Summer 2021 Reading Wrap-Up

I’m probably the only person on the planet who is excited to see the summer go. It’s been a hot and humid few months and I can’t wait to welcome the autumn weather, pumpkin spice everything, and the spookiness of Halloween.

But on the positive side of things, my complete refusal to go outside in the heat allowed me to get back into my reading routine. And I was able to finish a lot more books this season, than the months prior. Read on for my full thoughts on all my summer reads.

Unpregnant

Veronica is the perfect student with the perfect boyfriend and the perfect group of friends. She’s just weeks away from high school graduation, as valedictorian and on her way to a top school for college.

But then she finds out she’s pregnant. And in her eyes, her life is going to be ruined. She’s too ashamed to tell her family or friends , so she turns to her ex-childhood bff, Bailey.

From there the two girls head out on 900+ mile road trip to the closest, legal, abortion clinic.

I saw someone else compare this story to the female version of superbad, except instead of a party, it’s an abortion. Veronica and Bailey hit a lot of weird, random, unexpected and crazy road bumps along the way. And of course, they also rekindle their friendship.

While I’m 100% here for a pro-choice storyline, I did have some issues with how unrealistic parts of this book were. The entire wild goose chase with her boyfriend storyline got on my nerves. I felt like the overall story was really fast paced and went from one outrageous thing to the next. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters and I was relieved when I finished the book.

I originally picked this one up ahead of watching the movie adaption, but I’m not sure I’ll ever watch the movie either.

Regardless, I appreciate the author taking on such a heavy topic and working towards removing the stigma around abortion.

Goodreads Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke never thought she would wish she’d failed a test until she finds herself holding a thick piece of plastic in her hands and staring at two solid pink lines. Even the most consistent use of condoms won’t prevent pregnancy when your boyfriend secretly pokes holes in them to keep you from going out-of-state for college.

Veronica needs an abortion, but the closest place she can legally get one is over nine hundred miles away—and Veronica doesn’t have a car. Too ashamed to ask her friends or family for help, Veronica turns to the one person she believes won’t judge her: Bailey Butler, Jefferson High’s own little black cloud of anger and snark—and Veronica’s ex-best friend. Once on the road, Veronica quickly remembers nothing with Bailey is ever simple and that means two days of stolen cars, shotguns, crazed ex-boyfriends, truck stop strippers with pro-life agendas, and a limo driver named Bob. But the pain and betrayal of their broken friendship can’t be outrun. When their fighting leads to a brutal moment of truth, Bailey abandons Veronica. Now Veronica must risk everything in order to repair the hurt she’s caused

The Last Flight

The perfect life. The perfect husband. That’s what Claire Cook thought she was getting when she married her husband. But instead she’s trapped in an abusive marriage within a powerful political family who have the connections and money to keep her trapped.

But after a chance meet at the airport, Claire has finally escaped him. She meets Eva, another lonely woman looking for a way out of her life. So they trade IDs and flights and are on their way.

A perfect escape. Until, the plane Claire was supposed to be on crashes with no survivors.

Alternating between Claire and Eva’s POV, The Last Flight is a wild ride. I was hooked from the start, desperate to uncover the secrets Eva was running from, and the future Claire was running into.

I was expecting the thrills and the mystery but I wasn’t expecting such an emotional connection to Eva and Claire. To be able to feel their desperation and heartbreaks as they did.

Julie Clark is a new author to me but I am excited to see what else she comes up with.

Goodreads Summary:

Claire Cook has a perfect life. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career, and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move. But what he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish.

A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets ― Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.

Somebody’s Daughter

Somebody’s Daughter was the Bad Bitch Book Club July 2021 pick, and prior to it being selected I had never heard of Ashley C. Ford and probably would have missed out on this book.

I chose to read this book as an audiobook read by the author. Ashley is incredibly vulnerable and honest throughout the telling of her story. And she makes it clear that this is HER story, HER experience, HER point of view on things - she doesn’t sugarcoat her truth for the benefit of anyone else. It’s an unapologetic look back on her life including all of the complex relationships, trauma and hardships she’s had to face.

