Do you want to know the best way to escape the frustrations and anxieties of a pandemic? READ! Well, that is what I have been telling myself. This summer was filled with so much reading. I went from scrolling on Instagram for countless hours on my phone to reading eleven books since I finished my first year of graduate school.
My goal this year is to read 20 books! It is funny because I used to think I “didn’t have time.” The thing is, we make time for what is important to us. So yeah, some days I really don’t have time to read a whole book in a day because I have other priorities, but on the days where I have to choose between being on my phone all day and reading, I choose to read. I choose happiness.
This is the Part I of my summer reads. I didn’t want to overwhelm you all. Part II will be posted live on the blog soon. Here’s what I read!
1. The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient, #2) by Helen Hoang (4/5)
I reviewed this on the blog here!
2. Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite (5/5)
Ahh! I loved this read. I didn’t realize it when I picked it but it is actually a YA (young adult) novel. This novel was written by two sisters and tells the story of Alaine, a first-generation Haitian, and her travels to Haiti right before she graduates. This novel is told in an epistolary style meaning the text is often writen through emails, text messages, tweets, and more! I didn’t know this going in but realized this is what made the novel so amazing! I highly recommend this read! It was quick, but the words were so powerful.
You might ask the obvious question: What do I, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American from Miami with way too little life experience, have to say about anything? Actually, a lot.
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine
TW: Alzhimer’s Disease
3. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (The Wedding Date, #2) (4/5)
I don’t normally read romance (or at least I didn’t), but I randomly decided to pick up Jasmine Guillory’s “The Proposal” and fell in love. This was my first read by Guillory but ended up LOVING it! “The Proposal” is part of a five part series (that doesn’t need to be read in order). If you are looking for a light, fun read with this is the one.
Goodreads Synopsis: When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn’t the hard part–they’ve only been dating for five months, and he can’t even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans…
At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He’s even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik’s social media blows up–in a bad way. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes..
4. I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan (3.8/5)
“I lie for a living. But in the hope of telling someone’s truth. I respect and admire all the women I know and don’t know for their bravery in changing lanes at a later (not late) stage in their lives. This party ain’t over. Yet.” -Terry McMillan (I Almost Forgot About You, Acknowledgements)
When I started reading, I really didn’t have a clue about the characters, their ages, or really anything about them. Getting to know Dr. Georgia Young throughout the piece was both exciting and frustrating. I couldn’t help myself in saying, “GURLLL, come on!” way too many times. Once I got about three-fourths through the book, I really started rooting for Georgia and her story. Though I wasn’t a fan of all the secondary characters, I could totally vibe with the storyline and the message Terry McMillan was trying to convey.
McMillan’s writing was fun and easy to read. There are moments where you could really feel her writing bursting out of the page. This writing is evident in scenes where she uses imagery in a way that feels like she has a paint brush in her hand and is painting images in the reader’s mind as their eyes smoothly slide across the pages line for line. Though it took a whileeeeee to get to the meat of the novel, I’m glad I chose to stick it out until the end. Thank you, McMillan.
5. The Guest List by Lucy Foley (4/5)
I read this as an audiobook on my drive back home from my graduate program and downloaded it on a whim. I saw that it was a Reese Witherspoon bookclub choice and I thought the fact that it was a mystery novel would keep me engaged on the ride home. Boy was I right!
Goodreads Synopsis: On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.
And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?
6. Part of Two by Jasmine Guillory (4/5)
I am pretty sure “Party of Two” is my favorite book in the series (so far!) I just think that being able to see myself as a black woman in love stories is so important for me as a young woman. I love how Guillory writes about her main character’s curly hair and ordering food off of apps (literally a weekly thing for me at this point.) Guillory’s writing is relatable and always will make you hungry. I mean, tell me where I can get a guy who will send me a cake after a date. A CAKE?! I just loved this read and will never stop reading Jasmine Guillory’s work.
Goodreads Summary: Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe’s mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can’t resist–it is chocolate cake, after all.
Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble–not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Because of Max’s high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?
That is all for now! Check out My Summer 2020 Pandemic Reads (Part II) here.
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