Add these your beach bag!!

Hi!

Summer snuck up on all of us, but I am happy to see the sunshine. I don’t know about any of you, but my favorite time to read is in the summer. Take some lemonade, get on a bathing suit, grab your sunglasses, spf, and take your pick of a fun summer read.

One great book that I read recently is Normal People by Sally Rooney. This book seemed interesting because I have another book by Sally Rooney that I am currently working on right as I write this post. Sally Rooney is only 27 years old!!!! What?!!?! Normal People is an insightful and thought provoking “indie” read that takes a look at a complex friendship/romance between Connell and Marianne.

I really loved Normal People because I was interested in the different characters and how they reacted to each other. At times, I wanted to scream at Marianne and at others I wanted to give her a hug. The novel takes a great look into modern day communication (or lack there of) skills and how everything can become so complicated because a person is not direct. In addition the different class struggles and family issues we all face are adequately woven within the characters of the story. With that being said, I found myself completely understanding the characters and their emotions as the two characters were conflicted about what was best for the individual vs what was best for the couple.

All in all, Sally Rooney provides a great look into the minds of two teens as they struggle with each other and the world around them.

….Because of this great read I have picked up Sally Rooney’s 1st book Conversations With Friends. Review to come…

Another book I would recommend to the poetry fans out there is a dystopian feminine revenge book (similar to The Handmaid’s Tale/ Virgin Suicides). Something In The Water by Sophie Mackintosh tells the story of sisters who were removed from society by their father in order to protect them from the male violence of the outside world. One day when their father goes out to get supplies he does not return. When the girls are left alone with their not so loving mother where they seem to have many mental and physical breakdowns with the man of the house gone.

So this story was a little weird and science fiction isn’t totally my go to. However, if you’re looking for a fiction book that makes you think in an obscure way? This is the book for you. Sophie Mackintosh writes in a poetic way with metaphors and other devises woven throughout the book. Many of the elements of the story are vague which left me frustrated at times. The vagueness, however, could be a great thing if you are looking to detect something below the surface. All in all if you need something different, dark, and political The Water Cure is the book for you.

Next up is a scary fiction book that left my jaw on the floor. Hen and her husband Lloyd have settled into their new home in a nice and quiet neighborhood right outside of Boston. When Hen meets their new neighbors she is put off by a strange, yet familiar object in their house. Hen feels unsettled about the object and knows the story behind it. Is she really sure this object is related to that murder so long ago??? Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson is an awesome thriller. I loved the group of “normal” characters and how the reader gets to see the inner workings of just how interesting the mind of a teacher or an artist can be. Not to mention, the ending includes a twist that will have you shaking. Whatever you do, Before She Knew Him is a must read for this summer!

Psssst!! If you liked books like Gone Girl or Girl On the Train Before She Knew Him will be one of your fav’s. Easy quick chapters and all.

Next on my list is a little self help situation. You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero is a funny and easy going approach to creating the life YOU want. I have been really enjoying this book as there are short chapters, hilarious common language, and refreshingly inspiring tips on how to stay focused on yourself. This book is great for reading a quick chapter before bed and when you wake up! Sometimes adding something a bit different between fiction is very refreshing for me which is why I would suggest this book.

Last but not least is on the top of my list for 2019 so far. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid was simply incredible. Okay, yes I am late to the party on this one. I hate to admit it but I did judge a book by its cover on this one and yes, I regret it. With that being said I was in need of something fun for traveling. This was an INCREDIBLE beach read. Evelyn Hugo is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and offers to do a tell all about her past (which includes 7 husbands?!?!). The interesting part is, Evelyn will only work with a low end journalist Monique. Why will Evelyn refuse to work with anyone other than Monique??

If you enjoy anything gossipy, touching, and a bit of self discovery you will want to run out to the bookstore today and buy this novel. I was pleasantly surprised at how incredible I felt after reading about the characters and reflecting the lessons on my own life. Through fame, fortune, 7 husbands, and success will Evelyn really ever be satisfied? I hope you enjoy this lovely story as much as I did.

That’s a wrap for now!!! Take pics of your books and add them to your story tagging @bbooked !! Enjoy the summer. Happy reading 🙂

More Than Words

Author: Jill Santopolo

I‘ve been waiting for this book for SO long. Ever since I finished The Light We Lost I was craving another story from this thoughtful author.

More Than Words tells the story of Nina, a speech writer/ heiress who is struggling with the loss of her father and mother. Through learning more about her parent’s past she discovers her true self. Along the way, just like The Light We Lost, Nina is torn between her head and her heart. Two suitors are in the mix and they’re very different men.

