July + August Release Love
It’s another edition of Release Love! I have SO much fun putting this together and I hope it’s a fun read for you, too. I’m still figuring out the time to send it so I might move it to a monthly edition rather than every other. Bear with me as I try that out! And let me know if this is something you enjoy receiving in your inbox, or if there is anything I could do to improve it. Okay, now onto the books!
What I’ve read from May and June’s Release Love newsletter
People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry – I absolutely loved Beach Read so I put off reading this, afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Thankfully, it did, and I loved it even more than BR. The characters, the chemistry, the armchair travel, it was all perfect and I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. For fans of Beach Read and Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert.
Bookshop | AmazonSomebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford – I listened to this on audio thanks to Libro.fm and it was a wonderful way to read this book. I’ve followed Ford for a long time and have always enjoyed her commentary on all sorts of things. Getting to know her better through her memoir was an honor, and her exploration of the trauma throughout her childhood was honest and vulnerable. For fans of Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethaway.
Bookshop | AmazonRock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Stein – I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but the premise sounded like a great summer read so I dove in! If any of y’all read From the Corner of the Oval, that was her first book, a memoir about her time as part of the Obama administration. This is totally different. It’s a rom com about a woman whose life falls apart and she winds up back in her hometown, a small seaside community. Think a less cheesy Hallmark movie set in the summer. For fans of Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey.
Bookshop | Amazon
TONIGHT @ 7PM – Rock the Vacation, a virtual beach party w/Emily Henry + Beck Dorey-Stein
July Releases
Ones I’ve read…
Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy – This was an enjoyable read that I loved up until the last quarter or so when it kind of fell apart. The setting of Wisconsin, the 1980s, and the main character all were done really well, I just felt like the ending was rushed and the shift in time was abrupt. For fans of City of Girls.
Bookshop | AmazonAll the Lonely People by Mike Gayle – This will definitely be one of my favorite books of the year. Think A Man Called Ove but with a man who immigrated from Jamaica and and a few more characters. I listened to this one on audio and the narration was fantastic. I wish I could have hugged it at the end (and I’ve already ordered a physical copy so I can do just that). For fans of A Man Called Ove.
Bookshop | AmazonUp All Night by Laura Silverman – This collection of YA short stories was pure fun, and a wonderful reminder of why I love YA. The stories did what young adult books do best – capture what it’s like to be a teen, make difficult subjects accessible, and represent a wide range of identities. If you love YA, pick this up. If you aren’t sure but are curious about YA, this is a great place to start. For fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Bookshop | AmazonWhile We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory – Another fun, frothy, romance from my very favorite author in the genre. This ranks as one of my favorites of hers (although let's be real, I’ve loved them all). The Wedding Date is the book that made me realize I love romance novels so now I’m just sad I have nothing more of hers to read. For fans of any of her other books or anyone looking to get into the genre.
Bookshop | AmazonGoldenrod by Maggie Smith (releases 7/27) – These poems were absolutely beautiful. I dogeared almost every single one. Smith has a way with words that reminds me of a cross between Mary Oliver and Kate Baer. If you’re a fan of either I highly recommend this collection. (And if you haven’t read her poem called Good Bones, look it up and read it now. I’ll wait.) For fans of What Kind of Woman.
Bookshop | Amazon | Events
Ones on my shelf…
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller – I’m currently reading this one and am eager to see where it goes.
Bookshop | Amazon |EventsSeek You by Kristen Radtke – I keep hearing about this graphic novel so I’ll be giving it a read very soon.
Bookshop | Amazon | EventsRise to the Sun by Leah Johnson – I absolutely loved her previous novel, You Should See Me in Crown, so I had to add this one to my TBR.
Bookshop | Amazon | Events
Others I’m excited about…
August Releases
Ones I’ve read…
The People We Keep by Allison Larkin (releases 8/3) – Gosh, this book! April leaves her abusive home to try to follow her dream of becoming a musician and finds a whole lot more along the way. I loved every single one of these complicated, flawed, fully real characters. And I think I want to move to Ithaca, NY. For fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Queenie.
Bookshop | AmazonDark Roads by Chevy Stevens (releases 8/3) – I read Stevens’ backlist title, Still Missing, when it came out in 2014 and really enjoyed it so I picked this up when I was in the mood for a fast-paced thriller. And while I didn’t like this one quite as much, it definitely satisfied my craving. A little long in parts, the plot moved quickly and I didn’t guess the ending, plus the characters were well thought out and likeable. I read it in one day, which is always a satisfying feeling. For fans of Sharp Objects.
Bookshop | AmazonSongbirds by Christy Lefteri (releases 8/3) – I’m about a third of the way into this one and enjoying the story. It’s definitely a slower pace but I’m intrigued enough to keep going. For fans of Fruit of the Drunken Tree.
Bookshop | Amazon
Ones on my shelf…
Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chow (releases 8/24) – I’ve been a fan of Kat Chow’s for years so as soon as I heard about her memoir I knew I needed it.
Bookshop | AmazonThe Heart Principle by Helen Hoang (releases 8/31) – The third in The Kiss Quotient series and I cannot WAIT.
Bookshop | Amazon
Others I’m excited about…
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (releases 8/3) Bookshop | Amazon
The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon (releases 8/17) Bookshop | Amazon
Sometimes I Trip on How Happy We Could Be by Nichole Perkins
(releases 8/17) Bookshop | Amazon
Let me know if you add any of these to your TBR!
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