Vacation Reads and a New Project

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I just got back from a quick warm weather vacation near the beach! A college friend and I went to an all-inclusive resort just south of Cancun for a long weekend, where we ate, drank, swam, and read. I actually finished four books on the trip (all fiction), and am well on my way to finishing a fifth (nonfiction), which is so exciting!

This week, I thought I’d do some quick reviews of the four books I finished, and share some big news about a new project I am really excited about – but you’ll have to scroll to the end of this post for that!

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

For years, Loo Hawley and her widowed father, Samuel, have lived a nomadic existence. When they move back to the town where Loo’s mother lived, they plan to stay put… until a man from Hawley’s violent and mysterious past upends everything. The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley is told in alternating chapters, shifting between the present and episodes in Hawley’s past that illuminate the threats happening now. This book was so interesting, in structure and in story, that I couldn’t put it down. Loo is such a great main character, and I loved the way the alternating chapters showed two coming-of-age stories at the same time. I thought it was great.

The Rocks by Peter Nichols

The Rocks opens with a scene that genuinely surprised me. Two elderly neighbors (who we soon learn were once married, but spent decades estranged), get into a fight, fall off a cliff, and drown in the Mediterranean Ocean. Yikes! The book then goes back in time over the decades to see what happened between the two lovers, and how one fateful decision affected the lives of their children, friends and community. I love books that play with traditional story structure, so that part of the novel really worked for me. I wasn’t as enamored with the conclusion of the mystery, which just didn’t seem to be as dramatic as the characters acted like it was. This was a good beach book, but it didn’t knock my socks off.

Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai

One evening we were sitting out on some couches reading and it got too dark to keep going in the print book I was reading… enter, my trusty but infrequently-used Nook! Hate to Want You is a Romeo and Juliet-esque romance about two high school sweethearts who are broken up by the devious machinations of a family member. Nicholas and Livvy have continued to secretly meet once a year over the last decade for a single night of meaningless love-making. Except of course it’s not meaningless, forcing them to reckon with their relationship when Livvy moves back to their hometown. I loved this book and these characters – they felt real and honest, and the challenges that kept them apart felt genuine and serious rather than contrived. I’m not a big romance reader, but I know I’ll be picking up more from Alisha Rai when the mood for a romance strikes.

You Don’t Know My Name by Kristen Orlando

This young adult novel was a last-minute addition to my beach bag that made the trip on my sister’s recommendation. Since the way she found out her parents were elite secret agents, Reagan has been training to be one of them. But the life of an agent is nomadic, and Reagan is also tired of hiding her identity and losing her friends each time her family’s cover is compromised. When threats from a Mexican drug cartel makes it seem like Reagan will have to start over again – losing her friends and the boy she’s in love with – she starts to push back against the role she’s never asked to take. You Don’t Know My Name was really delightful, and managed to surprise me in a couple of really big ways (which I can’t reveal because spoilers!). It was fun and smart and engaging, and made me anxious to pick up the sequel.

And Now… My Big News!

I’m so excited to share that I’m hosting a Book Riot podcast! For Real is a nonfiction podcast I’m co-hosting with my friend Alice Burton (@itsalicetime on Twitter, blogger at Reading Rambo, fellow Rioter). Every other week, we’ll be talking about nonfiction in all sorts of different ways – new releases, weekly themes, book pairings, and what we’re reading now.

Our first full episode came out on Tuesday. Our theme for the week was International Women’s Day, which let us share some interesting titles. I got to throw some accidental shade at Ken Burns, and Alice talked about vaginas and Lord Byron, which seems like exactly what we’ll want to keep doing. You can listen to episodes on the Book Riot website, or subscribe through your favorite podcast app.

Whew! That’s a long one for just getting back from vacation. Thanks for sticking it out to the end!