Category: Monthly Wrap Up

 ALL THE HOLIDAY BOOKS & MORE: December 2021 Wrap Up

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December was a mix of hectic times and relaxing times. My New Year’s Eve plans with friends have unfortunately been cancelled again this year, but I am actually looking forward to staying in with my family, watching some movies, and maybe finishing another book before midnight. I did my most amount of reading in December since the summer, as of right now having read 13 books and 1 novella. Over the past week or so, it’s been super nice to unplug from work and the screen and just dive into reading & relaxing. I’ve included some of my thoughts on the books I read this month – so many must reads!

I read a few holiday books this month, like Jenny Bayliss’ A Season for Second Chances (very cozy & cute) and Kara McDowell’s One Way or Another – this one is in my classroom library, and one of my students recently loved it, so I wanted to give it a read to). My favorite holiday read of the month was definitely Jean Meltzer’s Hanukkah inspired romance, The Matzah Ball. I remembered the day after Christmas that Rainbow Rowell’s e-novella following Reagan from Fangirl is available for free. The novella is also Christmas-themed, set in 2020 and 2021. There was a lot of covid/pandemic talk involved, but I loved being in the Fangirl world and loved Reagan’s banter & personality . I also read Elin Hildebrand’s entire Winter Street series in December, her holiday/Christmas series set on Nantucket. I wouldn’t necessarily say that they’re my favorite Elin Hilderbrand books, but they all had such a binge-worthy & cozy quality. 

I also finally read the first book in the Bridgerton series. I found myself rewatching season 1 this month, and I think I’m going to continue on with the book series closer to season 2’s March 25th release on Netflix!I also found myself reading some adult fiction picks and was heavily addicted to them, specifically Lisa Patton’s Rush (following a fictional sorority at Ole Miss) and Minor Dramas and Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West (following a high school English and a stay-at-home mom caught in school scandals). 

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer | 4.5/5 Stars

The Winter Street series by Elin Hilderbrand: Winter Street, Winter Stroll, Winter Storms, & Winter Solstice | Overall Series Rating: 4/5 Stars

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November 2021 Wrap Up

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And just like that, it’s the last month of 2021! I’m looking forward to my reading in December, not because I necessarily know what I’m reading (my December reading is always a mix oof holiday books and a mix of books I didn’t yet have the time to get to in 2021), but because I feel so energized by my November reading. I read a total of 12 books in November, much in part to some holiday breaks from work that were spread out throughout the month, and I also dived a bit more into TV than I had earlier in the fall. 

My favorite books of November were Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox, and Palm Beach by Mary Adkins 

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SOME NEW FAVORITE READS: October 2021 Wrap Up

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Am I the only one who feels like October absolutely flew by? I read 8 books in October. It was such a solid reading month yet again not so much for the quantity (even though I am quite happy with the quantity between work and hanging with friends), but because of the quality. Since I’ve reviewed all of the books here, I won’t be sharing my thoughts on them in this post – but just know that Ali Hazlewood’s The Love Hypothesis is my absolute FAVORITE (definitely a contender for favorite book of 2021), and I really enjoyed Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games and the first book in Elin Hilderbrand’s Paradise trilogy!

The Legacy (Off-Campus #4.5) by Elle Kennedy | 4/5 Stars

A Lot Like Adiòs by Alexis Daris | 4/5 

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood | 5/5

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September 2021 Wrap Up

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A quick wrap-up to celebrate this Friday & the start of October! I read 11 books in the month of September – about 9-10 books less than my summer reading average, but I’m still really happy with this amount, & I liked everything I read this month.  

The Rehearsals by Annette Christie | 4/5 Stars

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand | 4/5 

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman | 5/5

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall | 4.5/5

The Love Season by Elin Hilderbrand | 4/5

Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey Stein | 4.5/5 

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20+ Book Reading Month: July 2021 Wrap Up

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Another solid summer vacation month filled with so many books. I’m not even reading for quantity, I have just been genuinely been enjoying reading this summer and it’s the best feeling. 

I normally share my monthly wrap up during the week with my regular content, but I decided to save this wrap up for the last day in July because I’ve been reading more than I ever have before & wanted to make sure I have all the books I read this month included. At the time of publishing this post (I may or may not finish my current read today), I’ve read 98 books so far in 2021, and I’m 2 books away from my goal of reading at least 100 books this year. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself to surpass the amount I read in 2020 (133 books) because I’m beginning my first full time teaching position in September (let’s be honest, part of the reason why this post is getting published today is because I accepted said job offer this week and have been getting prepared), but I do still have more summer vacation so I can see myself reading so much more than usual this year. 

