Let s tRaveL tO

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The Air You Breathe

Frances de Pontes Peebles

Dores, a nine-year-old orphan works on a sugar plantation in Brazil. Her life is changed when Graça moves to the plantation. Graça is wealthy and the polar opposite of Dores, but the pair bond over music, forming a deep connection. The duo leave the plantation in hopes of finding fame, with Dores writing the music behind the scenes while Graça becomes an instant celebrity. Newfound fame causes obvious rifts in their friendship throughout the novel, which moves from rural Brazil to Rio de Janeiro to Los Angeles and back again. This is a beautiful novel about friendship and fame and the details about samba and music are gorgeously written.

Crazy Rich Asians

Kevin Kwan

Let’s just chat about the entire series because it’s impossible to just read one of these! In case you’ve been living under a rock, this series follows Rachel who is in love with Nick, as she discovers he’s from one of Shanghai’s wealthiest and most prominent families. You’ll start with CRAZY RICH ASIANS because it’s adorable and well-written and funny, stay for CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND because it’s the best book in the series and finish it up with RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS because it’s such a satisfying end. I want to be best friends with Astrid and I want to wear all of their clothes and live in their gorgeous houses and EAT ALL OF THEIR FOOD. I loved all of these books so much.

The East End

Kate Reed Petty

I clearly love the novels about wealthy people and so this thriller that takes place in the Hamptons was perfect for me! Corey is bored of living in the Hamptons, in the shadows of the massive estates owned by wealthy people who seldom spend time in their huge homes. He’s made a habit of breaking into homes with the intention of pulling an innocent prank to mark his territory. When he breaks into the home of Leo Sheffield, his mother’s boss, he comes across a tragic accident that will change the dynamics between Corey’s working class family and Leo’s life of wealth and privilege forever. This book takes place over a single Memorial Day weekend, which made for a lot of nice plot points like a fireworks show. Read if you love stories about wealth and class divides!

LET’S TRAVEL TO... LET’S TRAVEL TO... LET’S TRAVEL TO... In this weird transition time away from COVID-19, we’re still probably not traveling too too far from home. Good thing reading can take ya places!

The Guest List

Emma Straub

At a fancy wedding on an Irish island, everything seems perfect on paper: the dress is designer, the party favors are magazine worthy and the food is gourmet. Everything should go off without a hitch, but something is amiss. Everyone in the wedding party is harboring their own secrets, worsened by childish drinking games, a ruined bridesmaid dress and a toast that hits a little too close to home. This missteps culminate in a body being found during the reception. The Irish island setting of this one was really atmospheric and creepy and made the perfect backdrop for the plot. The multiple POVs will keep you guessing and flipping pages until the thrilling end!

Next Year In Havana

Chanel Cleeton

When Marisol’s grandmother Elisa dies, her final wish is for Marisol to scatter her ashes in her native Cuba. In Cuba, Marisol begins to learn more about her family’s history, while falling for a man with some secrets of his own. Told in dual narratives, we get to see what Marisol is up to in modern-day Cuba while also unraveling the truth about Elisa’s family during Cuba’s turbulent history! I loved all of the details in this one. I’m a sucker for a good setting + tons of imagery and Cleeton delivered! It certainly helps that I’ve always been fascinated by Cuba and its history, but I loved how Cleeton was able to weave so much history and research into the narrative.

The Simple Wild

K.A. Tucker

Head to Alaska in this romance with a surprising level of depth! Calla is a twentysomething who hasn’t spoken to Wren, her father, in over a decade. When she gets a call that Wren has cancer, she decides to visit him in Alaska, where he runs a plane charter company. While there, Calla meets Jonah, a pilot who she begins to form a close bond with. I loved all of the atmospheric details about Alaska in this one! I also liked all of the romance aspects between Calla and Jonah, but my favorite part had to have been the way the relationship between Calla and Wren evolved. It felt really realistic and meaningful and I thought that it helped set the novel apart from your typical romance. Bonus: if you like this one, there are two followup novels!