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4 More Books Perfect for Summer: Calypso, The Banker’s Wife, The Book of Essie, The Favorite Sister

July 19, 2018 Sarah Dickinson Mini Book Reviews 16

I posted my 2018 Summer Reading Guide back in May and I told you I’d be adding more books to that list throughout the summer because I tend to find more books perfect for summer as the summer goes on! This is the last crop of books I’ll be adding…and they’re some good ones! After today, The Book of Essie will take over the top slot in the “Something Fun” category from Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties!

Coincidentally (or maybe not so coincidentally since I do love the behind-the-scenes of reality TV), two books on this list are set on reality TV shows and do a great job of portraying what goes on behind the scenes of those types of shows. And, two of these are Book of the Month picks!

4 More Books Perfect for Summer

Calypso by David Sedaris
Nonfiction – Memoir/Essays (Released May 29, 2018)
288 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Book of the Month (Publisher: Little, Brown)

Plot Summary: Sedaris’ latest essay collection focusing on middle age.

My Thoughts: David Sedaris is generally known for his dark humor and his ability to make readers sob and laugh hysterically on the same page. Personally, I didn’t cry or laugh hysterically while reading Calypso, but I did chuckle and get sad and appreciate the crap out of his dark humor. I love how Sedaris says things that most people probably think, but are too scared to say out loud. He’s not worried about offending anyone and talks frankly about his own family. In this collection, Sedaris talks a lot about his sister’s downward spiral and eventual suicide and his father’s aging process and how seeing him age impacts his complicated relationship with him. But, it’s not all serious. He also talks about the outrageous and hilarious…like wanting to feed a tumor he had removed to a special turtle at his beach house. I read one essay a night before bed and was always tempted to keep going for one more essay. And, though I read this one in print, Sedaris is fabulous on audio!

My father has done this all his life. You’ll be talking to him and he’ll walk away – not angry but just sort of finished with you. I was probably six years old the first time I noticed this. You’d think I’d have found it hurtful, but instead I looked at his retreating back, thinking, We can get away with that? Yippee!

The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger
Fiction – Thriller (Released July 3, 2018)
352 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Publisher (G.P. Putnam)

Plot Summary: When a private plane carrying a Swiss banker and his wealthy client goes off the radar, his wife is left to piece together the shady dealings Swiss United Bank was involved in.

My Thoughts: I needed a fast, easy read after a heavier book and The Banker’s Wife hit the spot! Despite it’s unfortunately domestic sounding title (really…can publishers try for at least one thriller without “Wife” or “Girl” in the title?!!), it’s more of a conspiracy / financial thriller. It’s purely plot driven (so much so that I forgot to highlight passages to share in this post!) and will keep you turning the pages. There are characters who resemble real life people enough to make you wonder, which I always love to see in my reading (see if you can spot Donald Trump, the Fanjul Family, and the late crime/society journalist Dominick Dunne)! If you’re a sucker for a good conspiracy theory involving powerful people, The Banker’s Wife should be right up your alley!

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
Fiction – Brain Candy (Released June 12, 2018)
336 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Book of the Month (Publisher: Knopf)

Plot Summary: When the youngest daughter (Essie) of a evangelical reality TV family becomes pregnant and realizes her mother is working with their show’s producers to come up with the best way to spin it for the show, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

My Thoughts: The Book of Essie is the type of brain candy I love…a story about weighty topics that reads quickly and easily. The first line will grab you immediately and I was dying to find out how all this was going to turn out. Essie has had enough of the tight leash her family has her on and the glaring media spotlight, so she hatches a plan that involves a male classmate (Roarke) and a reporter with past ties to a religious cult (Liberty). Essie is sneakily subversive and I loved her…she’s someone you can root for. A lot of bad stuff went on with this family, but the story is ultimately hopeful. And though I did have to suspend disbelief at some of Roarke’s decisions, I just went with the story and it was a 100% satisfying vacation read. Bonus: you get an interesting behind-the-scenes look at reality TV and image management in the media spotlight.

First Line:

On the day I turn seventeen, there is a meeting to decide whether I should have the baby or if sneaking me to a clinic for an abortion is worth the PR risk. I am not invited, which is just as well, since my being there might imply that I have some choice in the matter and I know that I have none.

