Two months have passed since my last installment of Read, Watch, & Listen, which means I’ve once again consumed a lot of content that I need to share with you! Gosh, it’s been a busy few months, but I’ve still managed to read A LOT, watch a few new shows, and listen to some great audio content. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Recent Reads
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
This story follows best friends, Bree and Nathan, who have secret crushes on each other. The Cheat Sheet has a bit of fake dating between friends, romantic gestures, and cute nicknames.
Overall, it was a cute, quick read. One of those stories where both characters have a crush on each other but neither realizes it until close to the end!
Home is Where You Are by Melissa Grace
Home is Where You Are by Melissa Grace is a story about Liv and Jax—a baker and musician who are introduced during a backstage meet-and-greet. The two instantly hit it off and the rest is history!
I thought the writing was great and the characters were likable! My only con was the timeline. I felt like the the main characters and their friend groups became intertwined a little too quickly, unnaturally quickly.
This book is available on Kindle Unlimited, so if you want to give it a try, you can do it risk free!
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Of all the books I’m sharing in this blog post, The Love Hypothesis is my favorite! I read it in less than 24 hours!
A friend recommended this book to me and after reading, I’ve recommended it to a few of my close friends as well!
The Love Hypothesis follows two scientists, Olive and Adam, as they navigate the eventual complications of their fake dating relationship. It’s all well and good until Olive realizes she might have actual feelings for Adam.
The characters are sweet. The story is incredibly engaging. I couldn’t put it down! 10/10 recommend this one!
Ali Hazelwood has several more books slated to come out this year, and I can’t wait to read them!
The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler
The Tourist Attraction takes place in Alaska and features a lovable dog wearing clothes and a wacky moose! It follows Zoey (a tourist) and Graham (a grumpy local). After Zoey comes to town, Graham begins to realize he may not dislike every tourist that walks through his restaurant’s doors after all.
If you’re looking for a cute rom-com to kick start your year, give this one a try! It is also available on Kindle Unlimited, so you can read risk-free!
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Midnight Library was my book club read for December/January. It was different than my usual romance books, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Trigger warning: This book revolves around suicide.
The Midnight Library is about a woman named Nora who is down on her luck and decides she no longer wants to live. In the space between life and death, she visits The Midnight Library where she has the ability to visit all the lives she could’ve lived.
Nora’s journey is an interesting one full of heartache and loss.
What I enjoyed most about the book were the philosophical or inspirational nuggets sprinkled throughout. Here are a few:
- “You don’t have to understand life. You just have to live it.”
- “You can be as honest as possible in life, but people only see the truth if it is close enough to their reality.”
- “A person was like a city. You couldn’t let a few less desirable parts put you off the whole. There may be bit you don’t like, a few dodgy side streets and suburbs, but the good stuff makes it worthwhile.”
The Simple Wild Series by K.A. Tucker
I recently finished the first three books in the The Simple Wild series by K.A. Tucker really enjoyed them! Book four comes out later this month, and I can’t wait to pick it up and devour it too!
The Simple Wild series takes place in Alaska (I’ve read so many books set in Alaska recently!) and follows city girl Calla as she embarks on a journey to reunite with her estranged father. When she arrives in Alaska, she’s skeptical of the entire place but ends up forming some pretty wonderful friendships and even learns to like (or maybe love) her father’s grumpiest employee, Jonah.
Book one is bittersweet as Calla forms a relationship with her sick father. Book two is full of challenges as Calla and Jonah go out in their own and start to build a life together. And book three (a novella) gives you a bit of a happily ever after.
My favorite kinds of book series are the ones that focus on a single character! Shortly after starting The Simple Wild, I knew I’d be hooked.
- The Simple Wild, Book 1
- Wild at Heart, Book 2
- Forever Wild, Book 3 (Novella)
Seasonal Reads
I also read three Christmas-themed books in December! All were fantastic but a little out of season now!
- Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey
- The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
- The Holiday Ex-Files by Jennifer Peel
On my TBR:
So I just gave you a lengthy list of what I’ve recently read and now I’m going to give you a much shorter list of what is currently in my “to be read” pile!
