Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams. This has been compared to Bridget Jones and I can definitely see why. I thought it was good not great, but was very impressed by the narrator so if you do decide to check it out I recommend the audiobook!

One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline. I always find her books to be mediocre but they hold my attention. Like when there’s nothing else it seems like something she’s written is available for me to quickly download. That was the case here and it kept me company as I drove through a monsoon to Richmond on a Sunday night. Again, good not great.

Look Alive Twenty Five by Janet Evanovich. I say it every time there’s a new Stephanie Plum book out but you MUST MUST listen and not read. Lorelai King is honestly so gifted as a narrator and they make me laugh out loud. You also don’t have to read these in order so next road trip just download any of them to make the trip fly by. My only criticism of this one in particular is that there isn’t enough Grandma Mazur.

Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings. If you haven’t yet hopped on the Killing Eve bandwagon what are you even doing?? Get someone’s Hulu password and catch up. It is a truly fantastic show. I would even say the show is better than the book. It was good enough that I’ll read the second one, but I think the show is more nuanced and the acting is so incredible.

Stay Up with Hugo Best by Erin Somers. This was good not great. I listened to most of it while doing another peel and stick wallpaper project and it held my attention but it’s just kind of weird. A girl who is a lowly assistant at a late-night talk show ends up spending the weekend at the host’s house (a 65-year-old man) right after he retires and the show ends. And it’s weird and uncomfortable. The writing is good but no one is particularly likable.

Bunny by Mona Awad. This starts out as a story about a girl who is an outcast in her uppity MFA program at a fancy New England school, hatefully in awe of four of her cliquey classmates. At that point, I was in. But then it takes a very sharp turn into being trippy and about animal sacrifice. So I quit listening halfway through. I should learn that a Lena Dunham endorsement on the cover of a novel does not mean I will like it.

The Baby Plan by Kate Rorick. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It’s admittedly a light, dumb beach read (or listen, in my case) but it really held my attention. It’s about three pregnant women who are in very different places in their lives when they find out they’re pregnant. It’s cute- recommend!

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering. My friend Maura recommended this to me but prefaced it by saying “It’s a great trash novel. Low expectations all the way and I certainly don’t feel smart reading it, but I’m into it.” I’m directly quoting her text because that’s exactly how I felt about it. It’s kind of an ideal beach read about two awful people who have a college relationship. I would say it’s about 20% longer than it needs to be, but it still held my attention. Recommend if you’re between the ages of 22 and 35.

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo. This is about a couple who meet at Columbia on 9/11 and end up developing a post-college romance. It’s all told from her perspective and I guess it held my attention but I just found her to be so unlikeable. It’s pretty short though so if you’re looking for something light and easy it’s fine. I would say, don’t go out of your way to read it, but if you already paid for it then fine.

No Tomorrow by Luke Jennings. The second Killing Eve book. I listened to this one and quite enjoyed the narrator. But, like the show, the second wasn’t as good as the first. Except I’m going to keep watching the show and not keep reading the books. What can I say? I am truly awed by Jodie Comer.

The Lie by William Dameron. I picked this as my Kindle First book for June. It’s a memoir written by a man who came out of the closet in his forties; he was married with two teenage daughters. I thought it was good but the intro would lead you to believe that it’s all about catfishing and it really isn’t?? So I was confused by that editing choice I guess, but overall a pretty fascinating perspective.

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff. This is set during WWII and is about a traveling circus. It was recommended to me by my grandma’s boyfriend’s daughter. Yup, you got that right. I thought it was way too long but ultimately a nice story. If you like WWII historical fiction, this is a different take than usual.

The Good Sister by Gillian McAllister. This is about adult sisters who were extremely close, until one of them is on trial for killing the other one’s infant daughter. Told from both of their perspectives, and also a bunch of others (the judge, witnesses, etc.) I thought this was REALLY good. You definitely keep flipping on whether you think she did it or not and it really held my attention. Recommend.

What’s on your summer reading list??