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll
Fiction – Brain Candy (Released May 15, 2018)
384 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased (Publisher: Simon & Schuster)

Plot Summary: A shocking death occurs during the filming of a Real Housewives-esque reality TV show.

My Thoughts: I DNF’d Knoll’s first novel, Luckiest Girl Alive, but decided to give The Favorite Sister a chance once I heard it was about reality TV. I’m glad I did because it was just the type of brain candy I love: smart, a bit different, and containing an ending that’s surprising, yet makes sense with the story looking back on it. I’ve always been intrigued by how the sausage gets made in reality TV and The Favorite Sister doesn’t disappoint in that department. In addition to the reality TV scoop, you also get a big dose of passive-aggressive sister dynamics, feminism, and motherhood (although she does occasionally get a bit heavy-handed with all the issues). If you read Reality Steve’s blog, liked Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman (my review), or love the TV show Unreal, The Favorite Sister is for you! Warning: if dislikable characters ruin books for you, steer clear of this one!

We don’t need to draw knives and weapons. The most effective way to destroy someone on the show is to disengage, to deprive her of the drama, of the meaningful connections, of the great and powerful storyline. In our world, your sharpest weapon is a polite smile.

What are your best reads of this summer so far?

10 Short Story Collections and Novellas for First Time Short Fiction Readers

July 17, 2018 Sarah Dickinson Book Lists 17

Prior to starting this blog, I never read short fiction…in any form. Actually, I preferred doorstop novels (I hadn’t yet wrapped my head around the concept of opportunity cost…the fact that each doorstop novel I read meant losing out on multiple other books). But now, I appreciate a something short every now and then. A short story collection or a very short novel / novella can feel like a break or palate cleanser amid heavier reading.

Over the past few years, I’ve found myself being much more open to short story collections and even rated two collections 5 stars (unheard of for me a few years ago). And, I always get excited about a super short novel! So, I’m excited to share short story collections and novellas for first time short fiction readers…the ones that originally attracted me to the genre!

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Linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

10 Short Story Collections and Novellas for First Time Short Fiction Readers

Conventional Short Story Collections

Beneath the Bonfire by Nickolas Butler (my review)
Set in rural Wisconsin, many of these stories focus on the bond of old friends. Beneath the Bonfire is the first short story collection I’ve ever liked, let alone loved. It’s reminiscent of Shotgun Lovesongs, Butler’s debut novel (and one of my favorite books of 2014).
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Why They Run the Way They Do by Susan Perabo (my review)
On the surface, these stories are about mundane daily life…a harmless middle school prank, a child’s toy, spending time with your mother after some bad news…but, they have a darkness simmering just underneath. This combination makes them incredibly relatable, yet still eye-opening and unique.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld (my review)
The stories in You Think It, I’ll Say It are mostly about otherwise normal relationships that have a hidden element of unconventionality or an awkward incident. They’re normal situations that end up taking unexpected turns…they’re relatable, yet surprising. If you’ve been hesitant to try short stories, You Think It, I’ll Say It is a perfect first collection!
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Interconnected / Linked Short Story Collections

Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout (my review)
This subtle book grew on me the farther I read and I loved the theme of small-town life with threads of darkness running just beneath the surface. Though it’s technically short stories, it feels like a novel told from different characters’ perspectives and would be a perfect choice for readers that are new to short stories.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (my review)
Like Anything is Possible, this one’s linked nature makes it feel more like a novel told from different perspectives and time periods. The way Marra used characters and events to link each story perfectly rode the line of being brilliantly intricate, yet not too confusing to follow.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Short Novels / Novellas

I did a little research on what exactly a novella is and came up with so many different answers that I ended up making my own rule of thumb: a novel that’s under 200 pages long is a novella in my book!

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong (my review)
Though this story is about a sad and serious topic, it has a lightness to it and is amusing at times. The story is told through the main character’s journal entries that read like little vignettes, a format that worked for me in this case because I absolutely adored her endearing, witty, real, and relatable voice.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift (my review)
It’s a quiet, gorgeously written story about the evolution of a woman (Jane) from the Mothering Sunday tryst with her illicit lover to late in her life. The story is unique, yet not weird and I could say the same about Swift’s writing style.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (my review)
I expected a story focusing on Lucy’s relationship with her mother, and it certainly covers this territory, but it felt much more about Lucy’s own life: her childhood, what it was like to grow up poor and never quite fit in, and her adult life.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (my review)
Our Souls at Night is a sweet, calm, and uncomplicated novel about two older people (Louis and Addie) who stopped caring what everyone else thought and did what they needed to do to be happy.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips (my review)
Helen Phillips’ debut novel is a tiny ball of weirdness…reminiscent of a demented “Office Space”…that had me on the edge of my seat.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

I know many people have a hard time with short fiction. How do you feel about it?

