Hello! It’s one of those times of year where I’m in the full swing of things when it comes to life & the school year. I’ve been reading about 2 books every weekend this fall and I’ve been loving it. I try to do my best to read during the week as well, but my brain is typically so exhausted by the end of the day that it makes it really hard to read (and yes, blog) unless I’m SUPER into what I’m reading…and while being so tired at night isn’t the best for reading, it makes my weekend reading feel so much more rewarding in a way! Today I’m going to be providing mini reviews of what I’ve been reading (and loving) lately. 

The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum – This is the type of book that no matter my exhaustion at the end of the day, I needed to keep reading The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen because it was that good!!! I so could’ve read this entire book in one sitting on a free weekend day, but instead read it over two nights. The book follows an Orthodox Jewish teenager, Hoodie, when he is caught between two worlds as he forms a friendship with the mayor’s daughter, whose mother is actively trying to get Hoodie’s community out of the town, and as anti-Semitic attacks increasingly occur in his community. The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen was both a humorous (thanks to Hoodie’s comedic POV) and profound read, as Hoodie experiences tension from his own community for questioning rules and tradition, especially while they are under attack from outsiders. In short, if there’s one YA book you read this year, make it this one. My Rating: 5/5 Stars

All These Things I’ve Done/Birthright series by Gabrielle Zevin – Ever since I fell in love with Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow, I’ve been reading more of Gabrielle Zevin’s backlist and finally dived into her YA books. One of the reasons I love going to the library is finding books that I never really heard of and picking them up based on the synopsis and not any other outside influence. I totally admit that I’ve done less of this over the years between Goodreads and recommendations from book blogs & bookstagram. The only Gabrielle Zevin YA book I’ve really heard about is Elsewhere, but something really peaked my interest about All These Things I’ve Done, set in a future NYC where chocolate is banned and following the daughter of a crime boss/chocolate company owner…Trust me on this when I saw go into this one knowing nothing! I’m already on the third & final book in the trilogy, In the Age of Love & Chocolate. If you want an addicting and fast-paced YA series, try these books. My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka – Notes on an Execution has been proclaimed as one of the best literary fiction books of the year and while I don’t pick up a ton of literary fiction, Olivia Muenter (one of my favorite book recommendation sources and co-host of the Bad on Paper Podcast) shared that this is one of her top 3 books of the year. I had it on my TBR for a while, but when I saw it on my local library shelf (which was rare because there are so many holds on this one), I knew I had to pick it up. Definitely something I normally wouldn’t pick up, but I DEVOURED this book over 24 hours, as it follows a serial killer on death row in second person POV and the four perspectives of key women in his life who unravel his crimes. My Rating: 5/5 

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead – I really enjoyed Ashley Winstead’s smash-hit thriller, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, and her romance, Fool Me Once, earlier this year. I also loved her episode with Bad on Paper about book marketing, where she talked about the marketing for her books with one of her publishers, Sourcebooks, including her recent release, The Last Housewife. I really didn’t know much about The Last Housewife other than it was semi-set at a college (similar to In My Dreams I Hold a Knife), but wow this one was way more more dark and disturbing than I would have ever expected (tw for sexual assault and violence). The book follows a woman who goes back to her alma mater when her roommate from college is found dead on campus and works with a popular podcast host to uncover the suspected foul play, which leads them to a cult..that the main character & roommates may have a connection to from their college days. I definitely don’t think this book is for everyone  because of the heavier content (I’m still figuring out my own feelings), but there’s something about Ashley Winstead’s writing style that made it unputdownable. My Rating: 3.5-4/5 Stars

When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff – The ‘theme’ of my recent reads include YA, contemporary romance, and dark books, with When We Were Bright & Beautiful being the darkest. I probably wouldn’t have read this book if it weren’t the Bad on Paper book club pick for October , & this book is another case where I’m still figuring out my feelings about it. It begins with a serious synopsis already, as the main character’s college-age brother is arrested for sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend at a party and her Upper East Side royalty of a family soon finds themselves in the courtroom. The book gets darker as it goes on, with Cassie’s own trauma (trying to avoid spoilers but tw for sexual assault and rape) being unraveled as Billy’s case grows. My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Luck and Last Resorts (Love, Lists & Fancy Ships) by Sarah Grunder Ruiz – Luck & Last Resorts is the companion novel to Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s debut, Love, Lists & Fancy Ships. The books are definitely relationship driven – because the main characters work for super yachts as stewardesses and chefs, there are a lot of comparisons to my favorite reality show, Below Deck, but the series really isn’t about the setting or the job. Luck & Last Resorts is a second chance romance between chief stewardess Nina and chef Ollie. I did like the setting (there was more yacht than the first companion novel) and revisiting the characters from Love, Lists & Fancy Ships, but the relationship development (which was will-they-or-won’t-they throughout) was more slow-moving than I would’ve liked. My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

What have you been reading lately? Have you read any of the books that I mentioned? Share in the comments!