I was also lucky enough to join the author chat with Ashley through BBBC and she’s just as amazing in-person (well, virtually) as she comes across in her memoir.

Goodreads Summary:

One of the most prominent voices of her generation debuts with an extraordinarily powerful memoir: the story of a childhood defined by the looming absence of her incarcerated father.

Through poverty, adolescence, and a fraught relationship with her mother, Ashley C. Ford wishes she could turn to her father for hope and encouragement. There are just a few problems: he’s in prison, and she doesn’t know what he did to end up there. She doesn’t know how to deal with the incessant worries that keep her up at night, or how to handle the changes in her body that draw unwanted attention from men. In her search for unconditional love, Ashley begins dating a boy her mother hates. When the relationship turns sour, he assaults her. Still reeling from the rape, which she keeps secret from her family, Ashley desperately searches for meaning in the chaos. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father’s incarceration . . . and Ashley’s entire world is turned upside down.

Somebody’s Daughter steps into the world of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration, exploring how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them.

The Ex Talk

Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun both work for the Seattle Public Radio. But to say they got off on the wrong foot would be an understatement.

Shay has been with the station for almost a decade when Dominic joins the team as the newest reporter, fresh out of grad school with a masters in journalism. And she is not impressed. Even further than that, she’s just downright irritated with his know-it-all approach.

But when the station is in jeopardy, Shay pitches the idea of “The Ex Talk,” a radio show hosted by two exes to talk about what went wrong. Except the station doesn’t have the budget to bring in the talent and instead decides Shay and Dominic will host, faking a relationship and break-up. And its wildly successful.

Except what happens when you stop hating each other and start falling in love?

This book was EVERYTHING. Rachel Lynn Soloman brought the romance, the humor, the diversity, the strong character development. She managed to write an amazing female protagonist who was well rounded with a life outside of her love interest.

I loved every second of this book and would 10/10 recommend it to everyone.

Goodreads Summary:

Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon's sparkling romantic comedy debut.

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can't imagine working anywhere else. But lately it's been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who's fresh off a journalism master's program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it's this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it's not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.

As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.

Malibu Rising

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a consistent five-star read for me, and Malibu Rising didn't change that. If you feel similar about TJR, read this book! If you've never read a Taylor Jenkins Read book in your life, pick this one up (and all her others)!

It's the end of the summer which means it's time for the highly anticipated end-of-summer-party at Nina Riva's cliffside Malibu mansion. But this year is different, this year is a turning point in the lives of Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit Riva. By the end of the night, the house will be up in flames and each of the four siblings will be changed forever.

If you like family drama, loveable characters, and absolutely absurd celebrity behavior then you should pick-up Malibu Rising. TJR's ability to make me feel like I was the fifth Riva sibling standing in the middle of the party surrounded by the chaos is a gift not every author is capable of giving but she does it flawlessly.

I loved each and every character (with the exception of Mick, obviously). While some other reviews have claimed the side characters of the party as distracting, I loved the absurdity of them and the comic relief they brought to what otherwise could be a heavy story.

And of course, I love when an author tells a story living in the same world as a previous one such as Malibu Rising did with small connections to Evelyn Hugo. Putting in my request now for a future book to follow Nina's life in Portugal...

Thank you to Netgalley and Taylor Jenkins Reid for the eArc in exchange for my honest review!

Goodreads Summary:

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.

Thanks to NetGalley and Taylor Jenkins Reid for the eArc of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Summer of Salt

TW: sexual assault

“On the island of By-the-Sea you could always smell two things: salt and magic.”

The Fernweh women have been living on the island of By-The-Sea for generations. And there’s always been something magical about them… literally. Georgina and Mary are twin sisters approaching their 18th birthday, the age that the Fernweh woman traditionally come into their powers. Mary has already found her magic, the ability to float. Georgina on the other hand, is still waiting, and while the clock is ticking down the days she has other things to focus on - the annual birdwatchers are flocking to the island for the arrival of Annabella, a 300 year old bird (who may or may not be a long lost magical relative of the Fernweh’s).

Except this year, Annabella doesn’t show up. Until she does, murdered in a barn. And Mary is the prime suspect. And the island is.. acting out?

But the whimsical storyline isn’t even the best thing about this book.

