Recent Reads

Hello summer! One of the best things about summer is having more time to read. I'm trying to read at least five books this summer. Considering my 2016 goal of 24 books, I think that is more than doable. There are so many books out there that I want to read!

Here are eight books that I have recently finished and that I recommend for your own summer reading. I tried to stay away from picking really common, popular books that you've probably already read. But these are definitely just as good! I will leave the links to each book on both Amazon and Goodreads in case you want to check them out!



Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Amazon // Goodreads

Why I Love It: Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors. (Remember this post? I'm always on the hunt for her books at the thrift store!) She writes young adult contemporary fiction. Her characters feel sooo real! Like I know them personally. I don't know how she does it. Saint Anything is her most recent book. And it's probably my favorite.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Amazon // Goodreads

Why I Love It: I know there are a lot of dystopian novels out there at the moment (The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, etc.) but give this one a go, too. It was interesting and gave me a lot of food for thought. Like, is it worth eliminating all emotion to be free from pain? Should we sacrifice uniqueness and individuality for complete equality? Plus, it has a movie! It's not as good as the book (as always) but still good and, I think, true to Lois Lowry's story. The Giver is book one in a series, but when I read the other books I didn't feel like they flowed together very well, like Lowry made it into a series as an afterthought. Still, I enjoyed them as individual stories.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Amazon // Goodreads

Why I Love It: If you've read my About Me page, you know that this is one of my all-time favorite books. The characters are really realistic and the story is gripping. It's set during World War II. I don't generally prefer historical fiction, but I still loved this book. It's just one of those books that makes you marvel at the strength that people find in hard times.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Amazon // Goodreads

Why I Love It: This book is perfect for summer. It's about a wealthy family that literally owns an island, which they vacation to every summer. It has a shocking plot twist that makes it so worth the read.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
Amazon // Goodreads

Why I Love It: This book is unlike any other book I have ever read. It is so unique. But I can't put my finger on what makes it unique. You just have to read it yourself! I read Fredrik Backman's other book, A Man Called Ove, which was also good, but I liked this one better. If you decide to give it a read, keep in mind that the author is from Sweden. There are some references in the book that threw me off before I realized that the characters lived in Sweden. I had no idea what kronor were for half the book until I happened to read the author bio! (It's Swedish currency, FYI.)

Dove Arising by Karen Bao
Amazon // Goodreads

Why I Love It: If you liked Divergent, you'll love this book. It really reminded me of Divergent. And the author wrote it when she was a senior in high school!! That's incredible.

Matched by Ally Condie
Amazon // Goodreads

Why I Love It: This book is probably one of the more popular ones on my list. It's a dystopian novel, so if you're into that and you haven't read this one yet, I very much recommend it. Poetry is a common theme in this book, which helps set it apart from other dystopian novels. It gave me a new appreciation for poetry and words.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Amazon // Goodreads

Why I Love It: I've saved the best for last. This book is amazing! (I would put a few heart emojis here if I could...) I think I'm going to reread it soon. It's beautifully written with an incredibly interesting narrator. I became instantly attached to the characters in this book and a few tears may have possibly been shed... You will need someone to talk to about this book after you're done! It's another historical fiction novel set in World War II (just like the Nightingale, but, in my opinion, even better!). It has its own movie, which I liked, because it stayed true to the book, but of course the book is always better!

So there are eight books I've recently read! I hope this inspired you to give one a read. Let me know how you like it and tell me what books you recommend for summer reading!