I feel I’ve been repeating myself each month, but I read the most amount of books in July than I ever had with 21 books and one-novella. As always, I’ve listed each book with a star rating & I’ve either shared full or mini reviews already or have reviews coming for the books below. My favorites of the month were The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand and Isn’t It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams. 

Indestructible Object by Mary McCoy | 4/5 Stars 

Beth & Amy by Virgina Kantra | 3.5/5

Heart & Seoul by Jen Frederick | 4/5

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand | 4/5

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane | 4.5/5

The Sixth Wedding (28 Summers sequel novella) by Elin Hilderbrand | 4/5 

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SO MANY BOOKS: June 2021 Wrap Up

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I have loved my start to the summer, in thanks to beach days, pool days, and all the books I’ve read so far. June was definitely my best reading month so far, in terms of both quality and quantity. I think I’ve set a personal record when it comes to annual reading & summer reading in 2021, having read 74 books so far in 2021 and 19 books (18 books + 1 novella) in June – I’m hoping to get to a total of 20 books in June/75 books for the year so far by the end of today. I have reviews or mini reviews either published or coming for nearly all of the books below, so I’ll just be sharing my star ratings for them then transitioning into what I watched and wrote this month. 

It Had to Be You by Georgia Clark | 4.5/5 

A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin | 4/5 

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi | 4/5 

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala | 

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid | 4/5 

Finally Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano | 4.5/5 

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A YA FAVE & MORE: April 2021 Wrap Up

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Another month, another wrap up. I’m actually *happily* surprised that I managed to still read 10 books this month – maybe I’ll finish my eleventh read before midnight?? – just because I had so much going on academic and career wise. As you’ll probably see below, my TV life definitely lacked but I’m much happier knowing that my reading goals are still on track. I’ve read 40 books in 2021 so far, putting me well on track to read at least 100 books this year. My spring semester and grad program ends next week, so I’m hoping having a break from grad student obligations frees up more time for reading. Two of my highlights in April were receiving a review copy of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This & buying a copy of the Book of the Month version of Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation. Definitely sitting outside in my backyard with these on a warm day in May! 

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The Midnight Library by Matt Haig | 4/5 Stars

The hype surrounding The Midnight Library pulled me into this book and while I understand why this book is so big because of its messages about living life, but I had trouble engaging with some of the plot points and writing styles. 

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter |(ARC)  4.5/5

I think Better Than the Movies is my favorite book of the month! This was such an adorable YA romance, following Liz’s mission to get her childhood crush to be her prom date with the help of her enemy.  I loved Liz’s love interest so much and the development of their relationship was just so charming. As a huge rom com fan, I loved all the nods to rom com movies within the story and on the book’s cover! Better Than the Movies comes out on May 4th. 

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Reading, TV, & More Reading: March 2021 Wrap Up

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March was jam-packed with school, personal things, & reading. While I’m not someone who wants to rush time and there were quite a few good moments this month, March dragged on for me and was stressful between school & my personal life. I will say that the warmer weather over the past two weeks has seriously brightened my mood and is getting me even more excited for my favorite stretch of the year, May through September aka beach season! I’m also feeling a tiny bit more hopeful this week because I received my covid vaccine yesterday!! I know there’s still a long way to go, but getting the vaccine makes me feel so excited about being out in the world & doing things this summer. I’ve been on spring break this week, so I’m looking forward to continuing to take some time to myself and READ as much as possible, of course.

I’m so happy with the fact that I read 11 books in March – maybe we’ll get to 12 by tonight with my current read, Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst. This was the most amount of books I’ve read in 1 month so far in 2021, and it’s making me crave summer even more, since I average anywhere from 11-16 books a month during beach reading season. I managed to read 11 books because I feel like I didn’t watch as much TV this month (ignore the two full seasons I binged and other shows below) and I dedicated hours to reading Friday-Sunday and would read anywhere from 1-2 books each weekend. This month was super stressful in almost every aspect of life, so I really looked forward to diving into a book whenever possible. 

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez | 3.5/5 Stars

I enjoyed the sarcasm and heart behind the romance in The Friend Zone and liked the unique premise, but I wasn’t in loveeee as much as other readers. 

