Hello! I’m here with another installment in my Buzzword Readathon series. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
*This is a little later than my usual posting, as I mentioned the past month has not been the best in terms of my mental health. I will be trying to be on top of things as best I can, as next month I will be traveling for the first time since the pandemic started. Thank you for reading*
This is the seventh post in my Buzzword-a-thon series for 2022. In case you’re new here, Buzzword-a-thon (or Buzzword Readathon) was originally created by Kayla at the YouTube channel booksandlala. It centers around readers choosing books that include specific words or ‘types’ of words. This is the second year where all 12 prompts were selected in advance and it’s being loosely hosted once a month on sites like Goodreads and Storygraph. Last year had an even split of specific words and themed-words alternating every month, but this year it’s more themed-based with a few original buzzword catagories making a reappearance from past read-a-thons. In 2022, I am challenging myself to read at least one book that satisfies the prompt every month, and suggesting books I’ve read previsously that would also fufill it within these posts. July’s theme was bookish words, and honestly this is the prompt I thought I would have more choices to pick from but overall I am very pleased with my final decision.
Book read in July: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Nora Stephens is a cutthroat literary agent in New York CIty who works hard for her clients and even harder to make sure her younger sister, Libby, is happy. While her life may revolve around books, Nora knows she isn’t the heroine to be expected from romance novels, and her life doesn’t follow the typical tropes. But when Libby begs for a sister’s trip to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, a small town which happens to be the setting of Nora’s client’s best-selling book, she finds herself on a plane heading south. Instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps running into Charlie Lastra, a bookish editor that once passed on one of Nora’s clients and the two have “feuded” ever since. But Sunshine Falls still has its small town charm, and when Charlie and Nora are thrown together through various circumstances, the two of them may just find themselves the heroes of their own story.
Honestly, this might be my favorite Emily Henry romance novel so far (though it may be just tied with Beach Read – I’ll have to give them both a reread to decide). I appreciated how career-driven Nora comes across, and how well she treats her clients because she wants what is best for them and their books. I found it funny how this book plays with typical romance tropes, and how some are specifically referenced because Nora is trying to explain how her life is constantly not like those books / movies (I mean, except how several of her boyfriends have traveled to small towns, found love there, and have subsequently dumped her). Nora has always needed to put other people’s needs before her own, whether it be her clients, her partners, or most importantly her sister, so when she finally sits down and has time to reflect on herself and what she needs, what she wants, she realizes she may need help to overcome some unresolved issues from her childhood. I found Nora and Libby’s relationship to be pretty relatable, and while I did not lose my parents at a young age, I am the youngest of three and can see my sisters taking care of me in the same way Nora looks out for Libby. While I can’t necessarily say I agree with the initial marketing of this book being enemies-to-lovers, I loved seeing Nora’s discontent with Charlie and his entire personality, her surprise seeing him in Sunshine Falls, his reasoning for being in Sunshine Falls, their banter, his protectiveness every time she became close to anyone else in town, and ultimately them giving in to their mutual attraction. Overall, people have their very strong opinions about Emily Henry’s books (and romance novels in general, but that is a story for another day), but this was definitely one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
In conclusion, more than half of the year is gone already. I’m curious to see what the remaining months will bring.
Where to find Book Lovers:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Emily Henry’s site
Additional Recommendations:
–The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green (Essay Collection)
–The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser (Adult Fiction) [review]
–Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks (YA Contemporary)
–In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo (Adult Fiction) [review]
–The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey (YA Contemporary)
–The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu (Adult Urban Fantasy)
–The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander (Adult Fiction) [review]
–The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Adult Speculative Fiction)
–The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons (Adult Contemporary) [review]
–The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg (Adult Fiction – translated)
–The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley + Austin Siegemund-Broka (Adult Romace)
–Suggested Reading by Dave Connis (YA Contemporary)
–True Crime Story by Joseph Knox (Adult Mystery)
–Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur (Adult Romance) [review]
Thoughts About Things 