Read any good books lately, ladies?

I haven’t been reading as much lately. I was able to get through a lot of books on my list in the big snowstorm earlier this year, but after that both school and work seemed to really pick up. Before I headed out to Park City last week, I combed through my county’s library and downloaded a ton of new books to my Kindle. Definitely check to see if you’re local library has free books for download—mine has probably saved me $100 this year alone. Between the long flights and relaxing afternoons in our cabin, I was really glad I had so many good books on-hand for the trip. I’m excited to hear about what books I should check out next—y’all always have the best recommendations for my nightstand!

Of course, you can always keep up with what I am reading over on Goodreads—feel free to friend me!

THE HUSBAND LIST // JANET EVANOVICH + DORIEN KELLY

This is currently my Metro read, and I will admit, when I picked this out of the bargain bin, I didn’t realize it was set in the 1890s! Period pieces usually are not my thing, but I am about 100 pages in and I’m hooked. The story follows protagonist Caroline Maxwell, who is a high-society girl, but a bit of a rebel. Her mother wants her to spend the summer in Newport looking for a suitable husband who has social clout, while she is more interested in adventure and marrying for love. Early on in the story they introduce an Irish-American love interest, Jack, that reminds me a lot of Jack from The Titanic. Needless to say, I am excited to see how this one plays out!

A THOUSAND MILES TO FREEDOM // EUSUN KIM

Ever since I saw a Lisa Ling documentary about life in North Korea, I’ve been fascinated by North Korea and life inside the Hermit Kingdom. I read both Laura Ling‘s and Euna Lee‘s memoirs about their captivity in North Korea, but I had never read a memoir from a North Korean defector until A Thousand Miles to Freedom popped up as a popular book on my library’s Kindle store. Eunsun’s journey through the famine that struck the country in the 1990s, her father’s death, and her eventual escape to South Korea through China and Mongolia captivated me. Hers is definitely a story that needs to be told. This was also a quick read. I started and finished it within 48 hours!

UNDER THE SAME SKY // JOSEPH KIM

Once I read Eunsun’s memoir, I knew I wanted to read more about life in North Korea, as told from defectors. Joseph Kim’s memoir was definitely a bit darker than Eunsun’s, though their stories are also very much the same—families turned on families during the great famine, and children were forced to become adults before their time. I think what got me the most about Joseph’s story is that we were both born in 1990. In 2004 when he was stealing on the streets to get by, I was concerned about whether or not Limited Too was appropriate for a middle school wardrobe. It definitely put my life into perspective. Joseph eventually escaped into China, and eventually made it to the US thanks to an aid group. Joseph has a great Ted Talk here, which I’d highly recommend to anyone, whether or not you’re interested in the book.

SILVER GIRL // ELIN HILDERBRAND

I’m slowly but surely making my way through Elin Hilderbrand’s entire collection. Besides her three-part winter series—the third installment of which comes out this year!—I think Silver Girl is my favorite. This one follows Meredith Delinn’s fall from grace as a New York socialite who was implicated in her husband’s ponzi scheme. While under investigation, she escapes to Nantucket to spend the summer with her high school best friend, Connie, who recently lost her husband to cancer. The two friends had been estranged for years because Connie’s husband pulled their money out of Meredith’s husband’s fund months before he died because he thought something was fishy. Moreso than other Hilderbrand books, I thought she did a deep dive into what motivates each character through flashbacks from their high school days. Definitely the perfect beach or vacation read!