Tag Archives: guidebook

7 Summer Book Releases I’m Loving Right Now

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Once again, it’s time to get bookish. By the end of June (and early July too), I was starting a new job and completely focused on getting settled, so my reading goal took a big hit. That being said, I did still manage to read 11 books (and counting) for these two summer months. So, I thought it was high-time for another Miranda’s Book Nook book update! Check out some of the summer 2021 book releases that I just can’t get enough of and should totally be on your radar when looking for the best beach reads this year. Happy reading!

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton; Tiffany D. Jackson; Nic Stone; Angie Thomas; Ashley Woodfolk; Nicola Yoon

I was beyond pumped to receive an ARC of Blackout by some masters of the YA game: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. By the first few chapters, I already loved every page and each character’s story! It’s so full of heart, authenticity, representation, and adorable teen love stories.

Here, these authors came together to write an interlinked novel about Black teen love through heartwarming and charming coming-of-age stories. Each author writes a short story, focusing on one of six different love stories that all take place in New York City during a heatwave and blackout, on the same day. Each tale reads like a short story that’s compelling and adorable on its own (plus is well-written, obviously) with interconnected settings and characters to tie it all together. These are seriously adorable and cute teen love stories, plus I love to see all the representation done so accurately and relatably. Each chapter introduces a side character or background that effortlessly leads into the next story and chapter. You can clearly tell this book was meticulously organized and planned to be this interconnected which works to tie it all together so seamlessly. It’s a quick read that was hard to put down and is so engaging, well-written, and adorable. It’s a YA novel and a romance read, unlike anything I’ve read before, which is what made it so great.

Rating: Five Stars

Available: Now

The Girl Least Likely by Katy Loutzenhiser

This YA novel is billed as To All the Boys meets The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel meets Dumplin, which made it an automatic read for me. Yet, I only got the teen Maisel vibes located in the contemporary setting similar to TATB or Dumplin.

Here, aspiring comic Gretchen is learning to be herself as she balances school, family, first crushes, and trying her hand at stand-up comedy. While she’s always been the “least likely” girl (which I didn’t fully get here, tbh), she finds herself living out every major rom-com trope (BFF crush, makeover, bad boy love interest) which is the perfect cover for her double life trying out comedy. It seemed that this rom-com thing didn’t quite mesh with the double life/comedy thing to me.

Casting expectations aside, this was a very cute teen coming-of-age story with funny, engaging language. However, it took nearly halfway through this book to get there. I enjoyed the different chapters following a variety of classic rom-com tropes, which it was fun to see how each related to the characters and the bigger story. Plus, it’s full of well-written and authentic characters.

So, yea, it took a while to pull me in. It was slow to start, and I had struggled with getting into it and wanting to keep reading. You see, it didn’t have any real exposition and just dived right in, which (to me) felt like I was missing something as I didn’t get much (or any) true introduction to meet these characters before the story starts. I was struggling to muster enough energy to pick it up daily and was seriously debating DNFing before I even reached the halfway point of my galley copy. I’m glad I did stick with it because the story does pick up soon after that and it gets funnier and more engaging. So, if you can stick with this read, you’ll end up smiling over its absolutely precious rom-com-worthy ending.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: Now

Pretty Little London by Sara Santini, Andrea Di Filippo

As the massive Anglophile that I am, I needed this book no matter how short or picture-heavy it would end up being. Based on, and curated by the creators of the Instagram page of the same time, this nonfiction read provides a seasonal guide to the UK city’s most Instagrammable sites, the blog/IG page history, and plenty of advice to take the best Insta snaps.

There’s helpful text and gorgeous pics that make this read so fun and gives me so much wanderlust! (Gosh, I miss London!!) It reads like a friend giving off travel advice for little-known places you have to visit in order to up your IG game. With such gorge snapshots inside and on the cover, this book would make a perfect coffee table book for your living room. Facts.

