Bookworm Cottage Style

There is something about a lighthearted, page-turning book that says summer is here. Time to stay up past your bedtime, get some sun, and set aside your routines.

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand (2023; 416 pages) // Elin Hilderbrand’s novels get a lot of buzz for being the ultimate beach reads, but for whatever reason, the 2 or 3 I’ve read prior to this one have kinda been downers. Hotel Nantucket is the Hildebrand novel I’ve been waiting for and made me glad I did not give up on her altogether! I loved the vivid descriptions of the food and the hotel, and I really enjoyed learning more about the characters and their secrets. A great, breezy summer read!

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (2023; 320 pages) // This book is so much fun — I did not want to put it down! It is a romantic comedy about a comedy writer for an SNL-inspired show and a celebrity musician who guest hosts one night. A great breezy pick for the beach bag! The feel reminded me of Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan, but with some Emily Henry witty banter thrown-in.

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan (2022; 272 pages) // So so good! I wasn’t really buying the celebrity/non-celebrity romance trope in the first half of the book, but the second half of this book was unputdownable! If you’re in the market for a feel-good romance, look no further!

Less by Andrew Sean Greer (2017; 272 pages) // Can a Pulitzer prize winner be a beach read? In this case, I think so! This story is about a middle-aged novelist who goes on an around-the-world adventure to help mend a broken heart. Although the book is short (roughly 250 pages) it is packed with mishaps, heart, and humor. Just delightful!

Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer (2023; 272 pages) // What a treat to get to spend more time with some of my favorite characters! Despite going into Less is Lost with very high hopes and expectations, I loved this book just as much as its predecessor. In this book, our protagonists’s relationship is flailing and his finances are dire, prompting Less to embark on cross country road trip of speaking engagements to earn a little extra cash, and perhaps do some soul-searching in the process. The result is a fun, hopeful adventure with a tug-at-your-heartstrings ending.(If you haven’t read Less, described above, definitely pick that up first.)

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (2021; 400 pages) // This “will they or won’t they” story follows two best friends who not-so-secretly have feelings for each other over a decade of summer vacations together. I loved the witty writing, endearing characters, and a surprisingly soulful reflection on the importance of community in the age of social media. The sharp yet goofy dialogue pays homage to the likes of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Nora Ephron, to the point where I actually found myself laughing out loud more than once. Don’t dismiss this book as a simple beach read. If you are even remotely interested in romantic comedies, travel, or millennial burnout, you will love this book as much as I did.

Funny Story by Emily Henry (2024; 400 pages) // I am a big Emily Henry fan, and I’m so glad I bought this book when it came out this spring. Daphne and Miles have just been dumped, as their exes decided to get together. Needing a place to live, Daphne moves in with Miles and tries her best to make the most of summer in Northern Michigan before planning to move away. This is a fun book filled with warm characters, libraries, and farm-to-table food, and just makes summers in Michigan look so fun!

The Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman (2020; 400 pages) // This lovely book beautifully captures the magic of Italy! I especially enjoy stories that feature a fun-loving older woman who has lived a colorful life, and was instantly smitten with the Aunt Poppy character. A fun, feel-good, wanderlust-y read!

Delicious! by Ruth Reichl (2014; 380 pages) // In this book, a young woman working at a cooking magazine in NYC stumbles upon secret letters written during WWII. If you know me, you know that a plot like this couldn’t be more up my alley if it tried. And if you need further evidence, might I add that the author is the delightful Ruth Reichl, one of the greatest food writers of our time, and that the book also has poignant family scenes and a few nods to fashion and historic home restoration. Did I mention how much I loved this book? A charming, delightful, lighthearted read!

As for me, I just ordered Abby Jimenez’s new book, Just for the Summer, and plan to tear into it the moment it arrives. I also plan to track down a copy of Beach Read, the only Emily Henry book I have yet to read.