Category: What I Read

It was a great reading month! I’m still reading a lot more than I did last year – and am going to link to this podcast again that talks about reading more and finding the time.

What did you read in February!? Let me know below!

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

And you can follow me on goodreads here.

WHAT I READ IN FEBRUARY 2023

Georgie All Along – 4.5 stars

Ooooh I liked this book so, so much. I loved the previous titles by this author and was super excited to get this in my book of the month box. The story follows a girl who goes back to her hometown after her job position ends. She feels “behind” in life and finds a journal that she wrote in school – basically fan fiction of the life she wished to lead. She decides to fulfill the fan fiction and do everything she said she would. I loved this story, the ending – everything.

The Chemistry of Love – 3.5 stars

I really liked Roommaid, so I was excited to get this book! It was cute. The story follows a cosmetic chemist who is in love with her boss (who is definitely an ass) – and ends up pretend dating his brother, who is the CEO, to try and make him jealous. This is super cute, a quick, fun read. The ending was adorable too. As a beauty product junkie, I loved all the scenes in the cosmetic lab too! Some scenes made me laugh out loud.

Carrie Soto Is Back – 5 stars

Gosh, I loved this book SO much. I put off reading this for awhile because I didn’t think I’d enjoy it. The story follows Carrie Soto who was an incredible tennis player in the 90s and her comeback to defend her world record. It was incredible – I was hooked. It made me want to take tennis lessons and also get the kids on the court for, you know, ten hours a day. The relationship between Carrie and her dad is everything.

Ugly Love – 4 stars

This was the only Colleen Hoover book that I hadn’t read yet! As predicted, I really enjoyed it. It was a quick and easy read – definitely felt a little more young adult than some of the others. If you read CoHo back in the day, you probably remember when it was all considered YA! This story follows a girl who moves in with her brother, meets his neighbor and has an instant attraction. They enter into a no-strings-attached relationship and as usual, there is heartbreak and more! It’s a great fast read.

Good For You – 4 stars

Loved this! Got this as an early kindle release and I was so excited. This story follows a magazine editor who gets put on leave from her job after an altercation with a few employees. We learn she suffers from some PTSD from early trauma and is also dealing with her brother’s death, moving into his house where unbeknownst to her, his best friend is also living. Lots of good tension in this story and it was such a great ending.

Things We Hide From The Light  – 2.5 stars

I wanted to love this one. Looking back, I guess I am not surprised. I didn’t love the previous book in this series (read last year), but I did kind of like the one I read last month set in northern Michigan. This story follows an investigator and cop who are dealing with the aftermath of the same crime and what it entails, plus them falling for each other. These books have amazing reviews so it’s probably just me. I don’t think moody, broody (almost mean?) cops are my character of choice and while I like tension, the crazy tension and fighting and screaming in this book just didn’t do it for me. I struggled to get through it. I found most of the characters so unlikeable.

Love Pamela

I listened to this on audible this month while recipe testing! I decided to listen to it after watching the documentary produced by her son. I ended up LOVING this. Man, the 90s and 2000s were brutal and so weird and learning about her upbringing, her career path, what happened after her tape with Tommy Lee was stolen and so on – it’s heartbreaking and just crazy to see behind the scenes. I have a much different opinion on her now and it’s wild to see how much the media could shape your beliefs of someone.

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Hiiii it’s my favorite post of the month. It was a great reading month!

I had my biggest reading month in probably a year.

A few weeks ago I listened to the lazy genius podcast episode on how to read more books. I don’t really have a problem with finding time to read – I am always reading no matter what because it’s such a big part of my life. But some of her tips – like reading at certain times or choosing it over something else really stuck with me. I read SO much this month thanks to this. I read a ton in the car line at school, in the mornings, before bed, while waiting at kids’ activities, in the evenings when the kids and I take some downtime before dinner. And I should mention – reading is also a really big stress relief for me and helps with anxiety. I love getting lost in a story.

Hoping I can keep up this momentum for the rest of the year. Let me know what you read below.

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

And you can follow me on goodreads here!

What I Read In January 2023

Nora Goes Off Script – 5 stars

This was my favorite of the month! Oh it was so cute. Lacy had been telling me to read this for months. The story follows a writer who sells a movie and the movie comes to film at her house. The star of the film is super famous and also very tormented and they become close… it’s so good! So cute. Really very heartwarming and made me so happy. I loved all the characters and especially the kids in this.