This book advises you on the best places to visit by seasons, and the best ones to see, what to know or order, and why it’s so ‘grammable. It’s so much fun and gives me serious wanderlust while reading about the best hidden gems to check out. Plus, the IG-worthy snaps are breathtaking and only add to my wanderlust. You’ll read about various categories of places, from hotels, restaurants, day trips, cafes, and more. It also gives helpful maps and nearby tube stations.

I only wish I had this guidebook before I last went to London, oh well, there’s always next time…

Rating: Four Stars

Available: July 13

So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park

After I devoured the author’s latest YA novel (Sunny Song), I was pumped to learn about her newest contemporary romance story. And let me tell you, it’s fun and lighthearted, making it perfect for your summer beach bags!

Here, we begin with investment banker Jessie as she’s laid off from her boys-club Wall Street firm in a virtual meeting. After packing up and moving home to Nashville with her parents, she has no idea what to do with her life. She decides to reboot her old Korean cooking YouTube channel with fresh hacks and meal prep tips, and it’s actually quite well-received. All the while, she runs into her childhood nemesis and all-around golden boy Daniel who helps her launch her new business venture and even perhaps opens her heart along the way.

In this romance novel, there’s plenty of banter and wit between leads Jessie and Daniel, and a boatload of chemistry to boot. It’s very fun, engaging, and quick to read. The romance is very very very very slow-burn, so much so that Daniel is barely in half the book which makes this more of a coming-of-age women’s fiction novel rather than a straight-up romance book. Nonetheless, it’s very cute and I’d like a post-epilogue HEA update, like, now please, thank you.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 3

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee

Set in the same world as the author’s first novel (A Sweet Mess), now it’s Aubrey’s best friend’s and Landon’s little brother’s turn to find love. Tara Park has one rule when it comes to dating: nothing serious. Between her past heartbreak and a laser-focus on the family’s brewery, there’s no way she could even entertain the idea of dating.

When Landon’s brother Seth waltzes into town, he’s a massive temptation to her and she may be willing to bend her rules for a few dates with the well-known fashion photographer. Seth is only in town for a month because he’s moving to Paris soon after. While he’s in town, he challenges Tara to a four-date no-strings-attached dating “dare” that could be a nice distraction for them both. But the more he sees of her, the less willing he is to let her go when the dare’s over.

As I read the dual-perspective book, I found it had banter and spades that had me hooked. It’s an easy, quick romance read that you can polish off in a day. The romance is cute, the characters are dynamic, and all that leads to a cute and fun romance read.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 3

The Man Ban by Nicola Marsh

I was very excited to start this read, looking forwards to a fun enemies to lovers novel, and this read delivered on that front. Here, Harper has been on a self-appointed “man ban” for a year after a really bad breakup, and instead, focuses on her growing career as a food stylist.
 
Her latest gig is styling dishes at her best friend’s traditional Indian wedding, where she meets the best man Manny who belittles her work the entire night. In retaliation, she decides she’ll lead him on during the event so she can later humiliate him. Well, things don’t always go as planned. Manny (as seen in the author’s The Boy Toy) is a handsome Anglo-Indian doctor who immediately feels an inimitable pull towards Harper.
 
One week later, he shows up at the same New Zealand resort where she’s working on her next job. After a work catastrophe, he offers to help her and she notes his chivalry has gotten under her skin. She’s ready to lift her “man ban” for a vacation fling. He agrees, after all, he’s not looking to get married despite his grandmother’s dying wish for him to do so. Yet, he can’t help but fall under Harper’s spell. Told in dual perspectives, this enemies to lovers novel is full of compelling language that draws me in, plus so much freaking banter that makes me fall for this read even quicker.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: July 27

Palm Beach by Mary Adkins

This book isn’t my usual happy-go-lucky YA or romance read, but nonetheless, its vibe intrigued me to try it out. Here, married couple Rebecca and Mickey move from their teeny Queens apartment and freelance gigs to Palm Beach, Florida (hence the title) with their young son when Mickey gets a job as the estate manager for a multimillionaire. As he works to manage the household of this influential businessman, Mickey soon gets a job offer to work in the same role for a more powerful businessman, making even more money. At the same time, freelance journalist Rebecca gets the chance to ghostwrite Mickey’s boss’ wife’s memoirs (that’s right, plural). As a wealth inequality writer, this is Rebecca’s chance to peek inside this incredibly wealthy world. As time goes on, Mickey and Rebecca become more reliant and dependant on money and their bosses’ help until a big secret could topple everything.

