What I’ve Read Lately

I am so happy to tell you that not only have I caught up to my reading challenge for 2022, but I’ve been doing so well that I bumped it back up to 50 books! I honestly never expected to catch up. I had been so far behind all year that I was frustrated with myself but lately, I’ve been not only on a roll but inspired to read more.

Here is everything I have read since my last book update in July:

• November 9 by Colleen Hoover
  • 5/5 STARS
  • I feel as though everything I have read by Colleen Hoover has been amazing; definitely don’t think there has been a single book of hers I haven’t absolutely loved. This story was so unexpected and captivated me from the very beginning. It was most definitely a different type of love story and I love how Colleen was able to capture the growth between the two characters on the same day, every year. Such a remarkable book.
• Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
  • 5/5 STARS
  • This was definitely a different type of story than I had been expecting from Colleen. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt, but as the story progressed and the emotions are put on the table I realized how much I resonated with the characters. At one point I was bawling while I read the book. If there is anything Colleen Hoover can’t do, I haven’t found it yet.
• All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
  • 5/5 STARS
  • “When you meet someone who is good for you, they won’t fill you with insecurities by focusing on your flaws. They’ll fill you with inspiration because they’ll focus on all the best parts of you.” This quote is from one of the many dialogues in the book that left a notable impression on me. This story was raw, real, and best of all imperfect. It showed the highs and lows of relationships, imperfections, and the real meaning of forgiveness. Again, is there anything CoHo can do wrong? She writes the best stuff, hands down.
• Confess by Colleen Hoover
  • 5/5 STARS
  • I have yet to find an author who can create the emotional rollercoaster CoHo does her books. I think what I loved most about Confess was how I thought I had the story figured out pretty early, only to be completely wrong at the end. I most definitely cried in this one and I wasn’t upset about it.
• Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout #1) by Lucy Score
  • 5/5 STARS
  • This was the first Lucy Score book I read and it created a newfound obsession. This book had me hooked from the start and I can’t even tell you how consumed I was with the story. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Highly recommend it, especially before the next one comes out!
• Everything Must Go by Camille Pagán
  • 5/5 STARS
  • This book pulled my heartstrings in so many directions, and honestly, I was captivated from the beginning. There was something about the storyline that had me wanting more and more and more. I truly loved how Camille wrote an incredibly heartfelt and wonderful story about love, family, and second chances. This thought-provoking book was memorable from the beginning and even had me thinking “what would Laine be up to now” after I was done.
• Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley
  • 5/5 STARS
  • Let’s start this one with OMG. I was not expecting this book to go the way it did, but I’m eternally grateful that it did. I really enjoyed reading and feeling, the story between Kara and Ryan unfold in the most unexpected ways. I was truly screaming at the book while I read certain parts because I was so taken by what was going on. Highly recommend.
• I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán
  • 5/5 STARS
  • “It takes courage to be yourself when everyone expects you to be someone else.” This was another book where while I was reading I was NOT expecting the story to go down the path it did. Witty, smart, insightful, honest, and without a doubt captivating. It also reminded me that despite what you might think about a person from the outside, reality might not be what you think it is.
• The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger
  • 5/5 STARS
  • I feel like I should be impartial to anything Bob Iger does because I truly loved him when he was CEO at Disney and I was a Cast Member, but reading this book just made my infatuation with his business savvy that much bigger. A true visionary, who I personally compare to Walt himself. I had watched the MasterClass Bob Iger did, but reading this book was even better. Such an inspiring perspective, one that I would love to replicate in my own life.
• Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell
  • 3.5/5 STARS
  • I think I was expecting more from this. Anna: The Biography was interesting, however at some parts, I felt like it dragged a bit. It was nice to read about what made Anna Wintour who she is today, but I still feel like the book left me looking for more.
• Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan
  • 3.5/5 STARS
  • I read this book because it is being adapted into a show and I wanted to know what the hype was about. I was definitely captivated by the story in the sense that I wanted to know what happened, but there were definitely parts that I felt dragged a little.
• The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
  • 5/5 STARS
  • COULD. NOT. PUT. THIS. DOWN. It was incredible. My friend Bess recommended this book and I’m so glad she did. The story was witty, fun, and different. Plus, Hannah Brooks is a badass. Katherine did a really good job of making me LOL in real life. I literally found myself LAUGHING OUT LOUD while I read some parts. I hope that it gets adapted by someone because it would make the cutest live-action Rom-Com.
• Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover
  • 5/5 STARS
