Summer TBR Pile

Summer is here and of course, we have a list of books to read! Join us in discussing which books we plan on reading this summer and why we added it to the list! What’s in your Summer TBR pile? 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hey book lovers, it's TNT BookAmen.

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Where Tyra is chaotic and free-spirited.

SPEAKER_00 0:07

And Tabitha is organized and type A.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

And our TBRs are totally out of control. So today for our mini episode, we are going to be sharing our summer TBR piles, um, or TBR lists, I should say. And I will say, I'm just gonna write off the top, we only both picked three books just for the sake of time. Hopefully, we will read more than three books this summer, but these are the main ones that kind of yeah, that stuck out stuck out to us that are aside from our book club books that we are hoping we will read this summer. Um so before we jump into the actual books, for you, what makes the perfect summer read, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_00 0:52

Um gosh, honestly, just a book that I feel like I can literally just even just sitting on my patio um during the daytime, like of like for a happy story. So during the daytime and just like you know, my little man is just running around playing with the dogs and stuff, and I can just relax and like have a drink and read. And then at night time, a good thriller to sit at the patio and the fireplace with.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Yep, so it needs to be outside. I agree. I'm like, I want to find it. I can picture myself like literally being on a beach reading, like that's what I want. I don't know that that will happen for me this year for summer, but it's where I'm gonna be mentally at when I'm reading through these books.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Yeah. Or even just like I try to walk quite a bit outside while I during the summer. So even just a good book that I'm good like walking and reading.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Yep. Even if it's on audible, something that is just it feels like summer. That's that's what I want. Um is there a specific genre that you crave in summer?

SPEAKER_00 2:08

I feel it just like it like kind of like it just depends. Like for the daytime, I feel like I'll probably crave that more like beachy read, more of a romance. But then at nighttime next to the fire, I'm like, give me a good thriller. Or if I'm camping, I'm like, I want to read a thriller.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

I want to be scared.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Which is funny because I agree, and the three books that I picked are all romances, which I really do want to read all of these, but I'm shocked myself being the uh I'm very thrilled. I know, I'm like, but don't worry. I will be trickling some Freedom McFadden books in there and hopefully some other ones as well.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Um yeah, especially this new one that just came out.

SPEAKER_01 2:50

Fingers crossed. Yeah, oh yes, that is. I'm literally I'm going to start that as soon as I finish this book that I have right now, which will be today, hopefully. Um, but I am really hoping that our next pool for book club will be a thriller. And I'm like, please, please, please. Um so we'll see. But we could just get right into it with the books that we decided to kind of briefly cover on here. So my first one that I picked, I just have to put a little caveat here because I haven't mentioned this to you. Did you know that because okay, first off, my first book that I have is Rules for the Summer by Megan Quinn. Uh-huh. Megan Quinn is friends with Rebecca Yarros and lives in Colorado Springs. So I feel like we have to add her to the list of we need to find her and meet her.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Yeah, we do. And I need to read this book now with you.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

She, I've read a couple of her other books and she she writes really cute stories. They're a little steamy. She writes some um spicy things in there, but they're really cute stories, the ones that I've read of hers. Um, so I'm really excited for this one, especially like it's specifically for summer. Um, so that is awesome. Yeah, with this one. So the main premise here is Renley, who is the main, the female main character. She's trying to save a struggling candy shop when Theo, a wealthy British man caught up in a chaotic, fake engagement mix-up, becomes her neighbor for the summer. Their forks forced proximity quickly turns into a funny, flirty romance. Um, and it is a contemporary romance, summer romance rom-com book. So um, yeah, I think that that one seems like very it just seems like very summary. I think it's gonna be super cute. I'm very excited to hear or to see what what that what happens when that story unfolds. So that is my first one.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

I feel like I'm gonna have to add that to my list too. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

If you haven't read any of her books, obviously I don't know about this one specifically, but she does write really cute stories.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