This literary fiction novel captures the divide between the haves and the have nots in the wealthy enclave of Palm Beach. From the start, it has such engaging language and strong storytelling that pulls me in and compels me to keep reading. Then, the big twist reveal gets soooo juicy and I just *have* to keep reading. However, there’s a ton of exposition and background that feels a touch too long in certsin parts. But overall, it’s compelling and intriguing.

Rating: Four Stars

Available:

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

9 New Books I Can’t Stop Thinking About

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We already got a peek at some of my latest 2021 reads already on here, and guess what? That’s not even half of it! Welcome back to Miranda’s Book Nook as I share some of the 2021 book titles I can’t get enough of and which ones should be on your radar through the end of this year and into the next. Happy reading, y’all!

The Fangirl’s Guide to the Universe by Sam Maggs

OMG, this handbook for geek girls is so much fun!! It’s a fun, uplifting guidebook is for all the unapologetic fangirls out there, no matter what you stan. This book is for the fangirls and guys that are living their best stan lives passionately and free.

Author Sam Maggs writes from her own fangirl experience, which makes the book all the more realistic. With her first-person essays and lists, the book is chock full of empowering and informative language, plus fun, cute illustrations and graphics. Lololol, like, I love this book already. It’s all about finding your geek tribe and then embracing this weird, wonderful geek life. Then, Maggs also interviews some of the top geek girls who use fandom in their careers, which is so cool to see their takes on the fandom world. All in all, it’s all about embracing your inner fangirl loud and proud, which I love to see it. This cute and fun nonfiction book focuses on being a geek girl feminist and how to bring change to the geek world, which I loved to see too. Fangirls unite, it’s time to suit up and change the universe!

Available: Now

A Royal Disaster by Jennifer Bonds

I was looking for a happy regal romance to transition my TBR and this book was exactly that. The book follows Elena (aka Lena), a nickname that’s used interchangeably, who’s sworn off dating following a bad breakup and undercover prince Liam in dual back and forth perspectives.

After a disastrous meet-cute, it’s clear these two have so much heat and banter between them. When paparazzi pictures of the two of them go viral, he proposes a fake dating scheme to get the press off their backs and get his parents off of the idea of an arranged marriage right now. Ok, so like Lena repeatedly says “Ay Dios Mio” throughout the book, and that’s the only applicable reaction to reading this steamy romance novel. It’s a fun and quick one-sitting read, and boy, does it bring the heat because there’s so much tension between them, like things had to explode, and damn, did they! It’s smutty and good fun for a romance. I did get so wrapped up in the story that I just couldn’t put it down and ended up devouring it in one sitting. Sure, it’s predictably cheesy but it’s just so darn cute as is. And then, that HEA gave me so many damn butterflies in the pit of my stomach. Like, in general, I do love a good royal romance, it’s truly my favorite trope, and this was the perfect addition to that squad of books. It was so cute, and I just need a full freaking series with the continuation of their love story. Right now.

Available: Now

Survival of the Thickest by Michelle Buteau

This book of essays from comedian and actress Michelle Buteau is all about her life and journey, peppered with a conversational tone and language as almost like if she’s in element doing a standup routine.

I’ve found her comedy bits from The Circle or 2 Dope Queens to be amusing, so I was intrigued by the prospect of her own book. It’s an authentic memoir of essays, where everything she writes and experienced is quite funny because it’s relatable as heck. A fun, lighthearted celebrity memoir read.

Available: Now

 

Mr Right Across The Street by Kathryn Freeman

I was looking for a fun, contemporary British romance, and I got that. Here, Mia has recently moved to Manchester for a fresh start from her disastrous dating life. Then, she notices her hunky neighbor across the street has begun to leave her notes in his window since both their spare rooms face another. He’s Luke, a bar owner with his own issues but by helping to show Mia the town sights, he sees what real romance can be. Because he’s just besotted.

