My Halfway Top Ten Books
I’m not entirely sure how we got more than halfway through 2019 already… but also, anything that makes the summer fly by faster so we can get to my beloved fall is GOOD WITH ME. It’s been such a solid year of reading so far, but thankfully, of the 80+ books I’ve read so far in 2019, I only gave 5-star ratings to 12! Picking my halfway top ten from that list wasn’t too terribly hard… these are all SUCH winners.
Here are my picks for my halfway top ten:
Here’s one sentence from my reviews of each of these picks:
I seriously kept thinking “wait is this about a real band?!??” because it was just so well-written and engaging.
I would give this one more than five stars if I could.
I need to daily if not hourly if not EVERY DANG SECOND remember God and His kindness, and I’m just so moved by Annie’s story of learning to do the same.
I haven’t even run a whole mile, so the thought of running 30, 50, 100... it’s WILD but was so fun to read about.
This book has ruined me.
I don’t even know what to say because I don’t want to ruin a single bit of it... but wow.
I was screaming and gasping and freaking out all the way through the last few chapters... so yeah, it gets five stars from me.
It’s like the enneagram and Urban Dictionary got blended up together and this book came out, or like an old personality type got a new makeover, complete with tattoos and piercings and a sassy new outfit.
Not at all what I expected (the cover threw me off for some reason?) but as soon as I picked this one off my shelf and read the first few pages to see if I should return it or keep it, I was hooked!
I didn’t expect to like this one and for some reason had in my mind that it would be cheesy Christian fiction, but I quickly fell in LOVE with it and legitimately didn’t want it to end.
What’s one book on your halfway top ten list?!
so, you’ve heard about this enneagram thing, and you’re curious to dive in, but you don’t know where to start? you’re in the right place! i’ve rounded up great book recs for the beginner or deeper dive suggestions if you want to learn more. let’s dive in!
if you’re wondering “what are the best bookstores in virginia?” look no further — i’ve got you covered!
get ready for 2026 with the 8th annual edition of a rad reading challenge! nine prompts and one year to stretch yourself in your reading.
get ready for 2025 with the 7th annual edition of a rad reading challenge! nine prompts and one year to stretch yourself in your reading.
i firmly believe books are the very best gifts, even if nobody ever gets them for me because they think i have too many! not true!!! anyway. i’ve turned to gifting books to my people in hopes that it inspires them to return the favor… and also because as previously stated, i believe books are the best gifts.
in this guide, you’ll find 72 total recommendations, with 12 each in the following categories:
🍂cozy/comforting
🧙🏼♀️witches/hexes
🔥sweet/spicy
🩸murder/mystery
🧑🏻🏫academic settings
🧌creature features
looking for your next read in the river city? look no further — here are 5 of my most favorite and most frequented bookstores in the richmond, va area!
i am so excited about this year’s guide — it’s a really fun blend of book recs for all kinds of readers, and i implemented so many of your suggestions which makes it even better! plus, these recs aren’t just from me…
april was the month i read the steamiest book of my life (still not over it, i loved it) and returned to enneagram books and read 4 five star reads… a solid month, overall!
ahhh, the sweet, sweet feeling of coming out of a reading slump! I AM BACK IN ACTION and crushing 15 books (with SIX of them racking up five stars) felt SO GOOD. march was great! yay books!
february felt like a reading SLUMP even though, sure, i read 11 books (6 of them were novellas!). i didn’t have FUN reading this month…
may these resources be helpful guides along this lenten season as we remove a distraction to better create space for Christ in our lives and in our hearts.
i don’t know about you, but even as a very single and very-anti-valentine’s day person, there’s something about all the love, hearts, and commercially-crafted romance in the air this time of year that makes me want to read something with a happily ever after.
by popular demand, i’m back to rounding up all of the reviews of what i read each month here on my blog, and i hope it’s a helpful resource for you!
whether you are joining in on a rad reading challenge for 2024, or you are just looking to diversify your reading, or you want to amplify and support Latinx authors for another reason, i hope this list of books (both that i’ve read and that are on my tbr list!) is a helpful guide!
This is one of my favorite things to create year after year — A RAD Reading Challenge is back for 2024!
The focus this year is to intentionally read DIVERSELY. (it matters!!! so much!!!)
tis the season for twinkly lights and cozy blankets, cheesy movies and mistletoe (but only in the movies? i’ve seriously never seen the stuff in real life…), and, OF COURSE, holiday reads!
i grew up pretty clueless about most pop culture, but in my adulthood, i’ve loved catching up with the shows, movies, music, and other trends i missed over the years as well as what’s popular now, and then learning more about the key people in the midst of it all. when celebs release memoirs and spill the tea (or some heavily filtered, still very one-sided, definitely strategic and not always totally honest version of it), i am HERE FOR IT, especially when it comes to actors, musicians, and bachelor nation stars. JUDGE ME IF YOU MUST.
it has been a summer of easy, breezy, swoony reads for me this year (more than ever, i’d say!) and i’m rounding up 20 that i’ve read this june and july to give you some great recs!
out of the 86 books i’ve read so far this year, 25 snagged five star ratings, and these 12 are my favorites of those! the best of the best of the year, if you will.
In ten different categories, featuring a diverse range of authors, these 89 book recommendations include both new releases and former favorites, giving you an abundance of options for your summer reading adventures.
it didn’t take long before taylor jenkins read became an auto-read author for me — there’s something about the way she tells stories that is so immersive, compelling, and just plain FUN
i don’t quite know yet how i’ll engage with this season of lent, especially alongside and as part of a new community, but i’m hopeful and curious about what will come of this season of preparing for easter, beginning with the reminder that i come from dust and will one day return to it.
there’s just something about escaping reality with unrealistic meet cutes and fantastic flirtations and steamy scenes that i just can’t get enough of, and with valentine’s day around the corner, it felt like the perfect time to round up some of my most favorite romances!
One of the prompts for A RAD Reading Challenge in 2023 is to read a modern day retelling of a classic, and I wanted to round up a handful of recommendations for those doing the challenge!
and now, as the year wraps up, i’m sharing my favorites of both fiction and nonfiction. i’m not the best at picking favorites, so i’m wrapping up 10 for each!
This is one of my favorite things to create year after year — A RAD Reading Challenge is back for 2023 with nine new prompts!
if you’re looking for a book or a guide for the season of advent (it starts december 3, 2022) as we look toward christmas and the coming of our savior, i’ve rounded up some suggestions (both that i’ve read and ones that i haven’t but that look great) in hopes that they’re helpful.
if you’ve never read wendell berry or are newer to his body of work, here’s a guide on which book to start with (as well as a complete list of all of this works across genres)