This year, I read 87 books. Last year it was 80, the year before (pandemic) it was 96, and the year before that it was 83. I never set reading goals but it’s always interesting to see how the year shakes out. I wasn’t sure if I would net out higher or lower than last year. This year had its stressors (the process of buying my house was very stressy, I escaped into my thrillers!) My reading patterns were ultimately pretty similar to last year. Lots of thrillers and mysteries, per ush. Maybe a little less romance as I am no longer doing the podcast and that was Becca’s genre.

The books I enjoyed the most were of the more literary nature. If I had to pick a favorite book from the whole year it would be Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr. I still think about it – a masterpiece! How many books did you read last year? And what was your favorite?

PS – If you want longer reviews of any of these books, just search The Library. They’re also each reviewed in my monthly reading lists. And if you are looking to read more this year, read this post: How to Read More Books.

PPS – A reminder that this is all subjective. There were books considered great works that I just didn’t enjoy. I am not a literary critic, just a person who likes to read and share my opinions.

PPPS – Check out everything I read in 2021!

Everything I Read in 2022

My Favorite Non-Fiction from This Year.

As with last year, I chose not to rank these – it’s impossible to rank them, they were all really enjoyable!

• Atomic Habits, by James Clear
• Taste, by Stanley Tucci
• Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod
• Dress Code, by Véronique Hyland
• Liking Myself Back, by Jacey Duprie
• Going There, by Katie Couric
• Capote’s Women, by Laurence Leamer
• Mean Baby, by Selma Blair
• Tippi, by Tippi Hedren
• Anna, by Amy Odell
• Burn Rate by Andy Dunn
• Shit, Actually, by Lindy West

My Favorite Thrillers and Suspense from This Year.

1. Notes on an Execution, by Danya Kukafka
2. The Maid, by Nita Prose
3. All These Dangerous Things, by Stacy Willingham
4. Hidden Pictures, by Jason Rekulak
5. All Her Little Secrets, by Wanda M. Morris
6. The Good Sister, by Sally Hepworth
7. The Lies I Tell, by Julie Clark
8. Things We Do In The Dark, by Jennifer Hillier
9. The Cage, by Bonnie Kistler
10. A Flicker in the Dark, by Stacy Willingham
11. When We Were Bright and Beautiful, by Jillian Medoff
12. Stone Cold Fox, by Rachel Koller Croft
13. The Counselors, by Jessica Goodman
14. She Regrets Nothing, by Andrea Dunlop
15. The Prisoner, by B.A. Parris
16. Nothing More to Tell, by Karen M. McManus
17. Can’t Look Away, by Carola T. Lovering
18. Beautiful Little Fools, by Jillian Cantor
19. The Younger Wife, by Sally Hepworth
20. In My Dreams, I Hold a Knife, by Ashley Winstead
21. Stay Awake, by Megan Goldin
22. The It Girl by Ruth Ware
23. Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
24. Run, Rose, Run by James Patterson and Dolly Parton
25. The Lion’s Den, by Katherine St John
26. The Paris Apartment, by Lucy Foley
27. You’re Invited, by Amanda Jayatissa
28. Dear Child, by Romy Hausmann
29. Like a Sister, by Kellye Garrett
30. The Soulmate, by Sally Hepworth
31. Everything We Didn’t Say, by Nicole Baart
32. Reckless Girls, by Rachel Hawkins
33. The Last Housewife, by Ashley Winstead
34. First Born, by Will Dean
35. The Love of my Life, by Rosie Walsh
36. The Club, by Ellery Lloyd
37. The Other Black Girl, by Zakiya Dalila Harris
38. When She Returned, by Lucinda Berry
39. Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten
40. Good Rich People, by Eliza Jane Brazier
41. The Dilemma, by B.A. Paris

My Favorite Light Reads from This Year.

This also includes YA!

1. Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
2. Book Lovers, by Emily Henry
3. Olga Dies Dreaming, by Xochitl Gonzalez
4. Gilt, by Jamie Brenner
5. Meant to Be, by Emily Giffin
6. Silver Girl, by Elin Hilderbrand
7. Anon, Pls. by DeuxMoi and Jessica Goodman
8. Rivals, by Katharine McGee
9. Counterfeit, by Kirsten Chen
10. Sister Stardust, by Jane Green
11. Cover Story, by Susan Rigetti
12. Castles in Their Bones, by Laura Sebastian
13. Meant to Be Mine, Hannah Orenstein
14. City of Likes, by Jenny Mollen
15. The Lifestyle, by Taylor Hahn
16. Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

My Favorite More Serious Fiction from This Year.

This includes Historical Fiction as I didn’t know where to put those!

1. Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr
2. Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson
3. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
4. The Rabbit Hutch, by Tess Gunty
5. The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett
6. Violeta, by Isabel Allende
7. Tell Me How to Be, by Neel Patel
8. Mad Honey, by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
9. A Hundred Summers, by Beatriz Williams
10. The School for Good Mothers, by Jessamine Chan
11. The Christie Affair, by Nina de Gramont 
12. All This Could Be Different, by Sarah Thankam Matthews
13. Aesthetica, by Allie Rowbottom
14. NSFW by Isabel Kaplan
15. A Visit From the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan
16. Mouth to Mouth, by Antoine Wilson
17. The Birdcatcher, by Gayl Jones
18. A Very Nice Girl, by Imogen Cripp

TELL ME YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR IN THE COMMENTS!

The post Everything I Read in 2022, Ranked by Genre. appeared first on The Stripe.

And we are back! Happy New Year, friends. December was a great month of reading. Eight books, a nice little range of genres. A few good thrillers (I am absolutely loving everything Stacy Willingham writes… one of them got an A+!), two National Book Award finalists, a snarky audiobook, and more. I had a lot of time to read over the break which was a treat. As always I would love to hear what you are reading! Give me your recommendations for what to read next in the comments section. And of course don’t forget about The Library where you can filter and sort by genre and rank!

Everything I Read in December 2022

Aesthetica, by Allie Rowbottom

I ordered this book after reading this piece in the New York Times and wound up finishing the book in just a day. It’s haunting, to say the least. Anna is a former influencer who started at 19… moving to LA to become an Instagram model. Now she is 35 years old, working for Sephora (they just say “the black and white store”) and having one big surgery (called Aesthetica) to reverse all the plastic surgery she had when she was young. This is a major surgery, she is essentially risking her life to return to her former self.

Alternating between her 19 year old self in 2017 and her 35 year old self in the future, we visit Anna’s past trauma and her relationship with her former manager/boss Jake. We see her slippery slope of plastic surgery and changing herself to fit a certain aesthetic (the book opens with her getting a bikini wax). We meet her mother and examine that relationship (these parts were especially heartbreaking). The book is very dark and moving (and fortunately completely, drastically different from my own “influencer” experience). I couldn’t put it down. It was unsettling and a train wreck at some parts, but ultimately very good.

Order on Bookshop.com or Amazon // Overall Score: B+

Stone Cold Fox, by Rachel Koller Croft (Out 2/14)

This book is a wild ride. It is not out til February (Valentine’s Day, ha!) but well worth the pre-order. It’s one of those up all night thrillers you won’t be able to put down! It has everything I love in a domestic thriller. A conniving and gold digging con-artist. Old money. Scandal! It is perfect for fans of Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, Julie Clarke, or Liv Constantine. Bea has a traumatic past: being carted around the country by her scammer mother. They never stay in one place too long; she doesn’t even know her real name (or her mother’s real name for that matter!). But Bea is smart and beautiful, has learned the art of swindling men from her mother.