This book was a bit tough to get through in the beginning as I felt it was kind of a therapy session for the author. However, the short choppy chapters kept me in the game. The second 1/2 of the book is where things pick up and you’ll find yourself putting yourself in Nina’s shoes and weighing her options.

I love how the author takes such real situations and creates a beautiful story out of them. Her novels provoke many thoughts about marriage, love, and self worth that I think are very common among 20/30 year old women. Overall More Than Words was not as great as The Light We Lost because of the slow beginning and, at times, cheesy bits here and there. 3/5 stars for this book.

-B

The Kiss Quotient

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Author: Helen Hoang

Genre: Romance

Page Count: 352

Read if you like: Crazy Rich Asians, 50 Shades of Grey, Colleen Hoover Books

B’s Thoughts:

The kiss quotient by Helen Hoang is a great little love story. While this story seems somewhat simple at first, the characters and their connection to themes really begin to stand out about 3/4 of the way into the story. In addition this book contains a nice look into the Vietnamese culture.

Stella, an autistic econometrist, falls for handsome Michael. Michael seems to be a perfect suitor for Stella as her main plan is to get out of her head. However as time moves forward Michael has baggage of his own despite his intact exterior. An unlikely pairing makes for a sweet love story.

Warning: this novel has some juicy scenes that are rated R. I loved reading this as I went on a mini weekend vacation with my friend. I was able to pick it up when I needed to and then return to it at any time without being lost. On the other hand, I could have read this book in one sitting if I wanted to. The Kiss Quotient is a weekend must 😊

maid

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Author: Stephanie Land

Genre: Non-Fiction/ Memoir

Page Count: 268

Read if you like this quote: “When you read about the lives of other people…you are part of their lives for that moment. You inhabit their lives and you feel what they’re feeling and that is compassion.” -Amy Tan

B’s Thoughts:

“Maid” provides a look into the world of a single mother that doesn’t have a safety net. Safety nets, I have learned from, come in many different and unexpected forms. Stephanie Land found herself without one single form of a safety net which provided heartbreak in ways that are unimaginable. Her experience was a bit eye opening to me and I found myself becoming uncomfortable at some parts of the story. Not because of graphic information or anything like that, but I became uncomfortable with myself as I noticed myself judging Stephanie and the different things she spent money on or work she did. With that being said, that is one of the reasons I love to read. I learned so much about how in today’s world much of the system is designed to keep impoverished people mired in poverty. Not only this, but I recognized my own intolerance, or better yet, impatience with a single mother who is trying to move through a system that is stacked against her. Finally, I realized while reading the emotional turmoil that this young mother felt. My judgement and intolerance was in check by the second half of the book because let’s face it judgement hurts and I didn’t want to give Stephanie Land anymore than she already was getting 😦 .

Overall I feel as though Stephanie Land’s book provides a great point of view and provoked me to inhabit her life in a thoughtful way while reading. At times the story was mundane and a bit anticlimactic, but if you take the time to reflect on the lives in the story your mind will be busy.

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The Goldfinch

All I have to say is WOW. The wind is knocked out of me after reading this triumph of a story. First of all thank you SO much to my awesome cousin Nick for letting me borrow the book. Thank you thank you thank you. After reading I really feel as though this book is meant to be passed on between friends. A work of art in itself.

So here’s the thing, I have seen this book in the bookstore for YEARS and have lifted it off the shelf, felt the weight, read a sentence of the back, and put it right back down. Too long/ I don’t really have a connection with books revolving around stolen art.

Okay. Let’s just say it’s the biggest face in the palm of my hand moment of all time that I put The Goldfinch back on the shelf so many times.

Donna Tartt is a gift from God. Her writing is truly exquisite and I cannot tell you how many sentences and paragraphs I read over and over again because they were simply beautiful. Her use of language and the creation of extremely enduring characters is one of a kind. You’d be a fool, as I was for so many years, to pass up this story made of gold.

Okay so the length?? Intimidating ?? Yes. I know. Here’s a little tip… try and read 100 pages a day. 200 pages in and trust me on this, Theo will be echoing in your mind all day. The characters and setting will absolutely consume you. Push on and READ! You’ll be so thankful. One of my top 3 favorite books of all time without a doubt.

Hey Ladies!!!!!!

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Author(s):

Genre: Fun/Gossip Fiction

Page Count: 274

Read If You Like: The Morning Toast Podcast, U Up? Podcast, Sex And The City, The Real Housewives on BRAVO

Honestly, if you don’t really like to read take a peek at this book. Might be just right for you!