You Have a Match by Emma Lord | 4.5/5 

You Have a Match was one of the books that I binge-read from Friday to Saturday. I could not let go of this YA contemporary about two sisters at summer camp. It SO solidified Emma Lord as one of my favorite authors!

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand | 4.5/5

Wow, 28 Summers was SO worth the hype! I loved the storytelling, and it made me want to book a trip to Nantucket ASAP. Definitely throw in your beach bag this summer if you’re like me and slept on picking this one up (also let me know of what other Elin Hilderbrand books to read this summer!).  

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BOOKS & HBO Max: February 2021 Wrap Up

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February felt like the longest and shortest month ever – which I guess kind’ve makes sense since February is the shortest calendar month. This is was an intensely busy month for me grad school wise. Once I finish and submit a major assessment for my master’s in early March, grad life *should* get slightly more calm before I graduate in May. We also got a ton of snow where I live in the US – I actually don’t think location matters too much because everywhere in the US seems to have been slammed by snow over the past few weeks – which meant a few more remote work days and plenty of trips out to my car to clean off snow. 

I am super excited though that the weather seems to be warming up, and it’s staying light out for longer at night. Going for walks and runs after school and getting fresh air to such a big stress reliever for me, so I’m really looking forward to spring weather. As you can probably tell below, the biggest stress reliever for me in February was reading and watching TV & movies. I was definitely on more of a reading kick early on in the month, but I totally admit my HBO Max subscription got to me and I leaned into TV and movies way more than usual. 

I’ve so far read 8 books in February, which I’m pretty content with considering my school schedule and that I’m currently reading a certain 700+ page fantasy read. I have reviews coming or already published for all of the books below, so I’ll just be sharing my star ratings. 

Love in English by Maria E. Andreu (ARC) | 4/5 Stars

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes | 4.5/5 

Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure by Amy Kaufman | 4/5

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (ARC) | 4/5 

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MINI LIFE UPDATES & ALL THE BOOKS: January 2021 Wrap Up

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I can’t be the only one shocked that the first month of 2021 is almost over. My first few days of January started out fairly relaxing, having stayed home for New Years and reading a few books & watching tons of Kara & Nate before I jumped into my full time clinical internship for my master’s program. Aside from diving into full time work life this month, I also have a mini life update – I’m living at my grad school! Being on a college campus during a pandemic is a very different experience – picture masks everywhere a and really only going into the building you live in and the campus mailroom – but it feels surprisingly more normal than expected. 

Between being back at school – which means binge-watching all the shows & movies with my roommate- and having a full time academic schedule, I expected my reading life to suffer a tiny bit this month, but I still managed to read 9 books. I’m hoping to continue to carry on this reading energy throughout the rest of the semester. What’s slightly helping my reading is that since I’m on a laptop all day for my clinical and grad classes, I enjoy taking my eyes away from any screen at night and turning to a book.  

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli (ARC) | 4/5 Stars

I decided to start off my New Year with one of my most anticipated releases that I was fortunate enough to read early for review (coming in April!), Becky Albertalli’s Kate in Waiting. I loved the emphasis on self-growth, friendship, relationships, growing up, & so much more. After enjoying it so much, I may make my reread book of February as Becky’s The Upside of Unrequited, aka my favorite book of her’s! 

We Came Here to Forget by Andrea Dunlop | 4.5/5 

Although I am content with the books I chose in January,  none of them screamed FAVORITE books of 2021 — but if I had to choose a favorite, it’d be Andrea Dunlop’s We Came Here to Forget. I loved the plot, following a former Olympic skier who relocates to Buenos Aires after a family tragedy.

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills | 4/5 

I was craving a YA contemporary and decided to finally pick up the only Emma Mills book I hadn’t yet read, Lucky Caller. I ended up enjoying it more than expected – the school radio premise was done well and like Emma Mills’ other books, I liked its quiet feel and emphasis on friendship. 

Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza | 4/5

Books about politics, let alone one about an election, might not be everyone’s cup of tea right now, but Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win was a really enjoyable read. I liked how much it explored what it’s like for a woman to run for government vs. a man. I’m still not sure how I feel abut the ending though. 

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman | 4.5/5

If there’s one fluffy read I would recommend this month, it’s hand down The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany. I loved the plot, the setting in Italy, and the themes surrounding family and love. If you’re a fan of Chanel Cleeton’s Next Year in Havana and want something a little more lighter, I definitely recommend picking this one up. Read More »