Recent Reads No. 9

While I have always done a good job of reaching for a book somewhere in my daily routine, I have found it especially easy to incorporate reading into my commute to work this summer – since there's no phone service in the subway, it's the perfect excuse to pull out a book for 30 minutes. Because I have less free time than during the school year, I've really loved taking advantage of this dedicated reading time each day. Most of my past Recent Reads posts have primarily included nonfiction reads, but I've found myself reaching for fiction lately – especially the coming of age stories in Where The Crawdads Sing and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Read more about these books (+ a few more nonfiction reads) below:

Where The Crawdads Sing

This is the book that has topped nearly every must-read and bestseller list over the past few months and if it isn't already, it should be next up on your list. The book intertwines a murder investigation with a coming of age story, while capturing the mystery and beauty of the lowcountry. It was really easy to get into this book and was one that I couldn't put down!

Contagious

This was a book that had been on my 'to read' list since I read Invisible Influence last year. It ended up being on the reading list for one of my classes last semester and it has probably been one of the best books I've read on marketing + psychology. It dives into why some things — like modern speakeasies or Rue La La — catch on and why some things don't. If you're a fan of Malcolm Gladwell books and are interested in marketing or communications, this is a book that's both insightful and entertaining.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is another coming of age story that takes place during the turn of the century in Brooklyn. In this story, it's really easy to love the narrator and the way she romanticizes her tenement life and the small corner of Brooklyn that she calls home. This is one of my favorite reads because the characters are so likable and give you a glimpse into New York City in a completely different state than it is today.

Rising Strong

I finally hopped on the Brené Brown bandwagon and ended up loving this book. It was a really quick read and Brené's writing style makes topics like shame and rising after failure really entertaining and relatable. If you've seen her Netflix special, she talks about a lot of the same stories and concepts in this book, so it might feel repetitive, but if you're new to Brené Brown I would recommend this read!

Thanks for reading,