The book is told through back-and-forth dual perspectives, and the two of them have such banter down pat. Soon, they start exchanging messages through the windows, and a friendship develops. It’s a cute slow-burn romance full of fun language and fun, delicious banter that I can’t get enough of. Sure, this book is a bit slow to start and really get into, but it does get a lot better and cuter. I love a good “nerd and cool kid” romance story, and this one is just positively cute and fun. The ending is very sweet too, like giving me butterflies type of good.

Available: January 22

You Were Made For Me by Jenna Guillaume

This YA romance was delightful, fun, and just plain cute. Here, less than popular Katie and her best friend Libby sort of, accidentally, sculpted and baked a perfect teen boy replica who then magically came to life. And it turned out that, once real, he was a super devoted boyfriend to the never been kissed Katie.

It’s described as a modern, feminist retelling of the eighties cult movie Weird Science, and just by the description, I could tell this would be super cute and fun. Which it was. The book’s written like a post-experiment diary from Kate, with interjections by Libby, as they recount this story in the first-person perspective. Sure, it’s a bit slow to start before the boy they make, Guy, comes to life. But once he does, it ramps up and I just find myself so compelled by the language that I have to know what happens next. Sure, this premise is completely off-the-wall bonkers, but I’m actually into it. It’s just a fun and cute YA. A great one-sitting read. Then, there’s Theo, the boy next door who definitely, positively has a crush on her but she doesn’t see it, and also the most popular boy in school who she’s always liked. So, there’s a whole bunch of things happening here. But in the end, it was such a cheesy, cute teen romance, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Available: April 1

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

Before I started this read, I was in the mood for an adorable, fluffy contemporary romance with a little steam as a transition read for my TBR, and this book delivers on that front.

Here, the main character Reena sets up a fake engagement with her new neighbor Nadim in order to enter a couples’ only baking competition. So, we’ll get that ole reliable fake date trope to keep us occupied. Nadim is instantly described as a “brown Captain America” which, like, what a solid description lololol with a British accent. He moves to Canada to work for her father and they’re set to have an arranged marriage, which she’s not interested in. Each chapter reads quite quickly with tone and language that pulls you in. It’s captivating and relatable, a book I could hardly put down. It’s a fun, indulgent romance read with a number of laughable scenes. Also, OMG the Buffy jokes were on point at the end. LOL, unexpected but, like, well done.

Overall, this book was juicy and dramatic that I got so invested in the storyline and these characters. Then that HEA actually gave me butterflies in my stomach, so yes, it is darn cute. It’s just so precious and so much fun.

Available: March 2

The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

This psychological thriller and women’s fiction novel follows former best friends Ambrosia and Sloane (aka Amb and Sully) as some mysterious letter forces the two girls to reunite to find someone who wants to get revenge for some dark deed they did ten years ago at their college reunion. It starts with an intriguing, mysterious hook that has me so curious from the get-go that had me so interested to keep reading. This book flashes between the reunion in the present day and Amb’s freshman year when the incident went down and what led to its occurrence. Once Amb and Sully get letters summoning their attendance at the reunion, they find out they’ve been stuck in the same room but who did that and is stalking them, or what do they want? This book has so many juicy bombshells and insane reveals that had me on the edge of my seat. It’s so mysterious and I was just so desperate to find out more with all of its unexpected and unpredictable twists that gave me such can’t-put-it-down vibes at nearly 3 in the morning. Whoopsie daisy.

Then, that epilogue. Like, what the heck, it seriously had the biggest twist of them all and I just wanted to scream at ****** for their lack of trust and not believing the truth, and what actually had happened was just so freaking messed up and ***** was so freaking bonkers and bizarre to do this whole thing, like geez, hun, why didn’t you just move on rather than basically try to Single White Female anyone, eesh. But wow, that’s a pretty damn good mystery novel then. I mean, as a non-mystery fan, like holy freaking hell, I can’t believe all that went down and that was so surprising, and also the language was just so captivating that I got so into it.

