Sitting outside and reading is one of my absolute favorite things to do in the summer. It helps me wind down after work, or gives me an excuse to relax for a few hours on the weekend. I think that with reading, the more you do it, the more you want to do it – it scratches an itch that mindless TV watching just doesn’t (and I love TV).
I got through some really good books last month, including one so good that I have not been able to get my mind off of it. Please leave me your recommendations in the comments! I love getting personal recommendations more than trying to scroll through pages and pages of Barnes & Noble’s website!
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
This was, by far, my favorite of everything I read during the month. It’s spread over two different timelines, but with connected characters, and it just tells the story so beautifully. It’s partially set during the AIDS crisis in Chicago, and it really makes you think about how it might have felt to lose so many of your friends to a disease without a cure or any real treatment. If you read anything this summer, make it this book!
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
I didn’t really know what to expect from this book – the lead character is sometimes so socially awkward in ways that made me physically cringe while I was reading! But the story has turns in ways that you wouldn’t expect, and its a really interesting story. I don’t want to give away the plot, but I enjoyed it.
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
After I read The Female Persuasion last year, I knew that I wanted to read more books by Meg Wolitzer. She writes characters in a way that makes you really identify with them and their stories. This book follows a group of friends from camp through adulthood, and by the time I was done reading, I felt like I was part of their group, too.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
It took me a little to get into this one, because it’s written as if it’s one long magazine interview, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about the format. But it actually is perfect for the story, and I really loved it. It follows the story behind a fake musician and band, and when it ended I almost Googled to confirm that it wasn’t actually a real story!
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
This one is my current read – it’s the real-life story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. I’ve listened to the ABC podcast and watched the HBO documentary already, so this seemed like the next step.
