Hey readers! Get ready for two posts this week! I will continue with the OT Conference Series on Wednesday, but today I am sharing my reading list from December 2019 through February 2020. During the last three months, I was on winter break from school and did quite a bit of traveling and commuting, which means I also did a lot of reading (14 books!!). You can keep up with what I am reading on my Instagram page and also on Goodreads. I am always posting about the books I am currently reading and loving. I am also already ahead of my 2020 reading goal on Goodreads! I think that might be because I recently discovered that I love listening to audiobooks (specifically memoirs read by the author) in the car. In case you missed my fall reading list, check it out here. Let’s chat about what I have been reading this winter:
What I Read This Winter
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
Okay, I FLEW through these books. This is the first of a four part series set on Nantucket at Christmastime. It was so much fun to read around the holidays, and I read all four books in three weeks. Amazing. I highly recommend that you read these around Christmastime.
Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Series #2
Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Series #3
Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand
Winter Series #4
What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
This is book #2 of the Paradise Series (#1 is Winter in Paradise). I absolutely loved this book and this series. I can’t wait to read the third one, which comes out next fall! Fun Fact: this is the book that I got signed by Elin at a barre x book signing event!
The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
This book was a Christmas gift from Ryan’s sister, Caroline, and it was a major success! Before reading this book, I had a really hard time reading anything that wasn’t by Elin Hilderbrand. I was in a sort of book rut where I didn’t enjoy anything except for one very specific style of writing. However, Caroline is an even bigger reader than me and she had a feeling I would like this book! The best part was that she wrote a note on the front cover saying “Elin approved” because Elin Hilderbrand actually wrote a review for this book. Overall, I loved this book and I am really excited to read more by this author! And now I can broaden my reading horizons!
Own Your Everyday: Overcome the Pressure to Prove and Show Up for What You’re Made to Do by Jordan Lee Dooley
I listen to Jordan Lee Dooley’s podcast “SHE” fairly regularly, so I wanted to read her book. I definitely liked it, but this genre of books generally isn’t my favorite. I prefer fiction, but if you are into self-help/motivational books, check this out!
Save Me The Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl
My first audiobook!! I honestly wasn’t sure if I would like this book, but I had seen lots of people posting about it on Instagram and it piqued my interest. I thought it might be easier to listen to than to read based on the type of book and my personal preferences, so I downloaded it as an audiobook. It was narrated by the author and I was blown away! I loved her story, her writing, and how the descriptions and recipes literally made my mouth water. I highly recommend!
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
The main character of this book is autistic, which I feel like we rarely see in mainstream media. Even better, it was written by Helen Hoang, who also has autism spectrum disorder. This is awesome!! What a great way to show what people with disabilities can do. You can read more about her here. I learned this in the about the author/acknowledgement section of her book.
Aside from the fact that the main character and author are both autistic, I did like this book but it wasn’t a favorite. Beware: it is not what I expected based on the description… it is a bit risque. However, I did like the overall story line.
The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand
After a few books by other authors, I had to go back to Elin. Ryan got me this book for Christmas, and I finally read it in late January-February. Like always, it was amazing. I was a little frustrated at times by the male leading character, but that was the point!
Normal People by Sally Rooney
This book was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I liked it. The style of writing was different than what I am used to – there were no quotation marks for speaking lines. I also felt frustrated by the characters at some points, but that’s because I always want a happy ending.
Summer of ’79: A Summer of ’69 Story by Elin Hilderbrand
This book is a sequel to Summer of ’69. It is only about 60 pages to find out what happened to all of the characters, 10 years later!
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke
Another audiobook! Here is my review on Goodreads: “A powerful story of love and loss. I found myself tearing up as I listened to the audio version, narrated by the author. Fantastic book!!”
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
This is my second book club book with Ryan’s sisters, Caroline, Kelsey, and Jillian! I absolutely loved this book. Days after I finished it, I was still thinking about it. It is a fictional story about a woman who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. It is a moving portrayal of how one may feel as they experience Alzheimer’s disease – loss of self, guilt for passing the mutated gene on to children, and most of all still you. I can’t wait to read more by Lisa Genova and talk about Still Alice at book club!
Currently Reading
This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel – This one is about being who you are, and has come highly recommended.
On My List
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang – Trying out another book by Helen Hoang!
Educated by Tara Westover – I have been hearing about this book so much over the last few months, so I requested it as an audiobook at my library.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid – Another book that has also come highly recommended. I’m on a 2 week waitlist at my library!
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates – I believe this one is about women’s empowerment and courage. I’m excited to listen to it! I’m on a 2 week waitlist at my library.
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams – I can’t wait to read more books by Beatriz Williams. This is next up on my list by her! Her books tend to be set back in time (~1900s) with a little bit of romance and mystery.
Thanks for reading! What have you been reading lately?
Allison The OT 
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