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Summer flew by and it sure was fun! Now we are in my favorite season of all… FALL. I love all the holidays and traditions that come with the next few months. Since I revealed my fall reading list recently, I figured I should review what I read over the summer. I didn’t get to all of the books listed on my summer reading list, but I got a few other in that were not on the list. Sometimes my book selection depends on when the ebook becomes available from the library, so I have to be open to a few different book options.
Luckiest Girl Alive: This book was super violent with a lot of disturbing subject matter. Rape, mass shooting and blackmail doesn’t exactly scream summer read to me. It got really good near the end and I did stay up late to finish it. The ending as a whole felt incomplete and many of the storylines ended sloppily. I would pass on this one and I’m not really sure why this book got so much hype.
Brain Maker: I know a book all about the power of your gut microbes doesn’t SOUND very interesting, but I LOVED it! This is the same author who wrote Grain Brain, another book I enjoyed. I learned so much reading this book, but I do think the book is a bit slanted. The study results highlighted in the book are carefully selected to match the author’s opinion. But it was interesting and educational.. and I started immediately adding more pro and prebiotics to my diet. (and I feel fantastic!) I even wrote a whole post about probiotics for my sister blog, Strong Girl Collective.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?: I know everyone loves Mindy Kaling, but I did not get anything from this book. I expected it to be similar to Yes, Please by Amy Poehler, which was autobiographical as well, but it had lots of tips and advice that I could apply to my life. This book was basically a story of her life and I just didn’t get much from it.
Modern Lovers: I really enjoyed this book. There book had a lot of different characters and story lines, but it was clear and easy to follow. It is basically about childhood friends dealing with real life together as grownups. I totally recommend this one.
You are a Badass: This book was awesome, motivating and FUNNY! Everyone should read this book. I believe in the whole positive “thoughts become things” mentality… if that isn’t your thing then this book may be a bit too crunchy granola for you. I highly recommend this book and I’m sure I will read it again one day.
29 Gifts: This was a book Sincero mentioned in “You are a Badass” so I read it right after that one. It was a interesting book that focuses on the premise that doing nice things for others will, in turn, make your own life better. The author came across this 20 gift challenge shortly after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, something my dad had… so that maybe made me like the book a bit more as well.
What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: This was a quick read, but I love books like this. I also wake up early but I haven’t been getting as much accomplished in the mornings as I would like, so I thought this could help me with that. It didn’t but I liked it anyway.
For the Love: This was my first Jen Hatmaker read and she is FUNNY! I liked how she openly discussed challenges and controversies surround the church today and why she thinks fewer Christians are going to church these days. Great book.
So as you can see, I only read 3 books from my summer reading list, but the other books are still on my wait list. I am currently reading The Nest (love it) and I am dying to read Fringe Hours! I am only 3 books away from reaching my goal of 25 books for the year! Woot! Woot! have you read any good books lately?
I recently decided to take on the challenge of reading four (4) books per month. Currently reading Long Walk To Freedom (It’s an autobiography of Nelson Mandela). I would be checking out some of the titles mentioned here.
That sounds like a great book.. what a fun challenge to read 4 books a month!
I’m not going to lie. I don’t like reading. Isn’t that weird? I like writing, but not reading. I have, however, started reading a book over the summer and I am still reading it. It may take me until the end of the year to finish it, but at least I’ll finish it. It’s my main goal this year! LOL When I’m finished I’ll have to revisit your post and get some ideas for my big read for next year! Hahaha!
NO that is not weird at all! My best friend HATES reading and she always asks me how I can read so much without being bored! ha!
I’m definitely going to check out a few of the books you mentioned!
I hope you enjoy them Megan! Have a wonderful weekend!
I need to finish For the Love. And THANK YOU for what you said about Luckiest Girl Alive. I am not sure either – I was not a fan of this book at all. Violent, weird, hard to follow!
Yes I kept reading since I thought it would get better since so many people loved it. Maybe I just prefer reading about happy things! ha! 😉
Those books look really great, I am going to check some of them out as I need a good book to read
Yes I got a lot of good ones in a row.. it doesn’t always work out that way!
