thoughts// This book was not what I expected it to be, but I still enjoyed it! It discusses the #metoo movement, sexual assault and rape, and has some strong political viewpoints mixed in there. Because of this it does tend to fall on the heavier side of a summer read. But I did appreciate her exploring these topics and weaving them in throughout the story. While it did take me a few chapters to get into the book, I still found it was thought-provoking and held my attention
3//One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
If you are a fan of the Bachelorette series, you will love this book! To be honest, when I first picked up this book, I had zero expectations. It just sort of looked like a fun, romantic comedy read! I like those every now and then because it just provides me with some mindless entertainment! I also definitely do judge a book by its cover when picking out books, and this one caught my eye!
Book Description// Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers—and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show.
Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition—under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She’s in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That’s it.
But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She’s in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale. In this joyful, wickedly observant debut, Bea has to decide whether it might just be worth trusting these men—and herself—for a chance to live happily ever after.
My Thoughts// I loved this book! It was such a fun and easy read, but it really did speak on an important topic in society. I loved how it talked about body diversity and harmful beauty standards, while also mixing in a bunch of fun, reality TV drama! Highly recommend this book for a fun read that was witty, informative, and endearing!
4// The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
This was one of those books I typically wouldn’t choose, but after it was recommended a few times I caved in and rented from the library! It’s a historical fiction and is great for those who love Jane Austen and her style of writing! Also, side note, if you listen to the audiobook version, the narrator’s voice is so perfect!
Book Description // Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England’s finest novelists. Now it’s home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen’s legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen’s home and her legacy. These people―a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others―could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.
My Thoughts // This book pleasantly surprised me. It’s a great read and has some really strong women characters that you might find super relatable. I think that there were a lot of Jane Austen references that probably went over my head, sinceI am not an avid fan. However, the four woman characters and their families still drew me in. It’s always a goal of mine to read books I normally wouldn’t gravitate towards and this one definitely checked that category! It was a fun read though and I would still recommend it to others for sure!
5// Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
I just discovered the author Kristin Hannah recently and I have loved her books! They are so good. I loved Firefly Lane and The Great Alone so I was so excited to see she came out with a new book! Her books always pack an emotional punch and this one is no different!
Book Description // Years ago, Nora Bridge walked out on her marriage and left her daughters behind. Now she is a famous talk show host. Her daughter Ruby is a struggling comedienne. The two haven’t spoken in more than a decade. Then a scandal from Nora’s past is exposed, and Ruby is offered a fortune to write a tell-all about her mother. Reluctantly, she returns to the family house on Summer Island, a home filled with frayed memories of joy and heartache. Confronting a past that includes a never-forgotten love, a sick best friend, and a mother who has harbored terrible family secrets, Ruby finally begins to understand the complex ties that bind a mother and daughter- and the healing that comes with forgiveness.
My Thoughts // Okay, so this book will definitely take you on an emotional journey! I wasn’t prepared for how much I would love this book and how much it would make me cry. It’s a compelling story of mothers and daughters and the complicated relationship of these characters. The author is so good about writing about family drama and making you see all the different views! It’s definitely a great book to read this summer!
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Do you have any fun summer reads we should all to our bookshelf? Let us know! We always love reading new books and getting recommendations for different genres! We hope our list of 5 Books to read this summer will inspire you to read something new!
Hope everyone is having an amazing summer! It’s going by so quickly! I can’t believe we are almost to August! Fall is almost here! So don’t forget to take advantage of the Nordstrom Sale to stock up on some fall finds! We shared some of our favorite finds in our last blog post, HERE!
As always, thank you for your support and we hope you are having a great summer!
Xoxoxo,
Kari
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