Now, years later, she is determined to marry rich. Not just rich… wealthy, old money. When she sets her eyes on Collin Case (the heir to a giant family company, I thought of Johnson & Johnson), she knows that he is the one. Collin is smitten, but she encounters resistance from his family. Her biggest opponent is his childhood best friend (who is also in love with Collin): Gale Wallace Leicester. Gale quickly proves herself a worthy opponent; smarter and more wily than Bea had expected. Bea has to decide what she really wants and how far she is willing to go to get (and keep) it! Order on Bookshop.com or Amazon // Overall Score: A

The Birdcatcher, by Gayl Jones

I’m going to preface my review by saying that maybe I am just too lowbrow to enjoy this work of literature. It is beautifully written and a National Book Award finalist (amongst other accolades) but it was not my cup of tea. So it gets an A+ for the writing, but a B- for (personal!) enjoyability. So take this review for what it is… the review of someone who loves great writing but values plot over writing. This was just a little too literary for me.

The book takes place primarily on the island of Ibiza. Amanda is a writer (with a past of her own). Her best friend Catherine is a talented sculptor, but Catherine can’t stop trying to kill her husband. Because of this, she is repeatedly institutionalized. Meanwhile, her husband will never leave her! There’s an interesting cast of characters… all mostly artists and writers. There are Amanda’s different lovers (including a Black man whose entire lower body has turned white), a (potentially murderous) painter called Gillette (like the razor), and more. It’s a weird little book but the writing is incredible. While it wasn’t my favorite, I’m still very glad I read it. Order on Bookshop.com or Amazon // Overall Score: B+

A Flicker in the Dark, by Stacy Willingham

This book had come so highly recommended by so many of you — I am so glad that I finally read it, as I could not put it down! Chloe Davis is 32 years old and a psychologist living in Baton Rouge. She owns her own cute home and is planning her wedding with her dreamy husband. But Chloe has a past. Twenty years ago, her father pled guilty to brutally murdering six teenage girls in her home town. When two local girls go missing all these years later, Chloe begins to worry that it’s all happening again and that a copycat killer is on the loose.

She begins to spiral (and thanks to her own substance abuse issues can’t always tell if she is paranoid and delusional or on the verge of helping to solve a series of murders). This is unputdownable! Once I started, I just wanted to stay up all night reading. If you love a good thriller as much as I do, you’re going to want to read this one. Order on Bookshop.com or Amazon // Overall Score: A

All These Dangerous Things, by Stacy Willingham (Out 1/10)

Okay do I have a new favorite author? Potentially! I had to read this after loving A Flicker in the Dark so much. And you know what? This was even better. But be forewarned, there are trigger warnings for postpartum depression and child abuse. Exactly a year ago, Isabelle Drake’s life drastically changed when her 18 month old son Mason was taken from his crib in the middle of the night as her and her husband slept. Since then, Isabelle has dedicated her life to finding her son. But also: she literally cannot sleep. Besides the occasional catnap or temporary blackout, Isabelle hasn’t slept in a year. The loss of her son and lack of sleep has caused her to appear manic and paranoid at times (ultimately causing the demise of her marriage) but she is relentless… she’ll do anything to find Mason.

After speaking at a conference, she meets a true crime podcaster on her flight home. When she learns that his podcast has actually helped to solve cases, she agrees to go on. But as Waylon (podcaster) asks more and more questions (especially about Isabel’s past), she becomes uncomfortable, starting to question herself. This book has it all. So many great twists and turns, an unreliable narrator, and other things I can’t tell you about. I absolutely loved it. A++++! Order on Bookshop.com or Amazon // Overall Score: A+

Shit, Actually, by Lindy West

Okay, I mostly loved this book but admittedly, found myself a little irritated at it at some points. I think that the author’s sense of humor (relentlessly snarky) may just not be for me. I listened to it via audiobook and her tone was… a lot! And I feel like if I had just read it as a paper book, I would have enjoyed it more. I liked the book but found the author’s tone to be condescending! But, that might not come through so much, just reading it in print I think if I read it myself (vs listening to the author), it would seem more silly than snarky.

That critique aside, I netted out positive overall and found it very funny most of the time. She systematically (and smartly) takes down all of our favorite films. Love, Actually. The Lion King. Harry Potter. Forrest Gum. The Notebook. Twilight. Garden State. Nothing is safe. I particularly enjoyed her thoughts on American Pie, (wow that really was a terrible movie!). I did notice that she didn’t go after Nancy Meyers and for that, I’m thankful. Also, I found myself a little burnt out by the book by the end but ultimately enjoyed it. It is nostalgic and made me rewatch The Fugitive! Not the most convincing of reviews, but an honest one? Order on Bookshop.com or Amazon // Overall Score: B+

Tell Me How to Be, by Neel Patel

This is a very good book. I think it would be a great movie. The story is equal parts heartwarming, funny, and sad. It’s a family story, a coming of age story, a coming out story. It’s about identity, both in a culture and sexuality sort of sense. The book alternates between the perspective of mother and son, a year after the father’s death. Renu Amin has had a charmed life – married to a wealthy doctor who adored her. A year after his death she finds herself a bit lost. binge watching soap operas and pining for an old love. Meanwhile, her son Akash is struggling. He drinks too much, he’s broke, he’s gay — but afraid to come out to his family for fear of losing their love.

Now, they are all back in the family house (with Akash’s brother Bijal) which has been sold as Renu is picking up and moving back to be with her family in London. As they pack up the house, secrets come out and resentments brew. Akash compares himself constantly to his golden, seemingly perfect older brother. Renu fantasizes about what her life could have been like if she’d married her first love. Akash resorts to destructive behavior. I won’t tell you how it ends but I loved this book and found myself in tears at the end. Order at Target // Overall Score: A

All This Could Be Different, by Sarah Thankam Matthews

I picked up this book as it was a 2022 National Book Award Finalist and I had seen it highly recommended all over the place and compared to (a queer version of) Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. The writing is beautiful, at times it is funny, but at other times it is very hard to read and upsetting. It starts as a love story and becomes a story about friendship and community.

Our protagonist, Sneha, graduates college into the Obama era recession. She is queer, Indian, and holding a lot of family secrets. Sneha manages to get an entry-level consulting job where she is earning enough money to send money back to her family. She makes a new friend Tig via a dating app. She dates… eventually meeting and falling for a beautiful dancer called Marina. All the while, despite desperately craving closeness she keeps everyone at arms length… and her family life separate from her personal life (even going so far to tell Marina that her very much alive parents are dead). When things go belly up (her boss stops paying her, her friends are laid off, she must move out of her apartment), the book grows tender as Sneha and her friend group become the glue that holds each other together.

This book is really sad at times (I found the last few pages particularly heartbreaking) but it’s extremely touching. My biggest takeaway from it is that no matter how hard things get, they’ll always be okay if you have your friends and people to lean on.Order on Bookshop.com or Amazon // Overall Score: A-

The post Everything I Read in December 2022. appeared first on The Stripe.

This was (again!) a lighter month of reading, but I really (really!) enjoyed everything I read. Just five books, but can say with full confidence: they are all absolute must-reads for different reasons. Especially The Rabbit Hutch. I finished that yesterday and wow – it’s a masterpiece – I can see why it won the National Book Award! (PS – Check out The Library for even more books — you can filter by grade and genre to find your next favorite book!)

