what i read this summer
it’s so crazy that summer is nearly over before it even seemed to have started. i don’t think such a long stretch of time has ever felt like groundhogs day (which is my favorite holiday, 100%) but it is definitely eerie.
anyways i have still been reading a lot and it’s been a nice distraction. i don’t really watch movies or TV, and puzzles don’t bring out the best in me (i can be a little competitive haha) so this is my main activity.
that being said, here’s what i read this summer.
summer 2020 reading list
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
this book was totally different from anything i have read before, but i couldn’t put it down. just a heads up that it is heavy in regards to the subject. i will say that although it is fiction, i found it to be incredibly insightful into what someone who is the victim of sexual assault might feel and think. i’m picking up a few non-fictions on this topic next, as i wish i had read this book earlier. highly, highly recommend it.
The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman
i don’t know if this is considered a self-help book but it was a nice change of pace from the other books i read this month. i’ve opened up to you in the past about struggling with making decisions, and i usually like to ask other people for opinions - and i am so grateful they share them with me and help guide me - but i am always trying to improve on my decision-making skills. i found that this book did help a bit and there were some a-ha moments but i wasn’t 100% obsessed with everything included. if you are more into guided journals than books, she will be releasing a companion journal for this book - you can preorder it here.
Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up by Naya Rivera
ok hear me out. i have never seen glee in my life and didn’t think anything of it but it came up on my suggested at the end of june and so i decided to read it, before Naya went missing. i got halfway through and then the news came out that she had been found and it was just.. i have no words. there has been too much loss this year, and i feel acutely sensitive to it in a way i can’t really describe. i feel terrible for her family and loved ones - cannot say that enough, and i don’t even think words do it justice. this book did feel like getting to know her (especially as someone who hasn’t seen any of her work). it reads like you are talking to a friend or an older sister and i loved hearing her sense of humor and all of the things she’s not sorry for. because wow, i wish we got to hear more from her.
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
i can’t remember the last time a book gave me wierd dreams but this one definitely did. some of you might see the end before it happens but i definitely didn’t and was like whattttt the heck. all of the books Riley Sager have put out so far have been really good, so i’m really excited to read what he comes out with next.
A Cold Trail by Robert Dugoni
this is a series so start here if you are new to it :) and then don’t read the rest of this paragraph. haha i really like this series. they have a bit of a throwback feel to them and i love the way the different plot lines end up connecting. reading them makes me want to visit seattle and i hope there is another book after this one.
the seven laws of spiritual success by deepak chopra
i think this is one of those books that gets circulated around and read by everyone. you can finish it in a day; it’s written really simply and only 100 pages or so. this also reminded me a lot of the four agreements, so if you liked that, you will probably like this.
I’ll never tell by abigail haas
ok i could not put this down. and then immediately texted my friend ryan that she needed to read it after so i had someone to discuss it with. if you read it please reach out so we can discuss it haha. it’s set in a tropical place so it does have that beach-y, summer vibe and although it is more teenager-y, it’s the perfect quick read that you can knock out in an afternoon. and regardless of the age demographic, it’ll leave you thinking wtfffff at the end. for real.