What I’m Reading Now (7/16/18)

July 16, 2018 Sarah Dickinson It's Monday! What are you reading? 19

Last week was filled with night-time activities, which aren’t my favorite because I love my downtime and sleep. My son had his first swim meet (which was fun, but looong), I had a night tennis match that ended at 10 pm, and we had a storm that knocked out power and A/C, so I didn’t get much sleep over the course of the week…which led to getting a summer cold. I’m hoping to rest up this week.

Last week, I shared my Q2 Go-To and No-Go Book Recommendation Sources (by tracking my recommendation sources using my Rock Your Reading Tracker, I’ve improved my “successful” reading by 43% over last year!) and my July 2018 Books to Read…and Skip.

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My not-so-new-anymore bookshelves got some accessories…including some cool bookends! Incidentally, we do not own an actual dog, despite having dogs on our bookshleves. I love dogs and would like one eventually, but I really don’t feel like taking care of one more living creature right now. The dog will have to wait until my kids are a little more self-sufficient…⠀ _⠀ ⠀ I’ve organized my bookshelves by color and only my very, very favorite books earned a spot (I read on a Kindle, so keeping my bookshelves selective is unexpectedly not that hard for me…I have to purchase hardcovers specifically to go on the shelves).⠀ _⠀ ⠀ On my rainbow shelf are:⠀ – 2 of my favorite books of 2014 (Station Eleven and Shotgun Lovesongs)⠀ – 1 of my favorite books of 2016 (The Mothers)⠀ – And the first Meg Wolitzer I ever read (and loved). She’s since become an auto-buy author for me!Sidenote: Since I took this picture, Meg Wolitzer’s The Female Persuasion has been added to my rainbow shelf.⠀ _⠀ ⠀ How do you organize your bookshelves? What are some of your favorite bookends?⠀ *⠀ *⠀ *⠀ *⠀ *⠀ #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookgram #amreading #bookworms #instabooks #instabook #booktalk #booklovers #booklover #bibliophile #biblio #bookaddict #bookaddiction #badassbookbabes #shelfie #bookends #bookshelves @riverheadbooks @megwolitzer @britrbennett @aaknopf @emilystjohnmandel⠀

A post shared by Sarah’s Book Shelves (@sarahsbookshelves) on Jul 10, 2018 at 12:13pm PDT

I finished reading…

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras (July 31, 2018)
This debut had all the pieces of a great book for me, but it was missing the intangibles. Check out my review for more details.

The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner (January 5, 2016) – Audiobook
I liked this memoir by a girl who grew up in a polygamist Morman family in Mexico and Texas…but, I think I read it too soon after reading Educated. They were similar for sure. I’d still recommend it, though, especially if you like fringe religion / dysfunctional childhood stories.

The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger (July 3, 2018)
Completely satisfying summer thriller that (shockingly) is not really domestic despite the unfortunate title! It’s set in the world of private Swiss banking. Review coming on Thursday.

I’m currently reading…

The Distance Home by Paula Saunders (August 7, 2018)
Tyler Goodson, Manager at Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA (one of my go-to book recommendation sources) rated this dysfunctional family debut novel set in the American West 5 stars. I thought I’d knock out an August release while waiting for my next library hold to come in…

Upcoming reading plans…

I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell (February 6, 2018)
I’ve been hearing rave reviews of this memoir that I’ve had on hold at the library for months now. I kept suspending my hold (Did you know you can do this? Find out more here.) because I was drowning in new release ARCs. But, I have a bit of a break in my reading schedule and I think my hold should come in this week.

I was reading…

One Year Ago: I was reading an awesome Swedish courtroom thriller!

Two Years Ago: I was reading a book featuring a totally demented psychologist.

How was your reading week?

