I read four books in my time in Hawai’i, all physical books this year since my audio time is being devoured by Not Another D&D Podcast. I loved all the books I read (I got a little stuck on the fifth one which isn’t living up to these four).
Pulp by Robin Talley
I already talked about Pulp in its own blog post so you can check that out!
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
I’ve had this book since it came out but finally picked it up for this trip. I figured a water-based adventure fit the island setting. This is a stand-alone book completely separate from the Percy Jackson universe and instead is a retelling/sequel to Jules Vernes’s Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea — a book I never read, but didn’t need to to think Daughter of the Deep was fantastic.
It was fast-paced, high-stakes, and had a protagonist that was easy to connect with (much like Percy was). Though it wasn’t designed as a series, I do hope Rick Riordan writes a sequel.
Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday
I hadn’t planned on reading this, but my dad had it with him and passed to me when he finished. I’ve read a couple of Ryan Holiday books before and this one came at the right time. I’ve been needing some perspective after a lot of work stress, and this book about temperance hit the mark. It’s full of stories illustrating that stoic virtue — talking about histroical figures from Lou Gehrig to Queen Elizabeth. I’ve placed a hold on the other book in this “Virtue” series, Courage is Calling (the books on the other two virtues — Justice and Wisdom — aren’t out yet).
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich
This book punched above its weight class. It’s another one I preordered ages ago and showed up months later after I’d long forgotten about it. If This Gets Out is a YA contemporary romance that tells the story of a boy band where two of the members fall in love. Which sounds cute and fun but the story hit much deeper for me — the right amount of stakes, emotion, and real chemistry between characters. I also thought it was better written than the novels I’d read from the authors separately before. Or maybe this was just my brand of a page-turner.
Happy Reading!
With Love,
Natalie