I love being in a reading groove in which I seriously LOVE everything that I’ve been picking up. I know that may seem obvious, but as someone who reads quite a bit, it gets a bit tricker to find that book that makes me say LOVEEE like some of these do.I read the following books in the last week of May or so, but I loved most of them so much that I knew I wanted to capture my thoughts on the blog & hopefully convince you to pick them up! 

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub – If there’s one Emma Straub book that everyone should pick up, it’s her latest, This Time Tomorrow. This is the type of book where don’t get me wrong, I loved it in the moment & while reading, but didn’t realize how much I LOVED it until I finished it and had time to think about for the next few days. This Time Tomorrow follows Alice, whose life as a forty year old living in NYC is ‘okay’ – she likes her job and her boyfriend enough (even if she doesn’t want to marry him), she gets to see her best friend fairly often, and her father is still alive despite the mysterious illness he’s combatting. On her fortieth birthday, Alice is transported back to her sixteenth birthday to 1996 NYC, a time especially when her famous writer of a dad is still healthy and alive. This Time Tomorrow was so, so perfect. I loved the time-traveling storyline as it wasn’t too sci-fy or intricate to understand, I loved the NYC setting, and the focus on relationships, especially between Alice and her best friend, and most of all, Alice and her father. P.S. that Bad on Paper Podcast did an episode with Emma Straub about her book & her career path as an author and owner (!!) of Books Are Magic. My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Cover Story by Susan Rigetti – Cover Story is a perfect example of a book that I read from cover to cover in 1 night. This books has been everywhere, thanks to its comparisons to an Anna Delvey like story. The book’s writing style almost reminded me of a 2000s/early 2010s version of a YA contemporary, as the book is mostly told from Lora’s diary entries re-capping her days at Elle & working with Cat. Lora is extremely naive and hopeful, which definitely helps Cat’s agenda. What makes this book so, SO worth reading, however, is its ending. I’m still thinking about two weeks after finishing the book. I’m so glad it was chosen as the Bad on Paper book club pick of the month because I can’t wait to listen to Becca and Olivia’s thoughts on the ending (P.S. can you tell BOP is my favorite podcast?).  My Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz – Definitely the most under-the-radar book in this post, The Impossible Us is another type of book that I especially want to shove at seasoned (contemporary) romance readers looking for something out there. I think what’s almost a theme with some of the books on this list and that at least 3/5 of them don’t have clear, neatly wrapped-up endings that I’ve actually been very into lately. Anyway, The Impossible Us is such a unique contemporary romance – I wouldn’t even call it that as there’s also thriller & sci-fi elements to it. The two main romance leads, Bee & Nick, who accidentally meet through misdirected emails and when they finally decide to meet in person, they cannot find each other….(leaving it at that to avoid spoilers AND it is best to go into this one without knowing much). This one was so, so good for it’s unique synopsis and storytelling – I never knew what to expect next, but I also wanted to savor it at same time because I didn’t want it to end?!? My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus –  Lessons in Chemistry is likely the most popular book here & it deserves all the hype & more. Set in the 1960s, the book follows research chemistry, Elizabeth Zott, & her life before and during when she is given the opportunity to have her own daytime cooking show. Elizabeth’s show gets a ton of attention for her unconventional take on cooking (her own kitchen more so resembles a science lab) and her advice that goes against women’s roles as homemakers. There’s something about Lessons in Chemistry that made it such an un-put-downable read. There’s Elizabeth’s work as a chemist (and the extreme sexism she experiences in the workplace) (tw for sexual assault), her relationship with Calvin, her experience as a mother, the TV show, and so much more. Overall, such a charming read with some heavier themes!  My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Under One Roof (novella) by Ali Hazelwood – It kills me to say it, but I felt very medium on Ali Hazelwood’s Under One Roof, the first novella in the STEMinist novella series. This first story follows Mara, an environmental engineer whose beloved PhD advisor leaves her a home in Washington DC…only to find out that her advisor’s broody and lawyer of a nephew also owns the house. This enemies-to-lovers romance left me feeling very underwhelmed. Now, I know that this novella series was originally published as audiobooks (the next two will be published as ebooks in June & July) so I don’t know if the audio factor influenced the pacing AND that again, it’s a novella and it’s not going to have the same development as a novel, but the book felt very rushed, especially it’s ending. I didn’t really see the chemistry between Mara & Liam and I didn’t understand why Liam was a great romance interest. My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Have you read any of the books that I mentioned? What are your thoughts? What have you recently read? Share in the comments!