Best Books to Read Now - June 2019

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

Best books to read in 2019.png

Welcome to the Best Books to Read Now Book Club! My (hopefully) monthly blog featuring my reading list, my TBR pile and the books I think you and your best friends should be reading. 

If you’re not sure whether you’ll agree with  my recommendations, check out my blog post on My Reader Wheels and my podcast, Women With Books . Those should help you decide if you’re going to be into my recommendations.

The best book club recommendations for you and your friends!

The best book club recommendations for you and your friends!

I’ve actually read way more this month, but some of them are advanced copies so I can’t wait to tell you about them when you can actually, um, buy them! lol

Waiting for Tom Hanks - Kerry Winfrey
Amazon || Apple Books
If you happened upon one of my Instagram stories a few weeks ago where I was going C R A Z Y about a book I was reading, this was it!! This was the perfect way to kick off summer reading - something that can be passed around your group of girlfriends around the pool, your teenager can borrow it on summer vacation when she gets bored, or you can keep it in your bag while you’re waiting for the kiddos at camp. It’s light, breezy, funny, romantic… I smiled the whole time.

You, hitting one click on this book.

You, hitting one click on this book.

Say No to the Duke - Eloisa James
Amazon || Apple Books

I’ve shared my love for this series on the blog before, and this one might be my favorite, given that the Wilde is the heroine. The hero has PTSD from the war in the Colonies so he’s scarred but still great hero material.

Rebel - Beverly Jenkins
Amazon || Apple Books

I was really excited about this book when I heard about it because (1) Beverly Jenkins (2) Reconstruction-era (3) New Orleans and I was not disappointed. I’ve always loved historical stories set in New Orleans and this one was no exception.
This is billed as the first in a new series (Women Who Dare) but the reviews say that there are characters in this from other Jenkins books. I’m relatively late to Miss Bev’s extensive backlist, so this didn’t impact my reading and if it didn’t impact mine, it probably wouldn’t change how you come to the story. Honestly, hearing that the characters were in other books made me want to clear a month and (finally!) dig into all those saved Beverly Jenkins books I have.

Death in Kew Gardens - Jennifer Ashley
Amazon
|| Apple Books

I included this series in my blog post on my favorite fun feminine mysteries and this newest installment just cements that opinion for me. I also suggested this series as one of your comfort reads for the Women With Books Summer Reading Challenge. If you like historical mysteries, Downton Abbey-type servant shenanigans, and mysterious and charming love interests, check out these books.

downton 1.gif

And yes, there were some books I did not love this month…. I’ll be talking more about those and why I think they didn’t connect with me in my newsletter this month.

Do you like books on sale?
Make sure you’re following me on Facebook because that’s where I post great books on sale!

And what about you?
I’d love to hear what you’ve read and loved lately or what you’re looking forward to reading next!  If you want these book recommendations (and a sneak peek at my TBR list and advanced reading copies) sent straight to your inbox, remember to sign up for my newsletter where I’ll be including all the best book club recommendations throughout 2019!

Let's Talk Skin Care - Part 2 - Sun Protection

The second part in my skin care essential series! For part one go here: Skin Care Essentials.

sunscreen.png

Let’s just start with the obvious, shall we?
1. I’m not a dermatologist or any kind of doctor or a person who is qualified to work on your face.
2. I am a woman who has read umpteen-dozen articles and reports and whatnot (and who goes to a very beautiful, perfect dermatologist).
3. I am a natural blond w/ freckles and I am of a certain age (I like to say I’m between 35 and 80. Guess.)
4. Sunscreen is the #1 MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR SKIN.
5. EVER.

Basically, I’m not going to get into the whys and hows and benefits of sunscreen usage. It’s like telling you that you have to drink water. And that you shouldn’t lick paint in old houses. Y’all, please. We’re smart enough to advance to the next stage.

A very beautiful Hillary Duff from Younger saying, “Sunscreen Sunscreen Sunscreen”

A very beautiful Hillary Duff from Younger saying, “Sunscreen Sunscreen Sunscreen”

You know you should be wearing sunscreen. Hopefully, you’re already wearing it on at least an as-needed basis (days at the beach, by the pool, etc.)

taylor pool.gif

Now you need to upgrade.