B’s Thoughts:

Hey Ladies!!!

(sorry, I just had to)

In all seriousness “Hey Ladies” is one of the most creative books I have read in a while. To start the structure was very fun and innovative especially for the current times. “Hey Ladies” tells the story of 8 20-30 something year olds as they live their lives in New York City for a full year.

I am sure as you’re reading you will be able to identify with one of the characters and tag your bffs names to the others. Through shopping, happy hours, brunches, and wedding planning this story basically covers all the basic things that your female friends are doing if you are about 20/30 years old.

I have to say as much as I didn’t totally LOVE this book, I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy it because I read it in about two days. The book consists of texts and emails which I found very cool and relevant to our time. Not only this, but the book made me laugh out loud a few separate times. The reason why I didn’t love this book totally was the fact that I was feeling as though I was reading a gossip column. As much as I love The Real Housewives and Sex And The City, those are guilty pleasures of mine. Reading a book about the same subjects did not entirely satisfy me in the sense that I wasn’t learning much and perhaps that’s because I am the age group this story is centered around and am around too many texts and emails on the daily. But the creativity and the fun era of the book was all around enjoyable.

No Exit

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Author: Taylor Adams

Genre: Thriller

Page Count: 287

Read if you like: The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware or movies like Split and Don’t Breathe

B’s Thoughts:

Okay so one of my biggest fears ever is being kidnapped and I have ALWAYS imagined that the best place for kidnapping would be at a rest stop. Oh, hi Taylor Adams! Did you write this crazy scary thriller for me?!?!? Indeed, he did.

No Exit tells the story of a college aged girl named Darby Thorne who is traveling via car through Colorado in hopes of seeing her sick mother before she dies. Unfortunately Darby gets stuck in a huge snow storm and has to pull over at a rest stop until the storm clears. Little does Darby know, she will be trapped in this rest stop all night long with four other people and one of them is a psychopath.

One of the best things about this book was that I felt like I was watching a movie the entire time! The descriptions kept my heart beat racing as I quickly flipped page after page. All in all, I thought it was a great quick read and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to get fully scared as they’re curled up on a cold day this January.

My Year Of Rest And Relaxation Review

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Author: Otessa Moshfegh

Genre: Fiction

Page Count: 206

Extra Info: Check out this great Podcast with an interview from the author herself

B’s Thoughts:

After reading Eileen I was completely enthralled by Moshfegh which led to my purchase of her new book My Year Of Rest And Relaxation. I have read a lot of critiques about the author that explain her writing as cruel and exposes the harsh, gross thinking of the female mind. These critiques are what I admire most about her. How she so simply allows the reader to relate to the honesty of the characters in her novels. I couldn’t wait to pick this book up because, let’s be honest, who hasn’t wanted a year of rest and relaxation?

I am hesitant to give away too much because at the end of the book there is much to interpret (aka- please call or DM me if you read it so we can discuss it). With that being said, Moshfegh strings together a perfectly interesting story about a woman who is living in New York City with a lot of trauma. This trauma is taken on by the main character with sick humor, confrontation, and brutal honesty about drugs, depression, and female friendship. The main character who is nameless btw (I know, incredible) wants to hibernate for a year and wake up with a new outlook. As the reader I found myself sliding through the pages with the character in a drugged up haze as the repetitive habits of the main character went on so that she could somehow escape an insufferable world. Not only this, but I couldn’t wait to find out if her little experiment of hibernation would work…

Overall I really enjoyed this book. From the writing to the story itself I was intrigued the entire time. I think that the best books are those that keep you thinking about the meaning behind the story. This was definitely one of those books for me. I am always wanting to hear more theories and explanations as to what different elements of this story can mean. So really, if you read please DM, comment, or text me and let me know your thoughts!!

-B

B’s Reading Tips

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Happy 2019! I am hoping to read about 25 books this year! Here are 5 tips that keep me on track and focused if you need to get your 2019 reading started on the right foot.

1. Give your book some uninterrupted attention

The exposition is often the most important part of the story. With that being said, the background knowledge on setting and character can sometimes be mundane as we are chomping at the bit to get to the climax of the story. But how can we really be invested in the climax if we don’t give the exposition the attention it needs? Tip Number One comes into play here. I found that it is very important to give whatever book you are reading at least 100 pages (or about three chapters or set your timer to about 45 minutes) of your undivided attention. This means no phone checks, no talking to whoever is in the living room, and no falling asleep for those precious first few pages. By doing this, I found that I was able to invest in the story. After I read the first 100 pages of a book and go on with whatever the day has in store for me I almost always find myself wondering what is going to happen to Theo next or if Eleanor would be internally mocking the girl waxing my eyebrows. See? Once you give characters and setting a chance you give yourself a chance to be into a book.

