It can be totally overwhelming to pick a new book and when reading time is limited I want to make sure that my choices are going to be well worth it. About once a month, I share my reading list in the hopes that it makes your reading list a bit easier to navigate and, more importantly, helps you discover books you really love. After all, life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy!
I’m linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy to share my reading list this month.
On My Nightstand This Month
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Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith
You buy your best friend (who you might be secretly in love with) a lottery ticket on his 18th birthday. It’s a joke, a token of his milestone celebration, but when it turns out to be a winning ticket, suddenly it’s not so funny. You’d think a $140 million would be worth celebrating but Teddy and Alice both come to realize that their past and their future are feeling the impact of such a big win. Will their friendship be able to survive? Like other Jennifer E. Smith novels I’ve read, the characters are likable and she uses an interesting premise to tell a ‘girl secretly loves boy’ story. If you’re a YA fan, this one is light and easy read.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Serendipitously, I found a copy of A Wrinkle in Time at a local park’s Little Free Library a few weeks ago. I read the entire series as a kid but wanted to re-read them as an adult, especially with the upcoming release of the new movie version. It’s so fun to return to childhood books with adult eyes and this was no exception. The heroic rescue of Meg Murry’s father from a strange planet, the bravery of Meg’s little brother Charles Wallace and the loyal friendship of Calvin O’Keefe make this a timeless epic adventure. Part science fiction, part fantasy – even if you’re not a fan of those genres, this middle grades/YA classic reads like a coming of age story more than an adventure through time and space. Perfect for girls (or the women they grew up to be) who feel like the don’t quite fit in and are wondering if they can do great things.
Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel
Ever wonder why your significant other drives you crazy or you can’t get along with your boss? It might just be because they see the world differently than you do. Our personalities are complex things and not always fun to examine but with her graceful nudging, Anne Bogel encourages you to do just that. The book walks you through several different personality typing systems and how they each illuminate a part of our internal wiring but in the most conversational and approachable way possible. I’ll be sharing more in a separate post about how this book impacted me but I wanted to give you heads up on the pre-order goodies. Anne’s offering a free audio version of her book plus access to her online “What’s Your Reading Personality?” class. You can also take a fun reading quiz to find out what your personality says about the kind of books you need in your life. (Disclosure, I received a free advanced copy as part of the launch team. All opinions are my own.)
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
You guys, this was the winner for the month! Spy drama, wartime secrets, scandal, and a mysterious hunt for the truth. This historical fiction novel is based on many real events from WWI. Two intertwining stories, told by two narrators, tell the story of a British female spy sent to France in 1915 and an American college girl on a hunt for her missing French cousin in 1947. Both Eve and Charlie’s stories are full of the brokenness of war and it turns out that the need each other to complete their own journeys towards the truth. This is a long book but I couldn’t put it down. Suspenseful and heartbreaking at times, it does contain several difficult scenes of the brutality of war which I found myself needing to take a break from every now and then but will all that said, I can’t recommend this book highly enough if you’re a historical fiction reader.
So, what was on your reading list this month? My book club is picking new books for the fall and I need suggestions! What’s your favorite book club pick from the last several months?
PS. As always, you can find all my book recommendations here.
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The “Reading People” book sounds like something I’d find very interesting! Thanks for sharing.
It’s such a great read, Leah and I’ve found myself continuing to think about it over and over again. The pre-order is a great deal if you like having the audio version. It’s a read several times with a highlighter kind of book 🙂
We’ve got some similar interests! I love historical fiction. The Alice Network sounds perfect for me. I’ll have to add it to my TBR list. A Wrinkle in Time is already on my list because of the upcoming movie. I’m thinking of doing a read-aloud with my 10- and 13-year-old boys. And I’ve already preordered Reading People. I enjoyed reading your book reviews!
Thanks for the comment, Patricia! I think 10 and 13 is the perfect age to do a read aloud with A Wrinkle in Time. My boys are only 4&8 but I’m so glad to hear you’re going to read it with your boys 🙂 Definitely not just a girl book!
I’m on my library’s hold list for The Alice Network — I hope it comes on Kindle deals again soon — it sounds so good!
Clear your schedule, Jessica because I was basically worthless at home for the last two days I was scrambling to finish this book. It’s such a page turner at the end!
I’m reading a Wrinkle in Time right now with my son! It’s been ages since I read it!
It’s it so fun to rediscover a book with your kids! It’s one of my favorite parts of being a parent 🙂 Thanks for commenting, Colleen.
Windfall is such a sweet YA story!
I really liked the idea of thinking about how a lottery win impacts people in different ways 🙂
My book club just read This Is How It Always Is and it was a really thoughtful and lively discussion. Station Eleven and Kitchens of the Great Midwest are two others that we’ve read in the last year or so that were memorable discussions.
Thanks, Angie! You’re right, Station Eleven would be super discussable and I’ll have to look into the other title 🙂
Reading People is such a good book! I’m excited to read your review.
Kacy, feel free to follow me on social media so you know when the review goes up. I believe I’m scheduled to share it in early September
Loved A Wrinkle in Time as well as the follow-up, A Wind in the Door. I keep hearing about The Alice Network and after your review, I am finally adding it to my TBR!
Elena, I hope you enjoy The Alice Network. I finished it up about a month ago and still find myself thinking about it!