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My purse always has room for a book. It’s a life standard. I’ve read a lot of good books recently, as you may have seen on Instagram @cordiallybarbara.

I thought I’d share 6 books with you as you’re updating your summer reading list.

A Table by the Window by Hillary Manton Lodge

Enter Juliette, a woman with her own version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding Italian French family. She loves food writing, but she also loves the restaurant business (she comes from restaurant royalty after all). When her beloved grandmother passes away, Juliette discovers a secret that shakes her world.

I absolutely loved this story, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on book 2. The book also included recipes to the foods that Juliette made. Naturally, I have plans to give a few recipes a whirl.

On a scale of cotton candy to raw brussel sprouts, I’d say A Table by the Window is candied sweet potatoes. It comes with a starchy and healthy story while tasting delicious.

A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde

Meet Mrs. Arbuthnot, supposed widow with one son and highly respected by society for her high moral character. In this play, Mrs. Arbuthnot watches her son fall in love with a young woman while also being drawn to the high society life. Secrets flit at the edge of socially acceptable conversations.

I admire Oscar Wilde for his ability to illuminate truths about humanity without telling the reader. He openly studies the psychology and sociology of the society with his plays, and you close the book thinking, “I see what he did there.” His writing continues to be brilliant.

On a scale of cotton candy to raw brussel sprouts, I’d say A Woman of No Importance is a piece of chipotle dark chocolate. It’s smooth, rich, and startling.

Hello, I Love You: A Novel by Katie M. Stout

Catch Grace as she runs away from her family’s multi-million music business to South Korea for her final year of high school. She struggles through culture shock, and she starts to fall for the lead singer of a K-Pop band. She meant to escape the music industry not run into the arms of another musician.

I sped through this book so fast. I loved learning about Korea through the safety of Grace’s experience, and it was fun to imagine high school in a boarding school in a foreign country. I even started listening to K-pop after reading this book.

On a scale of cotton candy to raw brussel sprouts, I’d say Hello, I Love You: A Novel is straight cotton candy. It’s a delicious and sweet story that goes down easy.

The Brontë Plot by Katherine Reay

Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious liberties to reach her goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy’s secret ruins her relationship with her boss and her boyfriend, James—leaving Lucy in a heap of hurt and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change. (I took this right from Amazon because the wording is too perfect)

Katherine Reay is on my Must Buy list. I’ve rarely had an author who has delighted me at every turn with her stories, heavily or lightly inspired by old English classics. You’ll appreciate her more if you’ve a love for Classics like Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters.

On a scale of cotton candy to raw brussel sprouts, I’d say The Brontë Plot is shortbread and a cup of proper black tea. It comes with a bit of a crunch and the amazingness of butter perfectly coupled with the tea to balance the sweetness.

A Twist of Faith by Pepper Basham

Shake hands with Dr. Adelina Roseland, career-oriented and horribly lonely in her academic climb. She ends up back in Hickville, North Carolina, where she never wanted to return. All her plans point to leaving until she meets a handsome farmer with faith and a home that Adelina longs for.

This book had me giggling into my hands. You must read it, especially chapters 4 and 5. I loved how prissy Adelina came off but that she was also gritty surprising.

On a scale of cotton candy to raw brussel sprouts, I’d say A Twist of Faith is a cinnamon swirl elephant ear. This flat pastry is both crunchy, crumbly, and sweet, but it’s also hardy.

The Rook by Steven James

Special Agent Patrick Bowers is drawn into a deadly web of intrigue where nothing is as it appears to be. With a killer on the loose and one of the world’s most deadly devices missing, Bowers is caught in a race against time to stop a criminal mastermind’s trap before it closes around the people he loves. (lifted from Amazon’s text)

I don’t normally read thrillers (but I do usually start in the middle of series by accident). I loved this book, but what I liked most was the question that Patrick Bowers wrestles with. I must admit that the book left me a little bit more paranoid than I usually am.

On a scale of cotton candy to raw brussel sprouts, I’d say The Rook is a cold soup. It’s shocking with every bite because soups ought to be hot (right?) and yet delicious and good for you.

Special Bonuses (mostly because limiting myself to 6 books felt impossible): The Martian, Elantris, and The Stand (this one is super dark so I needed to read a few happy books alongside of it, but I’ll never forget this haunting story).