Psst! White Noise machines, Youtube White Noise, and headphones are crucial for making it work in a noisy area

2. Set up Downtime limits on your phone

On the iPhone settings you are able to set up “Downtime”. “Downtime” limits your app use to only selected apps during a certain timeframe. Personally, I have my downtime set from 9pm-12pm the next day. During those hours I am unable to be on any social media. This feature on my phone helped my ability to focus on the book that I am reading as well as be more present and mindful of my time. When I first started getting into reading I would look at my phone and check snapchat to see what a friend was up to and then found myself, 40 minutes later, watching some absurd video about a man in Philadelphia who is walking around with a squirrel on a leash as a “pet”. You can see how that did not lead me to reading and practicing mindfulness. Not only this, but have a book on hand at all times! In the car, in your bag, under your desk at work! You’ll never know when you can squeeze in some precious Downtime so always be ready.

3. Set Goals

Setting small and large goals helps my reading journey greatly. Depending on the book I am reading I like to set a page number goal where I read 30-100 pages per day at least. Depending on my schedule and the time of year I like to, ideally, read about a book a week. In addition I set a yearly goal of at least 20 books a year. These goals are not set in stone as reading should be a sense of enjoyment and I do not need to disappoint myself in any way. Instead these goals that I set allow me keep track of something that I know is beneficial to me. Thus, I have found that setting goals along the way keeps me on track.

Psst! For help keeping track of reading goals I suggest creating a Goodreads account for free! No idea what that is? Check mine out here!

4. Self Care

Over the years I have realized that reading is my top form of self care. I find that by diving into a book I am easily distracted from the stresses or worries in my day. Not to say that reading makes me a procrastinator, but it actually allows me to get out of my own head and into someone else’s for a few minutes each day. Tip Number 4 is to recognize if reading makes you feel relaxed, accomplished, and thoughtful. If you feel that way then set aside an hour when you wake up and before sleep for some much needed self care. I have found that it is one of the best habits I have gotten into by far.

5. If you don’t like the book…

DON’T READ IT! For a long, long time I didn’t enjoy reading because I would begin books that I didn’t love or feel a connection to and dreaded continuing on. I think it’s because I have always grown up with the mentality of “finish what you started”, but I stumbled on a meme once that had a girl flinging a book across a room for “closure” because she apparently wasn’t into it haha. For some reason that picture stuck with me and I realized that there are a billion books out there! I have so much to read and learn so why waste my precious reading time on something I am not enjoying.

On a final note…

In order to be interesting we must become interested. I began my reading journey because I love learning about people and the different things that make us all human. Find out what you are interested in and start there. You never know where a few pages will take you…

“When you read about the lives of other people…you are part of their lives for that moment. You inhabit their lives and you feel what they’re feeling and that is compassion.” -Amy Tan

October Book Pick

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Dear Readers,

My favorite time of the year is the Fall. Like many basic millennials out there, I too enjoy the classic pumpkin spice latte or two along with Disney’s 13 Nights of Halloween. But more importantly and, well, less basic I love to get into a spooky book for the month of October. So, this month I have picked a book out that is not your typical ghouls and goblins story that one might read around Halloween. Instead, I wanted to share with you a book that that has a true Hitchcockyan twist that will creep you out in unexpected ways.

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

Genre: Psychological Fiction, Thriller

Page Count: 274

Read if you like: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, the movie Rear Window, stories with great character depth via first person narrative (ex: writing style used in Eleanor Oliphant)

Fun Facts:

This is Ottessa Moshfegh’s first novel
I came across this title via a David Sedaris reading. If you’re ever looking for more suggestions David Sedaris has exquisite recommendations!

B’s Thoughts

Eileen is a quick read that you will not want to put down. In Ottessa Moshfegh’s breakout novel, she pulls you in with a brutally honest main character that is living a bit of a tragic life. Between her terrible home environment with an alcoholic father and her job as a secretary at a boy’s prison Eileen’s life is a horror show in itself. In order to liven up this mundane life Eileen takes to interesting habits around her town that will have you questioning her morals and also laughing as you’ll discover a strange sense of sympathy. Eileen is in for a surprising shock that is beyond her wildest imagination when a new person enters the prison. Prepare yourself with a PSL because you’ll be shuttering with the coldness that this novel elicits. Trust me on this one and Eileen invade your October. Happy reading!