Everything I Read in November 2022

All Her Little Secrets, by Wanda M. Morris

I really loved this book… utterly unputdownable! Ellice Littlejohn has pulled herself up from a rough childhood (she grew up poor, in a small Georgia town with an alcoholic mother and an abusive stepfather). Now, she seemingly has it all: a gorgeous condo and a well-paying job as a corporate attorney. A bit complicated as she’s sleeping with her (married) boss Michael, but doing well overall. When she finds Michael shot dead in his office (and walks away like nothing has happened), her life is upended.

First, she is promoted to his role. The dream… except it feels icky and too fast. Things continue to get weirder. The entire executive team misses Michael’s funeral for a party. The cops are investigating his death as a homicide. And Ellice’s secrets start to come out. (Like her brother Sam – who has done time in jail – what was he doing in Ellice’s office building the morning of Michael’s murder!?) This book is fast paced and twisty, but also an exploration of race + racist behavior in the workplace. I couldn’t put it down and would highly recommend it. I also can’t believe it is Wanda M. Morris’s debut novel – she just released her second book and I ordered it on the spot! Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

Silver Girl, by Elin Hilderbrand

An older book (from 2011) but a good one. This had been sitting in my TBR pile for ages. I picked it up during the move because Elin Hilderbrand’s novels never disappoint, they are also always just so extremely satisfying! And heartwarming: I wanted heartwarming. This one surrounds a Ruth Madoff type of character. Meredith Delinn is the most hated woman in America. Her husband, Freddy, has been caught running a massive Ponzi scheme and thousands of people have lost everything because of him. Now, Meredith has absolutely nothing.. just one box of belongings. She heads to Nantucket to hide out at her childhood best friend Connie’s home in Nantucket.

This book has everything. There is a redemption angle for Meredith as she works to prove that she didn’t know about her husband’s antics, there’s Connie and Meredith’s friendship, there’s a mother daughter thing, there is two romances, and so much more. I really loved this book. The ending felt like a warm hug. It’s up there with The Blue Bistro in terms of favorite Elin Hilderbrand books. Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

Anon, Pls. by DeuxMoi and Jessica Goodman

If you are a fan of the DeuxMoi account (who isn’t!) I think you will gobble this book right up! It’s such a fun read. It is a fictional telling of how the account may or may not have been founded, and I couldn’t put it down! Cricket Lopez is the assistant to one of the most notorious (mean, abusive) celebrity stylists. One night, she is a bit tipsy and decides to turn her old instagram account into a source for celebrity gossip. What happens next is amazing. The account takes off, nearly overnight. The account turns into a giant success and everyone is trying to figure out.. “Who exactly is DeuxMoi!?”

She’s approached by investors who want to buy the account, she is terrified of losing her anonymity (as are her friends: they’re all in the same industry and if she’s “outed,” their jobs are at stake too!). Meanwhile, she’s spreading herself thin, disappearing at work, etc. I really enjoyed the book. It made me nostalgic for being young in New York… it was fun and fast paced and reminded me a bit of a Devil Wears Prada for the digital age! Overall Score: A- // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

Book Lovers, by Emily Henry

Emily Henry is one of those authors who makes me think… “hmm, maybe I do like romance novels!?” And then I read something by someone am else and am back to murders the next day. Her books are just.. such treats. I loved this one because it poked fun of romance novels a bit, and also: the characters were so likable and relatable. You probably know this by now but one of the reasons I tend to stay away from reading romance is that the female characters are always a little bit pathetic/messy… and/or younger which is fine but I am 41 and just don’t want to read about a messy twenty-something who needs to be rescued.

Our leading lady, Nora, is a book agent and a bit of a workaholic in her thirties. In her words, “the one who gets dumped” by her boyfriends who leave her to marry an innkeeper’s daughter or trade city living for the country. She is, as she puts it, the Christmas movie villain on the Peloton bike. When her younger sister Libby (who Nora has always watched out for after their mother died when they were younger) suggests they take a break to spend a month in Sunshine Falls (just outside of Asheville), all bets are off. Especially when Nora runs into her nemesis Charlie Lastra (an equally workaholic book editor). Maybe he’s not as bad as he seems.

This book is the perfect romance. It was cheesy at times but in an enjoyable way. I got choked up at the end which is not something that usually happens. I couldn’t love it more! Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

The Rabbit Hutch, by Tess Gunty

I ordered this immediately when I saw that it had won the National Book Award for Fiction but wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it. I ended up loving it – it’s creative, sad, and funny all at once. It’s set over the course of one hot summer week in the town of Vacca Vale, Indiana in a low income housing complex, known as The Rabbit Hutch. The town was once a bustling industrial center but now that’s dried up — though the factories may become the homes for new startups, giving Vacca Vale a second chance that not everyone wants. The book introduces us to its many residents. Three teenage boys who have gotten into animal sacrifice. A new mother who is afraid of her son’s eyes. An obituary writer. Plus, the son of a beloved actress (who maybe shouldn’t have been as beloved, after all).

The real star of the book is Blandine, a young woman (living with the three teenage boys who she can’t stand). The four of them met in a foster care rehab program (after aging out of the system) and decided to live together on a whim. Blandine has secrets. Why did she drop out of her prestigious high school? I will say no more than that but I couldn’t put this one down. The writing is intoxicating and the way that each character’s story weaves together is incredible. Overall Score: A+ // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

The post Everything I Read in November 2022. appeared first on The Stripe.

This was a lighter month of reading (between moving and travel and work being really busy I just haven’t had as much time to read as I usually do), but still a very solid month of reading. A lot of thrillers. You can tell I’m stressed by how many thrillers I read in a month… they are my favorite escape. My friends tease me for this but for me, reading something dark and/or stressful distracts me from my own stressors!

The two standouts this month for me were definitely Mad Honey and The Cage. Both kept me up at night reading – for very different reason! I really enjoyed them both. Lastly, as you may recall, I keep all book reviews over in The Library too. This page is updated in real time as I read and finish books You can search and filter by genre or grade to easily find your next perfect book. Tell me what to read next in the comments!

PS – check out last month’s reading list!

Everything I Read in October 2022

Mad Honey, by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

This is a really important book but the annoying thing is that if I told you the secondary (and possibly most important) thing this book is about, it would ruin a big twist. This is exactly what my mom told me, which was annoying but I’m glad she didn’t tell me! There is a trigger warning for domestic abuse. Olivia McAfee is a beekeeper living in New Hampshire with her high school age son, Asher. They live a small but idyllic life. Asher is madly in love with his girlfriend Lily, Olivia has found happiness (after an abusive marriage) with her bees and small town life. Asher’s girlfriend Lily has secrets of her own. When the unthinkable happens (Lily has been found dead) and Asher is brought in for questioning, more secrets come out.

The book alternates between the perspective of Olivia and Lily and is utterly unputdownable. Alternating between past and present and taking us through Asher’s court trial and the verdict, I was on the edge of my seat. I really loved it. I cried a few times… it’s very sad, but also suspenseful. As with everything Jodi Picoult writes, it’s impeccably researched, too. Highly recommend this one! Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

This month’s thrillers

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

I am so conflicted on this one! On the one hand, it took me about a hundred and fifty pages to get into it (I came so close to DNFing it but had heard such rave reviews). On the other hand, once I got into it I really enjoyed it. I thought the plot and structure of the novel were both really creative and unique; it had some great twists and I LOVED the ending.