Available: March 9

The Flipside of Perfect by Liz Reinhardt

I had no earthly idea what to expect when I first was approved for this book on NetGalley, and now that I’m on the other side of this read, I was quite surprised with how cute and realistic it was, and how much I enjoyed it! Here, the main character Adelaide has divorced parents, and when she splits her time between their homes across the country, she takes on opposite personas.

With her mom, stepdad, little sisters, and school friends in Michigan, she’s the proper, perfect, good girl AJ. Then, with her dad and older siblings down in Florida over summer breaks, she’s the more free-spirited and fun Della. These separate worlds, while both her, do not have any overlap whatsoever, until the summer after junior year. While she’s at her dad’s, her younger sister Marnie unexpectedly comes to stay with them, and she must realize who she actually is and how to merge her separate lives. It’s almost as if she lives parallel lives and doesn’t know who she really is or how to merge her complete self into one.

This book has such an engaging, compelling, and relatable point of view, and it’s a quick, fun YA read that I couldn’t put down. I just had to know what would happen next! Then, there’s Della’s former childhood nemesis Jude, who works for her dad in Florida. And the two of them are so dang precious with their little crushes and feelings. Like, awww!! Also, he was the only one to know about her two halves and separate personalities, so clearly she trusts him on a whole other level. Seriously, this book was just so flipping cute.

Available: April 6

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters

I’m not usually one for historical books, but this was giving me, like, Pride & Prejudice slash Elizabeth-Darcy and Bridgerton vibes, so like, it’s clearly worth a shot. If you are a fan of the Bridgerton series at all, you’ll definitely fall head over heels for this new Regency-set romance.

Here, Diana and Jeremy are enemies of sorts in their upper echelon of English society. They banter and poke each other quite a bit. So much so, that they agree to a wager that the eligible playboy bachelor must marry within the year or she’ll forfeit one hundred pounds. However, he has a counterproposal for her. Embark on a no-strings-attached, secret affair during his fortnight-long party so she can prove he’s not bad in the bedroom after a former paramour yelled at him that he was. Hahaha, oh I love this book already.

The widowed Diana and Jeremy have so much banter that’s so delicious as a reader. This whole book is so freaking juicy, like, by the prologue alone, I was so into this story! Told through back and forth perspectives, this very enjoyable book is full of witty, captivating language and all the tropey romance goodness. These two characters have a certain level of tension between them, told through all their banter, that’s so delicious to watch play out on the page. It’s a compelling read, and one I just couldn’t put down. Sure, it all ends quite predictably but it’s still fun and cute nonetheless.

Available: April 6

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

11 New Fall and Winter Book Releases That’ll Inspire You When You’re Stuck at Home

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Fall can often be dreary. Cold, isolating, and boring — plus a global pandemic and an unknown government situation can only add to those feelings. So, I like to curl up with a blanket and a book and shut out the world by escaping to my array of fictional worlds from my personal library. Anyone surprised?

So, settle in for another installment of Miranda’s Book Nook as I share even more new book titles that coming out this fall and winter that just I can’t get enough of. Happy reading, y’all!

Dearly by Margaret Atwood

In this brand-new book of poetry from acclaimed author Margaret Atwood, there’s an assortment of compelling and impactful poems, each that tells a story full of compelling language. These poems aim to make you think, feel, dream, desire, yearn — basically all of the feels.

There are some wanderlust motifs inside that make me just want to be able to travel again. Plus, messages about being remembered, which from story to story, we will definitely remember everything that Atwood has shown us long after we’ve closed the book’s pages.

Each poem effortlessly flows from one to the next and the book is impeccably organized, where I can see how poems and stories are related to each other with its seamless, well-positioned transitions. The tones and points of view are very realistic to the modern world, and while most are less doe-eyed optimistic, it skews on the darker side. There are rhyme schemes that just flow so well when you read these poems aloud. There’s definitely a motif of sisterhood and women sticking together in their fight for survival, forgiveness, love, and strength. Would you expect anything less from Atwood’s work? Because she does feminist writings very well and with covering such meaningful themes. The poems have such rich language and captivating word choice that tells complex stories that capture the readers due to strong symbols and metaphors. This is definitely a poetry collection I need to add to my personal library as soon as I can.

