On this particular post I decided to partner up with one of my favorite girls – and especially favorite bookworm – to combine efforts and bring to you a list of books we’ve loved, or at least had our eye on this summer. Nikki Best is an LA girl, a creative, a copywriter, a yoga and coffee enthusiast, but most importantly the author of a book herself. A year or so ago she penned “Haikantwithyou” – a really fun and clever quick read that tells a tale of a modern relationship in haiku format. Plus it’s a great coffee table read for when you’re done – I would know, I have it.

So with all of that said, both Nikki and I have spent a lot of time this summer reading – and listening – and these are just a few of the books we hope you guys might enjoy as well. I also included the local book stores in Los Angeles that you can find them – along with their Amazon links just incase you’re not in LA. But if you are in LA, get your butt to your local bookshop and take in all those fresh book scents!

YOUR END-OF-SUMMER READING LIST & THE LA BOOKSTORES TO SHOP FOR THEM AT

NIKKI’S PICKS:

 

Slutever: Dispatches from a Sexually Autonomous Woman in a Post-Shame World, by Karley Sciortino: Okay I know this title was a handful BUT, I will say I really appreciated an unbiased dialogue on female sexuality in a way we haven’t heard it, yet. Instead of trying to turn, “slut” into a positive word, Karley encourages the reader to fully embrace the term. She also dives into more taboo careers/topics, like BDSM and sex work, but with a new, objective lens. I truly encourage you all to read it and be open to a different approach when it comes to sex and how females are having it.

Where to find: The Last Bookstore, DTLA

Any Man, by Amber Tablyn: This one seems so interesting to me. Mostly because it’s about a serial female rapist, and her all male victims. It sounds crazy, especially in this current political climate, but it’s actually really interesting in that it puts the female perspective into a male one, so that a man who might read it might finally understand what it’s like to be harassed. I haven’t read it yet, but did go to the book reading at Skylight. It’s next on my list!

Where to find: Skylight Books, Los Feliz

Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn: If you’re not watching HBO’s Sharp Objects, then do yourself a favor and buy the book first. It’s about a small town in Missouri that has two young girls harrowingly murdered. It’s up to a local reporter to figure out what happened. The show is really good, but the way Gillian Flynn writes is so captivating. She also wrote Gone Girl, which if you haven’t seen the movie – I recommend again reading the book first.

Where to find: Small World Books, Venice

Hey Ladies!, Michelle Markowitz and Caroline Moss: Oh man. I think this one might be my favorite on the list thus far. If you’ve ever been in an email or text chain with five of your closest girl friends while planning a bachelorette weekend, then this is the book for you. It goes through every nuance you face – from spending way too much money, to the friend who is so finicky about money they never end up participating. I know this sounds cliched, but it’s laugh-out-loud funny. And I think everyone will enjoy or relate in some way.

Where to find: Book Soup, West Hollywood

The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks: If you like summer suspense, this is the book for you. An incredibly clever thriller that follows a jealous wife who is obsessed with her replacement: a younger woman who is set to marry the man she loves. It’s one of the better thrillers I’ve read – a real page turner, if you will.

Where to find: Pop Hop, Highland Park

 

CAROLINE’S PICKS

 

So, I’ll be honest. I listen to most of my books, and I have a tendency to stick to one genre: WWII. This is why having Nikki help me come up with a list was so much more fun and insightful because I am weird and obsessed! If you happen to love WWII stories, then I am the book recommender for you. Otherwise, stick to Nikki’s picks!

To make it easy on ya let’s just talk about the last 3 books I’ve read and loved:

Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly: a story inspired by the life of a real WWII heroine, but told in the perspective of a young woman from Poland, a young woman from Germany, and a young woman from America. Their stories eventually intertwine in the most incredible and impossible ways imaginable and it is easily my favorite novel I’ve read this year.

The Alice Network, Kate Quinn: Another incredible WWII story that tells the tale of a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during WWI and an American socialite searching for her missing cousin in 1947 just after WWII. The story goes back and forth between the two women’s lives and I was absolutely enthralled the entire time.

The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah: this was one of those books that I cried when it was over simply because it was over. I did not want this book to end, it was that good. The Nightingale tells the story of two sisters in France; one who becomes a French spy in the underground, the other who is experiencing the war as a mother and wife simply trying to survive. This particular novel, alongside All of the Light We Cannot See, is arguably in my top 5 favorite books of all time.

Where to find: Chevalier’s Books, Larchmont

 

What have you been reading and loving lately? Please share in the comments!