It’s no secret that I’m a huge book lover — I actually can’t go one single day without flipping at least a few pages in whatever I’m currently reading! #nerdytruth. And I love hearing what others are reading so I can add the juiciest and most interesting ones to my line-up!

I recently polled my team when I was looking for new titles for my Kindle library and — as usual — they did NOT disappoint. I think I may have met my match in voracious book inhalers?! Go figure… they do work for me, after all! If you’re looking for new reads this year, check out this assortment of the best books recently or currently read from Team JK!

The Best Non-Business Books We’ve Read Lately

1. Three Women by Lisa Taddeo (Kaeli’s pick): I actually discovered this one via Folio, an online independent bookstore that partnered with an astrologist to do book recommendations for your big three! Taddeo is a journalist who spent nearly a decade reporting and following the journey of three American women, and painting juicy and compelling portrait of their sex lives. I loved it, and it frustrated me — Taddeo’s writing is breathtaking and it reads more like a novel, showcasing with brutal honesty how gender inequality punishes women for desire.

2. The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Kaeli’s pick): My most recent 5-star rating. This book is about a group of students studying classics at a college in New England, and how their professor’s encouragement of eccentric thinking leads them to shatter the boundaries of morality and descend into chaos and evil. It reads like a modern classic (truly phenomenal writing) and I STILL think about the ending. Dark academia + quiet New England + fascinating characters = I’ve been recommending it to everyone.

3. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Kaeli’s pick): Quick + juicy Booktok read to jump on before it’s a TV series. This one was INCREDIBLY creative — it’s written exclusively in interview style as though you’re watching a music documentary, so all of the plot development takes place through dialogue. If you love music (think Fleetwood Mac), the golden late-60s/early-70s days of LA, and a good Taylor Jenkins Reid twist, I couldn’t recommend this one more highly.

Kaeli is our team’s Pinterest manager.

4. Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (Shannon’s pick): Oh, books – right up my nerdy alley. Ok, so I didn’t just read this but it’s a book that’s stuck with me more than any other the last couple years. It’s a coming of age story that was just incredibly moving. It’s about two friends who make an odd pairing: teenage June and renowned painter (and June’s godfather) Finn. Finn passes away from a mysterious illness which creates complete turmoil in June’s life… and brings about a surprising new acquaintance and friend. It’s one of those stories about love and grief that you just hang onto forever.

Shannon is our team’s tech manager.

5. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (Audrey’s pick): I’m finally joining the CoHo fandom with this easy, fun read about a woman who opens her own flower shop and falls for a legit neurosurgeon and then runs into her high school boyfriend. It’s a sweet, light (but also semi-steamy?!) read that is keeping me VERY interested.

6. The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk (Audrey’s pick): It’s amazing to learn how deeply our bodies hold on to trauma (whether it’s physical or emotional). While this book can be dense with scientific information, it’s also incredibly eye opening and reassuring that we can heal from the things that have hurt us in the deepest ways. I recommend listening to the audio version if you’re not a visual learner or have trouble with long-form scientific information… but I promise it is WORTH it.

7. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell (Audrey’s pick): I’ve read a couple books by Lisa Jewell now and she is the queen of unpredictable twists and turns! This one is about a girl who goes missing, and years later her mom starts dating a man whose daughter looks oddly familiar. It’s a page turner you won’t be able to put down, and you might be shocked by the end (I was)!

Audrey is our team’s content and copywriter.

8. Love in my Language by Alexandra Elle (Marisa’s pick): An oldie but goodie for me that explores self-discovery around faith, hope, dark deep moments, and finding light. More poetry, narrative essay-geared than a full-on story.

Marisa is our team’s integrator.

9. Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau (Jen’s pick): Just finished and loved this one. A sheltered young teen girl babysits for a family down the street who happens to be hosting some very interesting guests and lots of very sweet, very funny moments ensue. Such a delight to listen to and the perfect bit of summertime nostalgia to read right now.

10. Beach Read and 11. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (Jen’s picks): Pretty much devoured these and Emily Henry may be my new favorite writer. I’m not a romance novel kind of girl, but damn, her writing and characters absolutely sucked me. Incredibly witty, real drawn and REAL. Perfect poolside fare (just be aware… there are a few, uh, romance-novel-esque, moments).

12. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (Jen’s pick): I LOVED this, particularly the audiobook narrated by Tom Hanks, who basically I want to narrate everything in my life like it’s ‘You’ve Got Mail.’ It’s a super rich, multi-dimensional story about home, family, siblings, and all the lengths we go to to push toward and pull away from all three Totally epic and

Jen is our team’s website designer.

13. It Happened One Summer and 14. Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey (Kylie’s picks): I needed a departure from the heavy of life, and these two spicy little novels about falling in love in a small oceanside town were precisely what the doctor ordered.

Also, this is more of a general recommendation, but I’ve been really into reading books about local history and learning about my home state in a new way! It’s fun to drop little known factoids that I pick up in my readings at dinners with friends and reading about the people, events, and places from the old days really makes me appreciate where I’m from a whole lot more.

Kylie is our team’s podcast producer.

15. Crying In H Mart by Michele Zauner (Brooklyn’s pick): Because I’m a huge fan of memoirs. This one is from a perspective I’ve never had the honor of reading from: a Korean American singer/musician! The perspectives of grief and the slow process of growing into your grief is… profound.

16. Lao Tzu by Ursula K Le Guin (Brooklyn’s pick): No one does it like Ursula. And I mean NO ONE. I would buy this little tiny book for everyone I’ve ever met! The way Ursula has translated these ancient poetic meditations into poems you want to read over and over again for the rest of your life?? It’s saturated with wisdom.

17. Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner (Brooklyn’s pick): Yet another book I would buy a copy of for everyone I’ve ever met. Want to read REAL stories of therapy as told by both the therapist and the patients? I swear I quote this book more often than I quote anything else. So do all my friends who have read it! These are stories of survival, healing, pain, and recovery. Goooood for the soul. Required reading for humans!

Brooklyn is our team’s copywriter.

18. Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult (my pick): It’s about a woman with a successful career, happy relationship, and a trip on the horizon — but her doctor boyfriend is pulled into work when a pandemic suddenly hits and she ends up going on the (soon to be disasterous) vacation alone. It hits a little close to home these days but it’s really good!

19. The Last Flight by Julie Clark (my pick): Drew even read it after I finished — it was that good! It’s a fast moving, thrilling read about two women who switch plane tickets out of desperation at an airport bar, and then when one plane goes down… the woman on the other plane is left to start life over completely. It’s twisty and turny and SO good!

Whether you’re into memoirs, essays, thrillers, fiction, or non — I hope you found some new titles to add to your reading line-up!

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