April was all about reading books by authors I already knew and loved. I think each of these books would be a great choice to pack for a long weekend or a day at the beach this summer.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

After loving Gabrielle’s most recent book Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow I was curious to read some of her previous books.

Quick Plot: A.J Fikry’s life isn’t what he thought it would be in his late 30s. He’s the owner of a struggling bookstore on a cozy island and mourning the death of his beloved wife. When an unexpected delivery arrives at the bookstore, A.J.’s life is completely changed.

My Thoughts: I wanted to love this book more than I did. It had all the right elements: A cozy island location, a bookstore, and the makings of a heartwarming story. But something about it just didn’t hit for me and it dragged on for a pretty short book. This also might’ve been my own life busyness while I was reading this book, though.

What I loved is Zevin’s glorious ability to develop incredible characters. and how this book talked about books and people who loved books.

If Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a love letter to video games, this book is a love letter to books and bookstores. And for that, I love this book.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ★

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Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

CW: Early pandemic days.

I remember loving Curtis Sittenfeld’s book Prep back in high school and was curious to read her take on the rom-com genre.

Quick Plot: Sally is a writer for a late-night sketch comedy show (think SNL). It seems all the average-looking, dorky, men she works with are constantly dating women far more attractive and successful than them… but the reverse of an average woman with a hot guy never seems to happen. She then meets Noah, the mega-famous pop star who is the guest host on the show this week. What follows is an unexpected romance between two unlikely lovers.

My Thoughts: As I said, I was curious how Curtis Sittenfeld would do a rom-com. The answer? It’s smart, full of great characters, and takes some risks when it comes to form. I don’t want to give away too much as I think it’s some of the fun of the book but the book is in 3 sections and the middle bit really took me by surprise.

While the genre of rom-com is ultimately predictable, I liked that this book felt surprisingly unpredictable in how the story was told. Would be a great book to read on the beach this summer.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars ★

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Happy Place by Emily Henry

Oh, this book. I’m not gonna lie, Emily Henry’s books can be a bit hit miss for me so I wasn’t sure where I’d land with this one. If you’re looking for a light and fun rom-com, this ain’t it. But if you’re in the mood for a romance with big emotions that will gut you, this is for you.

Quick Plot: Harriet and Wyn broke up 5 months ago. But no one in their life knows. Now they have to pretend to still be together while stuck on a vacation with their close group of friends.

My thoughts: Even though I read a lot of romance I can sometimes find the genre too saccharine and fake. As a romance centered around a breakup, this felt so much more grounded and rooted in reality. The book is raw and tender in how it talks about the complexities of break-ups. I found myself sobbing at various points from quotes that just felt so damn relatable.

It was a refreshing take on romance and the fake dating trope. I also really appreciated the subplot about how friendships change and evolve in your 30s.

Where it fell *slightly* flat for me is some of the lines just made my skin crawl with how cringe-y they felt. The resolution also seemed really simple for how big I thought the problem would be.

All in all, though I loved the journey I had with this book. It takes the cake as my favorite Emily Henry book.

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars ★

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The Daydreams by Laura Hankin

When I first heard the plot of this book I *knew* I was going to love it…

Quick Plot: In the early 2000s, Kat, Liana, Summer, and Noah were the stars of a super popular teen TV show. Think Hannah Montannah at it’s peak. The show ended in a major scandal, but now 13 years later the four stars have been asked to come back together for a reunion show.

And of course, all of their secrets from the past start to come out…

My thoughts: It is now my mission in life to make everyone fall in love with this book. It’s *such* a delight. It’s got 2000’s nostalgia, juicy drama, and some very unexpected turns. There was one part that SHOCKED me with how brilliant the twist was.

Throughout the book, I felt like I was reading the behind-the-scenes gossip of a TV show that actually existed. It just felt so real and fully fleshed out. Definitely Laura Hankin’s best book yet, and I say that having fully enjoyed her other novels.

My Rating: 4.5/5 ★