The BackUp Plan – 3 stars

I read this over the last weekend when our family had a stomach bug – fun. It was a recommendation on my kindle and I really liked it, it was very cute. The story follows three estranged friends who are reunited when a (famous) woman they know and love leaves them her estate. They must figure out what to do, how to do it, how to get along, etc. It was light and easy and enjoyable.

The Dead Romantics – 4 stars

Okay, I was so skeptical about this one. I do not like stories with ghosts. Not because I’m scared, but because I want them to be more realistic. Anyway, a few of you recommended this and I ended up loving it. The story follows a ghostwriter who loses her father, and their family owns a funeral home. Her editor also ends up being a ghost that only she can see. I loved this story, the writing is wonderful, the characters are charming. The ending is perfect.

The Villa – 2.5 stars

Okay, so I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I didn’t love this one. Which killed me, because I loved everything else by Rachel Hawkins and had really been looking forward to this. It was SO difficult for me to get into this book. The story follows two friends who go on a vacation/writing trip to a villa in Italy which holds a lot of famous drama. The chapters alternate between past and present. I felt like the storylines were all over the place, they jumped back and forth so much and I was just incredibly uninterested in almost all of the characters. There also wasn’t that much suspense for me! It could have been because I read this after This Time Tomorrow (which I loved)??

In a Jam – 3.5 stars

This was cute!! It was another recommendation on my kindle. I loved it instantly – got hooked and through it was so fun. Then it turned very surprisingly steamy (this was my first book by this author) and I was like whoa. I liked the story though. This follows a girl who returns to her hometown (well, one of them) when her step grandmother dies and leaves her a farm. She can only keep the farm under certain circumstances. And her neighbor poses a lot of issues. I liked this and it was a fast read.

This Time Tomorrow – 4.75 stars

Oh this one was so, so good. I love Emma Straub so much! This story follows a girl who is transported back in time to relive her 16th birthday, and everything she feels about her father who is currently sick. It is so heartwarming and wonderful to read. It’s about small moments in life and things you maybe would change if you could. It’s delightful.

Forever Never – 4.25 stars

I just finished this one last night and ended up loving it so much. So, this was recommended to me on my kindle after reading one of Lucy Score’s books last year, but what really sold me was that it’s set on Mackinac Island! My dad’s family is from northern Michigan and we go every year, so I was obsessed. I’ve been to Mackinac many times. The story follows an artist who returns to the island under mysterious circumstances and the guy she left behind, who happens to be a cop. Tons of tension between them. This is steamy, and I could have done without the 50 shades/dominance stuff, but I really liked it. It’s also LONG! I was hooked instantly, wanting to know the backstory. It was really good.

Spare

I started listening to Price Harry’s book the day it came out – it took me through multiple full recipe testing days. I didn’t mind listening because his voice is soothing (I almost always listen when it’s a celeb memoir who narrates!). I found some of the his younger years interesting – I just wanted to know more about that. I really liked the podcast on the book from the celebrity memoir book club, which I think dissected it perfectly.

The post What I Read In January 2023. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Here’s a peek at everything I read in December! It was a good reading month over here despite the busyness. I’m hoping for a strong start to 2023. Can’t wait to hear what you read below!

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

And you can follow me on goodreads here!

Kiss Her Once For Me  – 4 stars

This was a book of the month pick for me and I really enjoyed it. The story follows Ellia who agrees to marry a wealthy man… only to fall in love with his sister. The first half was a little slow for me and some parts drove me crazy, but once I got to middle it really picked up. Such a good one – light, witty and fun but also touches on a few relatable subjects!

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow  – 4.5 stars

This was another book of the month for me. SO glad I got this one. I’m not sure I would have grabbed it otherwise. The story follows Salama who lives in Syria amidst the war. This was not a light read – it is hard to read and sad and very triggering, but so well written and you just fall in love with the characters. It is equal parts heartbreaking and wonderful. Also opened my eyes to so much. This has stayed with me and I can’t shake it.

Remarkably Bright Creatures – 4.75 stars

Read this one after sooo many good reviews and it was fantastic!! Possibly in contention for one of my favorites of 2022. The writing is incredible. The story follows a woman who works the night shift at an aquarium and befriends a huge octopus. Yes, you read that right. It sounds a little crazy but it is SO well written and wonderful and sad and heart warming. This is such a wonderful read.

