my reading journal
pretty self-explanatory—this is literally just a reading journal. no fake promo, no overly curated aesthetics. just me, a chaotic med student, trying to keep track of the books i consume as a form of escapism (and maybe avoid total academic burnout in the process). my recs range from actual literary masterpieces to the kind of stuff that makes you question my sanity—but hey, we don’t read for academia, we read for the vibes. my reviews are mildly unhinged, wildly inconsistent, and only occasionally helpful, but they’re honest. credentials include: • fluent reader by age 3 (certified by my mom, thank you) • the old lady at the bookstore knows me by name and yes, i have a loyalty card • officially voted “bookworm” in my high school yearbook—so you know it’s real.
Items in this hypelist
2025 reads
Deep End
Ali Hazelwood · 2025
The Love Hypothesis
Ali Hazelwood · 2021
The Instant New York Times Bestseller and TikTok Sensation! As seen on THE VIEW! A BuzzFeed Best Summer Read of 2021 When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos. As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships—but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor—and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding...six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.
Love, Theoretically
Ali Hazelwood · 2023
I'm Glad My Mom Died
Jennette Mccurdy · 2022
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
Alexis Coe · 2020
My Lobotomy: A Memoir
Howard Dully, Charles Fleming · 2008
The Silent Patient
Alex Michaelides · 2021
<p><b>**THE INSTANT #1 <i>NEW YORK TIMES </i>BESTSELLER**</b><br><br>"An unforgettable—and Hollywood-bound—new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy."<br><b>—<i>Entertainment Weekly</i></b><br><br><b><i>The Silent Patient</i> is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.</b><br><br>Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.<br><br>Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.<br><br>Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....</p>
Empire of Flame and Thorns
Marion Blackwood · 2024
A fae rebel. A ruthless dragon commander.<br/>And a deadly trial that will turn their lives upside down.<br/><br/>Trapped in the Seelie Court by a forest of thorns, Selena Hale lives at the mercy of the dragon shifters. Her only chance to gain her freedom is by entering the Atonement Trials: a deadly competition that pits fae magic users against each other. Only three people can win, and Selena intends to be one of them.<br/><br/>There is only one problem. Draven Ryat, the ruthless commander of the dragon shifter army, is determined to make her lose.<br/><br/>He symbolizes everything that she hates, and if he finds out that she is also a member of the secret fae rebellion, he will not only mess with her chances to win, he will kill her. But the more time she spends with him, the more she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him.<br/><br/>And nothing is more dangerous in a lethal trial than a distracted heart.<br/><br/>Especially one that beats for the enemy…
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, 1)
Rebecca Yarros · 2023
<p><b>A #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestseller • TV series in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society • Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 • Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 • Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 • NPR “Books We Love” 2023 • Audible Best Books of 2023 • Hudson Book of the Year • Google Play Best Books of 2023 • Indigo Best Books of 2023 • Waterstones Book of the Year finalist • Goodreads Choice Award Winner • Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books of 2023 • Paste Magazine's Best Books of 2023</b><br><br><i>"Suspenseful, sexy, and with incredibly entertaining storytelling, the first in Yarros' Empyrean series will delight fans of romantic, adventure-filled fantasy."</i> —<i><b>Booklist</b></i><b>, starred review</b><br><br><i>"</i>Fourth Wing<i> will have your heart pounding from beginning to end... A fantasy like you've never read before."</i> <b>―#1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout</b><br><br><br><b>Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Rebecca Yarros</b><br><br>Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: <i>dragon riders</i>.<br><br>But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.<br><br>With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.<br><br>She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.<br><br>Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.<br><br>Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: <i>graduate or die</i>.<br><br>The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.<br>Reading Order:<br>Book #1 Fourth Wing<br>Book #2 Iron Flame<br>Book #3 Onyx Storm</p>
2024 reads
Stuck with You
Ali Hazelwood · 2022
Crave To Conquer (Myth of Omega)
Zoey Ellis · 2018
Given (Bitten and Bound)
Amy Pennza · 2023
The day I rode to the Rift with my brother the king, I never expected him to deliver me into the hands of our enemies. Desperate to stop the Deepnight from covering his kingdom in shadow, he’s pledged me as a blood slave to King Laurent, ruler of the vampire kingdom of Nor Doru.<br/><br/>Survival means giving Laurent my vein and my body. And when his cruel and arrogant general, Varick, demands the same, I must obey.<br/><br/>But all is not as it seems in the vampire court. King Laurent has secrets, not the least of which is how much he enjoys his general’s company. Almost from the moment I enter the twilight world of the Deepnight, I learn my journey across the Rift was so much more than a barter. And it’s not just Laurent and Varick I need to be wary of. There are rumors of darkness stirring—of long-forgotten danger rising in the old elven lands.<br/><br/>Something is stirring in me, too. As I unravel the secrets of the vampire court and discover my own hidden abilities, I must choose between love and survival. Trapped between two powerful men, will I become a pawn in the battle for power, or will I take control of my own fate?<br/><br/>Author's note: The Bitten and Bound Series must be read in order. Mind the cliff.
