I’ve always loved to read but sometimes I’ll go months without reading a single page. While in the US there seem to be too many distractions that I tend to choose over reading (mainly: TV). But here in Spain those same distractions don’t exist. That, plus all of my traveling has provided many hours to fill. All those plane rides, train rides, bus rides and a bit of solo travel has given me plenty of time to read. Since being here I’ve read almost twenty books. That’s a lot for me!
I’m a fan of both light reads and heavier ones. I always try to do one lighter read (typically best for a beach vacation), followed by a heavier, shall we say more intellectual read.
Since it’s summer, today I’m sharing my favorite light reads so far. If you need some beach reading inspiration, get it here.
6 Summer Reads for 2018
Little Fires Everywhere
Basically everyone told me to read this book, and I can see why. There are a lot of themes going on in this book but it mainly focuses on family secrets and mother-daughter relationships. It would take too long to try and explain beyond that, so just take my word for it and read it.
The Selection
I’m not typically a huge YA fan (maybe I am now?), but I couldn’t get enough of this series. It’s a little silly, but I still loved it. It’s the Bachelor meets The Hunger Games meets the royal wedding. The only frustrating part is that the series is split into 3 books when it should really just be one. Buying three books ends up costing a lot and the books really don’t stand on their own, you need to read all three. The first one is available for a free download on Kindle but you’ll have to pay for parts 2 and 3.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
If you’re interested in celebrity culture and the fakeness behind it, you’ll find this book very intriguing. I mean who really knows what goes on with celeb relationship (are they real? are they fake? I have no idea), but this is a fun read for the celeb obsessed.
The Woman in the Window
I literally read this book in 24 hours while on a solo trip. It’s a thriller and it’s a bit on the dark side (think something like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train) but I seriously could not put it down. I actually didn’t particularly like The Girl on the Train, so even though this book is similar, I enjoyed it a lot more.
All We Ever Wanted
I’m a huge Emily Giffin fan and bought this book the day it was released. I’ll be honest and say it wasn’t my favorite of all her books, but that bar is super high. So even if it’s not my favorite of hers, I still really enjoyed it and finished it in less than two days. The story is told from multiple perspectives and focuses on a very wealthy family and their son who is accused of taking inappropriate pictures of a girl at school. I won’t say more to avoid any spoilers but I found there to be a lot of interesting parallels to the second season of 13 Reasons Why. If you read this book and watched that show, let me know if you thought the same.
One of Us is Lying
Okay, maybe I am a fan of YA now? This was another fun read. It’s a sort of a murder mystery but not a dark one. It’s about a group of high schoolers who are trying to figure out who poisoned one of their classmates. The story has some good twists. I kept thinking I could guess it but it really kept me questioning everything until the end.
Fitness Junkie
As a fitness loving person who lived for many years in the epicenter of the overpriced boutique fitness world, I of course had to read this. It’s about a woman in NYC trying to lose weight (via crazy ways) in order to get her job back. I went in with low expectations but I actually really enjoyed it. Despite all the diet culture talk, the message in the end is a really positive and inspiring one.
These are just some of my favorite light reads from the last few months. I’ll be back to share more as I get through a few others on my to-read list. Though I’m always looking for more–what’s your favorite summer book so far?