So Not Meant To Be – 3.5 stars

This one, while a bit too steamy and fifty-shades at times for me, was pretty good. I liked the story a lot, which follows Kelsey who tries not to fall in love with a work colleague who oversees her company. It’s a whole will-they-or-won’t-they read and it does drag in some places, but ultimately I liked the story.

The Mistletoe Bet – 2.75 stars

This is a novella that I started reading after it was recommended to me on my kindle when I was finish the above book. It’s quick, easy to read, steamy and a little smutty… haha. It kept me entertained for an hour or so but had minimal depth.

The post What I Read In December 2022. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

I’m alll about the holiday books right now! I read three books in November and listened to two, all really good. Overall it was a great reading month. Now I’m reading as many holiday books as I can and probably also going to reread the Winter Street series (one of my all time favorites). What are you reading right now?!

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

And you can follow me on goodreads here!

WHAT I READ IN NOVEMBER 2022

You Made A Fool Of Death With You Beauty – 4 stars

I couldn’t put this one down. It had me hooked from the beginning. The story follows Feyi who lost her husband in an accident. She starts a friendship with another man (who wants to date her) and ends up falling in love with his father. It’s very real and not cheesy at all. The only thing I didn’t love was the switch in Nasir’s character towards the end of the book. It seemed a little outlandish to me.

Merry Little Meet Cute – 3.5 stars

This was waaaay spicier than I thought – I did not read the synopsis closely. The story follows Bee who is starring in a christmas movie opposite her childhood crush – a member of a boy band who everyone was crazy over. I loved the messaging in this, I thought the characters were really cute and it made me happy! The town reminded me of a Stars Hollow too.

Let It Snow – 4.5 stars

This was super cute. The story follows Bea (crazy, almost same name as above!) who just got out of a relationship and heads home for Christmas. This book has one of my favorite tropes – an enemy-to-lovers (of sorts) and I love how it came together. A little love triangle too. If you’re in the mood for a cozy read, this is it.

Wintering

LOVED this. I listened to this on audible and really enjoyed it – I’ve wanted to read it forever. This is a memoir (which I didn’t realize until I started it!) and talks about how to regroup and hibernate during difficult times. I love the idea that retreating in the “winter” (a metaphor for many things) is healing and replenishing.

Friends, Lovers and The Big Terrible Thing

I don’t even know where to start here. I listened to this, so I could hear Matthew Perry read it. It was really good, but also really dark. I almost felt “off” while listening, like something was wrong and I couldn’t remember what. But it was really just the distress of the book. I don’t know if enjoy it the right word… but I did think it was good.

The post What I Read In November 2022. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

I had SUCH a great reading month. I really enjoyed the books… one book I loved SO much – like almost as much as some of my 2022 faves. It was light and fun and made me want to stay up all night and read. Now I’m looking forward to starting some holiday books for the season!

What good things did you read this month?

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

And you can follow me on goodreads here!

WHAT I READ IN OCTOBER 2022

Scandalized – 5 stars

I LOVED this book so much. It was the exact thing I wanted to read at the time. The story follows two friends who knew each other growing up, run into each other on a random night and sparks fly. It takes off from there and oh man I just loved.this.story. It is steamy, but it’s not cringey if that makes sense.

It Starts With Us – 4 stars

I loved It Ends with Us and I reread it a few months ago in preparation for this. I will say that this book is everything I wanted it to be – it starts right at the very end of It Ends With Us and moves forward fast. There isn’t a ton TO the book but I got the story of what I wanted. I did like it and was satisfied with the ending. I don’t think it needed to be written, but I totally appreciate it!

Drunk On Love – 3.5 stars

I just finished this one over the weekend and it was super cute. I love Jasmine’s books and look forward to them every year. The story follows Margot who has a one night stand only to show up at her business (a winery! how fun!) the next day and learn the same guy is their new hire. It’s cute and a light read and moves quickly.

Love On The Brain – 4 stars

Got this one in my October book of the month box and it did not disappoint! It has one of my favorite tropes – enemies to lovers – and the story follows two coworkers who do not get along but have to work on a project together. This is such a fun quick read – I didn’t love it as much as this author’s previous book The Love Hypothesis, but it did come close.

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Hi hi! Here for my favorite reading recap of the moth.