  • Another incredible story by CoHo, one that I absolutely loved. I will say that I didn’t fall in love with the story right away, but I never once doubted that I would end up loving it. Colleen did such an amazing job captivating my attention right away that I finished this book in one sitting. Now, that’s not rare for me or for the CoHo books I read, but I never once wanted to stop for a break and that tells you something. A sweet, sad, and heartbreaking story that reminded me about the power of love.
• Mindfuck – A Bad Boy Romance With A Twist (Mind Games #1) by Gabi Moore
  • 3.5/5 STARS
  • This was a TikTok-inspired read, and it was pretty good. Definitely saucy, but it was fun saucy. I wasn’t sure what to expect originally, but it was an interesting read-through and through. This was a dark, sexy, emotional, and brilliant telling of a wild journey about learning how revenge and attraction relate to the couple and the discovery of their potential future.
• Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  • 3.5/5 STARS
  • A different type of story than I was used to, but I liked it. Told from the perspective of two strangers writing to each other about their significant others’ affair with each other it was different and rather interesting to see play out.
• I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
  • 4/5 STARS
  • I had heard really great things about this book, and it was good overall. I give it 4 stars because at some points it did feel like it dragged a bit, but what Jennette experienced and how she described it was truly remarkable. As a former child star, Jennette is giving insight into what a toxic culture Hollywood is and she is giving a voice to all those who have experienced the same emotional abuse she did at the hands of her own mother (even though, to her mother it was coming from a place of love.
• It Starts with Us (It Ends with Us #2) by Colleen Hoover
  • 5/5 STARS
  • The highly anticipated sequel to It Ends With Us, this book takes place from Atlas and Lily’s perspective as a second chance at a lost love is presented. CoHo had me hooked from the first page. I read this is roughly 6 hours, non-stop.
• Mind Games – A Bad Boy Romance With A Twist (Mind Games #2) by Gabi Moore
  • 4/5 STARS
  • In the sequel to Mindfuck, the story continued between Nora and Dean but it gets really dark pretty quickly. The first book was from Nora’s perspective and this one is from Dean’s POV. The story was full of ups and downs with enough anxiety-inducing action to make you question where you thought the story was going. Luckily for us, there is a third book in the series after this.
• No Words (Little Bridge Island #3) by Meg Cabot
  • 5/5 STARS
  • I love the Little Bridge Island series and this book definitely lived up to its predecessors. No Words is a witty and light rom-com with a great group of characters and what becomes a beautiful love story. I also love how Meg ties in the characters from the other books, even if they don’t have a large presence in this current story.
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  • 3.5/5 STARS
  • I read this because it’s being adapted into an Apple TV+ project and I had seen so many people reading it. I will admit that I was slightly bored at multiple points of the story, but I never wanted to stop reading. Through and through the story came full circle and I was able to appreciate the overall story, but there were several moments where I was exasperated trying to figure out where it was going. The story of a female in this time period was definitely something new to me and I think that made it a little more enjoyable because, at the end of the day, Elizabeth Zott is a badass.
• By a Thread by Lucy Score
  • 5/5 STARS
  • Another book from Lucy Score that I could not put down! This was such an unexpected story and I absolutely loved every minute of it. I laughed, I cried, and I cheered for the characters throughout the book. It reminded me of Devils Wear Prada with a twist, one that I truly enjoyed reading. I wouldn’t mind if there was a sequel to this book!
• The Worst Best Man by Lucy Score
  • 5/5 STARS
  • I found this book after reading By a Thread because in my Kindle book there was a preview for it. Boy did this one not disappoint. I instantly fell in love with the witty and feisty banter between Franchesca and Aiden. This romance was smart, and funny, and left me with a huge smile on my face. From start to finish, I laughed, I cried, and I cheered hard for these characters.
• It’s a Wonderful Wife: A novella by Camille Pagán
  • 5/5 STARS
  • A classic retelling of It’s a Wonderful Life but with a twist. Camille does a really good job of bringing this story to life. It was a quick and fun, festive story for getting into the Christmas spirit.
• The Ex Hex (Ex Hex #1) by Erin Sterling
  • 5/5 STARS
  • My first ever Halloween-themed book and I loved it! I had a lot of fun reading this book, and it was perfect since Halloween was a few days away. The best part was feeling like you were a part of the story the entire time. Felt like a mix between some of my favorite witchy shows from the 90s: Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Bewitched in Halloweentown!
• The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling
  • 5/5 STARS
  • This was the follow-up novel to the Ex Hex and boy did it not disappoint. I surprisingly finished it ON Halloween which was awesome, and perfectly on theme. I loved the storyline between the characters and the chemistry that Erin Sterling created between Wells and Gwyn.
• Maybe Someday (Maybe, #1) by Colleen Hoover
  • 5/5 STARS
  • Honestly, I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but can CoHo do any wrong? I knew I was going to like this book because I’ve liked everything of hers I’ve read so far, but WOW. I did not expect this storyline, nor did I expect to love it as much as I did. I laughed out loud, I cried, I gasped, and I wished for the storyline to resolve itself the way my heart wanted it to. I absolutely loved Maybe Someday and I look forward to reading the next installment.