Let’s talk books, shall we?
If you’re new around here, I love reading. It’s my go-to stress reliever, the way I learn and reflect, and my favorite topic of conversation. If you’re looking for book recommendations, you’re in the right place!
Normally, you’ll find themed reading lists on the blog and quick reviews of everything I’ve read recently in my monthly email newsletter. But after taking a writing break since May, there are too many books to cover in that format! Instead, this month I’m highlighting my favorites from the past four months here (plus sharing two super-popular bestsellers I didn’t love in my email to subscribers).
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Enough of that – let’s get to the books!
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Nonfiction & Memoir
Designing Your Work Life – Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
My two cents: Bill Burnett and Dave Evans teach the popular Design Your Life workshop at Stanford, where they teach students to use the tools of design to create a meaningful life. This book applies design thinking specifically to career. And it’s really, really good. Designing Your Work Life was exactly what I needed as we prepared to transition to life in a new city. Burnett and Evans’ advice is actually practical and realistic for people who can’t just quit their jobs to pursue their passion projects – no annoying #bossbabe, follow-your-dreams fluff here! After reading the book and doing the activities at the end of each chapter, I was able to ask for a few changes at my current job that utilize my strengths and have made me so much more excited about my work. This is definitely worth a read.
You’ll love it if: you’re at a career crossroads or just want to make your work less stressful and more meaningful
Skincare – Caroline Hirons
My two cents: Caroline Hirons is an aesthetician with a significant Internet following who is famous for her no-nonsense skincare advice. This book boils down tons of Instagram and blog posts into an informative, easy to read format. I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time researching skincare in the past few years, so some of this content was review, but I also picked up a lot of new info and have tried some great new products on her recommendation. Her method for dealing with zits alone might be worth the price of the book!
You’ll love it if: you want to up your skincare game in a more informed, less haphazard way
This is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever you Are – Melody Warnick
My two cents: Adam and I have moved a lot over the past 5 years, and especially after the pandemic, I’ve been longing to feel more connected where we live. This is Where You Belong follows another “mover” as she does a series of experiments to feel more at home in her new city. The strategies she employs – things like walking, buying local, and volunteering – are perhaps things you already knew or suspected to be true, but Warnick will absolutely convince you of their value. I haven’t mastered everything on her list yet, but every time we walk to a destination or visit a local restaurant, I think about this book.
You’ll love it if: you want a gentle push to develop a deeper sense of community wherever you live
Broken (In the Best Way Possible) – Jenny Lawson
My two cents: Jenny Lawson writes essays about anxiety and depression in a way that will make you absolutely cackle (and maybe sometimes cry). I cannot read her books in public places because her stories about accidentally leaving shoes in elevators or saying completely cringe-worthy things to her neighbors make me die laughing. This book isn’t particularly different from Let’s Pretend this Never Happened or Furiously Happy, her other books, but if you enjoy her style, it’s absolutely worth reading.
You’ll love it if: you enjoy an author’s laugh-out-loud humor in spite of hard things
Fiction
Attachments – Rainbow Rowell
My two cents: I love this book. Just absolutely love it. This story, set right before 2000, follows two journalists’ email correspondence through the eyes of the IT worker assigned to oversee the company’s email filters. I remember first reading it during a summer in college and gobbling it up in a day. That definitely happened again on this reread. Rainbow Rowell’s work hits all my book preferences – she masters the quirky characters and multiple perspectives without too much sap – and I love her for it. Fair warning, it takes a second to get acclimated to who exactly the characters are in this one, but once you do, you’ll absolutely fall in love.
You’ll love it if: you’re looking for a lighthearted, You’ve Got Mail-esque story that will make you grin like a fool
Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
My two cents: I’m late to the party on Fahrenheit 451, as somehow it was never assigned in high school. I finally read this book alongside a student, and wow, it was good. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian that takes place in a world where firemen burn books, which are illegal, and TV screens are taking over entire walls of people’s homes. The writing style in this is unlike anything else I’ve read. It has a dreamy, paranoid, blurry feel to it that was fascinating. I’m not mad that I waited until now to read it so I could actually appreciate that. For being written 60 years ago, its commentary on today’s social and political culture was also freakishly accurate. Loved and highly recommend.
You’ll love it if: you enjoy dystopian novels that will make you question your own society
Hey Ladies! The Story of 8 Best Friends, 1 Year, and Way Too Many Emails – Caroline Moss and Michelle Markowitz
My two cents: This story, told exclusively in emails, follows a year in the lives of a group of friends living in and around New York City. There’s all the friend and guy drama you might expect. Listen, this book is not going to make you smarter. It feels a bit like Sex and the City plus Instagram. But sometimes that is precisely the kind of book you need. This book reads quick – I read it in less than 24 hours – is really funny, and is easy to dip in and out of.
You’ll love it if: you want the perfect escapist read that will make you feel slightly better about your own life choices
The Time in Between – Maria Duenas
My two cents: Ready for a literary confession? I often struggle to get through long books that span many years of a character’s life, as they can lean too much toward summary for my taste. That was sort of true for this book. The Time in Between follows a dressmaker’s life as it evolves beginning in Spain during the Spanish Civil War until WWII. There was more summarizing than I’d prefer, so I didn’t really feel like I knew the character very well, especially for the number of pages I spend with her!
All that said, I am still glad that I read this one. The last 1/3 of the book really shone, and I thought the payoff at the end was satisfying. If you like historical fiction and have the patience for long books, this is a good choice.
You’ll love it if: you’d like the movie Casablanca in long, sweeping novel form
Middle Grade and YA
Hello, Universe – Erin Entrada Kelly
My two cents: I had wanted to read this Newberry Winner for a long time, so I was not mad when a student picked it for summer reading. What a charming story. This book tells the stories of a cast of neighborhood kids. There’s a painfully shy boy, a feisty girl who is deaf, a fortune teller (plus her pesky little sister), and the neighborhood bully. All their stories intersect, and it’s golden. I enjoyed this so much.
You’ll love it if: you like a feel-good middle grade novel with characters you can root for
Your turn! What are the best books you’ve read lately? Tell me everything in the comments below!
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