I had so many books I wanted to read in September and ended up reading only one on my list – with some other randoms in there too! It was a mostly good reading month. I enjoyed the books I read but didn’t LOVE them all. See below for details! What good things did you read this month?!

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

And you can follow me on goodreads here!

WHAT I READ IN AUGUST 2022

Lessons in Chemistry – 4.5 stars

Oh my gosh – a must read for sure. I loved it. This story follows two chemists in the 1960s, a man and a woman and the differences, discriminations and heartbreaks in their career paths. This one absolutely got me – it is heartbreaking but also so good and also really funny. It makes you root so hard for Elizabeth in the end. And makes you very happy we’re out of the 60s.

The It Girl – 4.5 stars

Looooved this one. I love Ruth Ware’s books and this one did not disappoint, plus I was feeling thriller-y. This story is about a group of friends at college – one of them ends up dead. Years later, it’s uncovered that the murdered may NOT be the murdered and ooooh it’s a good one. This jumps between past and present, which is one of my favorite ways to learn a story. There are so many twists in turns in this one too!

Things We Never Got Over – 3.5 stars

I’m so torn on this one! I did like the story, but I didn’t love one of the main characters. This follows a girl who leaves her fiance at the altar, escapes to her twin sister (who is “evil”), only for the sister to leave her with her niece that she didn’t even know exists. She meets a guy in town and a love story ensues – but I just didn’t love the love story! I had a hard time find Knox super likeable. I did however love Naomi’s niece!!

Tell Me Lies – 3.5 stars

I started watching this Hulu and it was one that I had never read! So naturally I downloaded and FLEW through it in two days. It’s different from the show in some ways for sure. The story follows a girl who meets a secretive guy the minute she gets to college – and she just can’t get away from him. They can’t get away from each other but he is not a great and they are even worse together. Once you start reading, you can’t stop. At the same time, I hated so many people in this book that I don’t know how much I actually LIKED the story.

The post What I Read in September 2022. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This was a good reading month! There were some I didn’t LOVE but overall I’m glad I got through these all in August. I ended up reading a ton, I also went back and reread a few of my Colleen Hoover, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Emily Henry faves – it’s like comfort reading.

I’d love to hear below what you read this month!

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

You can follow me on goodreads here!

WHAT I READ IN AUGUST 2022

The Summer Place – 3 stars

Jennifer Weiner is always a go-to read for me every summer and has been for years. This story follows a family wedding happening in Cape Cod. Tons of family drama, confusion, misunderstandings. I love Jennifer’s writing so much but this story was a little outlandish for me. It was still a good read, but the entire time I was like “no this isn’t possible” and “this is not happening” – ha!! Parts were slightly frustrating but I still enjoyed the overall story and ending.

It Happened One Summer – 2.5 stars

Oh man, I am really on the fence about this one. It has such great reviews but it missed the mark a bit for me. The story follows Piper, a socialite who ends up being sent to a small town that her father was from. She is sent by her stepfather after she throws a massive party, her sister tags alone, and it is a cute story about how they will survive in this little town. It is a romance, but the romance scenes are what I just couldn’t grip. It almost seemed like the two characters turned into different people during the scenes – it was very graphic and cheesy and cringy – like it almost reminded me of scenes from that movie The House Bunny. Ha! Overall a cute story, but the romance scenes lost me.

Hook Line and Sinker – 3.5 stars

This is actually book #2 from the one above and I enjoyed it more! This story follows Piper’s sister from the book above. I thought it was a little deeper and I did enjoy it – the sex scenes were no where near as cheesy. I liked the storyline for both and generally found it interesting – it’s about alaskan kind crab fisherman, so I found myself googling about that at like 3am after reading. This also has so many tropes I enjoy – friends to lovers, etc. I loved both of these characters more than the main ones in the first book.

The Last Housewife  – 4 stars

I read this after listening to the author on the bad on paper podcast. The story follows a girl who ends up revisiting a (very!) traumatic past and dealing with the fall out from it. There are tons of trigger warnings for this and a lot of the book is suspenseful but disturbing. It’s not usually the kind of read I enjoy but the writing it SO GOOD and I actually liked it. I just couldn’t read it in the dark… for real.

Summer Love – 4 stars

We know I live for a Nantucket novel! This story follows four strangers who rent basement rooms in a hotel and start a friendship – then reunite 25 years later at the same hotel. I got hooked early on and read this quickly, it was a great summer book. Highly suggest if you’re a Nantucket lover and still in beach/summer mode for a few more weeks.

