2024 Summer Reading Wrap-Up: 8 Books Reviewed

Ok, it's been almost one year since I read these books and promised a review. I have decided that I am no good at book reviews. This will be quick and simple, no long winded summaries with an out of touch literary analysis to sift through. When I encounter a book review that is several paragraphs long - I SKIP IT. So here are my thoughts on these books.

Financial Feminist: Overcoming the Patriarchy’s Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love, by Tori Dunlap. Financial advice. Tori gives very straightforward and solid financial advice. I think her audience is more geared towards young and single women though. I can definitely use some of her guidelines for budgeting, and I have actually, but overall it has been a little bit harder to implement her strategies for a single income family of five. I love how she smack talks some of the old school yet popular financial advisors, Suze Orman, and Dave Ramsey. Their advice had always left me feeling shameful and beat down. Turns out I was not alone in feeling this way and Tori has some stuff to say about that! Read it if you want good money advice.

The ~~Perfect~~ Marriage, by Jeneva Rose. Psychological/legal thriller. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the “who done it” suspense. I honestly couldn’t guess WHO DONE IT until the last few chapters! I just found out there is a part two out now, which I will for sure be reading. Read it.

Bird by Bird, written by Anne Lamott. Writing advice. I love that her writing advice is straightforward and anecdotal. To be honest I am grasping in the dark reaches of my memory trying to recall anything I found particularly useful from this book. I remember feeling inspired and wanting to write as soon as I finished the book, so that says something I guess. I need to read it again. Read it if you are an English Major.

One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Epic Fiction/Magical Realism. Hmmmm, what should I say about this that won’t get me canceled by serious readers? I am glad I read it, as it is widely considered a classic. I don’t recommend to anyone who is not interested in the literary academic realm. The story is heavy and begs for analysis at every paragraph. I just don’t know if I am intellectual enough to fully appreciate this work the way it needs to be appreciated. Read it if you are an English major.

The Witcher: Sword of Destiny, by Andrzej Sapkowski. High Fantasy. I am in love with the Witcher series. I am on book 3 right now (Blood of Elves) and the world, monsters, complex relationships and morally gray characters just keep me going. The only reason I started on the series is because of Henry Cavill. Leave me alone. Read it if you like Henry Cavill and fantasy stories (ok, even if you aren’t in love with Henry Cavill, still read it).

Edge of Collapse: Book One, by Kyla Stone. Apocalyptic Fiction. End of the world? I am there. I love me an apocalypse story. I have yet to read the rest of this series but they are on my To Be Read list FOR SURE. The main characters are not only an unlikely couple trying to survive a mysterious apocalypse, but they are also being hunted by some psychopath. Read it.

Contact, by Carl Sagan. Science Fiction. One of my all time favorites. I don’t really know why. There is a lot of techy-science-y mumbo jumbo but I like it. Makes me feel nerdy in the best way. I love how the main character is a girl/woman in STEM and I love that Carl Sagan is a real life astronomer that knows a lot about outer space. That’s my true dream job! There are aliens, space travel, sabotage, a tiny bit of romance, and a lot more. Read it.

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text, by Mary Shelley. Gothic Fiction. Uh oh. I haven’t finished this one yet. It’s on my 2025 Summer reading list now. Read it?