Here is the premise. Kelly and Jen have a teenage son (Todd) together. Todd is, by all accounts, very sweet and a total rule follower/do-gooder. One night, Todd commits a terrible murder, which Kelly and Jen witness. It is gruesome and awful, and the end of the beautiful life their family has built together. The next day, Jen wakes up and it is the day before. The next day, it’s the day before that. She is stuck in some sort of wild time loop. Can she stop the murder? Can she figure out what happened to unravel her family’s secrets? Is anyone who she thought they were? I would definitely recommend this but just be prepared for it to take a bit to get into. Once you’re in, you’ll be hooked. Overall Score: B+ // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

The Cage, by Bonnie Kistler

This is one of those thrillers that you think about for weeks after finishing it. It had me on the edge of my seat with my stomach tied in knots until the very last page. Here is the premise: two women at a glamorous New York fashion behemoth are in an elevator that gets stuck together. Only one walks out alive. Was it murder or was it suicide?

The book then alternates between the perspective of the general counsel at the firm they work together and Shea: the women who got out alive. We get to know Shea and how down on her luck she is. In the 2008 recession both she and her husband lost their high-paying jobs and with that lost everything: their credit, their home, their wardrobes… their dignity. There is also a big mystery and a scandal at the company. I don’t want to say too much but this is definitely worth picking up… I really loved it! Overall Score: A // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

Stay Awake, by Megan Goldin

This book was torture to read at times as it felt like the story would/could never be resolved! This one is very complex, so be prepared to have to pay very good attention at all times. I had some bad airplane delays and was grateful to have this with me as it totally captured every ounce of my attention. Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi cab. She has blacked out and has no idea where she is. STAY AWAKE is written on her skin. She looks for her phone and that’s gone — replaced by a bloody knife. When she asks the taxi driver to take her home, a stranger answers and tells her that she no longer lives there. She’s disoriented and can’t remember anything. She knows she is a good person, but all signs point to her being the murderer.

The book alternates between the present and two years ago where Liv was a successful magazine writer living with her good friend. But now she is on the run and can’t remember anything. This was really stressful to read but also so satisfying. I definitely recommend it. Overall Score: A- // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

The Soulmate, by Sally Hepworth

I love Sally Hepworth’s books and was so excited when I received an an advance copy in the mail. Pippa is married to Gabe, the love of her life. Their marriage has had its ups and downs but they are happy, living in a beautiful coastal town, nestled atop the cliffs. Unfortunately, the cliffs have become a popular place for people to come to end their life. Gabe has developed something of a reputation for being a rescuer… literally, talking people off of a ledge.

Then one day, it doesn’t work and a woman falls to her death. When Pippa realizes that Gabe actually knew the victim, questions arise and secrets come out. Pippa begins to wonder if she has been just turning a blind eye to her husband’s bad behavior… questioning if she ever really knew him at all. The book is told from both the perspective of Pippa and the dead woman. I enjoyed this but I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. But still, worth reading. Everything Sally Hepworth writes is excellent. (If you were curious/wondering, The Mother-in-Law and The Good Sister remain two of my favorites!!!) Overall Score: B+ // Order on Amazon or Bookshop.org

The post Everything I Read in October 2022. appeared first on The Stripe.

This month’s reading list is a little bit lighter than usual. It was a more TV and movie heavy month. But also, I read my friend Becca’s manuscript (it’s so good!) and chose to remove my review of Carrie Soto is Back after watching this reel by Tomes & Textiles. So this month’s list is small but mighty! Two great non-fiction reads, two thrillers, and one very fun light read. I would say that Token Black Girl and Gilt were this month’s two standouts.

As always, I keep all book reviews over in The Library as well. You can search and filter by genre or grade to easily find your next perfect book. Tell me what to read next in the comments!

PS – Everything I read in August!

Everything I Read in September 2022

Non-Fiction

Token Black Girl by Danielle Prescod

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in a single day because I could not stop reading. If you are not familiar with Danielle Prescod, she has held some amazing jobs in fashion media and now runs her own consulting practice 2BG alongside Chrissy Rutherford. This is her memoir: of growing up Black in an all white environment, working in fashion (you know I gobble up a fashion girl memoir), tokenism, disordered eating, being too Black, not being Black enough, racism, sexism, and size-ism. It is heartbreaking and difficult to read at times, bitingly funny at others… and ultimately: extremely honest and vulnerable.

She takes us all the way through her childhood (where so much of her identity is whitewashed as she tries to fit in with her white peers), through school where she felt that she had to make herself “perfect” by starving herself and getting painful chemical hair treatments every two months, through college (and finding herself turning into a mean girl), through her career in beauty and fashion. I really think that every person in fashion and media should read this book. Or any white person, really. I loved that besides being personal, it was also educational. I’m not the best at keeping up with pop culture and there was some really racist shit I definitely missed. I loved this book.

I will add that there is one trigger warning for eating disorders:

Danielle is very honest about her eating disorder and the recovery process and know that can be triggering for some. (On a personal note, years and years ago I went to the same nutritionist that she did and I am still impacted by my experience: although rather than triggering I found a lot of comfort knowing that it wasn’t just me.) Overall Score: A+ // Buy it on Bookshop or Amazon.

Burn Rate by Andy Dunn

I had been eagerly anticipating this one as I worked in the startup world during Bonobos’ peak era – we were watching everything they did. I had seen Andy Dunn speak a few times and knew quite a bit about him from mutual friends, and was really curious what his book would be like. This is his memoir – of founding (and building Bonobos) and his experiences as a person living with bipolar disorder. Entrepreneurship and mental health. I have to be honest, I like him more after reading this. It’s really vulnerable, raw, and honest — I think a lot of people will benefit from his experience. He isn’t afraid to admit where he makes mistakes and we also see the prevalence of mental health in the startup community. (It takes a very specific personality both when it comes to creativity, performance, drive, etc. to found a startup.)

The book follows him from college where he had a scary manic episode through graduate school (where he sweeps it under the rug, seeing his diagnosis as an unspeakable shame) through founding and ultimately selling Bonobos. I enjoyed it. The startup/entrepreneurship parts and bits about living in New York were nostalgic for me and I appreciated his vulnerability. Overall Score: B+ // Buy it on Bookshop or Amazon.

Thrillers

Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten

This came recommended to me (actually in a funny way, a bookstagrammer tagged me saying thank you for the recommendation but I had not read or recommended it) and I only netted out medium. Kate O’Brien is a scholarship student at an elite New York City girls’ school with a singular goal: getting into Yale. She works two jobs and lives in a basement room in Chinatown. With a secretive past and no one to support her but herself, she has learned to take care of herself no matter what she has to do. She will lie and charm her way to the top. When she meets wealthy, damaged Olivia Sumner, she’s found her mark. Pretty soon, she is living with Olivia in her Upper East Side penthouse and the two are best friends… sisters they never had.

Enter Mark Redkin, the handsome new head of fund-raising for their school. Olivia becomes smitten (and very fixated on Redkin) in a dangerous way. Redkin has the power to destroy everything that Kate has worked for, and that is when things get very dark (and start to go off the rails). I enjoyed reading this but I felt it went a little too far. It was entertaining but with so many great books out there, I’d say that you can probably skip this one! Overall Score: B // Buy it on Bookshop or Amazon.

When She Returned, by Lucinda Berry

I cannot for the life of me remember who told me to read this but it sounded right up my alley: a woman (wife and mother Kate Bennett) vanishes into thin air one day; leaving behind her husband and 5 year old daughter. There are no signs of struggle, even her purse is just neatly left on the passenger seat of her car in a parking lot. Eleven years later she shows up at a Montana gas station: haggard, with scars all over her body, clutching a baby. Meanwhile, her husband Scott has moved on and remarried… and her daughter Abbi barely remembers her mother. The story alternates between then (told by Kate) and now (told by Abbi and Meredith – the new wife).

