the Jess Journals: Summer Reading

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Summer Reading: Part Deux

About a month ago I posted my summer reading list, so since I've read through most of them (plus some others), I thought I'd give brief reviews here.

The Next Best Thing - I finished this on my trip to Seattle, and Jennifer Weiner did NOT disappoint! I loved it.
Girls in White Dresses - Honestly, this one was my least favorite. It was ok, but I don't think I'd read it again. It was confusing keeping track of who was who, as each chapter is told from a different character's point of view. And although I can relate to the fact that it feels like everyone else is moving on with their lives and getting married and having babies, it wasn't enough to really keep me engaged (no pun intended, I swear!) in the book.
Where We Belong - Emily Giffin didn't disappoint! I liked this one better than Heart of the Matter, and I LOOOVED her choice of characters that popped up from a previous book (although I always want to know more about what happened to them...).
Sorority Sisters - I really liked this one, even though at first it was also hard to keep track of who was who at the beginning. But the bond between the characters was deep enough that as a reader I was emotionally invested in them too.
What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 - I admit it...this is the only book I haven't read on this list! I promise I'm going to get to it, Mom! (Has anyone reading this read this book? What'd you think?)
Wife 22 - I actually read this one first, to be a part of The Everygirl's reading club (but then I couldn't resist reading past the set point each week so didn't actually participate for fear of accidentally spoiling something for someone else!). I loved the twist at the end, and it made me want to go over and read the book again with that perspective in mind!

All in all - my list didn't disappoint me, so I'm really happy about that!

I also read a few other books this past month:

Thirty Things... - this was so good. I hadn't read non-fiction in ages and it was so good! It's a tiny little hardcover book, filled with essays from people like Lauren Conrad, Lisa Ling, Taylor Swift, and Portia de Rossi. Read this even if you're already thirty, are not yet thirty, or are beyond thirty - trust me.
The Opposite of Me - this is the second book I've read by this author, and it was so good I read the entire thing in one night and then proceeded to chat online to the BFF until 4am. haha It's about twin sisters and identities, and personal crises. Loved it.
& 4. It's a Waverly Life and Honey on Your Mind are sequels 2 and 3 to Perfect on Paper, which I loved. (Plus right now they're both $2.99 each if you buy the Kindle version - bargain!) These books made me miss living in San Francisco even more than I already do! They're mostly about dating disasters and coming into your own, but in a very lighthearted, funny way. Perfect beach reads!

Have you read anything good lately?

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

One thing about me is I love to read. I can lose myself in a book and barely come up for air - for example, when my sister and I were younger and she got a copy of the 4th Harry Potter - I had to wait like 2 weeks for her to finish it so when I finally got my hands on it, I literally sat on my grandma's couch all day and didn't budge until I finished it that evening. (We were visiting her in Cali that summer.) Ridiculous. Or a more recent example - when I got sucked into the 2nd and 3rd books of the Hunger Games trilogy - I pretty much fell asleep reading it and then woke up early the next day to continue reading until I was finally done. It's probably bad for my health, but it's been a passion of mine since I first learned to read! (The Cat in the Hat was the first book I ever read on my own. I still remember the thrill of realizing I could read every word! Life changing, I'm telling you.)

Anyway, summer is the perfect time to catch up on reading, and books, since there are countless hours spent poolside, at the beach, or in parks. And there's nothing like some great "chick lit" for content! Plus, there are a few new releases that I'm really looking forward to, so without further ado, my summer reading list:

The Next Best Thing, by Jennifer Weiner. The first book of hers that I read was Good in Bed, and her writing, and the stories she tells, just sucked me right in. In this novel, the protagonist is a woman named Ruth living in LA and working as a writer for her own TV show. This one is actually brand new today, so go snatch it up! If you're not swayed by my words, and you have a kindle, you can download "Swim" for free - it's the short story she initially wrote that led to writing this full-length novel.
Girls in White Dresses, by Jennifer Close. (Out in paperback, which is convenient if you don't own an eReader!) I first saw this at The Strand about a month ago, and it's about 3 friends who feel like everyone around them is getting married, while none of them are anywhere close. (Hello, this sounds familiar...oh wait, that's my life. haha)
Where We Belong, by Emily Giffin. Something Borrowed is one of my all-time favorite books, and I've read everything Emily Giffin's written since then! I know I'm going to be reading this when it comes out on the 24th without even reading the premise.
Sorority Sisters, by Claudia Welch. About 3 friends who join a sorority in the '70s, and how they remained friends.
What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, by Tina Seelig. My mom actually read this and recommended it to my sister and me.
Wife 22, by Melanie Gideon. This is book #1 for The Everygirl's Book Club, and I've always wanted to do a book club-type thing - and since I can't get it together to do one "in real life", I'll join this one! Join with me?

What's on your summer reading list? Are there any books you've read recently that you loved? Share!

Summer Reading: Part Deux

Summer Reading

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