My Favorite Brand of Pajamas + All the Books I’ve Finished Recently

Pajamas | Mug | Air pods (wireless headphones) | Bedroom furniture linked here

These are some of my favorite blog posts to write – book reviews! I love to read but finding the time to actually sit down and read is the hardest part. I started listening to audiobooks when pregnant and haven’t stopped since! I get through quite a few books this way and have a ton to share with you today. Before we get to the books, I have to gush on my pajamas. I don’t even know how many pairs of Kate Spade pajamas I have but it’s a good amount. Ha! I love that she offers a cropped version because most pajamas are wayyyy too long on me so once I found hers, I have bought them in every new pattern and print I can find. I am a stripes lover so these blue and white pjs spoke to me immediately. And even though I am not a cat person, I found the cat detail on the pocket so cute. For more of her pjs and sleepwear/loungewear options, scroll down to the widget at the end of my post.

And don’t forget to check out The Fall Shop where I am featuring my fall fashion and accessory finds. I update it a few times a month with new finds so keep checking back! You can find the tab at the top of my blog.

1. A Little Life – This was by far my favorite book out of all 10, but it’s very hard to read. It’s not a book that everyone will enjoy because it is quite dark and depressing at times, with very intense subject matter (physical abuse, sexual abuse, suicide etc). Even with all of the darkness, it was still a beautiful story. A story of friendship, love, life and the bonds that form and evolve over time. It begins as a book about 4 guys living in NYC that have been friends since college and now are trying to navigate their way in life and their careers. One of the 4 friends, Jude St. Francis, emerges as the main focus of the book as his troubled childhood past is something that begins to affect all those around him. I don’t want to say too much more so as not to give it away, but if you enjoy deep, thought provoking and intensely emotional books (either happy or sad), this is a must read. One final note: I had no idea how the author got the title for the book until I was reading reviews on Goodreads. If you can’t figure it out, email me and I will fill you in. LOL

2. The Heart’s Invisible Furies – I was on a roll with long novels with intense storylines because I read this and A Little Life back to back. This book is very long because it follows the entire life of the main character, Cyril Avery. He is born in Ireland to a teenage mother, given up for adoption to a couple that can only be described as odd and then struggles growing up as a gay youth, teen, and man. I LOVED Cyril and his personality is delightful – it makes the book! I laughed, I cried, I felt so much emotion in this book. It is a wonderful read! Definitely my second favorite out of the bunch.

3. The Idea of You – Frankly I don’t even know how I managed to stay sane through all these emotional books I read back to back. This one seems like it will be a cheesy love story, but please do not let the storyline fool you. This book is fantastic! A quick synopsis – a 39 year old mom of a pre-teen falls in love with the lead singer of the world’s biggest boy band. Yeah. That is the premise of the entire book – but this book is so well written and the story is much more intense than I was prepared for. Do NOT discount this as a cheesy romance novel – I guarantee it will surprise you. (And make you sob uncontrollably at the end)

4. If I Die Tonight – A mystery thriller that kept my attention to the very end! An 80’s music pop star claims that a teenage boy stole her car and then ran over another boy that was trying to help her. No one seems to know who has done it but fingers begin to point to a loner named Wade. Wade’s mother is sure he didn’t commit the crime, but struggles to prove her son’s innocence. While I could put some pieces of the story together, I couldn’t figure out the entire picture until the very end.

5. It Ends With Us – My first book by Colleen Hoover but it will certainly not be my last. What a good book! Lily falls for dashing Rile Kincaid, a neurosurgery resident that she meets one night on a rooftop. Their love story seems picture perfect until she runs into her first love at dinner one evening when her and Rile are out together. Soon Lily and Rile’s relationship begins to falter and Lily finds things out about Rile that break her heart. I was worried this story would end in a painful way, but I was so happy with the way things ended. Highly recommend!

6. Something In the Water – Erin and  Max go on a honeymoon to Bora Bora but encounter something while scuba diving one afternoon. This one event will completely alter the course of their lives and puts them in a tough spot as to whether they should share what they know or keep it secret. It’s a good thriller but not great. Lots of buzz because Reese Witherspoon put it in her book club – though I think it is a bit over hyped.

7. An American Marriage – This book had so many great reviews and while I enjoyed it, it wasn’t my favorite. Roy and Celestial are newly married when Roy is wrongly convicted for a crime and goes to jail for 12 years. When he gets out early for good behavior, he must rebuild his life and figure out where he stands with Celestial. It has its moments and many  may enjoy this, but it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be.

8. All the Light We Cannot See – The one dud in the entire bunch for me. I tried so hard to get into this and got more than halfway through and found it painfully dull. I just couldn’t finish it.

9. Two Girls Down – A mystery thriller that I typically go for. It took me a bit to get into but it kept my attention throughout the entire book.

10. Crazy Rich Asians – I should have seen the movie before reading the book because the movie doesn’t cover half of what the book does! I absolutely loved the book and there is so much more detail and backstory for everything in it. It’s a fun and light-hearted read.

Click here to see all my past book reviews.