Author: currentbookstack

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Such a Fun Age

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: Your preferred Saturday morning drink

This story is about a 20-something year old girl living in Philly trying to figure out her love life, what she wants to do with her future and trying to balance a social life. AKA, myself and every one of my friends here in Philly, so I loved it. If you’re from Philly you’ll get a good laugh at the references, like the rich white boyfriend who works out of a WeWork and lives above a CrossFit in Fishtown. Everything down to proof reading your friends texts before she sends them to a guy and evaluating if she actually likes him or if he’s tall is relatable and will have you laughing. This is Kiley Reids’ first novel and I will definitely read anything else she writes after this.

As much as this story is similar to what I know of life in my twenties in Philly, it’s also incredibly different than my experience living here as a white female. I have never had to think before walking into a grocery store in Rittenhouse, not about how I’m dressed, or if security will question why I’m there like she has to in this story. Supporting the BLM movement isn’t just big acts and donations, it’s listening and learning from the perspective of those that are different from you. Continuing to educate yourself, supporting POC in the arts, and making yourself uncomfortable while learning about what others truly go through in their daily lives is how you grow.

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Holiday Weekend Books

If you’re like me and the holiday weekend snuck up on you don’t worry, I’ve got you covered on which books Prime can get to your door before your travel and festivities kick off.

When Life Gives You Lululemons is a sequel to Devil Wears Prada, do I have to go further? The story picks up following Emily who after leaving Miranda starts working in celebrity PR and ends up helping a Senators wife in Greenwich, CT. It hits all the necessary parts of a good summer read: lavish lifestyles, mystery and women working together so that a man gets what he deserves.

Do You Mind If I Cancel is perfect if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining read. First off, if you’re not already following Gary Janetti on instagram, go do that immediately. The book runs through his life and how he got to where he is in the entertainment industry. The audiobook is narrated by Gary himself so I’m sure if possible, it’s even funnier than the book.

If you’re looking for a good thriller I recommend The Girl from Widow Hills. This book has essentially four mysteries that happen across 20 years that all tie up in one stressful ending. Less Gone Girl/Verity closer to Something In The Water on the crazy meter.

If you’re having a calmer weekend and want a sweet romance the new Jasmine Guillory book Party of Two is perfect. It’s the second book on this list about someone being involved with a Senator, so maybe I’m missing DC a little more than usual? It’s your classic romcom and goes perfect with a glass of red wine and chocolate cake.

Hope everyone has a safe holiday, if you’re looking for more recommendations my full Amazon recommendation list is linked here!

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The Silent Patient

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: An easy red

I went back and forth on my feelings during this book but the end makes it worth it. Alicia, the silent patient, is put in a mental institution after being convicted of killing her husband. Not exactly a spoiler, but she doesn’t speak, so you have to depend on the narrator, side characters and a journal to fill in the gaps of what happened.

At parts I thought I figured it out and almost started to judge my friends who recommended it about why they thought the end was so shocking. However to the entertainment of my husband I actually gasped at the ending. It drags a little in the middle but I promise the ending is worth the hype.

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Verity

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: All the caffeine, you’ll need to read this in one sitting

I will no longer be comparing things on the crazy meter to Gone Girl, I will be comparing them to Verity.

I finished this about a week ago and still don’t know what I believe. This book starts with someone getting hit by a car in front of them, and it’s the calmest part of the story. This is also a formal apology to Lisa who recommended this to me for just continuously texting you ‘wtf am I reading’ all day.

If you’re the type who can fall asleep to true crime docs or runs while listening to My Favorite Murderer, this book is for you. Buy it and block off the rest of your day because you won’t be able to put it down. If you read it and have theories please text me because I have so many questions and as mentioned above, I’m one text away from Lisa blocking my number.

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The Guest List

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Pairs well with: Champagne duh, it’s a wedding

To start off, this book put into perspective how impactful watching 10,000 hours of Love Island UK is to my ability to know English slang. (See Benny, I DID need to watch all of it!) Ok back to the book, if you’re looking for an easy beach read thriller this is ideal. It has a lot of characters which at first is confusing but when you start to figure out how entwined everyone is you’ll be hooked. I truly didn’t see the ending coming and for someone who watches/listens to/reads as much true crime as I do that’s unusual. At the end of the book just wanted to know what happened next which is always a sign of a great story.

I got this book from Book of the Month, I’m 3 months into my subscription and I’ve really been enjoying it. I sometimes get decision fatigue from trying to choose what to read next so I like just being given a couple options. I usually look up the books offered that month on Goodreads and try to pick something that I maybe wouldn’t read on my own or different from what I’ve been reading lately. The subscription is $14.99 a month and if you have a reading goal for the year that you’re trying to stick to it’s a great option to add a book per month to your stack. You can sign up here if you’re interested.

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10% Happier

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: Chocolate, tea and anything else that helps you relax

This was my second read through of this book and if possible, I think I loved it more the this time around. I love a self help book, but similar to Dan when walking through his story I often find parts of methods I relate to but am left with a lot of questions. It’s also incredibly relatable how he discusses all the steps in his process to manage his anxiety instead of saying he went to one retreat and is suddenly healed. He doesn’t get preachy, keeps it light and has some great name drops along the way which is all I can ask for in a self help book.

With everything going on in the world right now I think we all could use a quick check in with our anxiety, how we handle it, and the impact to our bodies. My favorite lesson I took from the story is the phrase “Is It Useful?” He talks about how it’s natural to react to things but take a quick evaluation of how you’re reacting and then ask yourself if it is useful to the situation. I had a friend make it onto a bracelet for me so I can constantly remind myself of the lesson.

Dan hosts a podcast called ‘Ten Percent with Dan Harris’ and has written another book if you crave more after finishing. The book is linked below if you want to purchase!

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The Last Mrs. Parrish

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: Pinot Grigio and a New England lobster roll

Essentially an East Coast version of Big Little Lies, I couldn’t put it down. I’ve come to trust most Reese’s Book Club recommendations, but this was one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. The narrator POV bugged me at first because I wanted to understand every side of the story and all my questions answered right away but in the end the narration ended up being perfect for the unfolding of the story.

As part of my completely normal addictive personality, I needed to look up every detail of the authors life after reading. I was surprised that Liv Constantine is actually a pen name for two sisters who write together. There were so many small details that all perfectly came together in the end I cannot imagine how two people wrote it together.

They’ve written two other books that I’d definitely read in the future.