I have a lot of book reviews to share with you today! Six months’ worth of reviews. If you haven’t heard, in May of 2024 I decided to take a full-time position with Her Campus Media and my life has looked a little different since then when it comes to work and what I want to share online. 

But I have missed sharing my reviews with all of you and could not resist recapping all the books you need to add to your TBR pile!

June

Such a Bad Influence: this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. This thriller had me questioning who I could trust and what was coming next until the last sentence. This story is about what happens when one of the first social media child star grows up and then goes missing. The commentary on social media, how we commodify people, and the need for validation is such important conversations to be happening right now and this book does it flawlessly. 

Within Arms Reach: I was so excited when I learned another one of Ann Napolitano’s books was being reprinted.  For reference, she wrote Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful wich are two of my favorite books. If you love stories of complicated families, grief, and a little bit of magic then I recommend picking this book up. 

July

The Most Famous Girl in the World: wow Imani does it again! If you were obsessed with the Anna Delvy saga then you are going to want to pick this book up. I don’t want to give too much away here, just be ready for a wild ride and an unreliable narrator that you won’t know whether to LOVE or hate. 

Just for the Summer: this was my first Abby Jimenez book and I completely understand why so many people love her books. We follow Justin and Emma who seemingly are cursed to date people and then whenever they break up their partner finds their soulmate. Can they break the curse? If you are looking for a taste of summer and a romance that will make you laugh, cry, and look up this town to see if it has all the spots they mention then this book is for you. 

Little Rot: whew this book was a wild ride and if I am being honest deeply unpleasant to read. It is written perfectly, the author is brilliant. BUT every trigger warning ever is in this book and it is not an easy read. I read this for my book club and appreciated having a group to talk through this book with. 

Sandwich: a highly anticipated read for me this year because of Catherine Newman’s book We All Want Impossible Things and it did not disappoint. This is a story about family summer vacations, sandwiches, what it means to be a mother and menopause. This book should be read in a day and paired with an epic sandwich. 

Leading From the Middle: my new job runs a small book club where we read books to help make us better managers, employees, and communicators. This was the first and while the basics of this book are super helpful I don’t know if it is a top recommendation. My biggest complaint was about how repetitive this book was to the point where I felt lost. 

The Unwedding: I listened to this on audio and enjoyed the story but it wasn’t a MUST READ. This story follows Ellery while she is on vacation post-divorce in Big Sur. But this relaxing trip does not go as planned when she discovers a dead body. I recommend reading a physical version of this book so you can easily understand when they jump timelines and have more context for the art featured. 

Summer Romance: he was a skater boy and she was a professional organizer and need I say more? Annabel Monaghan crafted another perfect summer read with two unlikely lead characters. Be warned I did cry towards the end of this book, but you will still get the happily ever after all Monaghan stories deserve! 

August

The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia: we read this book for book club and I liked but didn’t love this book. However, A LOT of members of my book club loved this book. One unidentified skeleton and three missing men in an Italian village that is filled with secrets. This book follows a young American woman who is determined to solve the mystery of the unidentified skeleton. 

A Novel Love Story: what would you do if your car broke down in a town that feels eerily familiar because it is? She has been dropped into her favorite romance series! If you like Groundhog Day-style stories and grumpy sunshine trope then I suggest you pick this up!

September

The Third Gilmore Girl: it’s no secret how much I love Gilmore Girls and I was so delighted to find out Kelly Bishop was releasing a book this year. I read the audio version of this because Kelly Bishop narrates and I recommend doing that. Hearing her story in her own voice felt like I was having coffee with her. 

Catalina: I thoroughly enjoyed this book club selection and think this book should move up a lot of people’s TBR lists. We follow a year of Catalina’s life as an art student at Harvard. This coming-of-age novel will prompt you to question elite higher education’s judgment of art and what it means to fit in in order to survive. 

Pretty Girls: this was another difficult read and I know a lot of people love this thriller but I found it to fall to close to tragedy porn and felt stuck having to finish all 650+ pages of this book. I recommend picking up another thriller unless you really enjoy the most disturbing of books. 

Anita de Monte Laughs Last: my initial impressions of this book are wow! This book was unlike anything else I have read recently and was beautifully written. This book follows two timelines, one in 1985 of the famous artist Anita de Monte and one in 1998 where Raquel, an art student, starts rising above the ranks she uncovers much more about the art world. This book will remind you to question who gets to leave a legacy. 

October 

Big Fan: if you have seen me in person since I finished this book then you already know about it because I cannot stop talking about this book and the new 831 Stories publishing imprint. This novella is for fans of The Idea of You and this imprint is for romance readers! Learn more about 831 Stories here. 

Madwoman: this was one of my favorite book club reads, partly because the book was phenomenal and partly because it made for a great discussion. This book explores motherhood in a world that was not made for mothers. Clove has hidden her past from her entire family and truly believes that if she has the right supplements and routine her life will be perfect. But Clove is forced to confront her past and things begin to unravel. 

Gentle: I will be sharing so much more about Gentle in the coming weeks but if you are looking to approach 2025 with less hustle and want a life that doesn’t feel like a never-ending rat race I encourage you to pick up Gentle. This is my mom’s third book and by far my favorite. Don’t forget to pre-order and keep an eye out for book tour events near you! 

November

Here After: I read this book in a day and sobbed the entire way through. This book is not for in public consumption. This is a memoir from Amy Lin and a story about love, tragic loss, and grief.

Intermezzo: November was mainly spent reading Sally Rooney’s newest novel and it took me a long time. I recommend giving yourself time to read this book so that you don’t miss portions, I found myself needing to reread parts. This book follows two brothers who have very little in common but are brought back together when their father passes away. This book is another work of art from Sally Rooney exploring what it means to be human in the rawest way. 

Be Ready When The Luck Happens: a delight of an audiobook! I knew basically nothing about Ina Garten before reading her memoir and now I am obsessed. She has lived a million lives and her love story is one for the ages. This is one that I will be rereading in the future! 

December 

Supercommunicators: the final book club selection for work was a great read that I am recommending to everyone! If you are wanting to understand communication better or just love learning more on the topic this book is great and engaging! 

Comedic Timing: this book is out soon from 831 Stories and is another delightful romance. When Naina moves to New York she questions everything but is determined to make this her year! Unfortunately, the city is not so welcoming but when she meets David things begin to change. 

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year: I almost didn’t get to this book but I am so glad I did. A fun cozy mystery for the holidays! When two rival authors are invited on a very special Christmas vacation by their biggest fan they have no idea what is to come. 

A Winter Wish: Emily Stone has me crying over the holidays once again. This book follows Lexie shortly after the death of her estranged father. When an unexpected inheritance falls into her lap Lexie is forced to work in her father’s travel agency business and is confronted with Theo who is trying to push her out of the company. 

Kiss Me at Christmas: an annual tradition is reading a Jenny Bayliss book for our book club! This book was such a fun read about a soon-to-be empty nester and the challenge to put on a play for the entire town and rebuild the abandoned theater. 

All I Want is You: Exes and now rivals in the workplace this Christmas romance is everything you are looking for including the one-bed trope!