Valentine’s Day Book Recs Based on My Recent Reads

February 10, 2021February 9, 2021 fangirlfury8 Comments

I know not everyone celebrates or even wants to think about Valentine’s Day, regardless if you have a significant other or not. I’ll personally be spending this Valentine’s Day weekend seeing a few close friends, working on some big grad school assignments, and then binge-watching as many movies as I can. You all know I’ll be for sure watching Always and Forever, Lara Jean this weekend, and I recently subscribed to HBO Max and I want to watch ALL the movies on there (sidenote that I’ve been really impressed by HBO Max so much so that I may share a post in in the near future about what I watched and what I want to watch so far??).

Whether or not you’re spending Valentine’s this weekend – I guess I’m sort’ve celebrating Galentine’s Day since I’ll be seeing one of my best girl friends – we could all use a cozy contemporary or romance book this time of year. In the past, I’ve shared Galentine’s Day and contemporary & romance recs posts based on all the books I’ve read overall, but I’ll be focusing today’s Valentine’s Day recs on some more recent reads of mine from 2021 so far and the end of 2020.

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon – If you love a book that explores the feelings of friends who have more-than-friends feels for one another, Our Year of Maybe is the PERFECT read. The book follows best friends Sophie and Peter and the evolution of their relationship & lives after Sophie donates one of her kidneys to Peter.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver – If you need a good cry this weekend, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is the way to go. This actually might be my favorite book that alternates between the present and alternate reality, as the main character grieves over the death of her fiancé IRL but her life with him continues in her dreams.Read More »

Fall Book Recs Based on My 2019 Reads

October 16, 2020October 15, 2020 fangirlfury1 Comment

I’ve been wanting to do a fall book recommendations post, but I think I held off for a while because it is just finally starting to feel like fall where I live! While I’ve been drinking pumpkin spice coffee since the end of August – I’m proud of myself for making it at home and only having 3 Dunkin’ pumpkin spice iced coffees so far-, it hasn’t really felt like fall until this week. The leaves are changing, Halloween decorations are popping up on lawns, and all I’ve been wanting to do at night is light a good candle and read a good book. I’m still debating if I should order some fall Bath and Body works candles or just wait for the winter holiday scents.

These fall book recommendations are based on books that I read in 2019. Maybe I’m just nostalgic for fall 2019, but I thought it would be fun to consider what books I read last year align well with the season. I read most of the books below between September and November, although there are a few that just screamed fall vibes even if I read them during a different season.

Intercepted by Alexa Martin – Football season is one of the hallmarks of the fall … although I honestly spend more time watching football-inspired shows like Friday Night Lights or documentaries like Last Chance U than a NFL game. This contemporary romance series following women who date professional football players on the fictional Denver Mustangs is one of my all-time favorites. I have much love for book #3, Blitzed, but I definitely recommend reading the first book in the series, Intercepted, first to set the stage (and you’ll seriously want to read every bit of this series).

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw- Winterwood is the perfect book for post-Halloween fall, as November brings night-time sooner & darker colors while also slowly transitioning into winter. Winterwood was such an atmospheric read, following a girl who comes from a family of witches and finds a lost boy in the woods on a snowy night.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks – Pumpkinheads is the quintessential fall read in graphic novel form. If you pick this one up and haven’t yet been pumpkin picking, you’ll want to go ASAP (or at least pick some up from the store and decorate them, given our currently socially distant world).Read More »

Binge-Read Recommendations: What I’ve Read in 2020 So Far Edition

April 15, 2020April 10, 2020 fangirlfury13 Comments

It’s no surprise to say that I’ve had a hard time concentrating for long periods of time lately. This hasn’t really been an issue when it comes to reading- the inspiration behind today’s post- or blogging. I’m actually blogging more than I should’ve been in April because of being home. I’ve stuck to some elements of a routine – going for walks daily, eating three meals, reading for at least an hour a day- but the biggest thing I’ve been struggling with is school work. I’ve talked to my friends who are in the same situation as me and it’s been a common problem for all of us, being that we basically haven’t had to do any school work at home since high school. The problem for me is that I associate home with being able to relax and basically do anything un-school-related, so having to force myself to finish my second senior research project and complete assignments for my other two classes hasn’t been easy. I’m definitely getting the work done and sticking to deadlines… but with one or three books in between.