Available: Now

I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom

This book of essays is by Rachel Bloom, who’s the creator and star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a show that I was a huge fan of. Her TV series was full of witty dialogue, which prompted my initial interest in this nonfiction read. First off, the cover gives me throwback The Babysitter’s Club book cover vibes, which is so much fun in itself.

Then, inside, the text is composed of relatable, conversational language that’s both funny and impactful. It’s focused on a bunch of different stories chronicling everything from childhood, selling the CXG series, falling in love, and more. Sure, these stories may be full of funny language and jokes, but they all have deeper meanings with plenty of heart. The read is told through first-person accounts, make-believe stories, original scripts, her actual childhood diary entries, and even Harry Potter fanfiction! Bloom’s tone of voice in this book of essays is very relatable, which makes me laugh out loud because, like, I GET IT. After reading, it makes you realize, ‘Oh, hey I wasn’t normal either and who cares because being me is much more rewarding and fun.’ It gives hope to all us theatre kids out there about our futures and that things will get better. It’s a one-sitting read because it was enjoyable, funny, relatable, honest, and authentic.

Available: November 17

It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne

I had loved Holly Bourne’s novel Pretending earlier this year and her compelling characterizations and perspectives. So I was instantly excited to read this new book and its fun premise. Here, British teen Audrey is currently dealing with the aftermath of her parents’ divorce, her own breakup, and her changing friend dynamics, all of which have made her cynical about the concept of love and romance. However, she soon finds herself falling for the ever-charming playboy Harry from her part-time job at the local cinema, even though she knows she shouldn’t.

From the prologue alone, I was hooked. Full of compelling and relatable language and a fresh perspective, I just couldn’t put it down. I had to keep reading. Then, the first chapter dives right into the action rather than pages upon pages of exposition and background, which I appreciated. So, Audrey’s working on a school project about the unrealistic behaviors in romance movies and is starring in Harry’s own movie as the love interest character, where she’s facing whether or not she still believes love is hopeless. This book is just so easy to get sucked into and I just didn’t want to put it down. It’s a quick, fun, and engaging YA read. The lead character of Audrey, by the ending, is so vulnerable and full of heart that reads as authentic. By the end, I just couldn’t stop reading, it had me enthralled and hooked to find out the rest of her story and what she actually wants.

Sure, the ending was cheesy and cute, but I’m glad that it didn’t just end on a romantic HEA, but rather a self-love HEA, which I find even more impactful and empowering. It made me happy to see her realizing her worth and becoming stronger because, hey, real life isn’t the perfectly curated movies, and I admire this book bringing that realism.

Available: December 1

Teddy Spenser Isn’t Looking for Love by Kim Fielding

This quick, fast-paced romance read was absolutely adorable, chock full of enemies-to-lovers, business trips with a shared hotel room, and opposites-attract tropes that made it just delightful to complete.

Here, Teddy Spenser and his work rival Romeo Blue are assigned to collaborate on a big work project that could save the fate of the company, a tech startup in Chicago. Teddy is quite cynical about love at first, but cannot deny that Romeo is very dapper. This book is full of funny, relatable language that makes Teddy such an authentic, engaging protagonist. The men are complete opposites, yet both seem to have been pining for the other a bit. But, it isn’t until their work trip in Seattle where they discover each other’s true selves: mind, body, and soul. This read is so quick and engaging, which makes it so easy to get sucked into. The writing is witty and sharp in this slow-burn love story. It’s just so freaking adorable, like audibly squeal-worthy.

Available: December 29

West End Girls by Jenny Colgan

I was really excited to read Jenny Colgan’s newest book, however, this seems to have fallen a bit flat and wasn’t my exact cup of tea. Not that it was terrible, it just wasn’t my favorite.