As the family takes Kate in and attempts to reintegrate her into society, we learn more and more about what happened to Kate. Sinister secrets, abuse, etc. I felt that this started really strong but kind of fell apart. There are holes in the story and the ending felt a little bit lazy / off the rails to me. I still enjoyed it but was let down by the last twenty percent of the book. I would still recommend it (especially if you love thrillers about cults) but I only netted out medium on this one! Overall Score: B // Buy it on Bookshop or Amazon.

Lighter Reads

Gilt, by Jamie Brenner

My mom read this and told me that I had to read it because she knew I would love it. (She was right, as always!) Set between New York City and Cape Cod (my two homes/favorite places besides Charleston), it was just so good! The Pavlin family has built a jewelry empire based on love but (all thanks to a PR stunt years ago), its family is divided. Two sisters aren’t speaking to each other, one is dead, and the one grandchild is estranged from everyone and living in poverty. When Gemma Maybrook graduates from college she has one goal: to track down her mother’s famous engagement ring, the Electric Rose (a 30 karat pink diamond). Orphaned after a tragic accident, it is all she has left of her mother.

Meanwhile, her aunt Elodie is trying to auction off the family’s most precious jewels and her other aunt, Celeste has escaped to Cape Cod. A series of events bring them together and secrets come out. This book is packed with twists and turns and a very satisfying ending. I loved it. It’s the perfect feel good read. Overall Score: A- // Buy it on Bookshop or Amazon.

The post Everything I Read in September 2022. appeared first on The Stripe.

It was a solid month of reading! 8 books. 7 of which are thrillers (the heart wants what the heart wants), plus a historical fiction gem. I really loved everything I read this month but if I had to really edit down the list, I would say (if you love thrillers/suspense as much as I do) that When We Were Bright and Beautiful and Hidden Pictures were the two can’t miss reads of the month. But truly, everything on the list is worth reading… it is a rare month where everything receives an A- or above!

As always, I also put these reviews in The Library, where you can easily search and filter (by “grade” or genre!). I update this page in real time!

Tell me what you are reading in the comments – I love love love your recommendations!

Everything I Read in August 2022

Seven Thrillers…

You’re Invited, by Amanda Jayatissa

This book was a wild ride. The book opens with Amaya being invited to her ex-best friend Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka. There are only a few hitches. Amaya and Kaavi haven’t spoken in years (we don’t know why but we know something bad happened) and the groom is Amaya’s ex-boyfriend. Kaavi is now a social media influencer (and the founder of a charity that helps underprivileged girls). Amaya becomes consumed with one thought: she must stop the wedding from happening. We have it all: an unreliable narrator, a glamorous locale, best friends turned enemies… I could go on. Things take a turn when Kaavi goes missing.

The book alternates between past, present, plus police transcripts. Kaavi is presumed dead and Amaya is the man suspect. But as we see throughout the book, Kaavi has made some other enemies and Amaya (as unlikeable as she is throughout a large chunk of the book) may not be to blame after all. I guessed part of the ending but tore through this in 24 hours… I needed to know what happened! Absolutely loved it. Order on Amazon or Bookshop. // Overall Score A-

The Paris Apartment, by Lucy Foley

This book sat in my TBR pile for wayyyyy too long. I’m glad I finally picked it up and read it! Based on my DMs, this was a polarizing one. People either really loved it or just… hated it? I was of the camp of really loving it! I thought it was twisty and well written. And the plot felt really creative and fresh to me! I don’t want to tell you too much about it for fear of giving things away so I am going to keep the plot summary light.

A young woman (Jess) is in need of a fresh start. She flees to Paris to crash with her half brother Ben for a bit, only to find that maybe he’s got some secrets of his own. First of all, the apartment building he’s been living in is stunning and huge: how could Ben possibly have afforded this on his journalist salary!? Second, he seems to have gone missing. He’s nowhere to be found and has left his wallet, keys, and Vespa behind. Third, his neighbors are… interesting… and want absolutely nothing to do with Jess. As she digs into his disappearance and tries to figure out what has happened to him, secrets about the building and its residents begin to unwind.

I won’t tell you any more, but this book is a wild ride. I really enjoyed it and definitely did not see where it was going. Order on Amazon or Bookshop. // Overall Score A-

When We Were Bright and Beautiful, by Jillian Medoff

First of all, I really loved this book. Loved might not be the right word: it is extremely dark. I read it in a single Sunday. Second, there is a pretty major content warning for sexual assault. But wow. This book. It was described to me as Gone Girl meets Gossip Girl which if you know me, makes for an absolute must read. The Quinn family is New York City royalty. Living in the historic Valmont building (described by the narrator as basically being ten mansions stacked on top of each other), the three kids want for nothing and have seemingly perfect lives. The best of everything… elite boarding schools and colleges, everything they could ever want. But when the youngest sibling, Billy is accused of sexual assault by his ex-girlfriend Diana, the perfect facade begins to crumble.

The book is narrated by the middle child, Cassie, who has secrets of her own. The family knows that Billy must be innocent: he’s their golden boy, he’d never go that far. But Cassie can’t understand why Diana would go so far to ruin his life. Meanwhile, Cassie has secrets of her own: an affair with a powerful married man. As the case goes to court, Cassie and her family are determined to do everything they can to protect Billy. Even if it means taking the stand and exposing their own darkest secrets. This one is really, really dark. But unputdownable. I felt sick at times. But I could not stop reading. I think this would make a great book club book (if everyone is okay with the content warning) as it would make for some pretty intense conversations afterward. Order on Amazon or Bookshop. // Overall Score: A

Hidden Pictures, by Jason Rekulak

OK I loved this book. I usually reserve A+ ratings for more literary “good” books but this is my favorite thriller in a while. It was just… unputdownable! I stayed up all night as I needed to know what happened. It was twisty, it was dark, it even had a supernatural element. I don’t want to say too much more than that for fear of giving anything away (there are so many twists!) so here is a little plot synopsis.

Mallory is twenty years old and a recovering addict. At one point, she had her whole life ahead of her but we know that something bad enough happened to get her addicted to heroin. Fresh out of rehab, her sponsor gets her a job babysitting for an affluent family outside of Philadelphia. She loves her job. The child, Teddy, is a delight and she quickly bonds with the family. Plus, she has the stability she craves and after work she can focus on her running.

Things start to unravel as Teddy begins drawing very dark photos. A man dragging a woman’s body through the dirt. A woman being buried alive. As the stick figure drawings evolve into more elaborate drawings (that a 5 year old could never draw), Mallory is convinced that a spirit is channeling Teddy’s body to tell a story. But with her precarious background, will anyone believe her? This was SUCH a page turner. I loved it so much and want everyone to read it! Order on Amazon or Bookshop. // Overall Score: A+

The Lion’s Den, by Katherine St John

This one came out in early 2021 and has been sitting in my TBR pile ever since. I don’t know why it took me so long to pick it up, but I’m glad I did! I’ll also flag that this book would be the perfect summer beach read (not all thrillers are beach reads but this one, set aboard yacht in the Mediterranean) is perrrrfect for the beach. Belle is a struggling actress/bartender living in LA. When her glamorous (but gold digging) best friend Summer invites her on an all expenses paid cruise on her wealthy, MUCH older boyfriend’s yacht, of course she says yes. But as soon as they board his private jet, she realizes things are amiss.