The post What I Read in August 2022. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

It was a lovely little reading month! I LOVED two books and really really really liked the other two – overall great. I still have so many left on my TBR list this summer! This time of year is so exciting in books and I looked forward to reading every night.

You can find some mini reviews and thoughts on the books below. And in case you missed it, I shared my summer reading list here.

I’d love to hear below what you read this month!

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

You can follow me on goodreads here!

WHAT I READ IN JULY 2022

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow – 5 stars

Oh my gosh, I loved this so so so much. I had heard it was good but I was blown away with how much I loved it and could not stop reading. And it’s about video games! The story follows two people who went to college together and end up creating a hugely popular video game. So heart warming and heart breaking and everything. I cannot recommend this one enough.

The Bodyguard – 4 stars

This was a fun read and I always love this author’s books. The story follows a girl who is assigned to be the bodyguard for a famous (hot!) actor – someone like Ryan Reynolds, etc. It’s a little predictable but also a fun and cute read. Moves fast and you want to see what happens next, always rooting for the love story.

The Anthropocene Reviewed – 5 stars

I read this on a whim and absolutely loved it. I don’t think it can be classified as a memoir, but it’s basically John Green reviewing ALL sorts of things, like scratch and sniff stickers, different foods, teddy bears, video games, etc. It’s amazing. His storytelling is incredible and this is so interesting and hilarious at times.

Flying Solo – 4 stars

Really enjoyed this one too! Her previous books is one of my favorites so I was excited to read this. The story follows a girl who is cleaning out her aunt’s estate and finds some treasures with a few mysteries attached. It’s very cute and a light easy read. I liked it so much.

The post What I Read In July 2022. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

It’s summertime and my all-time favorite reading season. There are SO many good books out right now.

We had a doozy of a month at the end of April/start of May, and by the time I got to my book post, we were more than halfway through the month. I decided to combine everything into one post, so this is what I’ve read since April. Oooh lots of good reads here.

You can find some mini reviews and thoughts on the books below. And in case you missed it, I shared my summer reading list here.

I’d love to hear below what you read this month!

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

You can follow me on goodreads here!

WHAT I READ IN APRIL & MAY 2022

By The Book – 3.5 stars

I love everything Jasmine writes and am pumped to get two (!) books from her this year. So this story is actually described as a modern day retelling of beauty and beast. The story follows Isabelle who works in publishing and gets assigned to work with a nightmare author. The premise is super cute and it’s one of my favorite tropes. I will say that I didn’t love this quiiiite as much as her other books, but it was still great.

Part of Your World – 4 stars

Enjoyed this one so so much. I also love everything Abby Jimenez writes. The story follows an ER doctor who ends up having a fling with a hot younger carpenter (I like this trope too) – but is it really just a fling? I love how Abby’s books are always light and easy to read (in a good way) but also have a TON of depth here. This book deals with emotional/mental abuse and deeper issues, but is still incredibly enjoyable and lovely.

One Night On The Island – 3.5 stars

I was super excited about this one and ended up… just not doing it for me. It was good and I enjoyed it more towards the end, but I just didn’t end up loving the story. Parts of it were a bit odd. The story follows a dating columnist who takes a trip to an island – and ends up in a double booked room with someone else. It had a slow start. There wasn’t much spark for me!

The Good Left Undone – 4 stars

This was my first Adriana Trigiani book and it won’t be my last. Admittedly, I am not very into historical fiction. This was SO good though. I absolutely loved it. The story follows a family in Italy and spans generations. This family is incredible and I loved reading the detail. The writing is phenomenal. I can’t wait to go and read more of her books.

Wahala – 3.5 stars

This book is crazy. The friends are nuts! The story follows a group of friends in London and another friend comes into the picture and things go haywire. I didn’t like this as I read it but then liked it after I finished. It was a bit of a thriller and you just didn’t know where things were going to end up. This kept me on my toes and I did end up liking the ending.

Book Lovers – 5 stars

Words can’t express how much I loved this one. I loved Emily Henry’s books from day one of Beach Read. And I can now say that this one is my fave of all three. The story follows a literary agent who has a connection with a grumpy editor and most of the story takes place in a Stars Hollow-like town. If you’re a book freak like I am, the description of all the book stores and reading in this will warm your heart. Book stores are my favorite place! This is one of my favorite reads of the year so far!

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