I’ve been loving books that I am able to read in one or two days. I know some readers can read a book of any length in this time frame- I’ve definitely done this myself with Sarah J. Maas books particularly. However, the following recommend binge-reads are the types of books you won’t be able to and won’t want to read in more than one or two sittings because they’re that addicting. I’ve also based my recommendations on books that I’ve read in 2020. Let me apologize in advance for all the times I say ‘not able to put-down.’

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – I know I’m basically three months late on the Tweet Cute love train, but I seriously cannot stop thinking about this YA debut featuring.so.much.FOOD. I really became invested in everything and anything about both Pepper and Jack’s storylines. Everyone knows that I love books that contain so many differently elements, but Tweet Cute is just the perfect example of a YA contemporary book that can do it all flawlessly and manages to make me hungry and crave the sweetest desserts while doing so.

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee – You’ve probably seen The Thousandth Floor float around the YA book world since its debut in 2016 and I highly recommend checking it out in 2020 if you haven’t done so already (previously like me until this past weekend). I was craving a fun, fluffy, and yes, drama-filled read and this book was so perfect. If you’ve been re-watching Gossip Girl lately, this is the book for you.Read More »

Galentine’s Day Book Recommendations

February 12, 2020February 9, 2020 fangirlfury4 Comments

One of the many, many amazing things that came out of my all-time favorite TV show, Parks and Recreation, is Galentine’s Day. Galentine’s Day is all about celebrating the amazing female friendships and relationships in your life. My best friends and I plan on having a Parks & Rec rewatch marathon tomorrow featuring all of the Galentine’s Day involved episodes!

If you’re looking for a bookish way to celebrate the holiday, look no further than the following books that celebrate sisterhood, female friendship, and feminism.

The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey – From starring a very bookish protagonist to its focus on family, there are SO many great things about The Library of Lost Things, but I especially loved the friendship between best friends Darcy and Marisol.

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart – Grace and Fury is one of my favorite YA dystopian series. The first book had me intrigued for its sisterhood premise, as sisters Nomi and Serina are separated for the first time in their lives, with Nomi unexpectedly becoming one of the King’s darling Graces and Serina sent to an island filled with female exiled prisoners.

The Last Summer of the Garret Girls by Jessica Spotswood – Books about sisters are among my favorite sub-genres in YA contemporaries, with Jessica Spotwood’s The Last Summer of the Garret Girls as no exception. This book following four sisters’ summer in their small town, which so happens to include their family-run bookstore, had such fantastic Gilmore Girls vibes.

Cozy Read Recommendations

May 15, 2019May 13, 2019 fangirlfury3 Comments

Do you ever crave books that make you want to curl up with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate? Summer-type weather really hasn’t hit where I live yet, so I keep thinking about books that will keep me entertained on dreary weather days. When I think of cozy reads, I think of books that are perfect for days or time that you can fully dedicate to reading. For me, this varies from rainy days to snow days and nights in. Today, I’ll be discussing books that have made me have all the cozy feels.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

A classic in a Fangirl Fury recommendations post?? Yes, my bookish friends, it’s true! While it took me some time to settle into this story, I Capture the Castle is such an atmospheric read, mostly taking place in a castle!

Talking As Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls by Lauren Graham

I have a love-like relationship with many ‘celebrity’ books and memoirs, but there was just something so inviting about Lauren Graham’s Talking As Fast as I Can. I usually find myself just reading the parts I’m interested in, like the Parks & Rec chapter in Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, but I read Talking As Fast as I Can from cover to cover. I’m always recommending it to my Gilmore Girls-loving friends.