Stolen (Bitten and Bound)
Amy Pennza · 2023
With the bonds I forged in the vampire court shattered, I seek refuge in a foreign kingdom. Surrounded by questionable allies, I long to forget the past. But every time I close my eyes, I see the men I left behind. My dreams haunt me, stirring up feelings and desires I’d rather forget.<br/><br/>And then there’s Midian, a king who shouldn’t exist. He whispers in my mind, hinting at power that could be mine for the taking. Enticing me with the promise of true freedom.<br/><br/>Showing me Laurent in peril…and Varick trapped in a cage.<br/><br/>As I venture deep into the heart of the old elven kingdom, I risk getting ensnared in a trap far more powerful than I ever imagined. Will I be able to break the chains that bind me and save the men I thought I loved, or will I succumb to the darkness that calls my name?<br/>Author's note: The Bitten and Bound Series must be read in order. Mind the cliff.
Kept (Bitten and Bound)
Amy Pennza · 2023
Assistant to the Villain
Hannah Nicole Maehrer · 2023
Shatter Me: The Shatter Me Series, book 1 (Shatter Me Series, 1)
Tahereh Mafi · 2018
Destroy Me (Shatter Me Book 1)
Tahereh Mafi · 2012
Unravel Me (Shatter Me Book 2)
Tahereh Mafi · 2013
Fracture Me (Shatter Me Book 2)
Tahereh Mafi · 2013
Ignite Me (Shatter Me Book 3)
Tahereh Mafi · 2014
The heart-stopping third installment in the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love."<br/>With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn't know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won't keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that's not all he wants with her.<br/>The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks."<br/>This bestselling series from powerhouse author Tahereh Mafi showcases relentlessly thrilling action, heart stopping romance, and a war-torn world in which rebellion is the only path to freedom.
Restore Me (Shatter Me Book 4)
Tahereh Mafi · 2019
Shadow Me (Shatter Me Novella Book 3)
Tahereh Mafi · 2019
Defy Me (Shatter Me Book 5)
Tahereh Mafi · 2020
Reveal Me (Shatter Me Novella Book 4)
Tahereh Mafi · 2019
Imagine Me (Shatter Me, 6)
Tahereh Mafi · 2021
Believe Me (The Shatter Me)
Tahereh Mafi · 2021
Bride
Ali Hazelwood · 2024
Collide: A Hockey Romance
Bal Khabra · 2023
Scythe (1) (Arc of a Scythe)
Neal Shusterman · 2017
Night Shift
Annie Crown · 2023
Spin The Bottle: A college romance (Campus Games)
Stephanie Alves · 2023
A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows- Special Edition: A Forbidden Fantasy Romance
Holly Renee · 2022
Destiny or desire?<br/><br/>Where does your allegiance lie?<br/><br/>I am told my union to the crowned prince will determine the fate of the kingdom, but it isn’t my betrothed who haunts my dreams. It’s the half-breed prince who stands at his side.<br/><br/>He is darkness and sin, and when he whispers promises of wickedness in my ear, I crave a man who I can’t have.<br/><br/>Every thought I have is treasonous. The way my hands ache to touch him deceitful.<br/><br/>Even my dreams make me a traitor to the kingdom I am sworn to protect.<br/><br/>But when the kingdom is attacked, I am forced to make choices I’m not prepared for. Our lies and deception are entangled in the shadows and stars, and as they unravel so shall my fate. Betray a kingdom or betray my heart.<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows is book one in the Stars and Shadows Series. It contains mature language, themes, and content that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Book Lovers
Emily Henry · 2022
An insightful, delightful, instant #1 New York Times bestseller from the author of Funny Story. “One of my favorite authors.”—Colleen Hoover One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming... Nora Stephens' life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby. Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute. If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love
isthisselfcare · 2025
The Secret History
Donna Tartt · 1992
<b><b><b><b>ONE OF <i>TIME MAGAZINE</i>'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • </b>INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A contemporary literary classic and "a<b>n accomplished psychological thriller ... absolutely chilling" (<i>Village Voice</i>)</b>, f<b>rom the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of <i>The Goldfinch.<br><br></i></b></b></b>One of <i>The Atlantic</i>’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years</b><br><br>Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.<br><br><b>“A remarkably powerful novel [and] a ferociously well-paced entertainment . . . Forceful, cerebral, and impeccably controlled.” —<i>The New York Times</i></b>
