I just finished this today so I‘m still processing but I can tell you I loved it and have book hangover ♥️ And how cute is the cover?

Helen Hoang‘s books are always a delicious treat — much like these cupcakes and chocolate covered cakes! 😋 I laughed, I cried, I stuffed my face with baked goods.

When someone mentions Barnes & Noble is having a sale and you have no self control 🤷🏻‍♀️

This was the perfect light, cozy, read for this season in this crazy year. Loved this quirky, fun cast of characters, the setting and the romance.

Definitely recommend if you‘re looking for something light and fun. I would also recommend a caramel snickerdoodle martini (which is what the drink in this pic is) it was so yummy!

Don‘t you love it when you pick up a book that you‘re ambivalent about and end up loving it? I ended up reading it much faster than I intended to because I couldn‘t put it down. There was so much more depth than the synopsis would have you believe. I was just so pleasantly surprised at all the feelings I experienced! In the end though- as a good romance should be- it is a warm, fuzzy feel-good book!

Loved this! It was a wonderful, unique, compelling story. The writing was delicious. I had been on the fence about choosing it as my Book of the Month but so glad I decided to give it a chance! ✨

I‘m one of the few who didn‘t love The Flatshare. It was fine I just didn‘t love it like everyone else seemed to. Possible case of right book wrong time? In any case, I did love this. It was super cute! Loved the grandmother-granddaughter dynamic and thought Eileen, the grandmother, was just the cutest character! Loved her story 🌸

I seem to have never met a WWII book I didn‘t love and this was no exception. I loved this. The writing was literary and decadent. The dialogue was witty and wry. It‘s depressing as heck, don‘t get me wrong, but somehow I was ok with that here. The ending was not everything I‘d hoped it would be but it was in keeping with the story and for that reason I can‘t be mad at it.

I heard of this book from the What Should I Read Next podcast. I added it to my list because it took place in Edinburgh and before the ‘rona shut everything down I was supposed to go. And once we‘re able to travel again I intend to! It did give me ideas for a couple of new places to visit so that worked out. It‘s a super fast perfectly enjoyable read. I suppose if I were younger this would‘ve also been pretty spooky!

A super cute, fun read. Total brain candy 🍭 🍬

I didn‘t have cupcakes for this pic but I did have these INSANE donuts! 🤤

I did not read The Mothers but I may have to now because I loved this! I thought the writing was delicious and loved how all the stories developed and intertwined. It also made me realize that I really like multi-generational stories. I think I had an inkling before but this really cemented it for me so if anyone has suggestions, let me know!

Feminist romance is the BEST romance. Loved this!
I was not a fan of Tristan at all for the first half of the book and wasn‘t so sure he could be redeemed by the end but I feel dumb for doubting because OF COURSE he could. As a card-carrying feminist is there anything hotter than a feminist man who supports your cause? Evie Dunmore knows what she‘s doing! ♥️👏🏼

What a great line! I‘m loving this book.

After much debate with myself this is what I picked this month. What did you go with?

September wrap-up! This is my best month this year. Not pictured in Anxious People which is on loan to a friend who is currently reading and loving it- as did I! Enjoyed all of these, loved most of them 😊

It took me little bit to warm up to this (mostly because I had a book hangover) but once I did I couldn‘t put it down. I loved it. Didn‘t exactly love the end; it felt a little unresolved in some ways but still, definitely worth the read.

Some books I received for my birthday! Two of these are books I added to my list after I saw them posted here. I don‘t remember who posted them, but thank you just the same 😊

Fredrik Backman is comfort food for the mind and soul. His stories always remind us how flawed but redeemable we are. Despite the subject matter of this one, which is heavy, I laughed out loud repeatedly, which is rare. It‘s the kind of book a lot of us need in these difficult times. I absolutely loved it.

I walk around asking people if they, too, can hear the voices in my head, so he had me at the dedication ♥️

Of course, he‘s referring to the fictional characters he writes and my voices just tell me to do stupid stuff. So, that feels like an important distinction...

I finished this and thought: What did I just read?! Wow. That was... different, in a good way. Quite a roller coaster of genres, points of view, feelings and writing. I enjoyed it but think it‘s the kind of book you either love or hate with little room in between. It will not be for everyone.

I struggled to get into this book. I got about halfway through but still wasn‘t sure I‘d finish it. I enjoyed the second half much more -the ending was certainly something to think about! But overall I was never really a fan of Cassidy. I also wished the author didn‘t make it seem like every moment of being a pop star was an absolutely miserable experience. It just didn‘t seem realistic. All in all, kind of a mixed bag for me.

Sunday treats! Stuffed French toast, coffee and a good book! Hope you‘re all enjoying your weekend ♥️

Welp. It‘s international dog day and this is what mine did to celebrate. AND SHE HAS NO SHAME. Look at her! Posing adorably in front of her work like it‘s a GOOD thing! We just got her less than two weeks ago so she‘s still learning...

Book with a view! gorgeous Bryce Canyon ♥️

Can‘t wait to dig in! I think I‘ll start with The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes...

New books arrived today!

When I first heard Midnight Sun was finally being released I wasn‘t sure if I was still interested in reading it but then I thought, who am I kidding? Of course I am!

Me to this series: “I wish I knew how to quit you “ 😂😜

As a romance this did not do it for me. It seemed secondary to the gymnastics story and the chemistry of these two characters was lacking. There were a couple of storylines I felt were resolved too quickly and could have been more fleshed out. Overall it was fine, I enjoyed it, but if it hadn‘t been sold to me as a romance I may have liked it more? Expectations 🤷🏻‍♀️ The drink, however, was delicious! DIY Dole Whip!

