I share the books I read in May and I would recommend adding them to your collection.
Hello friends! How are you? I hope you’re having an amazing morning so far. I came back from Dallas. I’ll have my first live post from the Biohacking Conference tomorrow! – and the kids are at camp today. It’s a morning full of podcast interviews and then I’m jumping on the Peloton in no time.
For today’s post, I wanted to share a list of the books I read last month (and in April!). I haven’t had much time to read lately, but I’ve been trying to make time since I have about 12 books in my queue right now.
I have been doing some exciting tutoring through EquiLife and also studying for the High Performance Health Certification (my code is FITNESSISTA if you’re interested in checking it out).
I’ve managed to read a few books over the past few months and wanted to share them here! I’d love to know what’s on your summer reading list if you mention it in the comments!
Readings for May 2024
Just for summer
Justin has a curse: every woman he dates finds his soulmate immediately after their breakup, and thanks to a Reddit thread, this is now widely known. When a woman with the same problem contacts him, they devise a plan to date and then split up to cancel his curses, hoping to find his true loves later.
I’ve been a big fan of Abby Jimenez for a while and couldn’t wait to read this one. It did not disappoint! Her books are the perfect combination of witty banter and heartwarming romance.
9/10.
Of Amazon:
Justin has a curse and, thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates finds his soulmate the moment they break up. When a woman comes into her DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: they’ll get out and break up. Their curses will cancel each other and they will both find the love of their lives. It’s a crazy idea… and it could work.
Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a travel nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good an opportunity to pass up, especially when they rent an adorable cabin on private property. island in Lake Minnetonka.
It’s supposed to be a quick adventure, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to take on guardianship of his three siblings, they suddenly face a lot more than they bargained for, including finding real feelings for each other. What if this time fate has truly brought together the perfect couple?
Funny story
Daphne’s life takes an unexpected turn when her fiancé Peter realizes that he is in love with her childhood best friend, Petra. Left behind in Waning Bay, Michigan, Daphne starts over as a children’s librarian and proposes a roommate arrangement with Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak. Daphne and Miles, despite their differences, strike up a friendship and devise a plan to post misleading photos of their adventures together. This unexpected camaraderie turns into something deeper, complicating Daphne’s new beginning.
I usually love Emily Henry, but I didn’t love this one. I kept waiting for *something* to happen. It was a little spicy, but the story left me bored.
5/10
Of Amazon:
Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told his story. How they met (on a windy day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and returned to their lakeside hometown to start their life together. He really was good at telling it… until the moment he realized that he was actually in love with his childhood best friend, Petra.
This is how Daphne begins her new story: stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, with no friends or family but with her dream job as a children’s librarian (which barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who might understand her situation: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
Disheveled and chaotic, with a penchant for finding solace in the sounds of torn love ballads, Miles is the exact opposite of the practical and prim Daphne, whose co-workers know so little about her that they have a running bet that she is of the FBI or is a witness. protection. The roommates mostly avoid each other, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne is actually going to start her new chapter by falling for her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex… right?
Women
In 1965, twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath, inspired by the idea that women can be heroes, leaves her sheltered life in Coronado, California, to join the Army Nurse Corps and serve in Vietnam. following his brother’s path.
As inexperienced as the soldiers around her, Frankie faces the chaos and destruction of war, forming deep but fragile friendships. Returning to a divided America, she faces angry protesters and a country eager to forget Vietnam. “The Women” highlights the sacrifices and bravery of women in war, and Frankie’s courage and idealism define her era and shine a light on the often overlooked contributions of female veterans.
As someone who didn’t know much about Vietnam, this was really eye-opening for me. I didn’t know how the veterans were treated upon arrival and it was heartbreaking. I’m a huge fan of Kristin Hannah and have read almost all of her novels, and this one was definitely in the top 3 for me.
10/10
Of Amazon:
Women can be heroes. When Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a twenty-year-old nursing student, hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the idyllic, sunny world of Southern California and protected by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing and suddenly she dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships off to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and continues on her way.
Frankie, as green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Every day he is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; Friendships run deep and can be broken in an instant. In war, he meets (and becomes one of) the lucky, the brave, the broken and the lost.
But the war is just the beginning for Frankie and his veteran friends. The real battle lies in returning home, to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
Women is the story of a woman who went to war, but it sheds light on all the women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism. Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
Learn Spanish for vacations
We’re heading to Spain this month, so I’ve been trying to practice Spanish as much as possible. My mother’s side of the family speaks Spanish, but while she was growing up, I always responded in English. I also studied Spanish as a major, but we spent a lot of time studying Spanish, but without conversing, so I never felt very comfortable speaking it, although I understand it perfectly.
I’ve been working with a Spanish tutor this year (one of my 2024 goals!) and have been listening to as much Spanish as possible, through podcasts and music. I liked listening to this one at double speed on Audible just as a refresher on the most important travel phrases.
I highly recommend it if you have any Spanish-speaking trips coming up!
9/10
Of Amazon:
Do you get frustrated when you are on vacation and you can’t make yourself understood? Or maybe he would like the locals and his family to appreciate him for his efforts? Maybe you don’t want to seem like that guy who thinks everyone should speak English? If any of these apply to you, read on….
I was that guy once. We went on vacation to Costa Rica and in the most remote places we went not a single person spoke English. I ended up imitating things for bewildered locals or saying English words very slowly, and I felt really stupid. At the end of the trip, I swore I would never put myself in that situation again. So I decided to create holiday phrase books. I speak fluent Spanish, so on one of our vacations there, I wrote down every phrase I used. What I said at the bakery, at the hotel, etc. They are all in this book.
In much of South America or Spain where they don’t speak English, the reception you get in the restaurant if you say “Good afternoon, do you have a table for 4 people please?” Instead of mumbling in English, it’s day and night. Imagine how you will feel coming back from the market after having bought some nice things, speaking nothing but Spanish and with his family looking at you from a new perspective.
In this audiobook, you will learn:
How to order a beer like a local.
What people will ask you at car rental check-in.
How to reserve a table for dinner.
What the waiter will definitely ask you.
How to request a late check out.
What people will ask you in supermarkets.
How not to get lost.
How to ask for the Wi-Fi code (hint: it’s not “Wi-Fi code”).
And a lot lot more!
So tell me friends: what is the best book you have read so far this summer? What’s next on your list?
Summer vacation plans?
xo
gina
Find more book recommendations here.
