For the past couple of years, I’ve been focusing a lot on reading more books. Not only is it great for personal development (if you read nonfiction/self-development books), but it’s also such a fun hobby! I’ve wanted to start sharing my TBR (to be read) and reviews of some of the books I’ve read on the blog. So what better time to start than now? Here are my summer books (TBR and reviews) as well as some of my faves from earlier in 2023.
2023 Reading Challenge: Summer Books
My goal for 2023 has been to read 2 books every month (24 books/year) and I’m right on track to achieve that goal! I’ve read 14 books so far this year and am really proud of myself for that.
I’m naturally not the fastest reader. I get distracted easily and end up losing focus constantly, especially if I’m not super into the book. I’ll be reading a page and then zone out halfway through. Then I’ll be distracted by my thoughts or something else for the next 10 minutes.
But the more I’ve focused on reading every day, the easier this has gotten, and the less I beat myself up for “reading slow”. As long as you’re enjoying the books you’re reading, it really doesn’t matter how fast you’re going at all. As cliche as it sounds, it really only matters that you’re having fun and reading books you love.
That being said, if I’m reading a book that I truly can’t put down, it’ll only take me a couple of days to finish it because it’s all I want to do!
I’ve felt that way about a couple of books this year and definitely want to share those recommendations.
2023 Book Recommendations (so far)
Rewind to earlier this year really quick…
I’ve read a couple of *can’t put down* books and would HIGHLY recommend these for people who have a hard time focusing on books that they don’t love.
My favorite (5-star) books of 2023 have been The Wishing Game, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and (re-reading) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
The Wishing Game
This book (by Meg Shaffer) was one of my BOTM choices last month and I was SO surprised by how much I adored it. I believe it’s this author’s first novel, but her writing is incredible and I would’ve guessed she’s been writing novels her entire life.
The characters are so lovable, you can’t help but root for all of them. The little boy who’s had a hard childhood and has been bounced around from foster home to foster home. The teacher’s aide who lives with roommates and all she wants in the world is to save up enough money to adopt the little boy. The children’s book author who has a huge heart and only wants to help the struggling kids who read his books. And the artist who deep down cares so much for the loved ones in his life.
I felt like I could resonate in a way with every single person and there was so much character growth for all of them.
The story is truly heartwarming and keeps you invested until the very last page.
I immediately recommended this book to one of my friends as soon as I finished it because I NEEDED to talk about it with someone (and have someone else feel their heart explode for this story.)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
I read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow earlier this year. It was the 2022 book of the year so figured I should see what all the hype is about!
It’s a story about lifelong friendship (and the trickiness of loving someone you’re friends with, but never actually being with them), creativity, entrepreneurship, love, heartbreak, and so much more.
This book (by Gabrielle Sevin) was heartwrenching and I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I finished reading it, which rarely happens unless I truly love a book and its characters.
The seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
I read The Seven Husbands years ago when it first came out and it made me fall in love with Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing. Since then, I’ve read a bunch of her books and absolutely adore them all. But I wanted to go back to the beginning and reread the one that started it all!
Even the second time through, this is definitely a can’t-put-down book. It’s so well written, and it’s divided up section-by-section by the seven men Evelyn married. But it’s not a romance novel in the traditional sense.
It’s a story about love, heartbreak, the struggles of fame in old Hollywood, and finally (after years of staying silent) opening up about the truth of your life.
It’s a story within a story, as is told from the perspective of journalist, Monique, who’s been asked to write a biography of Evelyn’s life. The book bounces back and forth between Evelyn’s past life and Monique’s life now (hearing and writing Evelyn’s story).
This story is so intimate and beautiful. I would recommend this book (and TJR’s work, in general) to anyone.
Honorable Mentions from earlier this year:
I also enjoyed She Started It (by Sian Gilbert), Advika and the Hollywood Wives (by Kirthana Ramisetti), and The Highly Sensitive Person (by Elaine Aron).
She Started It is a can’t-put-down mean girl thriller that leaves you guessing until the end.
Advika and the Hollywood Wives is similar to Seven Husbands in that it’s about the dark side of fame, as well as marriage. It’s also about a huge age gap relationship, which was cringey at times, but the couple was incredibly interesting and they both had their own issues that popped up throughout the book.
The Highly Sensitive Person taught me so much about myself and made me understand who I am in a much deeper way. If you’d consider yourself introverted/shy/sensitive and don’t understand aspects of yourself (or have wanted to change yourself throughout times in your life), I’d highly recommend reading this.
July Books
The books I read in July were Atlas of the Heart (by Brene Brown) and Upgrade (by Blake Crouch). And now, for the rest of the month, The Seven Husbands re-read.
To be honest, I had to force my way through Atlas and Upgrade and wouldn’t recommend either of them.
Atlas of the Heart had an amazing concept and I learned a lot from certain sections (the section on shame was so informative and helped me see aspects of myself in a new light). But most of it read like a dictionary and was really hard to stay interested in. If you want a dictionary of emotions, or have trouble determining what emotion you’re feeling and want a concrete way to define it, this could be a good option. For me, a self-aware (to a fault) emotional basketcase half the time, it felt like a drag to read.
I absolutely loved Blake Crouch’s book Dark Matter, so I had high hopes for Upgrade. But it fell flat in so many ways. It felt like less of a sci-fi novel and more of an action movie adapted into book format. The concept was amazing and I feel like there was so much he could’ve done with the book, but it was too action-packed for me, the characters were not likable at all, and the gene editing aspect was underwhelming. If you want a great sci-fi book, I’d recommend Dark Matter in a heartbeat, but not Upgrade.
TBR: Summer Books for August
For August, I’m planning to finish reading The Checklist Manifesto (I started it a couple of months ago but have gotten distracted by other books.) Also, I’m going to re-read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, as well as whatever fiction book I choose from Book of the Month, once the August picks come out.
If you’re wanting to get into reading fiction, I would highly recommend trying out Book of the Month! This isn’t sponsored at all, I just genuinely love BOTM and have been using it on and off for years. I have the annual membership now, but you can get a monthly membership as well (and cancel anytime.)
You can use my referral to get your first hardcover book for $5 if you want to check it out. 😉
This post was a little all over the place, I know, but I hope it helped to give you some recommendations for summer books to read in the coming months! If you have any recommendations for me to read, I’d love to hear them. 🙂
Disclosure: This post isn’t sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you purchase an item through them (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for your support!
