reading Archives - LUXE LIFE // SMALL BUDGET

What I Read: July & August 2026

August 29, 2026 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

I was apparently reading everything this summer!

I had no idea I read so many books until I went to write this post. I think it’s a combo of having more free time and getting excited about audiobooks again. I definitely was leaning in to fiction, but I did have a few non-fiction picks as well.
The list includes:
-The Favorites by Layne Fargo
-The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
-Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin
-Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
-The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
-Future Rich Person by Haley Sacks
-The Latte Factor by David Bach
-Sleeping Dogs Lie by Samantha Downing
-Be Iron Fit by Don Fink and Melanie Fink
-Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
-Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
-Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
-Behind the Mirror: Inside the World of Big Brother by Taran Armstrong
-Safari Murder Party by Rachel Anne Moore
-The Butcher Legacy by Alaina Urquhart
-The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
-Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
-Tell Your Friends by Lauren Wilson
-The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: May & June 2026

July 16, 2026 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

I’m not scared to say it. Is anyone else thinking about fall?

Yes, I realize it’s still the heart of summer, but I find myself craving fall candles, cooler weather, and scary movies. I fully expect to cave and pull out my fall decor once August rolls around.

In the meantime, I’ll do my best to enjoy the rest of the summer, which includes diving into some good books. My latest reads are a bit all over the place (like usual):
– The Fractured Dark by Megan E. O’Keefe
– Escape! by Stephen Fishbach
– Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa Roehrich
– Storm of Secrets and Sorrow by Melissa Roehrich
– Play by Stuart Brown
– True Crime: A Memoir by Patricia Cornwell
– Murder in the Crooked House by Soji Shimada
– The Triathlete’s Training Bible by Joe Friel
– Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe
– She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva
– You Are an Ironman by Jacques Steinberg
– Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Let’s get into the reviews!

A book on a white background with a flower laying on top.

What I Read: March & April 2026

April 28, 2026 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

And just like that, it’s almost the start of May.

While summer may be around the corner, I find myself wanting to do a deep spring cleaning and a complete reset. It very much feels like a time of renewal and transformation in my life as I think about what I want the rest of this year to look like. Anyone else feeling this way?

Regardless, that hasn’t stopped me from reading! This spring has included a mix of fiction and non-fiction reads. The list includes:
-Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman
-The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O’Keefe
-A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann
-Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede
-Quit Like a Millionaire by Bryce Leung and Kristy Shen
-Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
-Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Now, for the reviews!

What I Read: January & February 2026

March 5, 2026 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

The start to 2026… has been a lot. I think I’ll leave it at that.

But, it’s been a great time to dive into books. I read 13 books over January and February and had a good mix of fiction and non-fiction.

The list includes:
-The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem
-The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem
-Pathfinders by J.L. Collins
-Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
-The Burning God by R.F. Kuang
-Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
-When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur
-The Last Town by Blake Crouch
-Run Like a Pro (Even If You’re Slow) by Ben Rosario and Matt Fitzgerald
-The Intersectional Environmentalist by Leah Thomas
-The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino
-Private Rites by Julia Armfield
-Empire of AI by Karen Hao

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: October & November 2025

November 29, 2025 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

The Christmas decorations are out, the tree is lit, and the air is cold. In my opinion it’s the best time of year to dive into a good book. And that’s just what I’ve been doing lately!

My October and November reads were an interesting mix of fiction. For the first time in a very long time, I didn’t read any non-fiction either month!

The list includes:
-The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
-The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
-Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
-Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
-My Friends by Fredrik Backman
-Pines by Blake Crouch
-Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
-Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
-Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: August & September 2025

October 7, 2025 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 2 comments

The end of summer/the start of fall has been absolutely chaotic. Normally, this is a time of year that I particularly enjoy as it becomes socially acceptable to pull out my Halloween decorations and there’s an occasional cool morning (this is a rare treat for Florida). But there’s just too much going on in life, in work, outside of work, in the world…. anyone else relate?

Regardless, that hasn’t stopped me from diving into reading, especially fiction. Sometimes, you just need an escape!

My August and September reads include:
-Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
-The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
-Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
-The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad
-Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez
-The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis
-Old Country by Matt Query and Harrison Query
-The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
-The Poppy War by R.F Kuang
-Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness
-How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
-The Wedding People by Alison Espach

We have a lot to talk about, so let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: July 2025

August 5, 2025 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

Is it too early to say that I’m thinking about getting my fall decorations out of the garage?

Maybe so.

But I’m ready for some cooler temperatures and fun Halloween vibes. I got an early start this weekend with a few scary movies. Maybe, next weekend I’ll officially break out the decorations and candles.

As summer continues to hang on for now, I leaned back into fiction. This month’s reads included:
-Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
-I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
-Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli
-You by Caroline Kepnes
-Nice Girls Don’t Win by Parvati Shallow
-That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: March & April 2025

April 29, 2025 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 2 comments

I don’t know about anyone else, but life has been… chaotic? I’m not even sure that’s the right word to describe it. Unrelenting? It didn’t help that I spent most of March either sick with a cold or sick with food poisoning.

But regardless, I’ve still been finding time to read. I read 10 books in March and April with the list including quite a bit of fantasy:

-Quicksilver by Callie Heart
-Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
-A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty by Stacia Stark
-The Passion Test by Chris Attwood and Janet Bray Attwood
-The Woman Destroyed by Simone De Beauvoir
-Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
-Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli
-Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman
-Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
-FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: December 2024

January 4, 2025 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

Somehow, 2024 has already come to an end.

I don’t know if it’s getting older or what, but I swear each year passes faster and faster. And each year feels slightly crazier…

But the end of the year chaos didn’t slow down my reading. December’s reads included mostly fantasy:
-Caraval by Stephanie Garber
-A Court This Cruel and Lovely by Stacia Stark
-Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
-The Chain by Adrian McKinty
-Fate Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
-We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Let’s get into the reviews!

What I Read: November 2024

December 10, 2024 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

I can’t believe 2024 is already almost over.

Yet, I find myself sitting here next to my Christmas tree and thinking about new year’s resolutions. I feel like this fall has been an absolute whirlwind and I’m not sure exactly why. Does anyone else feel this way or is this just a me thing?

Regardless of this weird time warp that I’m in, I continued to pick up books and made it through some long ones! One was 608 pages and another was 496.

The list included:
-Let It Go by Peter Walsh
-The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
-Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews
-Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic by Emily Monosson
-All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Let’s get into the reviews!