Welcome to Read This Book, your go-to newsletter if you’re looking to expand your TBR pile. Each week, I’ll recommend a book I think is an absolute must-read. Some will be new releases, some will be old favorites, and the books will vary in genre and subject matter every time. I hope you’re ready to get reading!
Looking for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift? Go beyond the tried and true flowers and chocolate and give the gift of reading with Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists are standing by to help your mom find her next favorite read, delivered right to her inbox or doorstep. And with gifts starting at just $18, there’s something for any budget! Head to mytbr.co/gift to send the gift of reading to the book nerd in your life!
The sun has been out, the weather is getting warmer, and all I wanted was to read a cute, warm, and fuzzy romance novel. What I got was so much more. So, friends, if you’re feeling the feel-good sunny vibes this season, you should read this book!
Funny Story by Emily Henry
This is my first ever Emily Henry novel. I’ve heard lots of good things, and I’ve been meaning to pick up her books in the past. Several of them are on my TBR. So what made me pick up this one? First of all (and this is completely true), I have been loving the Funny Story merch over at Out of Print. Like, I kinda want this sweatshirt, but I couldn’t buy it before I read the book, right? Secondly, have you seen this book’s Goodreads rating? It’s incredibly high. I had to know what everyone was talking about. With how much people are loving this book, odds are you’ve already had one or two or three people tell you to read this. Well, let me be the fourth.
Daphne and Miles are roommates, but they couldn’t be more different. Daphne is an introverted, straight-laced children’s librarian. Miles is a scruffy bartender who is seemingly friends with everyone in Waning Bay, Michigan. They really only have one thing in common — both of their exes are about to get married. To each other.
Yep, Daphne and Miles met each other and became roommates because of their connection to the same chaotic break-up mess. Daphne was once engaged to Peter, and she moved to Waning Bay to start a life with him. But on the night of Peter’s bachelor party, Peter realizes he’s actually in love with his best friend Petra. And so he leaves Daphne to be with Petra. Petra, who was dating Miles. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, Petra and Peter invite Daphne and Miles to attend their wedding. Will the nightmares never cease?
Daphne certainly feels like she’s living in a nightmare, living in a town where she has no friends, afraid she’s going to run into her ex every time she leaves the house, living with a man who is wallowing in misery just as much as she is. The only thing Daphne has going for her is her job as a children’s librarian. It’s truly her dream job, and she refuses to leave Waning Bay before she helps the library with their big Read-A-Thon. After that, she’s totally out of here though.
But then there’s Miles, who turns out to be way more charming than Daphne first gave him credit for. He’s determined to help Daphne fall in love with Waning Bay so that she’ll stay. But what if she falls in love with more than just the town? What if she falls for her roommate, her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex-boyfriend? Could things get any messier?
There’s so much to love about this book. Yes, you’ve probably guessed there is a cute little love story. But the part of the book that really hugged my heart was Daphne’s journey to rediscovering herself post-breakup. This is so much more than a romance. This is the story of a woman making friends, thriving in her job, learning more about who she is and what she cares about, and generally just coming into her own. This was such an empowering story in ways I couldn’t have predicted.
Happy weekend reading, bibliophiles! Feel free to follow me on Instagram @emandhercat, and check out my other newsletters, The Fright Stuff and Book Radar!