reading Archives - LUXE LIFE // SMALL BUDGET

What I Read: June 2024

July 6, 2024 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

Vacations are funny.

The days are long. The week is short. It makes time slow down and speed up. As I look at my list of June reads, some of these books feel like I read them a lifetime ago. So much has happened since then. But at the same time, everything is the same. I’ll stop rambling now…

Overall, June proved to be a solid month of reading. I’m definitely on a thriller/mystery/suspense kick:
-Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose
-Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena
-Don’t Believe It by Charlie Donlea
-The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
-One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
-The Coworker by Freida McFadden
-The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: May 2024

June 6, 2024 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

I know it’s not technically summer, but it might as well be. It’s hot. It’s humid. And I find myself craving beach reads and summer camp thrillers.

While I got started on that trend later in the month, this month’s reads actually started rather heavy with fascinating (but disturbing and horrifying!) books on climate change and nuclear war.

This month’s reads included:
-You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen
-Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
-The Heat Will Kill You First by Jeff Goodell
-Choosing Theo by Victoria Aveline
-The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
-Never Lie by Freida McFadden

Now for the reviews!

What I Read: April 2024

May 10, 2024 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

This was an odd month of reading for me!

My picks were a bit all over the place: Thriller, fantasy, historical fantasy, magical realism, literary fiction and non-fiction:
– Red Island House by Andrea Lee
– The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest
– The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
– Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth
– The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
– Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
– To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang

I enjoy shaking things up from time to time, but I am definitely getting the urge to return to ‘romantasy’ (romantic fantasy) or picking up a beach read from Elin Hilderbrand now that temperatures are really heating up.

But first, let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: February 2024

March 4, 2024 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

I can’t believe how quickly February came and went. It’s like I blinked and now we are multiple days into March! I’m definitely in one of those phases were the days seem long, but the weeks go quickly.

Despite a lot going on, I was able to fit in quite a bit of reading, finishing up 8 books in February:
– Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
– Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
– Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
– The Wicked King by Holly Black
– The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
– A Friend in the Dark by Samantha Bailey
– The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
– One Person, Multiple Careers by Marci
Alboher

As you can see the choices are a bit all over the place. Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: January 2024

February 4, 2024 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

Are we a full month into 2024? Yes.

Did I still type 2023 when writing this post? Also, yes.

I hope everyone’s 2024 is off to a good start. Mine’s certainly off to a busy start. Between changes at work, changes outside of work, my car needing an oil change, my yearly doctor’s appointment, etc., I’m in a survival state. You know those periods in your life where you’re just hanging on and hoping it’ll pass? That’s where I’m at.

But that didn’t stop me from escaping into books with this month’s read included an interesting mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and non-fiction:
– The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
– Running with Purpose by Jim Weber
– Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling
– The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallway
– Kill Show: A True Crime Novel by Daniel Sweren-Becker
– All Systems Red by Martha Wells
– Artificial Conditions by Martha Wells
– Fate Calls the Elf Queen by J.M. Kearl

What I Read: December 2023

January 1, 2024 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

And just like that we are tying a bow on 2023.

I really don’t know where the time went. I know you always hear that the years go faster as you get older, but it’s so weird to experience. 2023 really did fly by.

December proved to be a strong month of reading, which included finishing up an 800+ page book that’s been on my list for a while:
– The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
– Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
– A City on Mars by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith
– The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall
– Long Live the Elf Queen by J.M. Kearl
– The Only One Left by Riley Sager
– Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

Time for the reviews!

What I Read: October 2023

October 31, 2023 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

I was on a roll with reading this month, finishing 9 books! I really leaned into fiction, reading only two non-fiction books:

-Hollow Heathens by Nicole Fiorina
-Rootbound by Tarah Dewitt
-Cat Tale by Craig Pittman
-A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing
-The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
-Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
-Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
-Pumpkin Spice Scare by Molly Maple
-The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

As you can see, the book choices are really all over the place. I had two holiday-esque books, romance, fantasy, and a memoir throw in there as well.

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: September 2023

October 3, 2023 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

Since I’ve been on a big fantasy kick lately, I tried to force myself to read a few other books outside of that genre this month, including a horror novel in the spirit of fall.

I ended up reading six books in total for September:
-The Guest by Emma Cline
-Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford
-The Troop by Nick Cutter
-The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
-King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
-Bow Before the Elf Queen by J.M. Kearl

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: July 2023

August 4, 2023 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

Despite my intentions to read some beach-y, fun summer books… that didn’t happen.

In fact, my reading seemed to slow way down this month. In part, because I was traveling and exhausted. But I did also tackle a 784-page book, so that likely played a role.

I still seem to be continuing my trend this year toward non-fiction and fantasy with July’s reads including:
-A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
-A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
-The Power of One More by Ed Mylett
-Ragdoll by Daniel Cole
-Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt

Now for the reviews!

What I Read: June 2023

July 1, 2023 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

I have a confession.

Summer is only just officially in full swing… and yet, I find myself already opening my fall candles and smelling them. I love that time of the year, but I’m trying to get myself to embrace the season I’m in more. Maybe, I’ll actually read some summer/beachy books in July!

As for June’s reads, I’m continuing to read a lot of non-fiction (which is a bit surprising) and fantasy:
-A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
-Ledge by Stacey McEwan
-To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
-The Good Life by Marc. S Schulz and Robert J. Waldinger
-Mastering Plot Twists by Jane K. Cleland
-How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White
-Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

Now for the reviews!