8 Books you need to read - By Jessica Watson

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With the help of audiobooks I’ve been reading a crazy-ton of books. I’m always reading something or listening to something and I have so many recommendations of books you need to read. I’m going to try to slow down and give you descriptions of them. Generally I’d just like to give you a big long list and tell you need to read them because.

In other news.. I could never be one of those book reviewers. I like to give it five stars if it deserves five stars, tell everyone to read it because I thought it was amazing and have that be it. No breaking the book into a few paragraphs of description, I can’t do it. So here are my recommendations of the top eight books you need next. No long book summaries but I promise to expand past “I loved this book.”

1. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

If you’re reading this post soon after I wrote it (February 2020) this book is free through Kindle Unlimited so run and grab it. Kelly Harms totally pulled me in with this light-ish read about a mom who, through a crazy series of events, ends up with the summer sort-of off from her two children. What follows is a great reminder of how we lose ourselves in motherhood and find ourselves again sometime after we’re done wiping behinds and buckling carseats. I absolutely loved it for the stage of parenting I’m in right now with my youngest almost at middle school age.

2. The Most Fun We Ever Had

I found this book after immediately putting a bunch of the Goodreads best novel nominations on hold through Overdrive. (Do you use Overdrive? Online lending library of Kindle books. Life-changing.)

“The Most Fun We Ever Had” follows a couple from the beginning of their love story through to their daughters’ adulthood. I grew so attached to the characters that I missed them as soon as it was over. The next day I found myself wondering what they were doing. It’s the story of family flaws, how things can look amazing from far away but be falling apart up close. It’s about sibling relationships as we get older and our relationship with our parents as we age. Basically all of the things I can relate to at this point in life. LOVED it.

3. A Woman Is No Man

Okay if there is one book on my list that I would hope you all would read it’s this one. It is an excellently crafted story. An important look at a culture of women that we rarely get a glimpse of.

“A Woman Is No Man” follows three generation of Arab women. The novel reminded me just how little I have read by and about Arab women. Etaf Rum shared in interviews that the story is loosely based on her history and she risked her safety telling it. Rum answered so many questions I have about her culture and educated while entertaining the reader. It can be hard to have frank discussions about different cultures without the risk of feeling ignorant or insensitive. Along with being an excellent story, “A Woman Is No Man” explained a history of Arab American women I knew very little about.

4. Ask Again, Yes

The story of two New York cops and how there lives separate, come together and then interweave through the years. I loved this book for reasons I’m not even sure I can explain. Part of it was that it so clearly described growing up in the late 70s and 80s as I did. I recognized so much about families then and the storytelling of Keane was perfection.

5. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

I never say things are “life changing.” The phrase feels kind of cheesy and over-used but it’s necessary in this case. Gottlieb, a therapist, shares her journey over the years with patients I promise you will fall in love with. I read this on Kindle and stopped and reread so many parts. I’m getting a hard copy next so I can sticky-note the heck out of it.

This book entertained me while making me think but not so hard that my brain hurt. More of a reflecting kind of thinking that definitely changed me for the better.

READ IT.

6. The Silent Patient

If you need a page-turner read this. I could not stop reading. Throughout the book I was absolutely positive I had figured out what was going on at least five times. At the end I realized how wrong I was. I love a good twist that you never see coming. The perfect suspenseful story to get lost in.

7. My Sister, the Serial Killer

If you’re mind is wandering and you need something to grab your attention then this is your book. If you need to hit a reading goal and a quick read will do it this is also your book.

As a lover of all the crime podcasts I was instantly drawn into this story. The book needs no description. It’s exactly what the title says it is. The main character takes the reader through the twists and turns of struggling with her dedication to her sister.

8. Never Have I Ever

Joshilyn Jackson is always and forever one of my favorite authors. Her books are often comfort food sort of stories but this one is different. It was much more of a page-turner with a Big Little Lies kind of spin.

A mysterious woman arrives in a suburban town and things quickly unravel. It quickly becomes apparent she knows more than she should about characters in the story and they have secrets to hide. So good, couldn’t stop reading once I started.

My past book recommendation lists:

Other things I’m loving right now…

FabFitFun– I kept seeing people on social media checking out these boxes so I finally tried one. They absolutely live up to the hype.

I am not a stroll around shopper who finds all the neat things in boutiques. Getting a FabFitFun box delivered seemed like someone shopped for me and found all of the cutest stuff then plopped it on my doorstep. I’ve gotten super cute packing cubes, my favorite new dry shampoo and the best slippers. All kinds of neat stuff I wouldn’t find if it hadn’t landed at my door.

There are always great sales and deals and you can get a quarterly box for under $50 through my link. When you click through there should be a popup for 20% off your first box too so wait for it!

Obe Fitness– Guys I am in love. If I’m going to regularly work out it has to be easy. Easy for me is working out at home. Obe has amazing instructors and a million different types of workouts including Barre and yoga sculpt (my favorite). You can join live workouts or do them on your own time. The live ones have been amazing at holding me accountable for working out regularly.

If you try Obe definitely try yoga with Francesca or yoga sculpt with Isaac! You can follow my link and use the code FRIEND30 to get 30% off your first month after your free trial.

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