All The Books I Read From April Through June
We're officially halfway through the 2023 reading year!
In my first quarterly reading review of 2023, I wrote that being one-fourth of the way through the year was “mind-boggling.”
Here we are, three months later. Halfway through the year.
Mind-boggling, indeed.
I’m happy to report that my reading year is still going strong. I’m on track to meet my goal of 24 books. Actually, I’m ahead of my goal, so maybe, just maybe, I’ll end up surpassing it. Wouldn’t that be a treat?
From April through June, I read a total of seven books. One of which is not a published manuscript, but a work-in-progress written by my cousin. That’s right, friends. I’m not the only writer in my family. My niece enjoys writing. Even my nephew is starting to write stories in his free time. He’s five. Cue my swelling heart.
I’m also thrilled over the fact that, out of the 15 books I’ve read so far this year, the majority have been 4 or 5-star reads. Only two have been 3-stars, in my opinion. I’m knocking on wood it keeps up. I’ve had some “meh” years. This one’s going strong!
So, without further ado, here are the books I’ve read, in order, over the last three months:
On Fire Island by Jane L. Rosen
Rating: ★★★★★
Jane L. Rosen’s novel, On Fire Island, is the ultimate summer read. It follows the love story of Julia and Ben, and documents Julia’s last summer on Fire Island.
Only, Julia is no longer physically with us. She lost an untimely battle with cancer at the age of 37, and rather than follow the light at the end of the tunnel, she hopped on the ferry with her widower husband to say goodbye to her favorite people and place.
I laughed, and I cried. I fell in love with every character. This story is so pure. It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for in a summer read: A small beach town of quirky characters, a true love story, and the merging of generations.
For an even deeper dive into this incredible novel, check out my conversation with Jane here. It’s a beautiful book, written by a wonderful author.
The Daydreams by Laura Hankin
Rating: ★★★★
When I hopped on a video call with Laura Hankin to discuss The Daydreams (you can read that conversation here), one of the first things I said was that her book read like Daisy Jones and The Six meets Laguna Beach.
The story follows Kat, a former teen actress who returns to the set of The Daydreams after dedicated fans demanded a reunion. But coming face to face with Liana, Noah, and Summer - the costars that were once her best friends in the world - after their catastrophic finale forces Kat to face her demons. Per Berkley’s synopsis, “The stars all have private reasons to come back: forgiveness, revenge, a second chance with a first love [but] will this reunion be a chance to make things right? Or will it be the biggest mess the world has ever seen?”
This one’s for the millennial reader missing the early aughts era. You’ll get your fill of “reality” tv drama, and barely notice you’re reading a book rather than staring at a screen.
Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune
Rating: ★★★★
It’s no secret I’m a Carley Fortune fan. Her debut novel, Every Summer After, stole my heart last summer. Naturally, when I got word that Fortune would be publishing her sophomore novel for summer 2023, I had to get my hands on a copy. (Thank you to my PR friends at Berkley for sending me an ARC!)
In this summer story, Fern and Will meet through a chance encounter, and end up spending a whirlwind 24 hours together, exploring the city of Toronto. “They share their secrets, their hopes for the future, and make a pact to meet one year later at the resort where Fern grew up,” Fortune told me over email. “Fern shows up; Will does not.”
I won’t give too much away. If you want to hear more about Fortune’s second novel, you can read our conversation here. What I will say is, Meet Me At The Lake is reminiscent of Dirty Dancing and Mama Mia. Admittedly, I did find it a bit lengthier than it needed to be, but I loved the love story of the two protagonists all the same.
Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney
Photo courtesy of Amazon.
Rating: ★★★
Okay. I didn’t hate this book, but I definitely didn’t love it, either.
I think Sally Rooney writes beautifully, and in a way that feels unique. Her story about friends Frances and Bobbi and their entanglement with married couple Nick and Melissa had me hooked at the start. I couldn’t get enough. I was fascinated by how these characters interacted, and the conversation that was being had about romance and attraction.
But as time went on, Rooney completely lost me. Frances’s character kept getting darker and I didn’t understand a lot of her behaviors. Some of the dialogue between her and Bobbi went right over my head. I really did not enjoy the ending.
Three stars because I really enjoyed most of the ride, but the parts I disliked, I really disliked.
That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey
Photo courtesy of Goodreads.
Rating: ★★★★
My heart turned to mush reading this queer romance from Bridget Morrissey. In order to pick herself up after her divorce, Garland Moore and her sister attend an adult sleepaway camp reminiscent of The Parent Trap. Her goal is to escape from love, not find it, but when she runs into Mason, a man she had a premonition about after meeting years ago, and his sister, Stevie, things start to *heat up*, but not in the way she expects.
Loved it. Four stars only because Insta-love is one of my least favorite tropes, and I cringe when the “L” word is used too quickly.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Rating: ★★★★★
I loved, loved, loved Happy Place. It’s worth all the hype it’s receiving (and it’s receiving a lot). It’s a second-chance romance following ex-fiances Harriet and Will, who pretend they’re still together to ensure their last weekend at their friend’s vacation house goes as smoothly as possible. It’s set in a shore town in Maine, and the relationships between these characters have so much depth. It gave me That 70s Show meets Friends vibes.
Also, I’ve been wanting to take a pottery class, and Harriet takes pottery classes, so I felt like this was the universe’s way of telling me to give it a try.
An Unpublished Manuscript by My Cousin, Katherine!
I had the pleasure to read my cousin, Katherine’s work in progress over the past few months, and I wanted to give her a shout here. If you like pirate fantasy, you should absolutely give her author's Instagram a follow. I don’t want to give away anything of her story, since it’s still in the drafting stages, but I have no doubt she’s one to watch.
Have you read any of the books I mentioned? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below! Also, let me know what you’re currently reading, as well as the best book you’ve read in the first half of 2023!
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I can’t wait to choose one to read in Scotland!!