Do It Every Day.

Yes, this is hard. For those of us who work in the North of the Northern Hemisphere (or South of the Southern Hemisphere) we may feel that sun is not always dangerous. We may work inside 95% of the day. But there are windows and… whatever. I’m not explaining it. My very beautiful dermatologist says to do it.

Now which ones should you wear?
I should say, whatever works for you. And that’s mostly true. But you really do need a separate product from whatever is in your moisturizer/ foundation.

Here are the ones that are in my current rotation:

sunscreen 3.jpg

My most favorite sunscreens are these Japanese Biore ones. If you hate the way sunscreen feels on your face, try these. Also, the Japanese REALLY know sunscreen and are able to use ingredients that we don’t use in the US.
Biore UV Perfect Milk
Biore UV Watery Essence

My very-close-second favorite right now (and only because I just got it and haven’t bought, like, five tubes of it) is this La Roche Posay Cooling Water Sunscreen. It comes closest to the Biore Perfect Milk, in my opinion. This is the one I just took on a cruise and it worked awesomely.

The Elta MD UV Clear is a very highly recommended product. I know my dermatologist’s office sells the whole line so I bought it this spring to see how it was. It’s my least favorite right now, but I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve been spoiled by the Japanese products. Possibly, my skin also went a little weird in the last few months as the weather changed so it could have been that. A lot of people love it, so I thought I’d still include it.

If you don’t want to order sunscreen, my best drugstore recommendations are Neutrogena ones with Helioplex. My husband got this one for a trip and I’m about to steal it from him. I think “Sport Face” is a funny name but it feels really nice - as nice as some of the ones I have pictured. Also, you can find the La Roche Posay and the Elta MD in a lot of stores.

And then of course, you need sunscreen for your body.

My sunscreen lineup by the pool.

My sunscreen lineup by the pool.

I’m not as picky about this stuff, except I like a lot of it, and I prefer it is not applied by my children because then I get sunburned on my back in an artistic swirl pattern. (Yes, we just got back from vacation. My back itches for some reason.)

So that’s the long and short of it.

TL; DR. Wear high SPF sunscreen as much as possible so you look fabulous when you’re an indeterminate advanced age.

blanche.gif

For Part 3: The Other Essentials, click here.

For Part 4: Why Moisturizers are NOT an Essential (But here are some that really work), click here.

Women With Books - 2019 Summer Reading Challenge!

Women With Books - a curated collection of conversations about your favorite books, media, and other fabulous things.

Women With Books - a curated collection of conversations about your favorite books, media, and other fabulous things.

Get excited! The popular Women With Books Summer Reading Challenge is Back!

For last year’s challenge and the books I read, click here and here.

summer reading challenge.png

Happy Summer!

It’s time for the 2019 WWB Summer Reading Challenge!

This was one of my most popular episodes of last year – this one and the round up episode – so I’m really excited to do it again.

What I do for this challenge is give you broad themes and you find the book that best fits that for you. After all, at Women With Books, we only want you to read what you love.

So I’m giving you some suggestions, some of them off MY TBR list and some of them I’ve already read, but please feel free to insert whatever you’ve got burning up on your bookshelf.

Pretty Dress Cover

Suggestions: Rebel by Beverly Jenkins or The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

Debut Author

Suggestions: Mia Vincy, Casey McQuiston or Hafsah Faisal

Beach Cover

Suggestions: the latest from Kristy Woodson Harvey or The Lieutenant’s Nurse by Sara Ackerman

Diverse/ Inclusive Read

Suggestions: (A lot from the other suggestions + a few that don’t fit under the other categories?) Alisha Rai’s The Right Swipe or Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev or The Key to Happily Ever After by Tif Marcelo

TBR List

Suggestions: I don’t know! It’s your TBR Pile!

Comfort Read

Suggestions: the Kat Holloway mystery series by Jennifer Ashley or Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher

New Genre

Suggestions: Spec-fic/ mystery The Psychology of Time Travel or fantasy romance Radiance.

