Monday, July 11, 2022

Book Club: June 2022

We're a little late on this month's book club, but that is only because we are having too much fun this summer!  Vacations, trips, camps, and kids home makes for lots of fun, but very little downtime.  We've been on a roll with some great books this summer though and can't wait to share! 




WHAT WE READ...

CARRIE BETH


First up this month was Rivals by Katharine McGee.  It's the third book in the Young Adult American Royals series. This series is based on the idea that American has a Royal Family and is so clever and uniquely done. I loved the first book in this series so much that I named it my favorite of the entire year a few years ago.  The second book was good, but not great in my opinion, and this one was back to being one of my favorites that I'd read in a long time.  It continues to follow the same characters and reads almost like a soap opera with lots of different storylines between each of the characters and a lot of drama.  Knowing how this book ended I feel confident there will be a 4th book in the series.



My next read was Every Summer After by Carley Fortune and it gave me all the feels.  I loved this one and it reminded me so much of Love and Other Words which I named a top 3 favorite of the year last year.  It's a boy and girl next door friendship kind of story that turns into a love and then so much more.  They go through a lot together during their coming of age and grow up together experiencing life, love, heartbreak, betrayal, loss, and so much more. After many years of not seeing each other they are reunited and hash out all that went wrong so many years ago.  It was a page turner for sure and I couldn't stop until I knew what happened to these two characters.  



Last up this month was Meant to Be by Emily Giffin.  I love so many of her books so was excited to try this one.  The idea of this story is loosely based on the Kennedy family, a very high class, wealthy and very well-known family.  The golden boy and America's most eligible bachelor meets a girl with a rough past and the story follows their relationship trying to navigate their families, the media, and just their differences.  I enjoyed it, but it felt really long and kind of dragged on.  To me it was just a book about two people that kept going and going with little excitement or climax. 



JEN

June was beach vacation month. And beach vacation meant beach reading. Lots and lots of beach reading. It was glorious! Most of what I read, I loved! I read a wide variety of genres and quite a lot of suggestions off of our Best Books of Summer 2022 list. So, if you need something good to pack in your beach bag this month - I've got you! 


First up for the month, Emily Henry's latest, Book Lovers. Out of all three of the Henry books I've read so far, Book Lovers is by far my favorite. The characters, the back and forth banter, the fun sibling relationship between two of the main characters - all of it made for one super fun, couldn't put down, rom-com! If you are looking for an easier read with some laugh out loud commentary - this is the book for you this month! 


Second for the month, I snagged the latest from the queen of beach reads herself. (Thanks MKA for the copy!!!) The Homewreckers is exactly what I enjoy in an MKA novel - fun home decor references, quirky characters, and at least a mystery or two. This story is based out of Savannah and features a home renovation reality TV show turned murder mystery. There's a little romance or two that pops up as part of the story, but it's totally PG and a backdrop to the mystery itself. Loved this one and it was the perfect beach read! 




This next one deserves all the hype it has gotten this Summer. Every Summer After is literally the perfect Summer read. This is a best friends to romance style story, but with all the feelings. As you get into the book you learn that something happened to split the characters up 12 years earlier, but you don't find out until the very end of the book. The characters cross paths again in the present day and all the magic seems to still be there, but the "mystery" issue still hangs over them.

I was in love with the story and characters right from the start. I wasn't even finished with it yet, and told all my girlfriends to read it. Even when I turned the last page I still wanted more of the Summers with Percy, Sam and the lake shores of Barry's Bay. Read it - you won't be disappointed! 



Next I decided to switch it up. Falling has been on my TBR pile for awhile, but it covers a heavier topic so I kept putting it on the back burner. On a whim I brought it to the beach and I am so glad I did. I devoured the book in a day. The story follows an airplane pilot who is called into work last minute. He does his normal routine and gets into the air when all things go wrong. Only no one is allowed to know. On the ground his family is experiencing their own crisis. The pilot has to make a devastating choice, and neither one is one he wants to make. I don't want to give it away at all, but the whole time I read it I kept asking my husband, "What would you do if this happened to you? What choice would you make?!" I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and the ending blew my mind. If you need something to get your heart rate up in a different way...read this one!  



Closing out the month for me was Birds of California. I picked this one because the beachy cover caught my eye, it had a great review from Taylor Jenkins Reid and was the Barnes and Noble pick for the month. I figured I didn't even need to read the back with all those things going for it. So I went in blind. It was a quick read about a girl who was a child star on a popular TV show until one day her life began to spiral out of control. The novel is mystery in a sense because you don't know why things suddenly took a turn for her, or why she is so bitter about her career. When the show wants to relaunch all things come to a head again. I enjoyed the book, but compared to the fast paced ones before it, I didn't rate this one as high for the month. It also leans towards YA. If you need a quick drama filled read - this would be the one I would grab. 



WHAT'S UP NEXT...

CARRIE BETH 

Next up for me is Book Lovers by Emily Henry. 


I've had a few people recommend this to me it sounds like such a cute story! 


JEN

I've heard awesome reviews for Kristan Higgins latest, Out of the Clear Blue Sky. I already have it ready to go! 



WHAT DID YOU READ LAST MONTH? ANYTHING YOU LOVED THAT WE SHOULD PUT ON OUR READING LISTS? SHARE WITH US!

BOOK CLUB 2022

January | February | March | April  | May |


BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER 2022

BEST BOOKS OF 2021



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