Here, 27-year-old twins, Lizzie and Penny are complete opposites from Essex, yet are tasked with moving to London together to watch their paternal grandmother’s flat in Chelsea who was just moved into a nursing home. It’s confusing how the chapters abruptly change from the perspective of Lizzie, Penny, or artist Will who likes Penny. It took me a while to get into with all the perspective jumping, and because of that, it took longer for me to really dig these characters, which is a shame because typically Colgan does such a great job at characterization. Both girls want to find where they belong and their purpose, so this book follows their journey living in Chelsea, with jobs, love, family, and friends. It’s fun and cute, but just kind of like, eh, here’s a few months of their lives living in the West End. That’s all.

Available: January 5

The Meet–Cute Project by Rhiannon Richardson

This YA romance was utterly delightful and adorable, the perfect one-sitting read to get sucked into on a cozy Sunday, because, guilty, that definitely happened.

Here, teenager Mia has a jam-packed schedule between classes, friends, and her growing extracurriculars. Thanks to all of that and how nervous she gets around boys, she’s single. For her older sister Sam’s upcoming wedding, Mia is instructed to bring a date to help balance out the wedding photos since she’s the only one sans a partner. To do so, her three best friends play matchmaker and arrange a series of meet-cutes to help Mia meet a prospective date.

It’s such a cute premise and the characters and language are so authentic and relatable, I can’t help but get sucked into this book. In addition to the blind dates, there’s the jerkish Ben who she has a crush on but her besties don’t approve of, and also Gavin who works at the community garden she starts to volunteer at, so this love triangle gets a bit bigger. She and Gavin have a completely organic meet-cute all on their own and made me scream out, several times, to just tell each other how they feel because it was so painfully obvious and I just wanted that be endgame here. As all of her friends’ setups go awry in different ways, she turns to Gavin like a Cyrano-type to ask for advice from a boy’s perspective. This book was so captivating that I just couldn’t put it down and ended up finishing it in a single sitting. This quick read is absolutely and positively cute, and that ending, however predictable, was just adorable.

Available: January 12

Everybody (Else) Is Perfect by Gabrielle Korn

This memoir slash collection of essays from the former EIC of Nylon Magazine shares her own experience escaping the hamster world of the corporate world and success, especially as a journalist. She notes how, since resigning, she’s been able to focus on her personal wellbeing, which isn’t tied to work success.

Through a series of essays, Korn shares memories about her place in life at work and covering articles she believed in, and her personal identity journey. This book handles such raw, vulnerable topics in a way that’s well-written, compelling, and authentic. There’s definitely some very empowering scenes that encourage us readers to remember that while we all may be insecure, we shouldn’t be and instead embrace our authentic selves fully. She reveals her internal struggles, personal identity journey and growth, and how she got where she is today both personally and professionally. Now, as a journalist and lifestyle writer/editor myself, I came for the professional advice and guides to help further my own career goals, but I ended up reading something that was way more, with lessons about embracing my entire self with confidence and not just sacrificing my personal life for the sake of the job of my dreams.

Available: January 26

Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson

First, I always love to see both racial and body diversity in a book, especially with YA and a romance, which historically doesn’t have the best reputation for it. But seeing that change is so great to see. This book takes place the summer before senior year, where Nala loves making lists and dreams of changing her hair, hanging with friends and family, and falling in love on this school break. Then, she meets a new boy in town, Tye, and she has a big crush on him. He’s very involved with the same community organization as her cousin, and so Nala tries whatever it takes to keep his attention even if it involves little fibs about also being a vegetarian and a volunteer because now he’s interested in this fake version of her. These lies pile up and get bigger and bigger as they start to date and she keeps pretending, and it’s almost like he tries to get her to be what’s she’s not and so, while there is a romantic love story, the main focus is on a self-love journey.

There’s such an authentic teen point of view and compelling language that makes me want to keep reading right off the bat. It’s a quick read that I could polish off in a single sitting because I just couldn’t put it down in the middle, and I was just so invested. In the end, it was just so adorable and I loved how it was more than just a romantic love story, but rather a focus on her journey to self-acceptance and confidence.

