Best Books I’ve Read Recently

Hi! It’s been a while since I’ve posted – things have been very busy and overwhelming (mostly in a good way!) as I settle in to working full-time. I’ve been far more active on Instagram, especially with my book reviews!

I’m always reading a ton, and these past few months have been no exception. I really enjoy reading before bed and before work or during my lunch break as an alternative to TV/scrolling on my phone. Since I’ve read so many books since I last shared a book post, I’m going to share the best books I’ve read recently! If you want to see everything I’m reading, be sure to follow along on insta/watch my stories because I’m always sharing books over there!

Recent Reads

Breathless by Jennifer Niven

I shared on stories that this is now one of my favorite books ever. The writing is so beautiful and I love how the author writes about adolescence and young love. It follows Claude the summer after she graduates high school as she navigates her parents divorce and a big change in her summer plans. Everything about this book is amazing, a must read!

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

This is very different from what I normally read, but I really enjoyed it. It’s the telling of Homer’s Iliad from the perspective of Patroclus. I was pulled in immediately, and I loved that it told a classic Greek story in a different way, focusing on an LBTQIA+ love story.

The Push by Ashley Audrain

This book was so fascinating and definitely different from most of the thrillers I read. It is more of a psychological thriller that follows a mother who has a difficult time bonding with her first child. She can’t figure out if she’s a bad mother, or if there is something seriously wrong with her daughter. I need a movie or TV series. And a sequel, ASAP!

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

Gottlieb is a therapist, and this book is part autobiography, part stories of her different clients. It discusses her experience as both a therapist and as a patient. I found it really fascinating and insightful! I was really invested in finding out what happened with her and with many of her patients.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

When her husband disappears, he leaves Hannah a note telling her to protect her step-daughter, Bailey. Hannah and Bailey set out to find the truth about where Owen has gone, and who he really is. A great mystery, and I loved that it took place in the Bay Area and Texas!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I know this one is old news so I won’t fully explain it, I’ll just say it’s very different than what I expected and I loved it just as much as everyone else!

People We Meet on Vacation & Beach Read by Emily Henry

Both perfect summer reads! The first follows best friends to lovers, the second follows enemies to lovers. Cliches for sure but done really well. I’d recommend both!

Don’t Look for Me by Wendy Walker

One of the best thrillers I’ve read lately! It’s about a woman who disappears, and though the police believe she decided to leave her family, her daughter doesn’t buy it. The daughter is determined to find her mother, and I loved that the author wrote from the daughter and mother’s perspectives as the mystery unfolds!

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

This one was a little more horror vibes than I usually go for! I find horror so intriguing but usually it freaks me out. This book reminded me a lot of The Haunting of Hill House (on Netflix) which, truly, haunts me to this day. Don’t know why I watched it. I will say this book is less scary than that show, though! It’s about a woman whose father wrote a book about the ‘haunted house’ they lived in briefly when she was a child. When he passes away, she discovers he still owned the house and she goes back to fix it up and figure out if her father was telling the truth.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

I loveee McQuiston – she wrote Red, White & Royal Blue which is one of my absolute favorites! In this one, August moves to NYC and meets a woman on the subway. She can’t stop thinking about ‘Subway Girl’ – who always seems to be on her train. Then she begins to suspect that ‘Subway Girl’ is unable to leave the subway. This one is such a cute love story and also a little supernatural-ish which is fun!

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo so I was really excited to see that Reid had another book coming out. This one is about the four children of a famous singer who grow up in Malibu, their family history, and how it impacts their adult lives. It takes place over a 24-hour period and a huge party they throw each year in-between flashbacks of their childhood. I really liked most of the characters and couldn’t put this one down!

Attached by Amir Levine

One of maybe two nonfiction books in this post! This one covers attachment theory and the different types of attachments people have in relationships. It explains how to find your attachment style and how to find a partner who would work best for your style, or how to improve communication with your current partner based on their attachment style as well. Great if your single or in a relationship!

Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin

I loved this book! It’s about a woman, Claire, who gets a job as a musician for a playgroup on the Upper East Side. The moms are beautiful, rich, and insta-famous. They welcome Claire with open arms and she begins to learn more about their secrets. It’s funny and has an element of mystery and I loved everything about it!

The Half Sister by Sandie Jones

Another good thriller! After their father’s death, two sisters discover they have a half sister. Or at least a woman claiming to be their half sister. Family dynamics shift as they try to figure out who this woman is, and the secrets their parents may have been hiding from them. I will say it became a little obvious at the end, but I still enjoyed it a lot!

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Such a different mystery than I’m used to, and I enjoyed it a lot. Pip is a senior in high school, and for her capstone project, she decides to solve her town’s infamous murder mystery. I loved Pip – she’s obsessive, determined, smart, and brave and everything I love to see in a main female character! Despite the idea of a high schooler solving a murder being unrealistic, I loved it! I did not love the second book as much, but I think Pip makes it worth the read!

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

My friend gifted me this book for my birthday and it was definitely a page-turner. The timeline jumps reminded me a lot of Malibu Rising actually! It follows a woman who is choosing between her husband and her childhood love while spending the summer at her family’s vacation home. It also details her family history and much of her childhood. A lot of it is very tragic and graphic, but it was beautifully written. I will say the ending felt a bit ambiguous to me, though the author claims she thought the ending was super obvious! Haha!

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So. Many. Books! I hope you found something to add to your list for the end of summer (or maybe even a thriller to pick up come October!). Make sure to follow me on Instagram to see all my book reviews in ‘real time’ or subscribe below to get notified when I post round-ups like this!

xx, c