It’s that time of year! I’ve been getting requests for book recommendations as people are getting ready to go on their vacations or to read by the pool. I’ve pulled a list together of some of my favorite books I’ve recently read in case you are on the search for a new book to read.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I LOVE Taylor Jenkins Reid. Her book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is hands-down one of my all-time favorite books so when I heard she had a new book coming out, I recommended it to my library to buy. When I received the email from my library that it had become available to me on Kindle, I dropped everything and started reading it. Well, not immediately, I had to finish up at work first. I read this book in two days; I couldn’t put it down. Taylor has a way with words. She’s so eloquent and descriptive, but not so much that it takes you out of the story. This is a book woven around the Riva family; the rock star father, Mick Riva, actually showed up in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. While fans of the first will enjoy this connection, I think you could still easily enjoy Malibu Rising without having read Taylor’s prior novel. This book traverses various time periods. While it is mainly set in the 1980s around each of Mick Riva’s children, the book also includes flashbacks to delve further into the siblings’ childhoods and life with their mother and absent father. I normally am not a fan of family dramas, but this one sucked me in, and it’s a great summer read with the Malibu setting. I can’t wait to see what Taylor will write next. I hope I don’t have to wait long!
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
This isn’t exactly a “beach read,” but if you are looking for something that’s meaningful and heartfelt, this book is worth reading. It’s written by Michelle Zauner, who is the lead singer/guitarist in the band Japanese Breakfast. The title of this book is what immediately captured my interest; I’ve always heard great things about H-Mart, and I wanted to know what on earth would lead to the author crying in one. The plot is centered around Michelle’s mother’s illness, but also explores the author’s childhood growing up as one of the few Asian Americans in her school. Michelle lived in Elkins Park during her 20s, close to where I work/live, and I always enjoy reading books set in familiar areas. I admit to shedding my own tears as I read this book, so if you are looking for something a little less light and more thought-provoking, I’d suggest giving this book a try.
This Will Be Funny Someday by Katie Henry
If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know I read and write young adult books, so I naturally have to recommend one. “This Will Be Funny Someday” is a modern, young adult version of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The main character, Izzy, is a quiet 16-year-old who feels like she can never share what she’s really thinking, until she stumbles into a hole in the wall bar and finds herself on stage oversharing everything about her life. But, surprise, it actually makes the audience laugh, and Izzy finds herself knee deep in the stand-up comedy life with some help from her new college friends that also do stand-up. Drama ensues when her newfound friends don’t realize Izzy’s in high school, and Izzy’s controlling boyfriend doesn’t know she’s now a comedian. I appreciated both the drama and humor as the jokes Izzy tells are really funny making me want to try my own hand at stand-up.
This is just a small highlight of my favorite books I’ve recently read. You can check out more of my ratings and reviews on Goodreads (dpoff121). Do you have any to add? Let me know as I’m always looking for more books to add to my Goodreads list!
Diane Billas 