Bluestocking Catalogue #27
Two lighthearted new releases that live up to the hype, Modern Mrs. Darcy's Summer Reading Guide, and a poem.
Hi, hello!
I hope your summer is going well, and that you are finding what you need. So far my summer has included a lot of sleeping, reading, and journaling, and I am grateful.
Today I’m covering two lighthearted books: one romance and one YA, and those links are affiliate links through my Bookshop, so if you end up buying one of the books through my link you support local bookstores and I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Win/win.
Coming up in the next few weeks, I’ll share more of the books I’ve been reading recently. I’ve been on a five-star book streak recently, which feels great and definitely helps with my reading momentum. Watch for several historical fiction recs, one dark mystery/thriller, and two fantasy/ magical realism novels.
But before I dive into the lighthearted books I’m recommending today, let me introduce you to Modern Mrs. Darcy, and share a favorite book currently on sale.
Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide
I’ve been following Anne Bogel, aka Modern Mrs. Darcy, on the interwebs for years now and always max out my library holds when her summer reading guide releases. You can get her Summer Reading Guide for free (by giving her your email address) here: expect a gorgeous magazine layout with, I believe, 37 new book recommendations spanning a variety of genres. Many of the books I’ve been reading and will share about today or later are from her guide, so it seemed only right to give MMD a shout-out.
Fun fact: when I want something to read RIGHT NOW, I’ll refer back to past summer reading guides since there’s usually not a wait for those books. If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend beginning with the Minimalist Summer Reading Guide, which narrows the list down to 6 top books. I also love and follow Anne’s daily Kindle deals.
The Lazy Genius is $1.99 on Kindle!
Speaking of Kindle deals … if you’ve been around for a while, you know I love the Lazy Genius. Her book came out last summer, and you can read what I wrote about it here (scroll down). I’ve given this book as a gift at least 3 times.
Kendra is my Internet practical big sister who helps me figure out how to adult more strategically with no shame. The 13 principles she outlines in her book (like “decide once” and “schedule rest”) help me figure out what matters to me. I think a lot of people would find this book useful, since it stays away from the cookie-cutter advice which dooms most self-help. (Note: If you don’t have a Kindle, you can still read Kindle books using the free Kindle app on your phone or tablet.)
Two Buzzy Books That Live Up to the Hype
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Emily Henry wrote Beach Read, one of my favorite books last year, so I couldn’t wait to read this one. I’m happy to report that it lived up to the hype, and I might even like it better than Beach Read. I guess I’ll have to read them both again to decide. Ultimately, one of the strongest recommendations I can give is to say I enjoyed something so much I want to re-read it.
What’s it about, you ask? Oh, only two best friends who have been going on a summer trip every year since college until things got … awkward. The present-day story where Alex and Poppy go on one last vacation together is interrupted with flashbacks to past trips. These flashbacks work well to bring more depth and nuance to the present-day situation by fleshing out Alex and Poppy’s past. Modern Mrs. Darcy highlighted this book on her guide and calls it a “modern twist on When Harry Met Sally.”
This book is light, fluffy, feel-good AND well-written. One open door scene.
You Have a Match by Emma Lord
Like People We Meet on Vacation, this is the second of Emma Lord’s books I’ve read. I liked her first book, Tweet Cute, enough to follow her on Instagram, and then I placed You Have a Match, a new release, on hold as soon as I could.
You Have a Match is a YA summer camp story of two sisters separated by a secret adoption who are reunited by the Internet who then decide to meet up at camp. (So: content warning for adoption.) During their time together at camp, the sisters try to unconver the story behind the adoption and get to know each other along the way.
At first glance, Abby and Savannah (Savvy) could not seem more different. Savvy is a shiny Instagram model/ perfectionist/ camp counselor who catches barely-passing-her-classes Abby breaking the camp rules. Conflict (and camp pranks) ensues. As the sisters get to know each other better, they start to find their common humanity and push each other be more honest about the parts of themselves they’d rather hide than confront.
I loved this book and read it one sitting. It checks a lot of my boxes: a nostalgic setting, a young love subplot, and an identity theme. Lord also raises some interesting questions about social media and identity in a way I think teens would find accessible and thought-provoking.
A Poem
Rebecca Lindenberg is a contemporary American poet who’s new to me. Her use of language is hauntingly precise. “Letter to a Friend, Unsent” names a universal sentiment - I don’t want to bring you down, friend, with the banality of my everyday life - but I wonder if it resonates differently in this particular moment as the world is opening back up and we’re navigating a world that looks the same but (at least to me) feels permanently altered. As I am permanently altered by all we’ve endured in the last 16 months. As I seek to name the contours of the old but new, the permanently altered me, poetry soothes and offers the gift of naming.
That’s all for this week, friends.
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