What I’ve Read Lately Vol. #2

This post may include affiliate links

Welcome to Volume 2 of what I’ve read lately! The monthly round-up where I share what I’ve recently read, what I loved, and what I didn’t. {You can read Volume 1 here} While I didn’t read a ton of books this month, there were a few I really loved, like read in one night loved. Without further ado, let’s jump in!

Always by, Sarah Jio

Sarah Jio is my happy place author. Every time one of her books comes out, I read it that same day/night. Almost all of her books are a pleasant escape from any stressful situations I may currently have going on and I’m fully transported into the storyline. This particular story is all about first loves, lost love, and second chances. It also delves into the issue of homelessness, which really made me think about the social issues in my own city. This book felt a little bit heavier than her previous books or maybe I just felt the story line too deeply. I felt sad for the characters because no matter what decision the main character made, someone was going to get hurt. In the end, she made the best choice for her, but sometimes when one is at a crossroads in life, even the “right” choice can feel bittersweet.

Verdict:

Recommended, but if you haven’t read Sarah Jio before, read this one first.

One Summer Day in Rome by, Mark Lamprell

I love love LOVED this book! I actually spent an entire Sunday doing nothing but reading this book and I considered it a Sunday very well spent. The story revolves around three sets of characters and follows their one day in Rome. As you follow each of their journeys, you experience the start of love, the middle of love, and the end of love. The whole story is narrated by the city itself who meddles a bit in the character’s lives. It’s such a charming and funny novel; I totally laughed out loud. Plus I love that it’s set in the beautiful city of Rome. Just an enchanting book!

Verdict:

Please read it! I hope you love it as much as I did!

The Year of Living Danishly by, Helen Russell

After reading this hygge book last month, I wanted more Denmark in my life. This is a non-fiction narrative of a couple who moves to a small town in Denmark for a year after the husband is offered a job at Lego {talk about Bassam’s dream life}. The story follows their hilarious adventures as they adjust to life in Denmark, a country that has frequently been ranked as the happiest in the world despite the chilling winters. Even though it’s non-fiction, it actually felt very fairy tale like to me because I just couldn’t believe a country like this exists. The amount of constructs set up to protect people and to make sure people are happy was just remarkable. In addition, the way people value work-life balance, family time, hobbies, and hygge was just so amazing to read about. It actually made me a tiny bit sad that my own country doesn’t have the same values. I can’t tell you how badly I’m wanting to jump on a plane to Denmark now!

Verdict:

Read it! Highly recommended.

The Wander Society by, Keri Smith

Flaneur {noun}: one who strolls around aimlessly but enjoyably, observing life and his surroundings.

Oh, this is so me. I resonate so much with flanerie. All I ever want to do when I travel is soak up the city by just purely wandering. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to do much of this at home. The Wander Society inspired me to incorporate more wandering into my everyday life. From the inspirational prose {the whole book is just one big love letter to wandering} to the actionable ideas {very specific steps on how to wander and where to wander}, it took me forever to get through this book because I kept stopping to highlight and take notes or put it down to actually go wander. The book really made me reframe how I consider wandering. It isn’t always a state of walking, but it can be a foray into one’s imagination, an experience at a library, and so much more. If you are a wander lover or aspirer, this is for you!

Verdict:

Yes! I loved it and I will re-read it.

Beach House for Rent by, Mary Alice Monroe

I absolutely love reading light and fluffy stories set by the beach during the summer. I know summer is pretty much over, but I couldn’t resist squeezing some last beach reads. If you’re hoping to hold on to summer a little bit longer, Mary Alice Monroe has two book series that are set by the beach! This is not the book to start with if you haven’t read any of the previous books in the series. While it is a stand alone book and you don’t need to know anything about the previous stories, I think it’s more enjoyable if you have some history with the characters. This was not my favorite of Mary Alice Monroe’s books by any means. I’ve listened to all of her books as audio books {she narrates them herself which I love!} and my favorites are the ones from this series. In fact, the only reason I kept listening to all the others is because I hoped they would be as good as the original ones I loved.

Verdict:

Not recommended. Check out this series instead.

Did you enjoy this post? Please pin it!

What have you read lately that you loved?

I’m always looking for new recommendations!