There is something unique about summer reading — it’s as if the stories I read are sunburnt into my brain. I spent the summer finding time to curl up on the couch in my new apartment, finding a shady park bench or even sneaking up to the breakroom of my job to read.
Taking a look back at my 2024 Reading Challenge on GoodReads, I did most of my reading during the 4 months that I was off from school. In total, from the last day of freshman year in May to the first day of sophomore year in August, I read 42 books.
Here are some of the more memorable books I read and how I felt about them:
Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor
4 out of 5 star
This was a very cute, classy romance novel. It’s an old Hollywood, historical romance that centers on a lovely perfumer named Sophie Duval who strikes up a friendship with Hollywood star, Grace Kelly. Her connection to Miss Kelly leads her to a chance encounter with photographer, James Henderson. This book spans 30 years and is dual-POV. It’s slow but in a methodical way that packs the story with yearning and passion.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
3 out of 5 stars
The Cruel Prince is a YA fantasy series that I felt like I had to read. Being a fan of romantasy (a genre of books that combines fantasy and romance), I kept seeing this book recommended for Sarah J Maas’s readers. So I picked up this book at a thrift bookstore for maybe $5. It was entertaining but lacked something to make it good. It was lame. There was no true motivation for me to care about what happens in this world. I did however read the rest of the series and it does get slightly better only to truly leave you disappointed in the end.
The Handmaid’s Tale By Margaret Atwood
2 out of 5 stars
Here is my GoodReads review from the moment I finished the book,
“With what I have heard and perceived about this book, I, a young woman minoring in women’s studies, should find this book shocking and interesting. However, I simply don’t. Sure, it’s a frightening look into a not-so-unbelievable dystopia but the story lacked what I think it needed to make it worth the read (for me). I do think it’s a must-read for people just to understand what could happen but I do not think it was interesting at all. When I say the world-building was the most interesting part of this book, you know the plot must have been lacking big time.”
Now I understand that I am in the minority when I say that I did not like this book. A lot of it was Atwood’s writing style, which did not flow at all, and like GoodReads user Vicotria says, “It doesn’t feel like you’re reading a story; it feels like you’re reading a piece of writing.” I understand the significance of a book like this but it was just not all that to me.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
4 out of 5 stars
OK, I understand that it’s a vampire/werewolf book, and that scares some people. But I have not talked to a single person who did not like this book. It’s a snappy, eatable romance book that is a super quick read. I’ve been a fan of Ali Hazelwood since The Love Hypothesis blew up and this book did not let me down. For anyone hesitating because of the supernatural pairing, don’t let it stop you from enjoying this truly entertaining read.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
5 out of 5 stars
I know, I know, it’s hyped up enough on TikTok but this is the first book that I think deserves every good thing said about it. It was beautifully written with storytelling that made the characters so heartbreaking. I loved this book. At first, the thought of reading a book of 4 middle-aged guy friends intimidated me. I thought it would be so boring and a waste of my time. There are many books I’ve read that make depression, self-harm and morose things of the sort seem tacky and cliche but this book faces them in a way that makes them so heartbreakingly real. I understand the review that it is just “trauma porn” but I disagree. I think it’s a story about a truly wrecked man and what life he can build outside of all that has happened to him. This is the first book that I truly sobbed to.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
3.5 out of 5 stars
Not too much to this book. It was entertaining and it would have been higher if it had not so obviously been like other romantasy books. It is almost an exact mix of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. It was good banter and a cute romance that made me want to read on but I couldn’t stop the thoughts about how similar it was to other books.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
2 out of 5 stars
BORRRIIIING! Sure, I get its merit as an existentialist novel. But the plot was slow and at times confusing. The only interesting, philosophical part of the book was the last two pages. I’m sure that the book would get better with rereads and more time to devote to understanding every level of this story. This book is required reading for my philosophy course, Existentialism, later in the semester so hopefully a closer study will grow my fondness for it.
Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
4 out of 5 stars
This was a required book for my Women in Literature class. As soon as Dr. Matz sent out the syllabus, I started the audiobook. It was a slow start but I’m so glad that I stuck with it. It turned out to be an intriguing story about a young woman stuck in a peculiar situation. The story is based on the famous painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer. I loved that the story was based on all that we knew of Vermeer in real life and elements from his different paintings. It shocked me how much I enjoyed this read, as I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction but this was such a well-written story.