I had absolutely no plans to read this but my friend read it and loved it so she passed it on to me and told me I HAD to read it. I‘m so glad I did because I loved it too! Can‘t wait to read the follow-up!

New BOTM books just in time for the weekend! What to read next...? 🤔📚

What a fun read! I stayed up much too late reading because I HAD to know who she would pick. I surprisingly enjoyed that the story was also told from texts, articles, blogs, podcasts etc. (I‘m usually not a fan of that) but they added a layer to it that made it feel more realistic because it let you see how it was all being perceived which is a major factor with a reality show. I‘ve outgrown The Bachelorette but I enjoyed it here!

As I‘ve said before, I‘m a sucker for stories about bands/tours/musicians. This was a super cute and fast read. I enjoyed it. I don‘t have much else to say about it except the editing could be better: Annie‘s eyes are described as brown in one page and blue in another and there is a word missing in yet another. These things were arguably not a big deal but a bit distracting, unfortunately 🤷🏻‍♀️

Took a road trip to get some cupcakes from Nadia Cakes which is owned By author Abby Jimenez and mentioned in both her books. We weren‘t to be able to go inside because of the quarantine but the cupcakes were yummy so we‘ll definitely be going again! ♥️

I‘ve been working on getting to some of the books that have been on my shelf for a while. This one is based on true events. There were a couple of really disturbingly violent passages (mostly at the beginning) but a really interesting read. I enjoyed it.

Over the span of a week in 1982 a man went on spree & killed four taxi drivers for no apparent reason. This book is essentially the edited transcript of many interviews with the killer in jail years after the murders. I found this to be an interesting & fast read but wish there was more information outside of the interviews. I would have preferred a bit more of the aftermath & impact the murders had on the families of the victims and the city.

I bought this in a bookstore in New Orleans a couple of years ago and I only just got to it. It was fine- touched on some big issues without getting too deep. I very much enjoyed that it was set in New Orleans. As for the cake, it was delicious 👌🏼

If you‘ve ever loved a musician you‘ve probably fantasized about them falling in love with you. This book let‘s you live that fantasy. My only issue was with the end: it was not particularly realistic. Without getting into specifics, on a key day of the book the timeline did not add up, and the culmination of events were just, well, not likely- just a bit over the top. But that‘s just me nitpicking. Nitpicking aside, it was a really fun read.

I don‘t know if I‘ll ever tire of reading the many different interpretations of Jane Austen‘s relationship with her sister, how her one night engagement happened & ended, or why she never married. And I still always cringe at the thought of her letters being burned. I enjoyed this overall but I picked it up at the wrong time. I should have waited until I was actually in the mood for it & not on some schedule I made for myself 🤷🏻‍♀️

Umm, not my favorite? I just didn‘t understand how they both knew they loved each other- there was no vagueness there- but somehow couldn‘t get it together? The conflict was flimsy. At times I had to re-read certain things because it wasn‘t clear- I thought that was just me not getting it but apparently other people had this issue so it just needed better editing. I didn‘t hate it as much as some but it could have been a lot better for sure.

Mary Bennet gets a glow up! The thing about reading a book based on an adored Jane Austen book is that we all have ideas of what WE think Austen‘s characters would and would not do. As Austen fans we are very possessive of her characters, no? Overall I‘ll just say I loved the writing, liked the story, but think I would have liked it more if it were shorter. It just felt too long for me.

A fun, quick read. Very yummy, just like these donuts 😁👍🏼

My April Wrap-up. Not pictured is Beach Read because I‘ve already loaned it to a friend. I really enjoyed mostly all but maybe The Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Only Woman in the Room were not really for me.

I need help. Thanks ♥️♥️♥️

So good. Very well researched and compelling. If you read nonfiction I highly recommend this!

I wanted to order a book to support a local independent bookstore but couldn‘t decide which store so ended up ordering one from The Last Bookstore, one from Vroman‘s and three from The Ripped Bodice. No such thing as too many books, right? 😉♥️

We were supposed to be leaving for Scotland today. Instead, we‘re gonna drink some whisky and read through these books. It‘s fine. Totally fine. It‘ll be just like being there 😭😢😭

It could be a case of wrong book at the wrong time but I didn‘t love this. I just never quite clicked with the character or the story which is a shame because in general I think Hedy Lamarr‘s story is a rather fascinating one. I do recommend the documentary “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” though (not to be confused with Bombshell with Charlize Theron).

I am a sucker for a book about Paris in the 1920s. This was great because while it had many “cameos” by famous people: Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker, Gertrude Stein, Maurice Ravel, Marcel Proust, etc., it is not about them. It‘s a story of belonging, heartbreak, family and hope among other things. It was heartbreaking but I loved it.

Friday evening bookish inspired drinks 📚 🤓 I‘m trying to make my way through as many of these as I can. This one is called Devonshire Dreamsicle (inspired by Jane Austen‘s Emma) and is delicious!

I recently decided to give up on thrillers because I find they mostly disappoint me. And then I went and made this one of my BOTM picks because I apparently can‘t help myself. But I gotta say, I enjoyed this one! I figured out one of the plot points pretty early on and another plot point was a bit too much of a stretch for me but I liked the writing and it did keep me guessing until the end. I‘m glad a decided to give it a try!

Another cocktail from my Gin Austen book. This one is called No Weymouth (a city mentioned in Emma). And that there, photobombing my picture, is my dog Atticus ♥️