So on my list, the first book that I have on my list, um, and I have not watched the movie on Netflix. I refuse to watch it before I read the book. Um, but I have remarkably bright creatures on my list. Oh love it. Yeah, I'm very excited, especially because you read it and you raved about it. And so I'm very excited to read this one. Um, it's set in Pacific Northwest. It tells the heartwarming uplift, uplifting story of a widowed woman's unlikely friendship with a remarkably intelligent octopus, which helps her unravel the mystery of her son's decades-old disappearance.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Yeah, it is not what I expected going in. And I've I maybe have mentioned this before. I've definitely mentioned it to you. I don't know if I've said it on the podcast, but I picked this book up and read a couple pages, and I was like, this is weird. I don't want to read about an octopus. Like, this is so weird. And I put it down and I was like, no. And then I it just I kept seeing it everywhere. I'm like, okay, I need to give it a shot. And I would sing it everywhere. So happy that I did. I cannot wait to hear your thoughts once you read that one. So oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 6:17

That's a good one. Um the genre on that oh sorry, go ahead. No, just just the genre on that one is just contemporary fiction. It's blended with magical realism and a gentle mystery. I'm so excited. Yeah, I'm literally gonna be picking that one up, ASAP.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Yep. I remember when um I can't remember who I was talking to, but I'm like, I don't even know what genre it is. Like it's not a romance, it's not a thriller, it's not, I'm like, what is it? And then when I actually Googled it, I'm like, okay, that makes sense. It's just a it's just a normal fiction book, but it has all these things tied into it. So very excited to hear your thoughts on that. Um my second one is Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren. I am currently reading another Christina Lauren book, and I am really liking it so far. So I have high hopes for this one. Um, it is a contemporary romance. Again, the the three that I picked are are all romances. Um, but it follows uh Macy. So Macy reconnects with Elliot, her first love and former best friend, years after their relationship suddenly fell apart. Told between past and present timelines, the story uncovers what happened between them and whether they can find their way back to each other. So sounds very sweet. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

See, this is difficult hearing your pics because I'm like, should I have that on my TV or else?

SPEAKER_01 7:43

Yes, you should.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Like I do Aliadala too. But my second book is um going to be We Were Liars by E Lockhart. So I know that one is a TV show, and I had originally started the TV show, but I didn't get far at all. I probably watched maybe the first episode, and it's not because I didn't like it, it's because I literally just I just get busy and I don't watch TV as much. Um, but it is a young adult psychological thriller and contemporary mystery. Um, so it is focused on a wealthy secretive family, the Sinclairs, who spend summer on a private island. The story centers on Caden Sinclair, who returns to the islands to the island at age 17 after a mysterious accident caused memory loss, attempting to uncover truths about her family, romance, and traumatic incident involving her three close friends, the liars.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Oh, I am kicking myself because I watched this show and I did not know that it was based on a book. I am very much a you need to read the book first type of person, and I am so sad that I ruined this one for myself because I feel like now if I go back and read it, I'm like, okay, I already know what happens, I know what the twist is, so I feel like it's not the same. So I am so glad that you did not do that and that you can read the book first and then watch the show because that show, in my opinion, was amazing. It was it was one that really it was heartbreaking. So I am very interested to hear your thoughts and if this if the book is the same as the show, if like the twist was the same. So I'm very excited to hear.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

My little sister gave me the book, so I'm excited.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

I think it's gonna be a good one, and that's gonna be perfect for your evening reads when you're like, I need something that's a little bit more uh thriller mystery. Yes. So no, that's gonna be a great one. I I really hope that that one's good. Um, my last one is One Golden Summer by Carly Fortune.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

I have not read that one.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Yes, I haven't read any of her books, but I have seen that one everywhere everywhere. And I've heard really good things about her storytelling. So I'm like, I I have high hopes. I've heard really good things. Um, but this one is shocker, again, a contemporary romance. Um, and it is featuring Alice. So Alice returns to the lake town from her past for one last summer and reconnects with Charlie, a boy she once photographed years ago. What follows is excuse me, what follows is a nostalgic emotional summer romance about healing, growth, and falling in love. So when I got that summary, I'm like, that doesn't give me much. So I'm still like, what exactly is it about? So we'll see. I I think it's gonna be good though.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

Based on the summary alone, you're kind of like, what's gonna be happening? Yeah, I almost feel like it's gonna be sad. Watch it be like the best thing ever. Yep. I have to. Especially since we have both seen it everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Yes, yep. It is a big book talk book right now. So um fingers crossed that it lives up to the hype.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

