What I Read this Week Volume 1

Hello, hello friends! I’ve been posting a lot more about books and what I’m reading recently on Instagram, and y’all have been loving it! Post-LSAT, I’m basically spending all day, every day with my nose stuck in a book. I love the way books can inspire and create world new worlds, as well as start a conversation between readers! This year I vowed to read more, and that I have.

I’ve kept a ‘reading list’ note on my phone to keep track of book recommendations I receive, and then reference that list when I need new books to read. My mom gave me a whole stack of books (mostly Jodi Picoult) that she’s read and loved, and I’ve been plowing through them, so I wanted to share my recent reads!

I enjoy posting about my current reads and I love hearing your book recommendations (here and on Instagram!). If you have a favorite recent read or a book you think I’d like, be sure to leave it in a comment below, and I’ll add it to my list. I have a few other ‘Kristen Reads’ posts on my blog as well, if ya just can’t get enough of the books I me :).

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. I wasn’t paid to talk about any of these books, and all opinions are my true, honest, candid review. All credit to the respective authors.

Without further ado, what I read this week, volume 1:

What I Read this Week:

• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (click each title to view it on Amazon)
  • This was one of my mom’s book club books, haha! A movie version also came out in 2015 but I haven’t seen it. This is the story of Ove, the classic ‘grumpy old man next door’. It’s written in a satirical manner but addresses some rather heavy topics, like Ove’s struggle with life without his wife. The story can be very somber at parts, but it doesn’t stay too serious for long. This book tells of how light shines into Ove’s life, even though he doesn’t quite mean for that to happen… You’ll just have to read to see why!
• Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
  • About half the recent books I’ve read have been Jodi Picoult, and so many of y’all recommend her books on Instagram as well! I’d heard a lot of book things about this one in particular, but truthfully, it wasn’t my favorite of hers. This story is hard to summarize without giving away the good parts, but it’s a tale of a far-from-perfect family (of elephant researchers/caretakers, so you’ll most definitely fall in love with elephants after reading this) and a series-of-unfortunate-events that bring in some interesting characters. Again, it’s hard to describe without ruining it! You can’t go wrong with Jodi Picoult, and this one will take your imagination for a ride!
• How to Be a Hepburn in a Kardashian World by Jordan Christy
  • This book was recommended to me by a friend! The pink cover, title, and message reminded her of me and once I heard about this one, I had to buy it for myself! I was expecting more of a story, but it’s really more of an etiquette book for living your best life as a classy, fabulous lady in modern society. I do prefer books I can really dive into so this wasn’t as much of an ‘easy read’, but I’d still recommend it (and the cover is too cute to pass up!).
• The Lipstick Gospel by Stephanie May Wilson
  • I read this in one sitting, #NoShame! I got an e-copy of this shorter novel by signing up for Stephanie’s email list, and you can get it here, too! Quite honestly, I almost stopped reading this one after the second page because I was shocked by the profanity used at the very beginning (in a book that has ‘Gospel’ in the title?!), that’s just not my thing… but it’s part of the author’s voice and story at the beginning, so don’t let it scare you off, either. This sweet story tells of Stephanie’s conversion and the way she found the church. It’s a beautiful story and relatable to any woman at any stage of her faith life. We all go through trials, struggles, and faith ‘dry periods’, but Stephanie went to some amazing lengths to find, and re-find her faith. I highly recommend this one, especially if you get it by supporting Stephanie’s blog! Also, Stephanie responded to my Instagram story when I posted about reading this one, and she was so so sweet :). I love to see authors/bloggers/creators who don’t act ‘too big’ or ‘too important’ to still respond to their followers!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post! Leave me a book recommendation below, or let me know what books are on your reading list!