this post may contain your next favorite book

Hello and happy summer, friends! I’m on my couch with the second movie of the day playing, tired after a day at the beach and tanning in the backyard, a belly full of watermelon, and my kids playing in the background. I’m fully in summer mode and the looseness of it all is working so well for me. I’m a self proclaimed summer hater, but I needed a break from the routine to recharge. I’m working out daily, not schooling, and having so much fun planning to leave for a bachelorette trip, planning a family lake/ cabin trip with friends, and just booked concert tickets (gracie abrams!!!) It’s been so lovely and I decided to lean into that rest and summer mode. I’ve been reading so so many incredible books and there is nothing ! better ! than reading on a chill summer day. I don’t know why the reading gods have graced me with so many amazing books this year, but I’ll HAPPILY share the recommendations!

Also- next Monday there won’t be a free post as i’ll be on my first kid free trip (!)

If you love…

+ eerie mysterious (semi) thrillers that aren’t scary

+ beautiful and complicated family and parenthood dynamics

+ a stunning antarctic island setting with seal and penguin colonies

+ complex characters that you change your mind about

+ a book you think about nonstop once it’s done

then Wild Dark Shore is for you!!! I LOVED it on audio with a cast and aussie accents

If you love…

+ PERFECT ROMANCES THAT WILL MAKE YOU KICK YOUR FEET GIDDY

+ gorgeous summer lake settings

+ hot tan men who build treehouses and make your grandma swoon

+ love stories ft 30 somethings

+ yearning and tension then perfectly written spice

+ not cliche in a cheesy way but perfectly perfect love stories that make you sad for it to end

then One Golden Summer is for you!!! You *can* read it as a standalone but i’d highly recommend reading Every Summer After first, which is also SO good.

If you love…

+ bad bitch strong female main characters

+ historical fiction with the perfect amount of personal life mixed in

+ being completely immersed in a different time

+ the heartbreaking reminder of such horrific times in history but also the incredible brave people who worked for good

+ a selfless beautiful love story

+ incredible dual narrations with an aussie & a french man

then Code Name Helene is for you!!! I LOVED it on audio. Her other book, Frozen River, is one of my favorites of all time.

If you love…

+ wild rugged settings (it’s rural Alaska)

+ experience women overcome traumatic and abusive circumstances

+ having your heart ripped out

+ family-like community/ complex family dynamics

+ a STUNNING ending

+ anything by queen Kristin Hannah

then The Great Alone is for you!!! I always enjoy KH on audio because Julia Whelan narrates

If you love…

+ a fascinating life story

+ the actual loveliest long term marriage/ partnership

+ a badass business woman that comes across just like a soft home cook

+ life lessons GALORE delivered in the form of intriguing life stories

+ lots of delish food talk

then Be Ready When the Luck Happens is for you!!! Ina narrates it and I think there’s magic in hearing a memoir from the author herself! Her voice is lovely.

If you love…

+ COMPLEX CHARACTERS wow you’ll have things you love and hate about every single one

+ an underlying mystery without it being a thriller

+ english countryside setting w/ a sheep farm (!!!!!)

+ poetic writing

+ a stunning depiction of motherhood and marriage

+ love stories that make you blush and root for the characters

+ a touch of heartbreak :(

+ THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR IDK

then Broken Country is for you!!! I loved it enough to listen to it on audio (FANTASTIC) and then immediately read it as well.

If you love…

+ MERYL STREEP ON AUDIO

+ books without a massive riveting plot but more like a stroll through a cherry orchard to hear a life story

+ lovely commentary on parenthood, love, and the beauty in a slow mundane life

+ an audiobook with 10/10 vibes for summer

then Tom Lake is for you!!! I don’t think I would have finished it without audio. With audio felt like a cozy afternoon, freshly showered after a day in the sun. Cozy, relaxed, lovely. I mean, it’s Meryl!!

If you love…

+ magical realism (not a whole fantasy world, just magical elements!!)

+ a book that is wildly cozy, uplifting,& heart tugging

+ a grumpy sunshine love story playing in the background

+ a magical island setting

+ a book that surprises you so much with how much you grow to love it

then The House in the Cerulean Sea is for you! I would have never chosen this but I LOVED it and so did our little paid subscriber book club. It grabs you & is so sweet. There’s a sequel too! I did it on audio but wish I didn’t.

If you love…

+ queen Jessa Hastings’ writing and stunning way of developing characters

+ complicated messy family dynamics and overcoming them

+ southern comfort setting in Beaufort!!!

+ hot tan aussie MMC that would do anything to make her realize how wonderful she really is

+ sibling love and relationships that are so real and so lovely

+ uncovering hidden parts of people and understanding them better

then Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings is for you!!!

Let me know which calls to you the most! Kind of like a little personality quiz, haha! Enjoy your summer and your summer reading. xo