July 2018 Books to Read (and Skip)

July 12, 2018 Sarah Dickinson Mini Book Reviews 15

Well…July was a bit of a letdown after my excellent June reading. I only really enjoyed two books (but, I’ll be adding both to my 2018 Summer Reading List!) and suffered through two others that didn’t work out…then, there are the DNF’s.

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This post contains affiliate links (plus: here’s your Amazon Smile-specific affiliate link).

Read These

Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza
Fiction – Brain Candy (Release Date: July 24, 2018)
320 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Publisher (Simon & Schuster)

Plot Summary: When Charlotte Walsh leaves her high powered job as COO of a Silicon Valley tech darling to run for Senate in her home state of Pennsylvania, she’s forced to confront the impact on her marriage, her sanity, and her past.

My Thoughts: I’ve been loving books about substantial topics that read easy this summer and I can now add Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win to that list! Though it reads easy enough for the beach, it’s full of astute commentary on women in politics, women in business, managing your image in public life, marriage, motherhood, and gender roles. It makes you feel how truly soul-sucking campaigning and politics can be. But, it also has snappy dialogue, a badass sister-in-law (Kara), and a Friday Night Lights name-check (the easiest way to my heart). Charlotte is a complex character and your sympathy level for her will probably flip-flop throughout the story. The ending will drive some people bonkers and made me say “WTF,” but the more I thought about it, the more it fits with the overall message of the book. An excellent choice for fans of The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close, for book clubs, and for your beach/pool bag!

“You’re thinking, ‘Why does it matter?’ Why does your husband matter?” Josh read her mind. “Your husband matters. Your marriage matters. As a woman, you bear the burden of having to appear to be charismatic, smart, well-groomed, nice, but not too nice. If you’re married, you need to look happily married. If you have kids, you should be the mother of the year.”

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott
Fiction – Thriller (Release Date: July 17, 2018)
352 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Publisher (Little, Brown)

Plot Summary: When Diane and Kit become lab partners in high school, Diane shares an explosive secret. And, when the two women meet again as star lab scientists, the secret comes back to haunt them both.

My Thoughts: Megan Abbott is one of my go-to authors for intense summer reads…generally about demented high school girls (The Fever and You Will Know Me are my favorites). She’s kept her streak alive with Give Me Your Hand…her most grown-up novel yet. This story is set in the world of science and Abbott’s writing makes the lab, the competition for limited positions on important studies, and the researchers’ dedication seem like the pressure cauldron of an Olympic Trials (similar to how Michael Ruhlman wrote about the Culinary Institute of America in The Making of a Chef). The players are intriguing: the enigmatic legend who seems almost non-human (Dr. Severin), the star researcher who is possibly unstable (Diane), the flirty and slightly reckless researcher (Alex), and the obedient worker bee (Kit). I guessed some of the twists, but not nearly all of them, and each twist revealed deeper layers to one of the characters. Ultimately, this is a story of two women locked in competition…and how a secret that gets told can tear apart both the secret-teller and the person she tells. Grab this one if you like dark and twisty with some substance…and I’ll be adding it to my 2018 Summer Reading Guide!

I wanted to know her secrets, but I didn’t want them to be this. And now I was in there, in that heart of hers, the coldest, darkest place I’d ever been.

Skip These

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Fiction (Release Date: July 17, 2018)
320 Pages
Affiliate Link: Amazon
Source: Publisher (St. Martin’s Press)

Plot Summary: When four year old, non-verbal Hanna begins to escalate her terrible behavior towards her mother, the whole family must decide how to handle their only child.

My Thoughts: This book left me kind of speechless. It’s horrifying, but also weirdly intriguing. I kind of hated it, but also needed an explanation for what was going on (which was why I finished it). Hanna is hands-down the most diabolical child I’ve ever read about and I felt bad for her parents. But, they have their own faults. Hanna’s father is in denial about Hanna’s behavior and coddles her. Before Hanna’s behavior got really bad, her mother made her feel unwanted. Hanna is jealous of the affection her father gives her mother and sort of pits them against each other. If you need likable characters in your reading, you won’t find them here. The overall family dynamics and premise of the book could have been really fascinating, but Stage took the plot way over the top (won’t say more to avoid spoilers!). If she’d left out one particular element and cut back on another, I think I could’ve liked it. The ending did bring things down to earth, but I wish the culmination of the story had happened earlier (maybe 60-70% of the way through?) so we could explore the aftermath and how it impacted the family. I wanted more psychology and less shock value. If you’re on the fence about having kids, Baby Teeth might just push you into the “hard no” camp.

