What I read this Summer + What's On My Fall TBR

I somehow blinked and summer was almost over. 

I haven't written a blog in what feels like forever. This summer has been so busy - in the best ways - but one thing I've still managed to make time for is reading. Between flights, trips, moving, golf, events, and the occasional night where I actually had nothing to do, I made my way through a pretty random mix of books.

There was Harry Potter, historical fiction (obviously), a thriller I couldn't stop trying to figure out, a classic I've ben told to read for years, and even a book about the science behind expressive writing. 

So, before I move onto my very ambitious fall reading list, here's everything I read this summer (so far) - and what I actually thought about each one. 

The Harry Potter Series - Books 1-3

Yes, I am finally reading Harry Potter (and I'm watching the movies for the first time too)!

I read the first three books at the beginning of the summer and genuinely had so much fun with them. My ranking so far is 3, 2, 1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was easily my favorite of the three. 

I fully plan on finishing the series, but after three books in a row, I needed a little break. I think fall will be the perfect time to jump back into the world of Hogwarts anyway. 

Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings 

I had such high hopes for this one. 

I kept hearing it described in ways that made me expect a Gossip Girl-style world - messy relationships, drama, wealth, fashion, all of it. On paper, it sounded exactly like something I would love. 

But I just could not get into it. 

I know people absolutely LOVE this series, so maybe I'm in the minority, but it never really grabbed me the way I expected it to. This was probably my biggest disappointment of my summer reading simply because my expectations were so high. 

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff 

This was a completely last-minute airport purchase, which somehow made me love it even more. 

I grabbed it before a flight without knowing much about it and then proceeded to read basically the entire three hour flight. I could not put it down. 

It was such a beautiful story filled with hope and determination. Every time I take a break from historical fiction and then come back to it, I remember why it's my favorite genre. There is something about being completely immersed in another period of history while becoming so invested in individual people's lives that gets me every time. 

This was one of those books that reminded me exactly why I love to read. 

Look Closer by David Ellis 

I kept seeing this recommended by the reading influencers I follow on TikTok, so eventually I gave in. I couldn't let the summer go by without at least one thriller.

I also kept hearing people say that you have to "get through" the first half before it gets good - which I completely disagree with. I was into it from page one. 

The chapters are short, the narrator is constantly changing, and every time I thought I understood what was happening, I had to reconsider everything I thought I knew. 

It was one of those books where you're constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the author and failing miserably - in the best way. 

Such a fun thriller. 

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah 

I read this one during my trip to Newport Beach and, like always, Kristin Hannah found a way to completely reel me in. 

I never thought I would be so invested in a story centered around the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, but that's what I love about her writing. The premise almost doesn't matter. She makes you care so deeply about the people living through it that suddenly you're completely immersed in a world you may have never thought twice about before. 

Lord, Ant, and Elsa were such strong characters, and I became so attached to their stories. By the end, I honestly could have kept reading. 

Kristin Hannah remains one of those authors I will pick up regardless of what the book is about. 

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 

I finally read this. 

It really is the definition of a classic coming-of-age story. There isn't some massive plot twist or one central storyline driving everything forward. The best way I can describe it is almost like a vlog - you're simply living alongside this little girl as she grows up. 

You experience the ordinary days, the family dynamics, the difficult moments, the small victories, and all of the little things that ultimately shape who she becomes. 

It wasn't my favorite book I read this summer, but I did enjoy it, and I'm glad I finally read it. 

Opening Up by Writing It Down by James W. Pennebaker and Joshua M. Smyth 

And lastly, something completely different. 

I just finished listening to Opening Up by Writing it Down, which explores expressive writing and the ways writing about our experiences can affect our brains, health, emotions, and overall well-being. 

Obviously, this subject is incredible interesting to me. 

There was a lot of valuable information in this book, and I found myself thinking about so many of the studies and ideas long after I finished listening. It gave me an even deeper understanding of why writing can be such a powerful tool - not just emotionally, but physiologically too. 

It was definitely a different kind of read from everything else on the list, but probably one of the most relevant to the work I do every day. 

What I want to Read this Fall 

Now comes the problem: my fall eating list is already getting completely out of control. 

I'm planning to jump back into Harry Potter and continue the series, but there are also so many other books I want to get to. 

At the top of my list: 

• The Calamity Club - I am really looking forward to this one. I keep hearing people rave about the characters and the plot, which is usually enough to convince me. 
• What the Wind Knows - because clearly my historical fiction break is over. 
• The Lotus Shoes - historical fiction set in China, which immediately caught my attention because I love reading about stories that immerse me in a time and place I know less about. 
• The Bright Year
• The Book of Lost Names
• The Last Letter
• It's Not Her 
• and honestly....so many more.

My TBR list grows approximately ten times faster than I can actually read, but I suppose there are worse problems to have. 

I feel like fall is one of the best reading seasons anyway. Give me a cold morning, a coffee, and a book I can disappear into for a few hours and I'm happy. 

So, that's my summer reading recap.

A little historical fiction, a little magic, a thriller, a classic, some physiology - and one book I really wanted to love but just didn't. 

Now onto the fall list. 

Stay tuned for the next book update. Hopefully by then I'll have made a dent in this list...although I'll probably have added another fifteen books to it by then.