And then my last book on my list is Happy Place by Emily Henry. Um, so of course, we've read a couple of Emily Henry's books. I read The Funny Story and Um People We Meet on Vacation. So I'm excited to dive into some of her other books, but this one is uh an adult contemporary romance, of course, because that's what Emily Henry is famous for. But it's featuring a fake dating trip among friends focusing on Harriet and Wynne, a broken-up couple pretending to be together for one final week-long vacation at a main cottage. It is an emotional, slow burn story that about transitioning from college to adulthood, navigating deep-seated friendships changes, and rediscovering love. That's gonna be a good one. Awesome. I'm excited for that one. I'm really excited for that one.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Yep. I think Emily Henry writes really good stories as well. So I I hope that you end up liking that one as well. Yay! So, really quickly, the reason why we put those on our list. So, what is it that kind of caught your attention on adding those two your lists? Like, um, was it like pretty much how did you find it?

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Um so Remarkably Bright Creatures, I feel like I've seen I saw it a lot, but you really pushed it on me. I'm like you really sold me on it. I think that originally looking at it, looking at the cover, the cover is pretty like great. I I love the cover. Um, so I was always interested in it by the cover. But yeah, hearing you rave about it, I'm excited to dive into that one. For the We Were Liars, um I think I picked that one because I want, I don't want just romance. Um, so I wanted to make sure that I had a thriller on my TBR pile. And with my little sister giving me that book, I'm like, I need to just I need to read that one. I need to pick that one up. And I've heard really good things about it. Um and then Happy Place, I it just looks like a really cute summer read. I love Emily Henry's books. Um, so I'm excited to kind of dive into more books that she is writing.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

For sure. Yeah, I feel like mine um not even having to go into them individually. I honestly think they all are because of book talk. I've either seen them all over and then also just summer in general, like wanting a lighter read, like just like cute, fun stories. So um that's why I picked the three that I did. I'm very excited to see if they are what I'm expecting that they're gonna be. Um so do you think that uh out of those three, which one do you think is going to be your favorite? That's hard.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

I'm gonna I'm just gonna predict it right now. I feel like you I don't know about We Were Liars, but I really feel like you're gonna like that one. And I think that Remarkably Bright Creatures, I do think you're gonna like the Emily Henry book, but I feel like overall the We Were Liars for different reasons. And Remarkably Bright Creatures, I think those are gonna be the two that you're like, those were amazing. Like, yeah, we were liars. If it's the same twist, I think you're gonna be like, what the heck? Like that was crazy. And then Remarkably Bright Creatures, it's just so heartwarming that I really feel like you're gonna, you're gonna end up loving it so which one, which out of yours do you feel like you're gonna love the most? I think out of the three, um, I guess maybe the one that I'm most excited about is One Golden Summer by Carly Fortune, because I haven't read anything by her, so I'm I'm excited to see if I end up really liking it, if it lives up to the hype. So that's the one that I'm most excited about.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

I'm excited to hear what you think of those. I probably will end up reading those along with you. Just because like even just hearing you like with the summary and everything, they sound amazing.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

Yep. And we already touched on the kind of like ideal summer reading setting, and I could not agree more. I think outside on the patio, like that is one of my happiest places. It's just it's so funny because once our grass starts growing in and my husband starts cutting the yard and we can like go out there and walk in the grass, it is the I can't even describe the feeling of like being able to just be outside and be in the sun. I don't think that I'm a seasonal depression person, but I do think that there is something to be said about it being like cold and dreary and you can't be out in the sun and all of that. And now it's like it's almost like spring into summer, everything's like waking back up. And I just I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

I think outside is the flowers and the vegetables. Oh, I love it all. I love it all.

SPEAKER_01 16:22

The best, the best. Um, so yeah, I would love it if anyone who's listening to this reads these books along with us and would like to share their their input or have read these before and have um thoughts on if we should read them or if we should just take them off the TBR because they're terrible. We would love to love to hear that. So um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

But yeah, we'd also love to hear what your TB what's on your TBR for the summer and why. Like why are if you have read a book before that you feel like we should add to our summer TBR pile, please let us know. We're always craving the the input of other book lovers.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

Yes, definitely. But that is it for our mini episode of TNT Bookhaven. Make sure you're following the show so you never miss a bookish moment.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Also, come chat with us over on social. We're on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook as TNT Bookhaven. Um, and if you are a part of our book club or would like to join our book club, we are on there at on Fable. Um, but yeah, we'll see you next time. Happy reading. Happy summer reading. Yes, happy summer reading. Bye. Bye.