It was unacceptable; Mommy was failing her tests to prove her motherly love. And the more she failed, the more opportunities Hanna tried to provide for her to redeem herself. Though she wasn’t always sure of the rules to their war games. And when she scrunched up her brain, she couldn’t quite remember who had started it.

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Fiction – Literary (Release Date: July 31, 2018)
304 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Publisher (Doubleday Books)

Plot Summary: Amid the violence of Pablo Escobar-era Bogota, Colombia, a wealthy young girl (Chula) and her maid (Petrona) become friends while growing up side by side, but end up with very different stories.

My Thoughts: Fruit of the Drunken Tree is a debut novel inspired by the author’s life. That, the juxtaposition of Chula’s privileged perspective and Petrona’s perspective of poverty, and Pablo Escobar (I’ve always had a weird fascination!) were what attracted me to this book. And, all the pieces for a home run were there, but it was missing the intangibles for me. I loved seeing the drug wars through the eyes of a child and I identified with Chula’s combination fear / fascination with Pablo Escobar and the violence that accompanied him (on a far less personal level, I remember feeling similarly about the Russians as a child during the Cold War). And, the story had explosive plot elements that should have kept me frantically turning the pages. But, something about the way the story was told made all of it feel very distant and kept me from getting invested in these characters. Overall, I wavered over whether to recommend it, but decided against since I found myself frequently zoning out, checking Instagram, and sampling other books while reading it.

I knew there was no gate surrounding the invasiones where Petrona lived, no iron locks on the doors, no iron bars on the windows. When I asked Petrona how she and her family stayed safe, she laughed. Then because I was embarrassed she shrugged her shoulders. She thought for a moment then said, “There’s nothing to lose.” Five syllables.

The DNF’s

What We Were Promised by Lucy Tan (Released July 10, 2018)
DNF at 18%
I was just kind of bored. Nothing was happening and I didn’t care about the characters.

The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwan (July 31, 2018)
DNF at 10%.
This debut novel about a girl who gets wrapped up in a cult and the boy who is obsessed with her has gotten tons of pre-release hype (and Annie Jones and Tyler Goodson both rated it 4 stars), but it just seemed weird to me. I kept spacing out and the writing was really distant.

What’s the best book you’ve read so far this month?

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Q2 2018 Update: My Go-To and No-Go Book Recommendation Sources

July 10, 2018 Sarah Dickinson Stats 10

As many of you probably know, I adopted a new method for selecting books this year. I’m choosing books that have already been read and recommended by trusted recommendation sources rather than from publishers’ catalogs or various “Most Anticipated” book lists. The key to success is the “already read” part because it provides an opinion beyond “does the premise sound good on paper?” and that of independent of publishers’ marketing machines.

Each quarter, I’ll share how this is going…my Go-To and No-Go recommendation sources and whether the quality of my reading has improved or not.

My Q2 2018 Reading Quality

% Successful Books ATTEMPTED (includes DNFs)	56%
% Successful Books FINISHED (does not include DNFs)	83%

My Successful Books Attempted increased almost 30% over last year (43%). My goal is to keep this success rate above 50% all year long, so I’m pleased with this so far!

The second number gives me an extra incentive to DNF books that aren’t working for me.

My Go-To Book Recommendation Sources for Q2 2018

Read It Forward’s Best Books of the Month Lists	9 (You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories, Educated, The Gunners, How to Walk Away, The Favorite Sister, Tin Man, The Great Believers, The Book of Essie, A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America)
Library Reads	5 (Educated, You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories, The Girl Who Smiled Beads, The Favorite Sister, Tin Man)
Novel Visits	5 (Educated, The Gunners, Tin Man, Us Against You, The Great Believers)
Tyler Goodson, Manager at Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA	4 (You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories, Social Creature, The Gunners, The Great Believers)
Annie Jones from From the Front Porch podcast	4 (Alternative Remedies for Loss, Educated, The Mockingbird Next Door, The Book of Essie)
Running N Reading	4 (Educated, The Gunners, The Favorite Sister, Us Against You)
Gilmore Guide to Books	4 (Educated, The Favorite Sister, Tin Man, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win)

