Books I've Read Over The Summer: Mini Reviews and What I'm Reading This Fall

 

At the beginning of Summer, I had done a post on some books that I had recently read with mini reviews as well as a list of the books that I wanted to read in the following months. I'm back with a fall edition! I'll start with some books that I've finished over the summer with my thoughts on them and a rating out of 5 and finish with a short list of books I want to read in the coming months. 

5/5 Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid

This was my second TJR book after Evelyn Hugo and I really liked it. It was a perfect summer read that was full of character development and a storyline different than the typical romance books I usually associate with beach reads. The book centers around four siblings growing up with a single mom that dies when the oldest is a teenager and the summer parties they throw in Malibu each year. If you love California and a beachy aesthetic, this book will be right up your alley. 

5/5 Crying in H Mart - Michelle Zauner

If the first book was a lighthearted beach read, this book is the complete opposite. It was devastating - so devastating that I couldn't get through more than three chapters at a time before I was a puddle of tears. It is an autobiography of a first generation Korean-American woman growing up and her relationship with her parents as her mother battles and eventually succumbs to cancer. As an Asian American woman myself, it hit deep. It wrote so poignantly about the race issues, cultural expectations, family relations that I also live through. I've never related so deeply with an autobiography and I see this as a book that I can revisit multiple times in my life and come away with something new each time. 

5/5 The Last Mrs. Parrish - Liv Constantine

This was the fastest read of the summer. I finished it in three days because the plot was that good! The first half of the book is written from the point of view of a con artist desperate to integrate herself into the life of a family with the intention of stealing the husband away from his wife. The second half is written from the point of view of the wife and shows that her "perfect" life isn't all that it seems. This book has been compared to Gone Girl (although I like this book more), and I think that is because both books are domestic thrillers that have strong woman protagonists. This book really does go into depth about country clubs and galas and things that the ultra-wealthy do, so if you aren't into vast descriptions of those activities, you might want to skip this read. 

2.5/5 She's Up to No Good - Sarah Goodman Confino

This book is a story about a recently separated woman in her 30s going on a road trip to her grandmother's hometown with her grandma. I didn't love the plot, it felt slow with the story switching back and forth between the present and her grandmother's childhood. This was an easy read, but nothing kept me engrossed and it really is shocking that I managed to finish it at all. I liked the ending of the book, but I don't think that's worth reading the whole thing for. 

Now, for some books that I want to read this fall: 

H is for Hawk - this was an impulse buy at a used bookstore over the summer that I haven't had time to read yet. I like to have one physical book going at the same time as a kindle book so I can switch between them, so this is my physical book for the fall. 

Daisy Jones and the Six - I've heard really good things about this book and I've loved everything I've read from Taylor Jenkins Reid so far, so I am excited to read this. 

Token Black Girl - I am really excited to read this memoir by Danielle Prescod. She's someone I've followed on social media off and on for years and am excited to learn more about her life. 

Let me know in the comments what books you've read lately that you really like or any books on your reading list for the fall. 

Have you read these posts?

+ Turmeric Ginger Golden Milk Recipe 

+ How to Transition Coastal Grandmother Style for the Fall