- This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel (Fiction/Kindle) - 4/5 stars
I don't want to say much about the plot of this one, because I'm not sure I would have picked it up if I had known the topic in advance - but I'm so glad I read it. I loved both the writing and the handling of a difficult topic and it really made me consider new perspectives. - How To Walk Away by Katherine Center (Fiction/Kindle) - 2/5 stars
This one has been everywhere this summer. I don't typically read romance books - I don't mind romance being part of a larger story, but I don't usually love a book with it as the main plot. This one wasn't great, and I really only finished it because it was an easy read and didn't take me too long. (If you're looking for a similar book, I enjoyed Me Before You quite a bit more than this one.) - The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (Fiction/Hardcover) - 5/5 stars
I LOVED this book! I honestly have been resistant to reading Kristin Hannah because (1) SO many people have recommended her and I didn't think there was any way she could actually be THAT good, and (2) historical fiction is not one of my favorite genres. But this book totally exceeded my expectations. I love her writing and was so invested in the family in this story. - I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown (Memoir/Audiobook) - 5/5 stars
Put this on hold at the library because all my favorite podcasters recommended it, but I didn't really know what to expect. It's a memoir by a black Christian woman who grew up in a white evangelical subculture. This was embarrassingly enlightening to me and I would recommend it to anyone! - Roomies by Christina Lauren (Fiction/Kindle) - 3/5 stars
Cute, fun, quick, steamy summer read about a woman who marries a man who isn't a citizen so he can get his dream job playing in the orchestra for a Broadway show. - The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir (Fiction/Hardcover) - 5/5 stars
Another 5 star book for me, courtesy of Book of the Month again! The synopsis sounds kind of lame - a teenage preacher's daughter finds out she's pregnant, but her family stars in a hit reality series and has to decide how to handle the situation - but there's so much more to the story.
