Share the books I read in May and whether I would recommend adding them to your collection.
Hello friends! How are you; I hope you are having a great morning so far. I’m back from Dallas – tomorrow I’ll have my first Biohacking Conference post live! – and the kids are at camp today. It’s a full morning of podcast interviews and then I jump on Peloton in a bit.
For today’s post, I wanted to share a list of the books I read last month (and April!). I haven’t had that much time to read lately, but I’m trying to find time since I have about 12 books in the queue right now.
I have done an exciting mentorship through EquiLife and am also studying for High Performance Health Certification (my code is FITNESSISTA if you’re interested in checking it out).
I managed to read a few books in the last couple of months and wanted to share the goods here! I’d love to hear what’s on your summer reading list if you let me know in the comments!
May 2024 Read
Only for the Summer
Justin has a curse: every woman he dates finds their soulmate immediately after they break up, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now widely known. When a woman with the same problem contacts him, they make a plan to date and then break up to cancel their curses, hoping to find their true loves afterwards.
I’ve been a big fan of Abby Jimenez for a while now and can’t wait to read this. It did not disappoint! Her books are the perfect combination of witty banter and heartwarming romance.
9/10.
From Amazon:
Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates finds his soulmate the second they break up. When a woman enters his DMs with the same problem, they hatch a plan: They’ll date and break up. Their curses will cancel each other out and they will go on to find the love of their lives. It’s an awesome idea… and it can work.
Emma hadn’t planned that her next traveling nurse assignment would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that a date with Justin is too good to pass up, especially when they rent an adorable cottage in a private island in Lake Minnetonka.
It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to take custody of his three siblings, they suddenly find themselves navigating a lot more than they bargained for – including getting real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate brought together the perfect couple?
Funny story
Daphne’s life takes an unexpected turn when her fiancé Peter realizes that he is in love with his childhood bestie, Petra. Left in Waning Bay, Michigan, Daphne restarts as a children’s librarian and proposes a roommate arrangement with Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak. Daphne and Miles, despite their differences, form a friendship and hatch a plan to publish misleading photos of their adventures together. This unexpected camaraderie develops into something deeper, complicating Daphne’s new beginning.
I usually love Emily Henry, but I didn’t like this one. I kept waiting for *something* to happen. It was a bit spicy but the story made me bored.
5/10
From Amazon:
Daphne always loved the way her fiance Petros told their story. How they met (on one terrible day), fell in love (with the wrong hat) and returned to his hometown by the lake to start their life together. He was really good at saying it…until he realized he was really in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
So begins Daphne’s new story: Isolated in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, with no friends or family, but a dream job as a children’s librarian (which barely pays the bills) and offers to room with the only person who could understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
Twisted and chaotic—with a tendency to take solace in the sounds of love ballads—Miles is the exact opposite of the practical, buttoned-up Daphne, whose colleagues know so little about her that they bet she’s either the FBI or a witness. PROTECTION. The roommates mostly avoid each other, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also includes posting intentionally misleading photos of their summer adventures together, who could blame them?
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne is actually starting her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s ex-fiancée… right?
The women
In 1965, twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath, inspired by the idea that women can be heroes, leaves her sheltered life in Coronado, California to join the Army Nurse Corps and serve in Vietnam, following her course of her brother.
As inexperienced as the soldiers around her, Frankie faces the chaos and destruction of war, forming deep, yet fragile friendships. Returning to a divided America, he faces angry protesters and a country that wants to forget Vietnam. “The Women” highlights the sacrifices and bravery of women in war, with Frankie’s courage and idealism defining her era and shining a light on the often overlooked contributions of female veterans.
As someone who didn’t know much about Vietnam, this was really impressive to me. I didn’t know how the Veterans were treated upon arrival and it was heartbreaking. I’m a huge Kristin Hannah fan and have read almost all of her novels, and this was definitely in the top 3 for me.
10/10
From Amazon:
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it’s a revelation. Raised in the sunny, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world changes and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships off to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Every day is a bet of life and death, hope and betrayal. friendships are deep and can be broken in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
But the war is only the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle is to return to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
The women it’s the story of a woman who went to war, but it shines a light on all the women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country is too often forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The women is a richly painted story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
Learn Spanish on vacation
We are going to Spain this month so I am trying to practice my Spanish as much as possible. My mother’s family speaks Spanish, but growing up, I always answered in English. I also took Spanish, but we spent so much time studying Spanish but not really conversing, so I never felt very comfortable speaking it, even though I understand it perfectly.
I’m working with a Spanish teacher this year (one of my goals for 2024!) and listening to as much Spanish as possible, through podcasts and music. I enjoyed listening to it at double speed on Audible as a refresher on the most important travel phrases.
I highly recommend it if you have any Spanish speaking trips coming up!
9/10
From Amazon:
Do you get frustrated when you’re on vacation and can’t be understood? Or would you like to be appreciated by the locals and your family for the effort? Maybe you don’t want to come across as the guy who thinks everyone should speak English? If any of these apply to you, then keep reading….
I used to be that guy. We went on vacation to Costa Rica, and in the most remote places we went, not a single person spoke English. I ended up miming things to the confused locals or saying English words very slowly, and I felt really dumb. By the end of the trip, I swore I would never put myself in that situation again. So I decided to create holiday phrase books. I speak Spanish fluently, so on one of our vacations there, I wrote down every phrase I used. What I said at the bakery, the hotel, etc. It’s all in this book.
In large parts of South America or Spain where English is not spoken, the reception you get in the restaurant if you say “Buenas tardes, ¿tienen una mesa para 4 personas, por favor?” instead of mumbling in English, it’s night and day. Imagine how you will feel coming back from the market having bought some good things, speaking only Spanish, with your family looking at you in a new light.
In this audiobook, you will learn:
How to order a beer like a local.
What people will ask you at the rental car check-in.
How to reserve a table for dinner.
What the waiter will definitely ask you
How to request a late checkout.
What will people ask you in supermarkets?
How not to get lost.
How to request the Wi-Fi password (hint: it’s not a “Wi-Fi password”).
And much, much more!
So tell me my friends: what is the best book you’ve read so far this summer?? What’s next on your bucket list?
Summer vacation plans?
xo
Gina
Find more book recommendations here.