Their passports are taken. John (Summer’s boyfriend) is extremely controlling. They realize they are being locked in their bedrooms at night. And Summer is not the friend she thought she was. Belle (and Summer’s other friends) begin to wonder if they will make it off this boat alive. This is fast paced and fun, I felt really lucky to have it with me when my flight was stuck on the runway for an extra two hours because of rain; it was the perfect distraction. I found it really enjoyable and I loved the ending! Order on Amazon or Bookshop. // Overall Score: A-

Nothing More to Tell, by Karen M. McManus

If you have followed a while, you probably know that I am a big fan of Karen M. McManus’s books. While I don’t read much YA these days, I feel like she writes YA for adults. Books about teenagers behaving badly that adults will still really enjoy. You get that high school nostalgia, but it’s not cutesy or saccharine: instead there is a complex mystery.. riddled with suspense (that will keep even the most sharp-witted adult on the edge of their seat!). This might be my favorite of all her books!

Brynn left Saint Ambrose five years ago… just after the shocking murder of her favorite teacher. The story made headlines after the body was found by three students. Brynn has now moved home and has landed her dream internship for a true-crime show. She becomes fixated on the case and finding out what really happened to Mr. Larkin. But as she digs deeper (along with Tripp – her former close friend turned enemy turned maybe friend again – who was one of the students who found the body), secrets are unraveled. Was her favorite teacher who she thought he was? Is Tripp who he says he is? I loved this. Couldn’t put it down. The second half especially… I stayed up late to finish it which you know is a good sign! Order on Amazon or Bookshop. // Overall Score: A-

The Prisoner, by B.A. Parris (Out 11/1/22)

I really loved Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris (and sadly haven’t loved anything else she’s written quite as much The Therapist was good, The Dilemma was not). And then this came along. This is a true “read it in a day” thriller. And if you liked Behind Closed Doors as much as I did, I think you will really like this! I started it on my flight from Charleston to Atlanta, and finished it on the second flight from Atlanta to LA. I couldn’t put it down. It’s fast-paced and not very long.

Amelie has had a hard life but through determination and grit, pulled herself up from poverty into a comfortable life. Orphaned at age 17, she moves to London, determined to make it on her own and eventually go to college and study law. When she finds herself down on her luck and homeless, she meets a wealthy woman who takes her in and gives her a job and friendship. Four years later, she has a tight-knit group of friends and is working for a popular magazine. She’s also married to a handsome billionaire. A true rags to riches story. Until she is kidnapped. Kept in a pitch-black room, uncertain of who captured her (or why?).

And maybe most perplexing: why does she feel safer there than with her husband? This is a fun, fast read. Not out til November but well worth the pre-order… just be sure to clear a whole day to read it! Order on Amazon or Bookshop. // Overall Score: A-

…and one Historical Fiction!

A Hundred Summers, by Beatriz Williams

This is kind of like… Historical fiction Gossip Girl? It’s a very fun summer read and had sat in my to-read pile for way too long (I think since living in Brooklyn, maybe!) Sad as Beatriz Williams is a favorite of mine. This is set in the 1930’s. Lily Dane has headed to summer at her family home in Seaview, RI. Her family has been going for years and it’s a refuge for her from New York’s social scene. She’s still reeling from a devastating heartbreak 7 years ago; and has kind of (in her twenties, mind you) committed to the spinster life – taking care of her younger sister and spending time with her family.

Her peaceful bliss is interrupted when her former best friend Budgie and her former fiancé Nick (now married!) also return to Seaview… and chaos erupts. When a massive hurricane strikes, family secrets come out, and all bets are off. I loved this. It was juicy and salacious but also glamorous in that Gatsby-ish kind of way. Definitely a must-read, I’m ashamed that it took me so long to read it. Order on Amazon or Bookshop. // Overall Score: A-

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Immy Humes (the author, also an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker) was initially inspired by a group photograph of all male directors with one lone female – radical filmmaker Shirley Clarke as she celebrated her first feature in 1961. Clarke was often described as “the only woman filmmaker” of her time. Why her?

This led her down a rabbit hole. Humes became fixated, which eventually led to her creating this book: over a hundred group portraits where there is only one woman. The portraits, together, make for such a powerful visual statement. Athletes, artists, activists, chefs, doctors, factory workers, even astronauts, and even criminals! It’s a great coffee table book (and an even better gift) as it will make for some really good conversations… you’ll learn a lot, too.

And don’t just take my recommendation: Gloria Steinem endorsed it too: ‘The Only Woman dramatizes the high price of tokenism.’

The post The Only Woman. appeared first on The Stripe.

OK, first of all! Based on the feedback from last month’s reading list, we are going back to the old format (full reviews in the blog post!)

I have to tell you, last month was such a home run for books; but the first two books I read this month I was just medium on (City of Likes) /didn’t like (The Lifestyle). I was worried that I was in a book slump (ever have that happen where you hate everything you read?).

Fortunately, Things We Do in the Dark redeemed those books. It was so good. That broke me out of the mini-rut. Everything else I read this month was great. The best book (far and away!) this month was Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I found that one to be exceptional. A must-read, if you ask me. (And no, you don’t have to be into video games to enjoy it!) Read on for reviews of everything I read this past month, and don’t forget: all book reviews are saved (and sort-able) over in The Library!

What are you reading?!! Share your recs in the comments.

Everything I Read in July 2022

City of Likes, by Jenny Mollen

I was excited to read this as it has pretty much dominated my Instagram feed for the past several weeks. I enjoyed it and read it in under 24 hours (it’s just over 250 pages so it’s a pretty quick read). Megan is a frazzled, unemployed mother who is new to New York City. Her husband is the head of membership for a Soho-like club and she manages to get a low paying copywriter job. When she meets Daphne Cole (a beautiful and stylish mom-fluencer), she is taken into Daphne’s world; and Daphne takes her under her wing! Suddenly Megan has a new group of friends, a new wardrobe, and is becoming an influencer herself. But all that glitters isn’t gold; her relationship with her husband becomes strained and other elements of her life suffer. It’s a satire and it is very biting.

If you read it as a satire and just laugh, it is very funny – and dark! It’s not just a satire about influencers though, it tackles so many of the grosser parts of New York (private schools, the moms, the social scene, startup culture, etc) too. I will say that I think because I am an influencer, I get irritated by these horrible stereotypes with influencers behaving badly. I found both women to be deeply unlikeable for different reasons. Daphne was terrible, but Megan got swept up in it and was annoying in her own right.

There is a big part of me that wishes a book could have an influencer character that is just a normal girl, but that just wouldn’t sell books. Anyway, this is a fun fast read, perfect for the beach or a book club; you’d have a lot to talk about! Order on Amazon or Bookshop // Overall Score: B+

The Lifestyle, by Taylor Hahn

The premise of this one intrigued me: three married couples in New York decide to take up swinging. Georgina’s husband has cheated on her and she becomes convinced that swinging will help them save their marriage. She convinces her two best friends (who she’s convinced need to be together) to join her. When she runs into an old flame at one of the parties, all bets are off. Friends.

