Tess Talks Books

This book was so enchanting. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The mix of time, magic, mystery. It was the perfect fall read for me. 👏🏼

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Currently reading.
What’s on your October spooky TBR?

Happy Book Lovers Day. I have read so many good books recently. Shark Heart was unlike anything I’ve read before but it was beautiful and insightful. Even though it’s synopsis is a little odd, it’s strangeness made it a standout. There were so many great metaphors and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. The Wishing Game was also fantastic. It was magical and wonderful while also feeling very real. It left me feeling so good.
As you can see, I’m clearly into magical realism at the moment. Happy Reading, friends ❤️

Book Club was fantastic this month. The food at Osteria Amore is chefs 😘. I had the Sapori Di Mere and it was incredible and weather was perfect to sit outside. This month we read The Quiet Tenant which was such a great thriller and provided some good conversation. We also read The Seven Year Slip which I thought was such a sweet time travel book with smart and interesting characters. Love these fellow Bookies of mine.❤️



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Spent the week in San Diego with family and it was so nice to relax and be near the water! I thought I was a mountain gal but I think I may be leaning more towards the beach these days. Where is your favorite place to go during the summer?

While I was in PB I read this in about 24 hours. It was a great beach read with a whole lotta steam 🔥 🔥

I think I really love books that feature characters in the 1%. And doubly if they live in NYC. I find that lifestyle so fascinating! If I had a trust fund I would spend a lot of time traveling on the water. A yacht, maybe? How do you think you’d live?

Pineapple Street was such a treat! I loved it. The family dynamics and the expectations was so interesting. It was thoughtful while still being a fun and endearing summer read.

This was a good summer romance that made me want to pack up and head to Canada. I like how it was told in alternative timelines and both timelines were interesting. I’d make room for this one on your summer TBR.
Does anyone have any good plans this week? Last week I was in Phoenix and I am missing the heat and the pool! Hopefully we will get some summer weather in Utah soon!

I’ve been so into historical fiction this month! This tells the tale of 4 people in the aftermath of the 1811 great theater fire in Virginia. It was quick and entertaining. I really enjoyed it. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy Place ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ The ending was a little wonky but I feel like Emily Henry always writes the best rom-com. I was hesitant at first because the synopsis sounded…weird. A couple who just broke up five months ago?! What more is there to say on a fresh breakup? But by the first chapter I was hooked.

For my friends who like to know- there is some swearing, mild drug use, and some 🌶️ moments. *Check out the little photo bomber who woke up and wanted to jump into the pic.

For a bookclub to be successful you need choose books people actually want to read. You need avid readers who will finish. And you need lots of laughs and great conversations. I have the best book club because we have all 3. This month we read Signal Fires, Hello, Beautiful, and (for extra credit) Horse. Some really emotional, thought provoking books that we all enjoyed.
Signal Fires 5 ⭐️
Hello Beautiful 5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this story about Maddie, a young woman living in London who is balancing taking care of her father, dealing with an often absent, yet overbearing mother, all while trying to navigate contemporary dating and figure herself out. The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful and the audio is 😘 (chefs kiss). Don’t miss out on this one.

I think I am having Bridgerton withdrawals but this was so cute and definitely fit the bill. Give me all the debutante balls, regency drama, and gossip in the ton!

Our bookclub read Mad Honey this month and it inspired some great conversations! We collectively thought it was a beautiful book with the most compassionate approach to an important topic. caseym3 and give the most thoughtful gifts. We each left with a sweet quote and this tiny jar of honey 🍯 Thank you for writing this fabulous story which left us all with a greater compassion and understanding.

So much ❄️ snow. This winter has been insane! I recently finished The Many Daughters of Afong Moy and I really enjoyed it. It is a mix of genres and follows generations of Moy women, all of which have experienced generational trauma. It was fascinating! Historical fiction, sci-fi, mystery, and romance…this had it all. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Current Read. Why has it taken me so long to read this?! It’s obvious why this is a contender for Book of the Year.

A good haul! What to read next…decisions decisions.

