So, among other things, 2022 has been challenging for my love of reading. All my life I have harboured an intense love for reading. A perfectly private world, all my own to get lost in. What bliss! Then along came school and college and work and reading went out the window! In the one or two quiet moments I’ve had, I’ve read one or two books that I simply LOVED! Keep reading to see what books have made it past the college/work/general life haze that kept me from reading all those months!
Every Summer After – Carley Fortune
This might be one of the best books every written. I swear. So it follows Persephone Fraser when her family buys a summer house by the lakes. It takes us through her teens, while every few chapters is cemented in the present, where she’s been dragged back to that summer lake house and forced to relive her past and deal with all that’s gone down. I devoured this book in a week, but had I let myself, I could have spent an entire day engrossed in it. Better yet, this book was in Aldi for four euro, so a really good steal!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins-Reid
I’m sure I could write nothing about this book and you’d still understand how I feel about this! I don’t think I’d be too wrong to say this is one of my favourite books I’ve ever read. Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of the most superb authors of this century. This book follows Evelyn Hugo, her rise to fame as an actress and the seven husbands she acquired along the way. Not included in the blurb are the twists and turns, revelations and heartbreaking loss suffered in the midst of Hugo’s rise to fame. If there’s one book you pick from this list to read, make sure its this one. You will not regret it!
Malibu Rising – Taylor Jenkins-Reid
Another stellar read from Jenkins-Reid, which follows the narrative of singer Mick Riva and his family. Using a successful dual-pov, the author excellently follows Riva’s youth while also telling the story of his children in a modern day setting. The timespan in the book is over a few hours, finishing with a dramatic night at the Riva mansion, which entails glamour, glitz and long-held secrets finally being shared. While I would rate this novel lower than Evelyn Hugo, Malibu Rising is full of hope, of love and of course, loss.
Writers and Lovers – Lily King
I had never heard of this author previous to reading this book, but my favv Irish YouTuber Meg Hughes had recommended it, so I bought it second hand and gave it a shot. Man, I was not expecting to love this book so much! This novel follows Casey Peabody, an aspiring author as she navigates life, loss, romance and overall, a normal thirty-something experience that we can all relate to in someway. I highly suggest you read this, this novel is one of those that you’ll lose yourself in and find relatability with the characters.
The Spanish Love Deception – Elena Armas
This book has received somewhat mixed reviews from critics, particularly after it shot to fame on #BookTok shortly after its release. This debut novel from Elena Armas follows Catalina, who desperately requires a date to her sisters wedding back home in Spain. Who does she end up bringing? Her biggest enemy in the office, Aaron Blackford. What could go wrong? My TikTok girlies will know exactly what I mean when I say you should read this book for the plot. You know, ahem.
After The Silence – Louise O Neill
Last but by no means least, I had to include an Irish author on my list! Louise O’Neill is one of my absolute favourite authors ever, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I’d read her shopping list. I have all of her books, and have been tempted to fly to the UK for an event she held. Anyway, that’s my fangirl moment over! This is her second last book released, released in 2021. It follows the island of Inisrún, a fictitious island off the coast of Cork, where the author hails from. Centred around the Kinsella family, the novel explores themes of family love, domestic abuse and the lengths we will go to for those we love. O’Neill is a gifted author and is exceptionally superb at discussing themes of domestic abuse and dark issues Ireland rarely talks about.
So, there you have it. Some of my absolute favourite books. These are the books I go back to time and time again, my comfort books, books I know will have my back. Sometimes you just want that in a book, you know? Well, these are mine, let me know if you have any books of your own?