Former WWB Guest

Suggestions: Go to WomenWithBooks.com

Remember to use hashtag: #WWBReadingChallenge so we can all see what everyone’s reading this summer! And drop me a line over email or through social media if you have any great books to recommend this summer!

For more details on the Summer Reading Challenge go to my Blog here.   For a list of the authors/ books discussed, subscribe to the Women With Books newsletter (With extra Q&A from the guests!) Buy me a coffee! Support the Podcast at www.Ko-fi.com/womenwithbookspodcast   Buns & Roses Tea benefitting Adult Literacy Friend me on Goodreads!

Women With Books - Introducing Mia Vincy

A new episode of the Women With Books podcast is up!

Women With Books Podcast featuring debut historical romance author Mia Vincy.

Women With Books Podcast featuring debut historical romance author Mia Vincy.

If you haven’t heard me recommend Mia Vincy’s novel, A Wicked Kind of Husband, we obviously haven’t chatted in a while. I love this book and I loved this chat with a fantastically talented Australian author.

Press play to listen or download from your favorite podcast app.

For a list of the authors/ books discussed, subscribe to the Women With Books newsletter (With extra Q&A from the guests!) Buy me a coffee! Support the Podcast at www.Ko-fi.com/womenwithbookspodcast   Buns & Roses Tea benefitting Adult Literacy Friend me on Goodreads! Check out the HBIC Nation Podcast!

Mia Vincy and I chat about historical romance, kangaroos in Regency England and her very best fantasy novel recommendations!

Mia Vincy and I chat about historical romance, kangaroos in Regency England and her very best fantasy novel recommendations!

Best Books to Read Now - May 2019

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

Best books to read in 2019.png

Welcome to the Best Books to Read Now Book Club! My (hopefully) monthly blog featuring my reading list, my TBR pile and the books I think you and your best friends should be reading. 

If you’re not sure whether you’ll agree with  my recommendations, check out my blog post on My Reader Wheels and my podcast, Women With Books . Those should help you decide if you’re going to be into my recommendations.

The best book club recommendations for you and your friends!

The best book club recommendations for you and your friends!

It’s so interesting to look at these every month and look for patterns. This month on the list I have 2 new releases that are both contemporary romantic comedies and two older books that are historical romance.

The Unhoneymooners - Christina Lauren
Amazon || Apple Books

This is a true romantic comedy and it’s a perfect release for vacation reading lists everywhere. Light, breezy, sexy in Maui!

Passion on Park Avenue - Lauren Layne
Amazon || Apple Books

The first in a new series, this book hooked me from the very start with its voice and sense of humor. I CANNOT WAIT for the next two books in the series and neither will you. Another perfect beach read - think Sex and the City but for the Hallmark Channel (read: not quite as spicy.)

The King’s Man - Elizabeth Kingston
Amazon || Apple Books

I’ve been seeing recommendations for this author all over the freaking place and then last month, after I included Alyssa Cole’s medieval romance on my list, I went looking for more… and found this one had been praised all over social media. I really enjoyed it, partially because, again, it’s a new -ish historical time period for me and also because the heroine is a F*CKING BAD ASS. Think Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones.

Mr. Impossible - Loretta Chase
Amazon || Apple Books

Loretta Chase wrote one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE ROMANCES, Lord of Scoundrels, so when I saw this one recommended for fans of The Mummy, I thought, um, YES PLEASE. And it now is my second favorite Loretta Chase book and it could be a re-read, along with my other favorite Egypt-set historical romance (and Swooniest Romance), As You Desire by Connie Brockway. (One thinks that perhaps I should write a book about two archeologists or something given my love for all things set in Egypt…)

mummy 3.gif
mummy 2.gif

And yes, there were some books I did not love this month…. I’ll be talking more about those and why I think they didn’t connect with me in my newsletter this month.

Do you like books on sale?
Make sure you’re following me on Facebook because that’s where I post great books on sale!

And what about you?
I’d love to hear what you’ve read and loved lately or what you’re looking forward to reading next!  If you want these book recommendations (and a sneak peek at my TBR list and advanced reading copies) sent straight to your inbox, remember to sign up for my newsletter where I’ll be including all the best book club recommendations throughout 2019!