If you liked that, read this!

If you liked...

...read this!

If you're like me, you're hoping to find a book (any book, really) that can bring back the feelings you're still experiencing from reading A Man Called Ove. For that, I give you The Universe Versus Alex Woods. I discovered this book on a random library shelf and dove in without knowing anything about the story itself.  I didn't expect it, but Alex Woods charmed me in a way that only Ove (and grumpy old man characters) can do.

What binds these two books together are the character relationships. If you haven't yet read Ove, then to you I say -- what in the world are you waiting for? (And may I recommend the audiobook version, it is fabulous.) In Alex Woods, we have a boy whose life has been shaped by extraordinary circumstances. When Alex was young, he was struck by a meteorite, which caused him to lose consciousness for two weeks and reemerge into the world with a severe seizure disorder. Because nothing about Alex's childhood is typical, he befriends a curmudgeonly man named Mr. Peterson. They forge a rare friendship, one of those ones in which wisdom travels in both directions. I won't tell you more about the plot because I so enjoyed seeing it unfold without knowing anything beforehand, but the relationship between Alex and Mr. Peterson greatly reminded me of the same between Ove and Parvaneh. After turning the last page in Alex Woods, I had that familiar swelling in my chest that I felt at the end of Ove, and it is for that reason that I wholeheartedly recommend this novel.

Summer Reading Flowchart

Summer reading season is finally here!

Today I'm kicking off my first official week of summer with a trip to visit my little brother. To give you a little background, my brother is in training to be a golf pro, which means that for his college program he spends most of his time on internships rather than on his actual college campus. This means that he's spent most of his college semesters in some of the most beautiful places in the country. Last year, my mother and I visited him on St. Simon's Island on the coast of Georgia for my spring break. This year, we're kicking off the start of summer with a trip to see him in the Hamptons. I am so looking forward to a few days of relaxation, sun, and of course, summer reads.

(P.S. If you've got the scoop on the Hamptons, send recommendations our way! This will be our first time visiting the area.)

While packing for the trip, I ran into that classic bookworm dilemma: which books to take with me?

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen me ask for recommendations from the stack of potential beach reads I plucked from my own shelves. (You'll have to stay tuned to see which ones made it into my suitcase!) It took me a good half hour of deliberations before I stuffed three into my bag. Of course, I then also debated bringing my Kindle in case of a bookish emergency. (Tell me I'm not the only one?!)

All this to say that picking out a book -- whether it's for a day at the pool or a weeklong vacation -- can be a daunting task. Luckily, our friends at The Expert Editor have created a clever flowchart to help direct you to your next engaging read.

From savoring the classics to venturing into more modern literature, there's a recommendation for every type of bookworm. Check out the flowchart here and come back to tell me which book The Expert Editor recommends for your reading needs!