As I write this post, we’re on the verge of a long weekend commemorating a national holiday that—I’ll be honest—has never been my favorite. Hamburgers and hot dogs are not at the top of my list, I’m not big on the kinds of yard games that tend to be a hit at 4th of July barbecues, and my dog is so intensely afraid of fireworks that watching him shake his way through the entire evening basically has me on the verge of tears for several hours. Also, let’s be real: it’s weird times for our country right now… and has been, for a while.
So while I won’t necessarily be the one waving the biggest American flag this week, I’ll be grateful to spend a little extra time with loved ones and, of course, for the freedoms we have by virtue of living in the U.S. Plus, the 4th of July has always felt more like a summer kick-off to me than Memorial Day, which means we’re also officially starting summer reading season. Bookworm that I am, this makes me super happy.
If—for business or accounting or some other purpose—you live your life in terms of quarters, you know that we officially ~closed out~ Q2 of 2024 last week. As I jump enthusiastically into summer reading, let’s first pause for a post-mortem of the last three months in my life as a reader.
Getting into a groove with my reading habit as a new mom was tough stuff in the earliest part of the year—and my relationship with my absolute favorite hobby still has its ups and downs as I adapt my schedule to Will and work. The vast majority of my book time happens at the end of the day and right before bed, and to put it simply, I am almost always freaking exhausted. While I still make it a priority to read at least a few pages every night, that’s as far as I get sometimes.
Knowing this is a finite period, I’m not putting a ton of pressure on myself—and I’ve seen all the memes on bookstagram about how being a reader doesn’t require you to complete hundreds of books a year. If I’m bummed about anything, it’s the fact that my TBR only continues to grow longer and longer and that it’s becoming increasingly clear that I will never ever read everything I want to. Obviously, I should have known this by now (since it’s a literally impossible goal), but there’s nothing like relentless fatigue and a crying baby to really reinforce it.
That being said, I’m glad to report that I still think I’m doing pretty well as a #momwhoreads (yes, I use variations of this hashtag on most of my bookstagram posts now). Books remain a mainstay in my life and I love them just as much—if not more than—ever. Regardless of how many books I’ve read so far in 2024, I call that a success, particularly as I’m in a moment of such massive transition.
It’s helped, of course, to have lots of great books to pick up.
Before we talk about Q2, here’s a Q1 refresher:
On to April, May, and June! Here are my favorite reads from the last few months…
Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History ed. by Alan Sepinwall: Calling all fellow millennials (and anyone else who’s found their way to The O.C. over the years)! This is a must-read—and as I write this, I realize that summer is the perfect time to grab it. Oral histories have become a favorite sub-category of non-fiction for me, and this is one of the better ones I’ve come across. You’ll hear from folks from absolutely every corner of the production of this paragon of ‘00s television. It will bring you back in all the best ways and inspire you to dust off those old Phantom Planet tracks while you’re at it.
Good Material by Dolly Alderton: Like many book clubs (including some of the celebrity variety), my SWR book club chose this one a few months ago. Having loved Dolly Alderton’s first novel Ghosts, I couldn’t wait to read her latest. Candidly, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as its predecessor, but I find her narrative voice totally fresh and unique and I can’t imagine not devouring her work. I know Dolly’s choice to write Good Material from the perspective of a man (and an arguably annoying one) has been controversial, but I thought it was an interesting twist on the break-up stories I’m used to reading. More Dolly, please!
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll: I’ve been a fan of Jessica Knoll’s for years, and this was a really interesting departure for her. Based on the real-life murders perpetrated by Ted Bundy, the novel chronicles the experience of a high-achieving college student in the wake of a despicable attack on her sorority house. It covers the time immediately after the murders, but also explores a timeline in the future, in which our main character is a grown woman still navigating life as someone who’s been a bystander to a high-profile crime. Trigger warnings abound, but it’s a page-turner.
Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner: My book editor sent me Colton Gentry to use as inspiration for something she thought I might consider incorporating into my own novel (spoiler alert: I did!), but I didn’t know what to expect beyond that. It’s kind of fun to find your way to a book like that! It was much more of a romance than I suspected based on the title and cover, but the love story is totally delightful—and also wrapped up in more pertinent, timely issues. Plus, the writing is fantastic.
Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter: If you listened to my recent podcast episode with author Olivia Muenter, you know that I declared her debut novel one of my favorites of the summer (and possibly the year) before I’d even finished it. Now that I have come to the end of it, I’m here to confirm that previous statement! Olivia’s managed to combine a flawlessly-paced thriller; a clever, funny take on influencer culture; and gorgeous writing into one sparkly pink package. I have every confidence that people are going to be talking about this book for a long time.
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza: Another buzzy summer book that I personally found to live up to every little bit of hype! I’ve been having so much fun watching Jo Piazza—a friend of my podcast—get the word out about her latest novel in creative ways, but actually reading it was even more fun. For escapist, exciting reading that will also make you crave Italian food and rethink history, look no further.
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo: Claire is one of my absolute favorite authors, and I’ve been not-so-patiently waiting for her latest novel ever since I fell head over heels for The Most Fun We Ever Had a few years ago. Same As It Ever Was certainly doesn’t disappoint. The writing is good enough to make me want to cry and her insightful takes on day-to-day life—in this case, new motherhood and transitional chapters—make me feel extremely seen (while also often being hilarious. I want to write just like Claire when I grow up.
Things I’m looking for in my reading life in the next few months…
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’d kind of love some shorter reads! Usually, it’s “the more pages, the merrier” for me.
As I finish a big round of edits of my own novel, I’m ready for some fresh, cool writing that gets me inspired to create new stories. I’m already excited to shift from revision mode to drafting mode, and amazing writing (like I’m finding in Same As It Ever Was right now) just kicks that up a notch.
Funny narrative voices! When I think back on my favorite summer reading from last year, I realize that there was a string of books that all made me (literally) LOL. More of that, please.
Memoir and narrative non-fiction about very specific subjects relevant to the project I’ll be jumping back into once these edits on my book are done. Sorry—I don’t want to reveal too much : ) I may listen to these on audio.
I feel like I’m still out of the loop on a few major commercial successes from the last couple of months (i.e. Emily Henry’s Funny Story). Knowing that these novels tend to be serious page turners—and also feeling a little left out of all the relevant online chatter—I’d like to try to slot them into my reading plan for July and August, especially.