Bridgerton Series
Since watching the first season of Bridgerton on Netflix last year, I’ve been wanting to read the books! I recently renewed my library card and the first book I got was the Bridgerton Collection: Volume I, which contains the first three books in the Bridgerton series.
If you’re unfamiliar, Bridgerton is sort of like if Gossip Girl was set among dukes and viscounts and high society in the early 1800s. Intriguing, I know!
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is our book club pick for January/February. We’re reading a romance for February, and I love that! So fun!
Recent Watches
Succession, HBO
Like most of you, I’ve heard so much hype about Succession over the last few months. So much so, that I decided to give it a watch!
There are currently three seasons out. Season three just ended (I think?), so I’m doing my best to avoid spoilers as I’m currently in the middle of season two.
Succession follows the business and personal lives of an extremely wealthy family that owns and runs a media conglomerate in New York City. The father, Logan, owns and runs the company, but each of his children have an agenda to succeed him in the role. And as you can guess, drama ensues!
This show is nuts! In the entire show, I feel like there are few characters that you can truly root for, which is interesting. The characters all make extra questionable life choices, but you’re left rooting for them anyway even thought they always seem to make the wrong decisions.
Another thing I think is nuts is apparently Succession is considered a comedy? At least according to Google it is. In my opinion, it’s drama all the way!
Cheer, Netflix
Yes, the popular docuseries all about competitive cheerleading at Navarro College is BACK for a second season.
Like many of you, I binged the first season of Cheer in early 2020. I sat tensely on my couch hoping they hit all their moves and a that catastrophe didn’t occur.
A lot has happened since that first season came out including sexual assault allegations against one of Navarro’s most recognizable cheerleaders. Season two addresses the allegations head on with powerful interviews and an entire episode dedicated to the topic.
One thing I really liked about season two was that while focusing on Navarro College and their team’s journey to the national championship in Daytona Beach, Florida, this season also highlighted their rival, Trinity Valley Community College. I enjoyed “meeting” the TVCC coaches and the members of their team too.
As long as you can avoid spoilers for who won the national championship, I think this is a fun watch. It’s one of those “don’t have to think shows,” which can be a welcome reprieve during a busy or stressful week.
Upcoming
Beijing 2022 Olympics
You may not know this about me, but I LOVE the Olympics! I’ve already added the Opening Ceremony to my calendar for February 4, 2022!
I cried during the Opening Ceremony for the 2020/2021 Summer Games. I know, I have zero chill. What can I say though, it’s so fun!
My favorite winter sport is ice skating, duh! But I will watch any and all of the sports!
Recent Listens
Matchbox Twenty
Something else you may not know about me is that I’m a Matchbox Twenty fan. I’m actually listening to them as I’m writing this blog post!
Growing up, my Mom had the More Than You Think You Are album. In my memories, we listened to it a lot. But that could just be an embellished memory from my childhood. Who is to say? Except my mom, maybe.
Either way, I’m a big fan! I recently got Spotify Premium, so I’ve been listening to a lot of full albums without having to endure the mandatory shuffle that comes with the free accout.
The Dropout, Podcast
The Dropout is a podcast from ABC News about Elizabeth Holmes and her fraudulent biotech company, Theranos. Years ago, I watched an HBO documentary about this story. With Elizabeth Holmes recently having gone to trial and been found guilty, my interest in the story has resurfaced.
While scrolling Spotify one day, I found The Dropout and decided to give it a listen. The podcast was originally recorded after the chargers were brought against Holmes. With the trail taking place in 2021,new episodes were released, which follow the trial in great detail.
I really like the narrator, who is actually the ABC News chief business, technology and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis. Jarvis does a fantastic job telling the unbelievable story and interviewing past employees who tried to blow the whistle on everything.
If you find true crime (would this be considered true crime?) or high-stakes fraud interesting, give this one a listen!
Phew! There you have it! The things I’ve read, watched, and listened to over the last 2-3 months! I hope you find something enjoyable in these recommendations! If so, please let me know! I’d love to hear from you!
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