#41 | Quarterly Book Love: My Top Reads

Hello hello again, my sweet bookish friends!

As you can imagine, I had to stop sharing every book I read last year. I was reading between 6 and 15 books a month, and the blog posts were turning into novels themselves. So, I stopped sharing to regroup and rethink how I wanted to share them moving forward. That’s a lot, and I’d like to state for the record that I’m only sharing 4 books today, which is a vast improvement.

The truth is, I love reading. I want to devote even more time to it. It is a beautiful, peaceful way to escape into an adventure or a romance. It is so easy to get swept away!

That said, the truly great books are few and far between for me. I am a pretty tough critic. A 3-star book, in my opinion, is still a good book that I enjoyed and appreciated. But a 4- or 5-star book? That is a high compliment from me. Those are the books I want to recommend and cherish. They are the ones I borrow from the library or read on my eReader, then immediately buy a physical copy just to display like a beautiful little trophy on my bookshelf.

Table of Contents

#41 | Quarterly Book Love: My Top Reads

Hence, the new title and why I am only sharing my favorite reads by quarter. This first roundup covers January, February, and March. I did not read as many books as I would have liked early in the year, but by the end of April, I kicked it into high gear and found some amazing reads. Plus, I discovered a new favorite author who made me cry with both of her books. I am going to sneak her in at the end as an honorary mention because the world needs to know.

Also, just a little note. I am only linking to Amazon for indie authors and small businesses who cannot sell anywhere else. If you can, please consider supporting these authors through Bookshop.org or your local bookstore. For a lot of people, that includes Barnes and Noble! Especially in rural or suburban areas. I would much rather support Barnes than Amazon right now.

Okay, soapbox over. Please enjoy my favorite reads this quarter!

Kiss And Don’t Tell by Meghan Quinn

_{Format: eBook | Amazon | Bookshop.org} _{| B&N}

💖 I started reading this series out of order. The first book I read was a hands down 5 star read. I gobbled up every scrumptious crumb of it. This one tied everything together. My only gripe is that hockey romances always seem to mean younger characters. I just change the ages in my head if they are under 30.

Anyway, I loved how Winnie and Pacey fell for each other by actually getting to know one another, and we got to see that play out through the book. It has a wild plot start with her car breaking down and knocking on a stranger’s mansion door, but it all works out!

Indigo Ridge by Devney Perry (Edens #1)

_{Format: eBook | Amazon | Bookshop.org} _{| B&N}

💖 There is nothing I love more than a small town romance novel. Add in a possible murder, wild side characters, and a family full of siblings who inevitably get their own books? I am all in. I AM. ALL. IN.

Winslow is Quincy, Montana’s newest and youngest police chief. She is great at her job, but a lot of men do not like it. It does not help that her grandpa is the mayor, making it all look a little like favoritism. To make matters even messier, the night before her first day, she takes a chance on a handsome stranger she thinks is just passing through, only to find out he is not a tourist at all, and now she has to work closely with him on an investigation.

Eleanor Eliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

_{Format: Physical Book | Amazon | Bookshop.org} _{| B&N}

Ohhh, Eleanor. Sweet, wonderful Eleanor. We went through it together!

This was the first pick for my new book club, and honestly, I might not have read it without my friends’ suggestion. I am so glad I did. We had the best time sitting together afterward, chatting and tearing up over it. At first, I kind of hated Eleanor, but as she grew to love herself and built a community around her, I fell for her spirit right alongside her. I cannot recommend this book enough. It does touch on a lot of mental health topics, though, so please check the trigger warnings.

Mostly Plants: 101 Delicious Flexitarian Recipes from the Pollan Family by Tracy Pollan, Dana Pollan, Lori Pollan, & Corky Pollan

_{Format: Physical Book | Amazon | Bookshop.org} _{| B&N}

This book sent me down a rabbit hole learning about Tracy Pollan. She mentions her husband, the one and only Michael J. Fox, and how eating mostly plants has helped with his Parkinson’s Disease. I really liked this cookbook and found most of the meals easy to make at home with minimal prep. They’re also supremely healthy, which I appreciate since I’m on a painfully healthy diet right now.

I definitely plan to check this one out from the library again to grab a few more recipes for my recipe box!

That’s it, my friends! I’ve got some amazing books already for next quarter. Stay tuned for the beginning of July.