How do you, Superwoman, have time to read? I love it. I need to get into Jan Hatmaker’s stuff. I’m almost finished with Amy Schumer’s book and, while I know she can be crude, love love love it. It’s an easy read, the chapters are short and hilarious, and it’s incredibly inspiring and relatable. Makes me want to quit my job and be a full time writer. Oh, that pesky mortgage!
haha! I schedule reading time before bed a few nights a week.. I consider it a hobby so I make time for it! 😉 I love AMy Schumer but I haven’t read her book so I need to check that out!!
I’ve only read one of these (For the Love) and I need to add some of these to my list! You read a lot this summer, I’m impressed!
Well a few of them were books on tape that I listened to in the car to and from work.. haha!
oooh! LOVE a good reading list! Modern Lovers is definitely on my list, too.
It was a good, easy read. I got through it pretty quick since the characters were so interesting! 🙂
What an awesome review! I looks like your summer was spent reading an array of different subject matters. I spent my summer reading the same author, so I didn’t get to branch out nearly as much as you did. I’m hoping to do more of that this summer, though. Thanks for the ideas!
Thank you Rachel! I like to have 2 books in rotation at a time, a fiction and one non-fiction so that tends to be the reason for the variety! 😉 Have a wonderful week!
Excellent book choices!! I just finished You are a Badass and now I’m looking towards 29 gifts as well!
It was a good one, I listened to the audiobook and it would put me in a positive mindset for the day!
I think I’m the only person left who hasn’t read You Are a Badass. It’s on my list! I just finished Mindy Kaling’s second book and was kind of eh about it, seems like it is similar to her first.
I think everyone should read the Badass book, but I am a total self help junkie so I love that stuff! 😉 Have a wonderful week!
I didn’t really like the Luckiest Girl Alive either. The ending was terrible. I really want to read the Badass one, and I also have Modern Lovers on my library list. I just read What Alice Forgot and I loved it.
I need to check out What Alice Forgot, it has been on my reading list forever. Modern Lovers was an easy read, nothing spectacular.. just enjoyable, which is fine by me! 😉 And you would love You are a Badass!
What a great range of literature! I loved Luckiest Girl Alive but I think it’s because I’m coming from a teacher’s perspective. It had some interesting themes that I think young people are dealing with today that perhaps we didn’t when we were kids. But I love hearing your perspective. Was looking for some new reads myself!
I could totally see that. It was the opposite for me since I hear about it all the time working in news so sometimes I like my books to be a little less real. haha
I love to read! I haven’t been making as much time for it as I usually do, but I’m always looking for new titles to add to my list.
Yes I have to schedule time before bed a few nights a week or else I would never get to it myself! 😉 Have a wonderful week!
Great suggestions. I really should read “You Are A Badass” sooner rather than later!
YES!! It is SO good! but I am a total self help book junkie! 😉 Have an amazing week!!
Hi Lauren,
Ok, I just want to start by saying I feel quite silly, since I just sent you an email introducing myself, and asked you how I could post comments on your posts? Lol! and then I scrolled through all the comments on this page and found this text box!! Auurgggghhhh..I feel so embarrassed! 🙂
That said, I’ll probably pick up ‘You’re a Badass’ from your list as my next book to read, since I’ve just started reading ‘Me talk pretty one day’ by David Sedaris. I just felt like reading all funny and inspirational books to wrap up my reading list for this year, so I had started with the second book of one of my favorite science fiction humor series- the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy- The restaurant at the end of the Universe – its so goofy and gives a completely warped our perspective of existence in general, but a good laugh anyway. After that I picked up a book of illustrations called Parenting- Illustrated with crappy pictures, by Amber Dusick. So well the second one is not exactly a book and more like a comic book, but I laughed so hard reading a few of these chapters and could totally relate to a few things she mentioned, since I have become a new mom recently too! And all new moms can do with a laugh I think..so those are my recommendations so far 🙂