I really didn’t like this book. I’m not being a prude here (the swinging / sex party parts were interesting – probably the most interesting part of the book), and it had its heartwarming moments, but I didn’t relate to any of the characters and I especially could not stand Georgina. I found her to be hypocritical and uptight and just a mess. And that came out as part of the plot but I just… didn’t enjoy the book. Also, the ending. Without giving spoilers away… two characters that end up together… it made absolutely zero sense whatsoever. You can skip this one. Again, parts were enjoyable and interesting but mostly it just annoyed me and made me mad. Order on Amazon or Bookshop // Overall Score: B–

Things We Do In The Dark, by Jennifer Hillier

Oh wow, I absolutely loved this. It took maybe 50 pages to get into but once I did, I couldn’t stop reading. One of those books where you resent work or plans or anything keeping you away from the book! Please note: there are trigger warnings for abuse (child abuse, sexual abuse). It opens up with Paris Peralta being accused of murdering her (much older, very wealthy) famous husband. She’s arrested in her own bathroom, covered in his blood, so we, the readers aren’t even sure whether she is innocent. But Paris has even bigger problems: her past is full of dark secrets and one woman (Ruby Reyes, who committed a similar crime) knows them all and is threatening to expose her. Paris has to prove her innocence and confront her past… in some sort of order.

The book is so much more than a thriller. Without giving anything away it’s the story of perseverance, friendship, and so much more. It’s told in different segments. First, of course, there is Paris. We get to know her and also understand her relationship with her husband. Then, there is Ruby’s (now dead) daughter Joey – we learn her story. Lastly, there’s Joey’s best friend Drew (now a true crime podcaster). The stories come together beautifully, with lots of twists and turns. This book really kept me on my toes! Order on Amazon or Bookshop // Overall Score: A

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

First of all, I really love Ruth Ware. Any time she has a new one out, it gets a pre-order from me. I ordered this without knowing anything about it and when I started reading, I was initially a little bummed out as it felt similar to so many books I’ve read recently. There is an In My Dreams I Hold a Knife trope going around right now where a girl is murdered in college and then years later her friends solve the case (and usually, the killer is one of the friends). This follows that sort of trope but I really loved the ending – it really got me! As a serial thriller reader, I often find myself guessing the ending so I appreciated that.

April Clarke-Clivedon was the It Girl at Oxford. Vivacious, smart, beautiful, clever, and a bit of a prankster… she dazzles everyone in her orbit. Hannah Jones is her roommate and the two quickly become inseparable, developing a tightly knit group of friends. But by the end of the year, April is dead. Flash forward ten years later and Hannah is now married to Will (April’s old boyfriend). The man (John Neville) who had been convicted of killing April (a creepy but potentially innocent porter at Oxford) has died in prison.

Hannah feels she can finally put the past behind her.. but her world is rocked when a journalist presents evidence to her that Neville might have been innocent and they could have put the wrong person in jail. Hannah becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened ten years ago; unraveling a web of lies, secrets, and discovering she may not have known her friends that well at all. Order on Amazon or Bookshop // Overall Score: A-

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This is a beautiful, special book. It follows Sadie Green and Sam Masur (later, Mazer) from their childhood friendship (they meet in a hospital waiting room and begin playing video games together). Sadie’s sister is sick and Sam has been in a traumatic car accident. The book spans all the way through adulthood to their late thirties. The two are inseparable. Never lovers, often fighting, but always deeply loving and respecting each other as creative collaborators. Their friendship begins in LA and follows them to Boston where Sadie is a student at MIT. Together, (with a lot of hard work, cobbling together money and resources from their friends with Sadie even dropping out of school) they build what ends up being a wildly successful blockbuster game, Ichigo.

The game is more popular than either of them could ever have imagined. The two become stars, rich… at just 25 years old. They move back to LA where they establish (alongside their third partner Marx Watanabe) their company, Unfair Games. Throughout, Sadie experiences a couple of bad heartbreaks. Sam has his fair share of health issues. They fight and find themselves not speaking to each other. This book is a story about friendship and a different sort of love. It will break your heart and put it back together several times as you read. I loved this book (and I know nothing about video games; truly – you do not have to like video games or know anything about them to enjoy this!) Order on Amazon or Bookshop // Overall Score: A+

NSFW by Isabel Kaplan

Woof. This book. I loved it, and I loved the narrator’s voice, but it was hard to read. It was both darkly funny + biting at times. There are content warnings for sexual assault and sexual harassment, and if you are an old millennial and started your career in the late nineties/early aughts you might be a little bit triggered regardless. I know I was. Our unnamed protagonist graduated from Harvard and has moved back to Los Angeles, hoping to get a job in television. She lands an entry-level position at a major TV network “XBC.” She is smart, hard working, resourceful… the daughter of a feminist attorney. At first, she loves her work environment… thriving on the pressure and finding opportunities to succeed and become indispensable to her boss. But as time goes on there are allegations of sexual harassment and abuse.

At one point she experiences her own assault. The book is all to real; an exploration of the true cost of being a woman in a male-dominated workplace. The toll it takes to be successful. The idea that you can speak up (as we are so often told to do) and ruin your career or stay silent, be complicit, and move up the ranks. Is it ever worth it? This was at times very hard to read, but overall I really loved it. A spot on look at the me-too era, extremely sharp observations… the sort of book you think about for weeks after you put it down. Order on Amazon or Bookshop // Overall Score: A-

First Born, by Will Dean

Before I get into my full review of this, I need to say something. The plot is excellent. It gets an A+ for twists and turns and shocking the reader. It had a couple really good ones. But the writing was just not very good. So an A+ for plot but only a B- for writing, so I gave it a B+. But if you love a good twist you will really enjoy this.

Molly Raven is extremely risk averse, living a quiet life in London. She loves structure and routine, travels infrequently, and weighs any decision over and over again. Meanwhile, her twin sister Katie is the opposite: she’s vivacious, fun, adventurous… living in New York City. They look exactly alike but couldn’t be more different. When Molly’s parents call her from New York to tell her that Katie is dead (and potentially murdered), Molly drops everything and heads to New York. As she tracks her twin’s last days (and meets her friends, boyfriend, and professors), she begins to uncover a web of lies. This one is extremely twisty. The writing is bad but the plot makes up for it. Order on Amazon or Bookshop // Overall Score: B+

The post Everything I Read in July 2022. appeared first on The Stripe.

Two of my greatest loves are art and books, so it makes sense that I have acquired quite a collection of art books! While I am grateful for the education I have (I was a finance major with a communications minor) there will always be a part of me that wishes I studied art history. For that reason, I spend hours reading my art books. My coffee table and bookshelves are always piled high. From fine arts to the history of art, contemporary art, and more, I devour them all. Art books are a wonderful source for both inspiration and education; there are so many great ones. Today I wanted to share a roundup of personal favorites. My taste tends toward modern art and photography; most of these artists are from the 20th century!

PS – if you enjoy this post, you might enjoy this list of the most stylish coffee table books.

My Favorite Art Books

de kooning, a retrospective

De Kooning is one of my all time favorite artists and this (giant) book is a retrospective of his work over seven decades, from his early academic works in Holland through his more abstract paintings of the late 1980s. I’m currently reading his biography and as I read it I love alternating back to this book to look at his artwork.

Prime, Art’s Next Generation

I did a longer review of this book here but oooh, I absolutely love this book. It’s a newer release from Phaidon and I love that it focuses on younger artists (107 to be exact), none born before 1980. It is a who is who of the next big superstars in art.

Reading Andy Warhol

This is one of my favorites because Andy Warhol was a man of so many talents. Did you know that he designed covers for large publishing companies? Hea lso created thematic booklets. This book is the first substantial presentation of his innovations in printed books.

Hilma af Klint Paintings for the Future

Hilma af Klint fascinates me. (As an aside, I highly recommend watching the documentary Beyond the Visible). What I find so interesting is that when she died in 1944, she felt that the world wasn’t ready for her art, so she stipulated that it couldn’t be shown for another 20 years. Because her work had been kept hidden, we didn’t realize that it actually predates artists like Kandinsky, who’d been considered to be the trailblazers of modernist abstraction.

