Falling Back in <3 with Reading: My Middle School Self Is Proud!

When I was younger, I was obsessed with Mindless Behavior (low key still am, lol). And when I say obsessed, I mean obsessed. I loved those boys so much, and I wanted to experience them in every way possible. I watched all their interviews, music videos, and listened to every single song they ever made, but honestly, it wasn't enough. So I moved on to other mediums and stumbled across one that every young fangirl knows too well: Wattpad.

Wattpad is every young fangirl's rite of passage. Nothing beats the feeling your middle school self had when you stayed up wayyyy past your bedtime on a school night just to catch up on some insane "y/n" fanfiction by another prepubescent fangirl who probably lived on the other side of the country from you.

I was so obsessed with MB I was reading damn near 5-6 books per week! When I say I consumed these books, I consumed them, and nothing was stopping me. I had no kids (still don't), no bills, no job, and not a care in the world.

Now in 2023, this narrative is sadly no more, and my reading has gone down horribly—until this summer. For some reason, this summer, I caught the reading bug again and was lowkey reverting back to my middle school self. I have read a total of EIGHT books!

Well, two are still being read, but I started them in the summer, so they still count! I read every morning on my commute into Manhattan, and I love every single second of it. So without further ado, let's get into my summer reads!

I started off the summer strong with a YA Romance novel by Elise Bryant titled Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling. This book follows main characters Reggie and Delilah, who fall in love over the course of a year through chance meetings that take place on multiple holidays throughout the year.

Y'all, this book is so cute and touches on important social issues such as living with chronic illnesses, not feeling "Black enough", and touching on being the token. I love young Black romance, and this one did it for me like no other. The plot is so sweet, and I love seeing Black kids be unapologetically themselves. This is a 10/10, and I recommend everyone read it.

The next book I read was Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. I read this book on my plane ride to and from Italy, and O-M-G! This book is described as Gossip Girl meeting Get Out, and that is nothing but the truth.

Main characters Devon and Chiamaka find themselves being victims of an anonymous texter who goes by Aces, bringing out their darkest secrets to the whole school. On a quest to figure out who is behind the mayhem, they uncover something that will change their lives forever.

This book had my jaw on the ground. You would never guess what happens, and that in itself deserves a 9.8/10. If you're into thrillers, this is the book for you.

Next up, we have Seven Days in June by Tia Williams. This is an (18+) book and is soooo good. This story is a second chance at love tale between two renowned Black authors whose lives were forever changed during one week during their adolescence.

I loved this book. The slow burn really did it for me. Although at times, I did feel like it was being too drawn out, I really loved this storyline, and Shane & Eva definitely have a place in my heart.

I also heard they are supposed to be making a live action of this book so so I am very excited for that and you will definitely hear my thoughts! 9.5/10

If you're like me and love to indulge in YA Romance, then you have definitely seen The Summer I Turned Pretty Series (TSITP) by Jenny Han on Amazon Prime. TSITP is a coming-of-age trilogy story about Belly Conklin, who finds herself entrapped in a love triangle between two brothers who she has known her whole life, Conrad and Jeremiah. It's a tale of heartbreak, second chances, and love. I didn't feel right watching the show without reading the books, so I did just that. Before we get into this review, I just want to state that I will always be #TeamJeremiah!

These books are pretty good if you're into love triangles and drama. I wasn't as much of a fan as I was for To All The Boys I Loved Before, but this was a good read. I can't say too much about the series because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but if you are interested in my thoughts on both season one and two, stay tuned because it's coming. 7.5/10

Lastly, I am in the process of finishing these two books: The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay, PhD, and Meaty: Essays by Samantha Irby. I don't want to go too much into detail since I didn't finish, but I am enjoying them both at the moment.

That concludes my summer reads. If you have read some of these, please feel free to drop a comment and let me know what you think! I'll release more reviews as I begin to finish my to-be-read list.

Until next time, xo. - Jaelyn <3