It’s the strong female characters. Georgie, Mary, Vira, Prue. Each of these characters is so uniquely their own and built out I felt like I knew them in real life. And I loved the different relationships Georgie had with each of them. Her strong, unbreakable bond with Vira. Her new love with Prue. And of course, at the heart of the story, her extreme loyalty and love for her sister, Mary.

It’s the representation. The author wrote in LGBTQ+ representation at the front and center of the story, not as a supporting character or a side story. Georgie is 100% sure of her sexuality and the author crafts a great teenage love story between Georgie and Prue. But then also the inclusion of Vira, an aro/ace character, who is also Georgie’s best friend.

It’s the bringing awareness to how badass and strong woman are in the face of trauma. I’ll admit when I picked up this book I expected it to be a lighthearted read. But the ending takes a darker turn where we learn one of the characters experienced a traumatic rape. While this is a heavy topic, I thought the author’s approach was perfect for a YA story. She brought awareness to an important topic, threw shade at the victim-blamers of society, and brought to life the hard truth of what woman go through when they’ve been sexually assaulted.

This is definitely a book that is going to be in my head for a while.

Goodreads Summary:

Magic passed down through generations. An island where strange things happen. One summer that will become legend.

Practical Magic meets Nova Ren Suma’s Imaginary Girls and Laura Ruby’s Bone Gap in this lush, atmospheric novel by acclaimed author Katrina Leno.

Georgina Fernweh waits impatiently for the tingle of magic in her fingers—magic that has touched every woman in her family. But with her eighteenth birthday looming at the end of this summer, Georgina fears her gift will never come.

Over the course of her last summer on the island—a summer of storms, falling in love, and the mystery behind one rare three-hundred-year-old bird—Georgina will learn the truth about magic, in all its many forms.

The Girls In The Garden

Clare and her two daughters Grace and Pip, just moved into a picturesque neighborhood in London that backs into a communal park for the surrounding residents. A perfect place for kids to run about, nosy neighbors to gossip, and for secrets to get buried.

I was really intrigued by this one after reading the back cover but to be honest, it didn’t live up to my expectations.

The story begins in the “now” with Pip finding Grace in the garden unconscious. After that first chapter, we start back in the beginning working our way up to Pip finding Grace. I thought it was odd to set it up this way because when we finally find out what happened, it was kind of anti-climatic and pretty obvious.

While I felt the plot and the whodunnit aspect of the story to be slow and disappointing, I felt the author did a great job on character development. I was really invested in the neighborhood, I felt like I was there in the park with them all.

Overall, not my favorite book but not my least favorite. Other mystery/thriller lovers may enjoy this story but it just wasn’t for me.

Goodreads Summary:

You live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses.

You’ve known your neighbours for years and you trust them. Implicitly.

You think your children are safe.

But are they really?

Midsummer night: a thirteen-year-old girl is found unconscious in a dark corner of the garden square. What really happened to her? And who is responsible?

The Dating Plan

If you love the fake dating, fake fiance, and/or fake marriage trope then this book is for you! Daisy is a strong, independent woman who don’t need no man. But her family disagrees. And they’re after her to get married and not just to anyone, but to the suitor of their choice! How romantic.

Daisy’s family will go as far as tracking her down at a work conference for a casual run in. And that’s exactly when things get worse for her.

*Enter Liam Murphy*

Liam Murphy was Daisy’s brothers best friend growing up. But he walked out of Daisy’s life10 years ago. On prom night to be exact. When he was supposed to be her date. And Daisy hasn’t forgiven him.

But when she runs into Liam (literally, runs into him) at a tech conference while being chased down by her aunt who has the family’s latest choice of husband in town, Liam becomes her excuse out. They fake an engagement. A spur of a moment decision that becomes mutually beneficial when Liam finds out he needs to be married in the next two months to get the inheritance his grandfather left him.

The Dating Plan is a super cute romance, with great characters and a romance I was rooting for. Sometimes when I read romance books I find myself frustrated with the will-they-won’t-they aspect of the story but I didn’t find myself having that problem with this book.