For me, Colleen Hoover is synonymous with vacations. I was super excited that her release of It Starts with Us coincided with our trip to the Caribbean. I hadn’t read It Ends with Us in quite a few years but I picked up right where it left off and you don’t need to reread the first if you’ve read it at some point. It was such a great quick and enjoyable story for the beach and I will forever love Atlas. He is the perfect book boyfriend. 🥰😍

Wow.
I had goosebumps for the entirety of this audio. 15 hours I felt speechless.
If you haven’t read it yet, you should.

Where you will find me today…

Books I’ve loved lately.

What to read next…it’s always a challenge to decide.

Happy Pub week to Carrie Soto! Taylor Jenkins Reid is the queen of character driven novels and this one is no different. This one centers around tennis and pro player Carrie as she comes back later in life to defend her tennis titles. I learned a lot about the sport along the way and loved how deeply the novel delved into parental relationships, both as a child and an adult. As per usual with TJR, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Female con-artist? ✅ Quick shorter read? ✅ Powerful female characters? ✅ Properly paced read? ✅

This one checked all the boxes for me and solidified Julie Clark as a must-buy author. She’s 2/2 in my book! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

and also, I seriously hope this becomes a limited series.

Love rom-coms? In need of a FUN book that still has emotional depth and may cause a book hangover? Look no further!
In The Bodyguard, Executive Protection Agent Hannah is assigned to keep famous actor Jack Stapleton safe from a crazy middle-aged, dog-breeding stalker. In an effort to cover up the need for protection from his family, Hannah reluctantly also poses as his girlfriend. Laughs and love ensue in this engrossing and perfect summer read by Katherine Center.

I loved this book and I absolutely love all the amazing floral creations by This centerpiece matches the cover so perfectly. 😍

I’ll be putting these days in my back pocket to get through long winters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was such a winning book. At times it could be frustrating-my generation missed most of the misogyny that was so prevalent in the 1950’s so this was eye opening. But I fell in love with the characters, especially Elizabeth Zott, Mad, and Harriet. I can easily see this story brought to life as a movie and it should be a must read this summer.

Who has already finished Book Lovers?! Beach Read was one of my favorite romances and then I was on the fence with People You Meet on Vacation. So Book Lovers is the tipping point on whether Emily Henry is an automatic buy for me. Happy to say that I LOVED this one. The 4.55 ⭐️ rating is well deserved. 👏🏼 This is a must have on your summer booklist.

The Overnight Guest was a quick read that was entertaining all the way until the end. The story was told in three timelines and perspectives and the mystery was revealed slowly through each of these. It had a true crime element that was interesting and the connection between the characters was carefully woven. Overall, a great book club book read with the and despite a couple plot holes, we all really enjoyed it!

Favorite day of the month when my is delivered. What are you reading this month?

I have seen mixed reviews for this but I really liked it. The story takes place in Jericho, Iowa in two time periods, twelve years apart. It tells the story of Juniper Baker, a girl whose whole life went amiss the summer before she went to college. That summer her small community is rocked after a brutal murder on a neighboring farm property and Juniper’s brother is the leader suspect. Twelve years later Juniper comes back to Jericho to try to unearth the truth of what happened.
The story stayed with me long after I finished and it kept me guessing the why and the how throughout. I also rotated between audible and hardback which worked well for me.
Have you read this? What did you think?

Have you read The Push? It was creepy and suspenseful and That Ending! I haven’t read a thriller with such a unique take on motherhood and I can’t believe it took me so long to pick this one up. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫
Lately I’ve been listening to a book on and then switching off with the hardback. It’s not my usually style to listen and to read one book but it’s actually working really well for me right now so I am going to stick with it. Is this a normal thing and I am late to the game? (If so, not surprising).

Loving this book, loving these nails (thanks to ), and super loving my (thanks ) It’s just a loving kind of weekend!
What are you loving right now? ❤️

This book. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would tell you what it reminded me of but that would give it away and it’s best to go in blind for this one.

If you are looking for something a little deeper than your average romance, that also revolves around the holiday, this is the one for you.