It's been five months since my last recent reads post so this is waaay overdue! Unfortunately I haven't read a ton of books (only six) since my last edition, but there were some good ones in there that I'm excited to share! It wasn't that I wasn't reading as much, just not as quickly. I read a couple of books that were slow going for me and took much longer than normal to get through. This roundup features some slightly different content from my usual reading material like self-help books and biographies😱. See my picks below the jump (they're all Louie approved)!
Modern Lovers. This book is by the same author who wrote The Vacationers, which I also enjoyed. Modern Lovers centers around two neighboring families in Brooklyn whose lives are extremely intertwined and have been for years because two of the women in the families are best friends. The book basically delves into their relationships with each other and their spouses and shows how real and messy they can get. There's also some young love too, so they've got the whole spectrum covered of relationships covered! Would I recommend: yes, definitely! It's good and fairly easy to get through.
Attached. I think I mentioned that I was reading this somewhere on the blog a while back. It's technically a self help book (the first I'd ever read and not the only one on this list!) but don't let the negative connotations about this genre deter you. The book suggests that everyone falls into one of three attachment types: secure, anxious and avoidant. I think this would be especially interesting for singles to reference in their dating lives, but it was still a good read as someone who's in a relationship. I'm a "secure" btw. By the end of the book you'll look at your relationships and all of your friend's relationships in a whole new light! You'll probably even be trying to guess what kind of attachment style everyone you know has ;) Would I recommend: yes, if anything it will make for great conversation! PS: I would recommend buying an actual physical copy because there are some quizzes and writing in the book.
The Women Jefferson Loved. You may remember that after my DC trip I was feeling inspired to learn more about American history, so I started listening to Presidential a podcast by the Washington Post. Well that, in turn, inspired me to want to read some presidential biographies. Lo and behold I found myself at the library and ended up intrigued by this book after reading the back of it. I loved that it was about the women in Jefferson's life because we don't typically hear much about the women surrounding our presidents even though they're such an integral part of their lives. The book is broken down into parts about Jefferson's mother, wife, slave mistress, and daughters/granddaughters. Would I recommend: maybe. This one took me over a month to get through. Although it's written in a very readable way, it's still just a lot of information and I found myself reading much slower than normal. I think maybe this would be ideal if you were reading a quick, lighthearted book in addition. I'm not typically one to read multiple books at a time though.
The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. I think Amy Schumer is hilarious and her book sure didn't disappoint. The title and cover alone should have tipped me off that it was going to be awesome. Who doesn't love hearing about how celebrities got their start? I know I sure do. Amy is such a great storyteller and so many parts had me actually LOLing. Some celebrity books aren't all that great, but this one was for sure worth it. Would I recommend: obvs.
Truly Madly Guilty. Liane Moriarty has got this whole book writing thing down. She nails it again with her latest book that I started while in Cabo. The book centers around a mysterious and life-changing event that happened at a neighborhood barbecue, but you don't find out what it is until much later in the book. It flashes between days leading up to the barbecue, the day of, and then life after said barbecue. There are several people who were there and the story moves around perspectives as well, which I always love. It was definitely a page turner! Would I recommend: absolutely - a great beach read!
Jack Kennedy. Another president book! I know it's not very original to be fascinated by JFK but after listening to his episode of the Presidential podcast I had learned so much I never knew and that was just the tip of the iceberg. I wanted to know more, so I again rushed to the library to find a book about the guy. I really liked how this book was written. I feel like biographies have a lot of potential to be stale and stuffy, but this wasn't pretentious, which I appreciated. Knowing all the things we do know about him now I have mixed feelings, but I'm sure that if I'd been alive when he was president that I would have been obsessed with him. Would I recommend: yes if you're looking to learn a bit more about our 35th president.
The 5 Love Languages. I had heard of this book and its concept before but it was highly recommended and referenced frequently at our marriage retreat, so we were intrigued. I ordered Mark and I both copies so we could read it simultaneously. Dr. Chapman theorizes that we all "speak" different love languages. For some people it's acts of service, for others it's quality time, physical touch, gifts, or words of affirmation. The idea is that your primary love language is how you want to be loved and it's the way that most naturally comes for you to show love to others. Once you know your own love languages (mine is quality time) and your spouse's (acts of service) you are better equipped to show each other love and in turn feel loved. Would I recommend: Definitely. It hit the nail of the head for us and felt so relevant. I honestly feel like everyone should read it. It was particularly enlightening as we're heading into our own marriage!
Phew, we got though a lot of details there! I just finished Love Languages yesterday, so I haven't started a new book yet, but the plan is to start The Language of Flowers tomorrow!
You can find more Recent Reads posts here if you're interested!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
xo Catherine
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