My No-Go Book Recommendation Sources for Q2 2018

Read It Forward’s Best Books of the Month Lists	5 (The High Season, That Kind of Mother, Florida, Only Child, A Place for Us)
Annie Jones from From the Front Porch podcast	4 (Campaign Widows, That Kind of Mother, A Place for Us, Florida)
Amazon Best Books of the Month	2 (Circe, Florida)
Library Reads	2 (Circe, Baby Teeth)
Trusted Authors (Paula McLain, Lauren Groff)	2 (Love and Ruin, Florida)
Modern Mrs. Darcy	2 (A Place for Us, What We Were Promised)

Key Takeaways

Read it Forward, Annie Jones, and Tyler Goodson made my top Go-To Sources list two quarters in a row. I’m thinking I should start a Hall of Fame?
Some of my top Go-To Recommendation Sources are also my top No-Go Recommendation Sources. Wha?? I’m guessing this is based on sheer numbers…I go to these sources often and I’m not going to like every single book they recommend.
Trusted authors have let me down two quarters in a row. Last quarter, trusted authors were my top No-Go Recommendation Source with 3 unsuccessful books. This is unexpected and disappointing. Maybe my reading taste is changing?

What have been your best and worst recommendation sources lately?

How I Keep Track of My Reading Quality and Go-To/No-Go Recommendation Sources…and You Can Too!

Are you thinking it takes me hours to calculate my reading quality and keep track of my Go-To and No-Go recommendation sources every month? Well, it totally could, but it doesn’t. I use my “Rock Your Reading” Tracker, which automatically calculates my reading quality for me and helps me easily keep track of my recommendation sources.

If you’re interested in tracking your own reading quality and recommendation sources, you can purchase my tracker for $11.99! Go here for more details or purchase below!

Rock Your Reading Tracking Spreadsheet Summary Charts

Purchase here…

What I’m Reading Now (7/9/18) – A Double Shot

July 9, 2018 Sarah Dickinson It's Monday! What are you reading? 17

Welcome back to real life, y’all! At least for me. I was on vacation last week, which was awesome. For the first time, both our kids were old enough to do fun activities, not have to nap, and stay up a little later. We did lots of swimming (including some actual lap swimming for me), beaching, water sliding (the kids, not me), fishing (Team Female won on our boat!), fire-working, and eating. So, you’re getting a double shot of books this week and I’m thrilled to say I actually did get a decent amount of reading done on vacation! Plus, I finished a couple books I’d been reading in small snippets over a long period of time.

Congratulations to Becky Shemeley, winner of my 8 audiobook giveaway in conjunction with the June is Audiobook Month blog tour! Enjoy saving all those Audible credits for a bit!

I also shared my Best Books of 2018 So Far last week. And, I’m 99.9% sure at least a couple of these will stay atop the leaderboard for my overall Best Books of 2018 list come December.

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It’s about halfway through the year and I’ve got some favorite books for you (that means “get out your TBR lists, it’s time to prioritize”)! So far this year, I’ve read 6 books that I’m 99.9% sure will make it onto my overall Best Books of 2018 list come December. And, I’m thrilled with that…especially considering I had very few hands-down, unquestionable winners at this point last year. ⠀ _⠀ ⠀ Overall, this is a pretty wide-ranging list. We’ve got a couple engrossing, character-driven novels, a couple lighter books, a couple memoirs, a true crime, a sports fiction, and a short story collection.⠀ LINK IN PROFILE WITH FULL LIST⠀ _⠀ ⠀ What are your favorite books of 2018 so far?⠀ *⠀ *⠀ *⠀ *⠀ *⠀ #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookgram #amreading #bookworms #instabooks #instabook #booktalk #booklovers #booklover #bibliophile #biblio #bookaddict #bookaddiction #badassbookbabes @aaknopf @meghanmacleanweir @megwolitzer @riverheadbooks @tayari @algonquinbooks @camille_pagan #lakeunionpublishing @kellycorrigan @randomhouse @bookofthemonth #bookofthemonth #botm

A post shared by Sarah’s Book Shelves (@sarahsbookshelves) on Jun 26, 2018 at 1:25pm PDT