summer reading recap and reflection

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Soooo summer is officially coming to an end in my mind – my beach vacay is over and done with and I’m beginning to feel the gentle tug of fall’s cozy ways slipping in. With this preemptive season change, I thought it would be fun to go over all the books I read this summer and dissect which ones were worth the read or the shelf space and which ones weren’t. From May through August I read/ listened to a total of 15 books, and yes I am one of those people who counts audiobooks on my reading list… so without further adieu, which 15 books did I complete this summer and how did they stand up against my reading material expectations?

M A Y

The beekeepers apprentice

Tweet cute

Georgie all along

Love and other words

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J U N E

The layover

From the jump

Burnt toast makes you sing good

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J U L Y

Say yes summer

Mr. malcom’s list

One italian summer

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A U G U S T

Summertime guests

Maggie moves on

Love and olives

Love and gelato

A cuban girls guide to tea and tomorrow 

Dang, looking over this list again, I’m pleasantly surprised at the grouping we have here, I really have read some great books this summer!!

Okay starting off with book number one: The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King. I originally picked this book up at Half Priced Books whilst birthday shopping and I didn’t fully dive into it until April, finishing it in May. Let me just say this – this book is INCREDIBLE. It is basically a Sherlock Holmes protégé story that is artfully intertwined and cleverly complex. I started an entire note on my phone of “new words I’ve learned” because of this book!! At least once a page I would be like, wait what does that mean?? I usually tend towards “rom-com” type of books, so it was nice to mix it up with a mystery thriller set in the early 1900’s.

Book numero dos: Tweet Cute by Emma Lord. Okay so this one was actually a reread. I stumbled upon it a few years ago and I fell in love with the story, the characters, the sweet romance. Just swoon!! Sometimes I just decide that I just want a really good book that i’ve read before and am absolutely smitten with. It doesn’t happen too often, but this was a great book to reach when the mood struck. Cannot recommend this book enough!!

Book three: Georgie All Along – Kate Clayborn. I did really enjoy this read, it was a fun summer book to pick up featuring a woman who returns to her hometown to help a friend but gets roped into staying and falling in love with a dock builder. Little (or big) caveat here is that it definitely has some steamy scenes, so proceed with caution if you are interested in this one. 

Quatre: Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren – wowowow! I loved the way this book was planned out, written so beautifully and structured. It follows a past and present template, which can definitely be confusing, but the author uses it as a tool to help, not hinder the progression of the story. There are also a couple of sexual scenes in this one, so word to the wise on that one, but overall a really great read!!

And moving on to June with book number five: The Layover by Lacie Waldon. YOU GUYS!! I loved this book, it was so fun!! My friend texted me a couple weeks ago asking me about a good beach read and I gave her this book and a promise that it would satiate the sunshine and sandy feet desires she was longing for. It’s about a flight attendant who gets engaged and is embarking on her last trip before her wedding and details her travel escapades with a certain annoying coworker. Pure bliss, put it on your list. Definitely made me want to swim in bioluminescence (just sayin) 

And that brings us to book six: From the Jump – also by Lacie Waldon. After I finished the layover I was like “I need more!!” So I picked this one up, and while it was still a good book, with a good storyline and character progression, it wasn’t the layover…. Also this one had a fair deal more steam if you know what I mean.

Okay and onto seven: Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good by Kathryn Flynn. Clearly I don’t read a whole ton of nonfiction, but oh man this memoir stole my heart. Would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt retelling of a family history sprinkled with a fair amount of humor and more than a few family recipes. This memoir follows the Flynn family through move after move and story after story from the perspective of the youngest daughter. It is a gem, and the title will give you a great conversation starter when you tote it around with you. 😉

July ushered in a few more summer flings, the first being: Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli. This book was a rollercoaster, a cute, heartwarming and kind of ridiculous one. It follows a teenage girl freshly graduated and in her summer before college as she tries to navigate friends, boys and family in a pretty hilarious way. I read this book on my beach trip with my friend and her family and finished it on our long wait for the ferry between islands. Sweet memories of comradery accompany this book as everyone in the car was basically as invested into the story as I was…

Book nine: Mr. Malcolm’s List by Suzanne Allain came as a recommendation from my sister when my other book I brought to read after finishing say yes summer didn’t exactly pan out. I went ahead and downloaded the audiobook through my Libby app and I was in for a treat. It is equally charming and ridiculously hilarious as the main character is tossed into a wicked plan to expose a man who supposedly lacks a moral compass. On her vicarious quest for revenge she finds herself falling for the exact man she planned to foil. It’s a cute one, and really can we pass a Victorian era novel? Absolutely not, it’s a chocolate chip cookie!

One Italian Summer written by Rebecca Serle comes in tenth. Let’s just say, this book is a rollercoaster. Hahahah! Vaguely Under the Tuscan Sun-eque in nature, making you swoon at descriptions of sun soaked Italy, it is flooded with a myriad of problems that the city alone cannot fix. It is a good read, I would recommend, but beware, you might be very upset towards the end, but all’s well that ends well right?

Next up: Summertime Guests by Wendy Francis. Honestly you could skip on this one, well actually no that’s not true. The author does a great job at building the suspense and mystery and ripping off the bandaid at the very last minute. Some of the character arcs are a little blasé BUT because of the intertwining plots moving towards one end scene, I would give it a few stars and a “I would recommend it if you’re in the right mood.”

Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score. Being the daughter of a contractor and oftentimes waking up on Saturday mornings to some sort of hammering, sawing or banging, this novel hit close to home. The author definitely has you routing for this dynamic on and off screen duo as they work to fix up a multistory historical home somewhere in Idaho. More than one steamy scene in this bad boy though, in case you were wondering. Would recommend, maybe not to my mom though…

Book thirteen: Love and Olives by Jenna Evans Welch.

GUYSSSS!! Run don’t walk!! Buy, rent, borrow, listen, read whatever you need to do just read it. This basically ranks right next to tweet cute, downright swoonworthy. (and this basically applies to these last three, so I will spare the repeating- really they are ALL that good)

Followed closely by Love and Gelato also by Jenna Evans Welch. Okay so everyone claims that this is the best out of the trilogy but I would honestly disagree, maybe because I read love and olives first… not sure but I like that one slightly more. Although, let’s be real, they are both TO DIE!!!

Last but definitely not least, book fifteen: A Cuban Girls Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey.  Again, point above ^. Absolutely amazing summer read, perfect for any beach that you find yourself on, but was extra special to read on Miami Beach as it appears in this chick flick novel. Also, she’s releasing another book this fall that stars a character in this book, so stay tuned for that one, I am officially stoked. EEK!!

So there you have it folks, those are the fifteen books I read this summer, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. The top scorers!!!

Fav beach read:

From the Jump

As I told ashton – you will not be disappointed.

Most involved storyline:

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice

Most definitely. But in the best way.

Best nonfiction:

Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good

Technically cheating since this was the only nonfiction, but it was so good that I’m convinced that if I had read others this would still win. 

Overall favorite:

Love and Olives

AHHHH indecisive Emily giving an overall favorite, what?!? I know I really did it guys! You can’t go wrong with this book or this author, your wanderlust will be reawakened after reading.

thanks for sticking around and reading this long and probably exhaustive list of summer reads, I hope at least one of these jumped out at you and of course, happy reading!!

lots of love,

em 🤍