Reading is an escape for me and I used to read so much — like 50 to 60 books a year and I was in a book club called The Lit Ladies. But then, the pandemic hit and I was working a million hours a week and fell off my reading. I just couldn’t consume anything else and found it so hard to read on top of navigating home schooling, working way too much and navigating that crazy time.

Fast forward now 3 years and I still for some reason find it hard to pick up a book and have been in such a reading slump. This summer I was determined to change that and set out to read at least 5 books between June and July. Not only did I read five books but I have started a 6th and with 75 hard that I started I am also back to reading leadership development books too. I may not be reading as much as I used to but I am proud that I stopped aimlessly strolling and started doing something that feels great to me again.

I knew getting back into reading I needed to focus on the type of books I love and not try to branch out (I loathe historical fiction books but try to read them from time to time to expand my reading). What I do love are thrillers, love stories and biographies so that is where I started.

Here is my summer 2023 reading recap — If you join me on Good Reads (Kate Rogers is my user name) I have rated them all there too!

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren - This book is all over IG right now and the cover was super cute. Christina Lauren is one of my fav love story authors so I immediately ordered it and was excited to dive in. It took me about 20 pages to realize I already read this book when it first came out in 2018, lol but it is a cute and easy read so I read it again. I love that their books (it is a pair of authors writing) are a little racy but not too much and while predictable have a great storyline.
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris - This book had been on my TBR list for a while. I found it at Goodwill for like $3 so I grabbed it and I read it in 24 hours. Gosh, I love books that I just cannot put down and this book was one of them. Let me tell you, it is one of the hardest thrillers I have read because it is so freaking twisted I wanted to put it back. Be warned this book is a hard to read but a really great thriller.
Beach Read by Emily Henry - To be honest, I struggled with this one. It was a really slow read for me and makes me hesitant to read her other books even though others rave about them. The storyline was cute but I just felt like the pages were dragging on and not moving at a good pace. It’s a cute love story I just needed it to be shorter and move faster.
Embrace Your Almost by Jordan Dooley - Another TBR pile book that I found at Goodwill and was excited to read. I love following Jordan and her story on IG, I love her vulnerability and couldn’t wait to start this. It did not disappoint. She shared her life, business and motherhood journey in a way that made the reader feel seen and less alone. I loved her writing style and appreciated her shared what she learned and how she literally embraced her almost, it was so encouraging to me.
Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis - Last but not least I read Rachel Hollis’ latest book and while I enjoyed it, it was a lot of repeats from her first two books. I enjoy her writing style and while some things she says I take with a grain of salt I appreciated her vulnerability and willingness to share her messy middle versus just how she overcame it at the end. You can hear her emotions through this book and as someone who has walked hard paths, it definitely made me feel like a friend.

So there are my 5 books I read in June and July. I also read a couple cookbooks as I tried to get back into the kitchen more and enjoyed reading through those and cooking too! If you have any book recs, I am all ears, I love adding books to my TBR pile!

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Embrace Your Almost by Jordan Dooley

Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis

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