My only complaint is the hang up both Daisy and her father had about Liam disappearing from their lives 10 years earlier. I found it unrealistic to have happened the way the author wrote it but also unrealistic how angry both these characters still were with him after 10 years. It probably would not have bothered me if it wasn’t referred to so often throughout the book.

Goodreads Summary:

Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance.

Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn't broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago...

Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren't about to follow the rules of this engagement.

The Cousins

I love a book with a good buried family secret and that’s exactly what McManus serves with The Cousins.

Milly, Aubrey and Jonah Story are cousins belonging to a rich, powerhouse family who basically owns an island off the coast of Massachusetts. But they wouldn’t know much about that because their parents were disinherited 24 years earlier, they’ve never met their grandmother and they barely know each other. So when they receive a letter from their grandmother inviting them to the island for the summer, who could help but be curious?

Overall, I thought The Cousins was a good, fast paced, mysterious read. However, I didn’t connect with any of the main characters. I didn’t feel invested in their stories, or their development. I felt like they were only half baked, we got snippets of each of their backstories at the start of the book but then it seemed to end there. And don’t even get me started on the parents. They were completely unlikeable, easy to mix-up (they all had names beginning with A), and I didn’t see what value the Alison POV brought to the story. In fact, I thought those chapters made the ending obvious very early on. And that brings me to my next complaint..

The ending was obvious. I felt like I was reading for confirmation that it really was THAT obvious rather than reading to find out what happened. And the final twist of the story, the only part that I didn’t figure out from page 10 of the book, seemed incredibly unrealistic. So much so that it solidified the book as a disappointment for me.

I’ve heard great things about this author, and this is only my first time reading her but The Cousins was not a great place to start.

Goodreads Summary:

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each other, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised... and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

The House In The Cerulean Sea

The House In The Cerulean Sea has been one of the most hyped up books this year and for good reason. I absolutely adored everything about this book.

Linus Baker is a case worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. Linus follows the rules and regulations to a t. He’s all work and no play. That’s why the extremely upper management chooses him for a top secret assignment to Marsyas Island. On Marsyas Island, Linus is to advise if the magical youth orphanage is fit for six of the most dangerous magical youth existing. Like, very dangerous. We’re talking the antichrist.

Except, not all is what it seems. Linus quickly realizes there is more to the children than what’s included in their files. The House In The Cerulean Sea has the major theme of acceptance.

I fell in love with every single character in this book just like Linus eventually did too. The author does an amazing job of building each characters unique personality and storyline. I also loved the little bits of comedic relief included throughout the book and the soft love story that slowly grew between Linus and Arthur.

My only complaints are that this book was a little slowly paced at times, and felt geared towards a younger audience. But overall, it’s a 5 star recommendations from me!

Goodreads Summary:

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come

Jessica Pan lived one of my worst nightmares, an introvert living life as an extrovert.

And somehow she survived.

Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come: An Introvert’s Year of Living Dangerously is basically the equivalent of “a year of yes” but for introverts. Jessica pushed herself to do all sorts of activities that just thinking about make my want to go hide under my blankets… specifically, Improv. But as someone who hates large amounts of attention, needs 3 days to recharge after an overly social weekend, and just generally prefers to go unnoticed in life, I felt like I could relate to Jessica. So I was intrigued from the start to see not just her journey, but HOW she chose to “be more extrovert.”

This was an audio read for me, and I highly recommend. Jessica reads the book herself, she’s funny and has a way of making you feel like you’re in the room with her.

Goodreads Summary:

Extroverts have all the fun. Or so Jessica Pan - professional introvert - thought.

When she found herself jobless, friendless and sitting low in the familiar Jess-shaped crease on her sofa, she couldn't help but wonder what life might have looked like if she had been a little more open to new experiences and new people and a little less attached to going home instead of going to the pub.

So she made a vow: to push her shy, introvert self to live the life of an extrovert for a year. She wrote a list: improv, a solo holiday and... talking to strangers on the tube. And regretted it instantly.

Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come follows Jess's hilarious and painful year of misadventures in extroverting, reporting back from the frontlines for all the introverts out there - those lucky bastards still safe under their duvets.

But is life better and easier for the extroverts? Do they really have all the fun?