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

I think there are few things that are cozier than a bookshop, not to mention one in the Scottish Highlands. As Nina runs her bookshop on wheels, she participates in village life -including living in the guesthouse of a very handsome local farmer named Lennox.

Books That Will Make You Hungry Recommendations

April 17, 2019April 11, 2019 fangirlfury9 Comments

Blame it on my love for baking (we’re working on cooking), but books that feature characters who work in cafés or restaurants or have a love for making food are my absolute jam I haven’t heard the term ‘foodie’ used lately, but it definitely can apply to this fangirl’s reading taste. Food pun both unintended and intended. Listed below are my favorite books that instill the best kind of cravings. You’ll be inspired to get creative in the kitchen (or just raid the refrigerator).

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Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm

I absolutely love my sweets and desserts, but I have never felt more inspired to eat a pastry or two until I read Love à la Mode. I am in desperate need to try an authentic (or at least well-executed) pain au chocolat.

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Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

We all scream for ice cream here at Fangirl Fury, and I will certainly never stop screaming my love for Siobhan Vivian’s Stay Sweet! I never really thought about how much effort and time goes into making ice cream before reading this book. Amelia’s many trials and tribulations trying to recreate Home Sweet Home, the Meade Creamery classic flavor, made me consider buying ice cream making supplies!

Parks & Recreation Book Recommendations

March 13, 2019March 8, 2019 fangirlfury3 Comments

It’s no secret that Parks and Recreation is my all-time favorite TV show. I first watched Parks & Rec during summer 2015 on Netflix, quickly falling hard for a dysfunctional, but loveable group running their city’s Parks and Recreation department. In short, this show is insanely laugh-out-loud funny, has an incredible cast and guest stars (hello Michelle Obama!) and clever.

In honor of the upcoming Parks & Rec reunion at PaleyFest (I WILL find a way to watch),the following book recommendations are based on Parks & Rec characters’ personalities.

And yes, it makes me very sad that Leslie Knope does not like libraries. Then again, if Tammy was my local librarian…

Leslie Knope- The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

I can picture Leslie Knope reading across many genres, but she would especially love this summer contemporary about a politician’s daughter. The Unexpected Everything is in my top three Morgan Matson books, following Andie’s change in summer plans after her dad’s political scandal. Did I mention she becomes a dog walker?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Character Book Recommendations

January 9, 2019January 4, 2019 fangirlfury10 Comments

One of my absolute favorite TV shows, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, returns to it’s new home on NBC this Thursday, January 10. This show, at least in my fangirl brain, is known for its end-of-season cliffhangers, so I’m looking forward to seeing where Season 6 kicks off. In honor of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s return, today I’ll be sharing book recommendations based on B99 main characters.

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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Character Book Recomendations

November 28, 2018December 25, 2018 fangirlfury3 Comments

One of the best fangirlish things that happened in 2018 (AKA EVER) was Neftlix’s adaptation of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. As many of you know, Lara Jean is one of my all-time favorite characters. This trilogy holds a special place in my heart, being one out of three sisters like Lara Jean and the Song Covey girls. Like many, I was beyond impressed with its film adaptation, and I’m not-so patiently waiting for that sequel. Hellloooo Jon Ambrose McClaren.

In honor of all the TATBILB love this year, I’ll be sharing YA book recommendations based off some of the main characters from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

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Thrills & Homework: Fall Reading Recommendations

October 8, 2018December 25, 2018 fangirlfury3 Comments

Autumn calls for plenty of sweaters, pumpkin-spice treats, and ALL the books, as always. As many of you know, I’m a huge mood reader. However, when it comes my reading choices this season, I especially look for books that fall under three “categories”- thriller, mystery, and school. Today I’m going to be sharing my fall reading recs based on these categories, as well as some books that fall vibes on my TBR.