Another month, another stack of reads. This one was particularly good, with my favorite being Us Against You (you probably could have guessed that, huh), a new one from Colleen Hoover, and a stunning debut from Fatima Farheen Mirza. Let’s get to it!

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

While this book was a little outside of my usual comfort zone, I’d heard so many good things that I decided I had to give it a try. And I’m glad I did. Both disturbing and informative, Killers of the Flower Moon tells a true story I knew very little about. The devastating murders of hundreds of members of the Osage Nation is a shameful part of our history, but one we should all be aware of — and something that should be taught in schools. Grann is a masterful storyteller, creating a convincing and haunting narrative that can’t be missed.

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

The first from Sarah Jessica Parker’s imprint, A Place for Us is a stunning debut. I was blown away not only by the writing, but by Mirza’s ability to so accurately depict each character’s feelings, especially those of a parent. This is a beautiful and gut wrenching story of family, finding one’s place in the world, and figuring out who you are. Beware, the last 80 pages will leave you sobbing. I can’t wait to see more from this incredibly talented woman.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

I was terrified to start Us Against You, thanks to my love of Beartown. I thought there was no possible way it could live up to it — but it did. Backman has a way of writing devastatingly beautiful stories that will wreck you in the best way. It’s difficult to find words to describe what he does, so I’m not even going to try. Plus, part of the pleasure of reading these books is going in with little information and just staying with it, without trying to figure out where Backman is taking you. As with Beartown, this book left me in tears, and with a giant book hangover. Full review on Goodreads. (Thank you to Atria Books for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

The story of Sarah and Eddie is like a cross between Bridget Jones and Eleanor Oliphant, with a surprising twist. I finished Ghosted in a couple sittings and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you like contemporary fiction with lovable but flawed characters and an interesting plot, pick this one up. It was the perfect summer escape that I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Reading People by Anne Bogel

I’ve always been partial to a good personality quiz, but only recently have I become utterly fascinated with the various personality frameworks (think Meyers Briggs, the Enneagram, etc.). Reading People, Bogel’s first book, does a great job of giving a thorough overview of the most popular ones, and even provides additional resources to explore if readers want to delve deeper. I listened to this one on audio, which I personally thought the subject matter was perfect for. (An added bonus? Anne narrates it in her soothing voice we’ve all come to know and love through her popular podcast, What Should I Read Next — check it out if you haven’t.) I, for one, was hooked, and will be referring back to this book as I continue my journey of personality discovering.

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

I’ve only recently become a Colleen Hoover fan after years of skepticism and wrongly assuming romance wasn’t a genre I’d like. Hoover has a way of depicting relationships that, while sometimes problematic, you can’t help but relate to and root for. All Your Perfects is the fourth Hoover book I’ve read, and strays a little from her typical theme. This time, instead of being about a budding romance, it’s about a marriage that’s failing. It alternates between present day — as the couple’s marriage is starting to crumble — and when they first met and are falling in love. Full review on Goodreads. (Thank you to Atria Books for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

We picked Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows for my IRL book club and I started it by reading a physical copy. A colleague had mentioned that the audio was great, so when I got a little stuck I decided to give that a try. I’m so glad I did because she was right—listening to it was great. The narrator did a fabulous job of changing her voice for each character, and since there are quite a few characters, this made following along much easier. I found this to be a fun and entertaining read, but a warning for those who might not love steamy scenes: this is chock-full of them.

Sick by Porochista Khakpour

For obvious reasons, I tend to be drawn toward books about people living with chronic illness—particularly women. I was especially eager to read Sick, Khakpour’s memoir, because I know a number of people affected by Lyme disease. Khakpour’s story is a difficult one, full of not just a lifetime of illness, but a lifetime of struggle. At times I had to put it down and step away — it can be difficult to read someone’s story of illness when you live with an illness yourself. While I didn’t relate to her story as much as I’d hoped, I found it fascinating, informative, and painful. Hers is a story that is needed in our society, for many reasons. We have a tendency not to believe women’s physical pain, and Lyme disease seems to be an illness our country has a difficult time understanding. I hope that the more stories like Khakpour’s that are heard, the more we’ll start really listening to both women with chronic illness and those who live with Lyme disease. (Thank you to Harper Perennial for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review.)

As always, you can see what books I’m reading and eagerly anticipated on my Instagram account, @kathareads.

What was your favorite book you read recently?