Do you have a thing with your friends where you’re like “we should do XYZ sometime” but then you never actually make the plans because just daydreaming about it is fun enough? I thought that’s what we were doing when we would say, “We should get a cabin for a weekend and have a reading retreat.”
But early in the summer one person reached out and said she had a friend with a house down at the lake and she’d let us borrow it for a weekend. All we had to do was plan this thing. It was on! Look–having a friend who actually gets the ball rolling is invaluable.
I made plans to bring extra things like games and coloring books because I thought we’d get bored of reading but… we never did. I did take a break from my paperback and popped on my headphones to color while listening to my audiobook but if I’m being honest it was just so that I could justify all the extra crap I brought along. Next time–only books.
I know that “comparison is the thief of joy” or whatever but comparing my reading speed to that of my friends was actually really validating to me. On Saturday S read 1.5 books, J started and finished one whole book, and I… got through the last 40% of mine. I have never, ever in my life started and finished a novel on the same day. I’ve always wondered if I’m just a slow reader or if I’m not as “committed” to reading as other people (there’s got to be a less negative way of saying that since I don’t feel bad about it–just curious). But when we were all reading at the same time, it was fun to see how different we all are! I wonder what it is about our brains that make some of us read so quickly and some much more slowly–I’m sure there are a ton of factors.
Anyway, here’s what my slow-reading ass read this month 😉
The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman
It was…. fine. I gave it 3.5 stars. No complains but also nothing that, like, blew me away. But that’s also the nature of a cozy book–that’s how I’d classify this one anyway. It’s entirely possible this book will be someone’s absolute favorite of all time and it just wasn’t for me personally. So I say if there’s any part of you that says, “that sounds good!”, then you should definitely read it and let me know what you think.
Mattie Russell finds herself back in Ivy Ridge, Georgia, after the death of her mother. They’ve been two peas in a pod, living a nomadic life and never really setting down roots their whole life–to the point that even though Mattie is an adult, she’s not really sure what to do now that her compass is gone. So she heads back to the family home to stay with her aunt until she can gain her footing and can receive her inheritance–which comes with some really odd stipulations put in place by her mother years ago.
While she’s there she starts to discover some special things about the Russell home and the Russell women. Like how the house seems to be able to hear your conversations or how Mattie’s mother seemed to know exactly when she would pass away–and set everything in motion.
Again, this wasn’t my most favorite delivery on this premise (but I’m also not sure that you can beat The Unmaking of June Farrow when it comes to witchy themes, coming of age, and complicated mother-daughter dynamics) but I’d love to hear someone else’s take!
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
I know that Abby Jimenez is a beloved author in the romance space but for some reason I’d just never picked her up before and I regret that after reading this book! I really, really liked it!
Here’s how this book came to be in my possession. I was in Red Fern Booksellers in Salina, KS (a stunning, jewel of a shop if you ever get the chance to go). I was browsing around, minding my own business. I heard two customers in the romance section chatting about their favorites and one of them said she’d read everything by Abby Jimenez. So I approached–something I never, ever do by the way because I believe in the sanctity of browsing with your bestie in a book shop. But I did it. I explained that everyone has said I need to read this author but I have no idea where to start. After walking me through every single title they had on the shelf, and confirming that I was okay with a little grit and trauma in my romance–we settled on Just for the Summer. I wish I’d gotten her Instagram or something so I could tell her thank you!
I love the way that certain authors can write romances with heavy themes without losing the humor and heart. I feel like Hannah Bonam-Young does this really well, too. It’s not that the tough stuff permeates every page but it’s there to ground it in reality–which is what I want when I’m reading. I want things to feel believable and in real life tough shit affects us and our relationships. But it’s a fine line.
Also, can someone tell me if this is true in all Abby Jimenez books: the singular sex scene was on one page and I loved that.
Look, I love all romances (that’s actually not true, I’m actually super picky about my romances but for the sake of not having to come up with another way to say it let’s go with it). But sometimes I just am not in the mood to read about every single detail of this couple’s fifth sexual encounter while I’m waiting for my oil change. You know what I mean? Damn. It’s just–it’s a lot sometimes.
Aaaannyway that’s what I read. That’s where I read.
What about you? Would you plan a Bookcation with your friends? Where would you go? What would you read?
XOXO, Lib 