Read some of my most anticipated releases and some backlog books perfect for AAIP Heritage Month.
Total Number of Books: 16
Total Number of Pages: 5,280
Physical: 7
eBooks: 5
Audiobooks: 4
Favorite (New) Reads of the Month: Happy Place by Emily Henry AND What Happens After Midnight by K. L. Walther
Physical:
Comedy Bang! Bang! The Podcast: The Book edited by Scott Aukerman – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Happy Place by Emily Henry – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This Place is Still Beautiful by Xixi Tian – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Parachutes by Kelly Yang – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Picture Us in The Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
White Ivy by Susie Yang – ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
It’s just inevitable now that I love everything Emily Henry writes. It’s interesting that her latest is called Happy Place because I think it’s probably the saddest(?) book that she’s written over the last few years. This explored how hard a person will hold onto the fear they feel of letting someone close to them down. I think the only probably I really had with Romantic Comedy was the length. I loved reading about the inner workings of the SNL-like show and the chemistry between Sally and Noah was excellent. Picture Us in the Light felt like a punch to the gut and the plot unfolded like a mystery. It’s hard to say much about it with out giving things away, but it was a hard, but incredible read. I really wanted to like White Ivy. I’m all for an unlikeable main character, but I want to see some development by the end of the book.
eBooks:
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Borrow My Heart by Kasie West – ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everyone Wants to Know by Kelly Loy Gilbert – ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What Happens After Midnight by K. L. Walther – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Annabel Monaghan is an author who redeemed herself in my eyes. Same Time Next Summer was lightyears better than her previous book. Beach town? Second chance romance? The characters developed really nicely over the story, however I wish there was a little more in the flashback scenes. This was still a really nice romance that made feel all warm and gooey inside. In the beginning, I was enjoying Everyone Wants to Know until it took the “influencer does anything for views” trope a step too far and I couldn’t get passed it. Kelly Loy Gilbert is an incredible writer who doesn’t shield away from tough conversations, this just made me feel a little icky. I will never give up on Kasie West! I enjoyed a lot of Borrow My Heart but it just lacked so much. The whole story could have been fleshed out throughout to add more substance. This is my third book by KL Walther and I’ve adored every single one of them. They give me such Sarah Dessen, early 00’s YA contemporary vibes that give me all the feels. What Happens After Midnight was framed really nicely by moving from past to present as Lily and Tag rediscover their feelings for each other through the voyage of a senior prank all-nighter.
Audiobooks:
Slouching Towards Los Angeles by Joan Didion – ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L. Browne – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
BFF by Christie Tate – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vinyl Moon and Dear Medusa were two YA novels-in-verse that were profoundly well-written. Not all the essays in Slouching Towards Los Angeles were spectacular, but it was nice to listen to the critiques of Joan Didion’s own feelings to how she wrote about her former home.
Lindsay Glenne 