Artifacts Fascinating Facts about Art, Artists, and the Art World

This is one of my favorite books to give as a gift as it is absolutely fascinating… packed with little fun facts, tidbits, and conversation starters. It’s a fun little book and it’s smart, too. Even the most seasoned art buff will learn something new from it.

Great women artists

This is the most extensive fully illustrated book of women artists ever to be published. It features more than 400 artists from over 50 countries, over five centuries. As someone who makes an effort to prioritize female artists in my own collection, I loved this, and I love seeing so many previously overlooked female artists gaining the recognition they deserve today.

Andy Warhol, From A to B and Back again

I was lucky enough to get to see the Warhol exhibit at The Whitney in New York several years ago and I got this book when I went to that. This is the first book to examine his entire work. Looking at his commercial illustrations of the 1950s all the way through his paintings of the 1980s.

Damien hirst Cherry Blossoms

I try not to judge books by their cover but man, this is a very pretty book – I love the green fabric cover. I have been mesmerized by Damien Hirst’s Cherry Blossom paintings (I was lucky enough to snag a signed print when he did a release with HENI a couple years ago) and I love being able to page through this book, see them all together, and understand a bit more behind the paintings (which Hirst describes as “garish and messy and fragile”).

Painting Beyond Pollock

This is part art book, part history book. Morgan Falconer (an art historian and critic) explores how and why painting has surged in popularity since Jackson Pollcok and the other abstract expressionists of the 1940s-early 50s.

Cy Twombly: Making past present

Cy Twombly is another one of my favorite artists. This contains reproductions of over 50 of his paintings, drawings, and sculptures… alongside classic works of art. It explores the relationship of his art with works of the past.

In Shadows I Boogie: Harland Miller

One of my good friends introduced me to British artist Harland Miller’s clever book-inspired canvases and I became an instant fan. He is just so clever, and this book covers nearly 20 years of his paintings (alongside essays by eminent art writers).

Jean-Michel Basquiat. 40th Ed.

Basquiat is another favorite (and I love the Taschen 40 series). It’s tragic to think he only lived to 27 years old; and crazy to think of how much he accomplished in so little time. His name is now synonymous with the 80s. He was one of the first street artists (think of everyone he’s inspired today). I love the chapter format – it’s like reading a hybrid biography/coffee table blook.

Photography

Peter Lindbergh On Fashion Photography

This is one of my favorite, most glamorous fashion photography books. It gathers over 300 photographs from Lindbergh’s 40 year career as a fashion photographer. He shot all the big super models along with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Any time I want to feel inspired (or a bit more glamorous), I find myself paging through this book for inspiration.

Slim Aarons Style

Slim Aarons is one of my favorite photographers. I find his works (and his books!) to be wonderfully transportive, taking us back to an era of glitz and glamour… or as he said, “attractive people who were doing attractive things in attractive places.” While he didn’t technically photograph fashion (he’s even said, “I didn’t do fashion. I did the people in their clothes that became the fashion”), the people became the fashion, making this book an amazing source of inspiration from yesterday’s style icons.

Richard Avedon PHotographs 1946 – 2004

Richard Avedon is one of my favorite fashion photographers as his specialty was capturing movement in photos of fashion, theater, and dance. His work is truly brilliant. This book is the first major retrospective of his work since his death in 2004. It’s an absolutely beautiful catalogue of his work, including 125 reproductions of his greatest works. and some of his most famous portraits.

Stoppers: Photographs from my life at vogue

Phyllis Posnick has become synonymous with Vogue (working as the magazine’s Executive Fashion Editor from 1988 – 2018), particularly for her editorial fashion and beauty editorials. Her work can be shocking at times but that’s what works – I love her eye! The book features an incredible assortment of imagery from legendary photographers (along with Posnick’s personal memories of working at Vogue, plus a forward by Anna Wintour.

Arthur Elgort: The big picture

This is Elgort’s first comprehensive book, spanning his 50 year career. Elgort was influenced by a lifelong love of music and dance, which is reflected in his work. His work was in all of our favorite magazines, but he also shot incredible campaigns for the likes of Chanel, Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent.

Wonderland by Annie Leibovitz

This is another gorgeous book of fashion photographs. Anna Wintour has called her “America’s greatest living photographic portraitist,” which says everything you need to know. This book contains 350 beautiful images (many, unpublished before this) of everyone from Cate Blanchett and Lady Gaga to Kate Moss and Nancy Pelosi.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

The post Some of My Favorite Art Books. appeared first on The Stripe.

Now that I have updated the site and made the books page (newly named: The Library) searchable, I am going to switch up the reading list a little bit. I will tell you what I read and what I liked, but leave the longer reviews over at the library. It was feeling redundant putting the full review here and also there, and that page is so great because you can filter, etc etc! So, going forward you can expect the books pages to be updated every week in real time, and then once a month I will do this shorter, summary post like this one.

So let’s talk about this month’s books! I polished off 8 books this month, and.. wow: I really liked every single book! Like realllllly, really liked every book. I would wholeheartedly recommend every single book on this list. The world is shit but the books are great. So we will celebrate that little win.

Everything I Read in June 2022

Run, Rose, Run

What I absolutely loved: Run, Rose, Run… recommended by my mom. Dolly Parton and James Patterson make for such an incredible writing duo. This is the perfect mix of heartwarming rags to riches meets high-stakes thriller. I love it.

Can’t Look Away

Can’t Look Away, by Carola Lovering (she is one of my favorite authors) was an amazing, up-all-night thriller that just came out. I devoured this.

Counterfeit

I categorized it as a thriller but it’s more scammer drama… I devoured Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen. A woman finds herself thrown into the world of counterfeit bag exports (and taking the fall for her old friend’s antics). I couldn’t put this down, it was the perfect read in a day, lose yourself in a book kind of book.

Meant to Be

Maybe Emily Giffin’s best book yet? I could not put Meant to Be down!! It’s inspired by JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s love story and was just so much fun to read. I absolutely loved it, especially the ending. My mom agreed.

Meant to be Mine

A very cute romance. Meant to be Mine, by Hannah Orenstein! I am, admittedly, not a huge romance person (and I will say that I wish she ended it differently but then it wouldn’t be a romance) but I still loved this book, mostly because Hannah is such a talented writer and she made me miss my old neighborhood (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) so so much. The premise of this is fun: what if you knew the exact day you would meet the love of your life!? That’s what happens here, except all maybe is not as it seems.

The School for Good Mothers

I am still not sure what to make of The School for Good Mothers. I think it takes an excellent book to make you that sad. But… it’s extremely dark and very sad. I recommend it nonetheless. Handmaids Tale vibes for sure. Definitely avoid this if you are pregnant or a new mother or feeling any sort of hopelessness. A very good book but a very upsetting book.

Lessons in Chemistry

After reading The School for Good Mothers I knew I needed something light and fun. My mom had leant me her copy of Lessons in Chemistry. I started it without reading what it was about (I figured, romance). I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t a romance at all. More of a fun, feminist tale with a strong female lead you’ll completely fall in love with. I LOVED this!

Amy Odell’s biography of Anna Wintour

Lastly, on the non-fiction front, I really enjoyed Amy Odell’s biography of Anna Wintour. It lagged at times but was still completely fascinating. I’ve followed Anna’s career since probably 2006, so it was fun to learn more about her life. Juicy and salacious it is not, but it’s still very enjoyable and informative.

Tell me what YOU read and loved this month in the comments!

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

photography by Cameron Wilder.

The post Everything I Read in June 2022. appeared first on The Stripe.