Available: February 2

How to Date Your Wardrobe by Heather Newberger

In this short guidebook, stylist Heather Newberger aims to help you reinvent your wardrobe and learn tricks to become more confident in your own skin. It’s all about inspiring your self-confidence, and less about what clothes to specifically wear through her helpful strategies and processes honed through her years as a stylist.

The quick book has an informative, yet conversational tone that feels approachable, realistic, and yet is still seen as an expert here to help. It’s a book for those readers who are seeking a way to upgrade your style and closet with pieces that speak to you and make you feel like a million bucks. She offers handy pop-up pro tips throughout with specific examples of how to put her strategies into action to really focus on how to figure out your own personal style and harnessing that. She brings further tips about shopping, including where to go, mixing things up, and how to navigate the online marketplace. Want to know what this book is really like? It’s like Marie Kondo or The Home Edit or other types of similar organization shows where I immediately get super inspired to redo everything I own right away. It’s like that. All in all, it’s mostly about inspiring you to think critically about clothes so that you only have and wear what you love, need, and make you feel like a star.

Available: February 9

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai

I’ve been waiting to read and review this book for so long, like you don’t understand how excited I am to actually have this baby in my hands right now. As you know well by now, I devoured Alisha Rai’s first two books in her “Modern Love” series: The Right Swipe and Girl Gone Viral. In both swoon-worthy contemporary romances, we were briefly introduced to Rhi and Kat’s third roomie, Jia, who’s a mega-popular beauty influencer. Now, it’s Jia’s turn for some love, and hopefully, get a quick update on how our fave HEAs are doing up in Santa Monica after their books.

We start off with a nervous Jia about to crash a Hollywood party to meet her crush Dev, an international actor, whom she thinks slid into her DMs a year ago and continued to chat with her. However, he doesn’t recognize her and she realizes that she was catfished. Like the previous two books in the series, we see back-and-forth perspectives to get insight into both Dev and Jia’s inner thoughts. While he doesn’t recognize her, Dev is quite mesmerized by her beauty and confidence from the moment he saw her at that party. Also, it was great to see that Rhi and Kat both still have their HEAs with their love interests. That made me squeal, once again, because I love to see that.

This book was a tad slow to start, especially in comparison to The Right Swipe and Girl Gone Viral, and I was just waiting for more than one hundred pages for that heat and action to pick up. And honestly, I’m just not as invested or feeling the butterflies as I was reading the first two books, this feels a lot slower. Back to the story, Dev wants to make up for the catfishing and agrees to her terms to fake date each other to appease her parents, but at the same time, they keep getting to know each other and the feelings deepen. There’s a lot of build-up, but then during the road trip scene, that’s the turning point for them and the book because that’s where things start to pick up.

The POVs flip midchapter in some parts, which can be a bit abrupt at times. However, this book is still cute and true to Rai’s style. Yes, it’s less steamy and more romantic compared to her other books in the “Modern Love” series, but once again, I couldn’t put it down. This book makes such a sweet addition to the series with a cute HEA and a similar style to the other books — as soon as the pacing picked up halfway through.

Available: February 16

Jew-ish: A Cookbook by Jake Cohen

Think: A recipe book for all the modern millennial Jews because that’s pretty much what we have here.

In this cookbook full of “reinvented recipes from a modern mensch,” it’s the perfect way for modern millennials to up their cooking game and put their own spin on the classic Jewish dishes they were raised on. The cookbook features loads of helpful tricks and tips told through first-person experiences from the author. Cohen includes recipes for everyday dining and meals to serve for the big holidays too, organized by meal, holiday, and beverages. Each category has such a variety of items included too. Each recipe gives you detailed instructions so that even the most basic of cooks, and non-cooks like me, can follow along and execute the steps. Each page features conversational language, that’s relatable and authentic to the reader. Then, each recipe has a little intro about the dish’s origin and history, plus the author’s tricks to modernize it and make it taste delicious with its step-by-step detailed instructions.

The book features some of the most gorgeous food photography I’ve ever seen, and I swear my mouth is watering already. Seriously, I’m not much of a cook or baker, but there’s a whole host of recipes that even I cannot wait to try.

Available: March 9

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.