**These are just the books I read this year, so naturally it’s just my opinion, please don’t get mad 🙂 

***All summaries and photos taken from Goodreads.

This is the first article I’ve written for the Highland Piper, and I knew it had to be about books. I love reading, and I’ve read some especially great books this year that I wanted to share. Keep in mind, I’m not a book reviewer, I’m not being objective about these. I just wanted to rave about some great books I read recently, and if they sound good to you, I hope you enjoy them!

1) The Pairing, Casey McQuiston

Summary: Two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour and challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they’re over each other—except they’re definitely not.

Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other’s lives once and for all.

Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but—yeah. It’s in the past.

All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.

It’s not until they board the tour bus that they discover they’ve both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they’re trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It’s fine. There’s nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?

But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have.

Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book. If you’re a fan of Red, White, & Royal Blue, you know how incredible Casey’s writing is, and this book proves no different. It is a wonderfully indulgent story that makes you hungry for more, and also just hungry, period. I hadn’t read a physical book in several months when I picked this one up, and I was done with it in a matter of hours. 

I also had the privilege of going to listen to Casey’s talk at the Rainier Arts Center a few months ago, and first of all – they’re hilarious. Secondly, it was clear how much love and care had been poured into this book, from the research, to the writing, to picking the title. If you’re looking for a rom-com to escape into, I highly, highly recommend this one. (I may have written this whole article just to gush about this one).

2) Nothing Like the Movies, Lynn Painter

Summary: For a few beautiful months, Wes had his dream girl: the strong-willed girl next door, Liz. But right as the two were about to set off for college to start their freshman year together, tragedy struck. Wes was left dealing with the fallout, which ultimately meant losing Liz in the process.

Flash forward months later, and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart when he ended things, but he is determined to make her fall back in love with him.

Wes knows Liz better than anyone, and he has a foolproof plan to win her back with rom-com-worthy grand gestures she loves. Only . . . Liz will have none of it! Wes has to scheme like a rom-com hero to figure out how to see her. Even worse, Liz has a new friend . . . a guy friend.

Still, Wes won’t give up, adapting his clever plans and going hard to get Liz’s attention and win back her affection. But after his best efforts get him nowhere, Wes is left wondering if their relationship is really over for good.

Thoughts: This is a sequel, so if you haven’t read Better Than the Movies, I recommend doing that first. Make sure to read this after though, because I was very excited for it & it did not disappoint. Full of witty banter & ridiculous arguments where you wanna scream at the page, it’s all worth it in the end. The endless movie references make it truly feel like a love-letter to romcoms, not to mention the constant song lyrics. A bit of a slow start, but when it picked up I couldn’t put it down – I finished it during class when I was probably (definitely) meant to be doing something else. Very good when in need of something light & easy.

3) Slow Dance, Rainbow Rowell

Summary: Back in high school, everybody thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together . . . everybody but Shiloh and Cary.

They were just friends. Best friends. Allies. They spent entire summers sitting on Shiloh’s porch steps, dreaming about the future. They were both going to get out of north Omaha—Shiloh would go to college and become an actress, and Cary would join the Navy. They promised each other that their friendship would never change.

Well, Shiloh did go to college, and Cary did join the Navy. And yet, somehow, everything changed.

Now Shiloh’s thirty-three, and it’s been fourteen years since she talked to Cary. She’s been married and divorced. She has two kids. And she’s back living in the same house she grew up in. Her life is nothing like she planned.

When she’s invited to an old friend’s wedding, all Shiloh can think about is whether Cary will be there—and whether she hopes he will be. Would Cary even want to talk to her? After everything?

The answer is yes. And yes. And yes.

Slow Dance is the story of two kids who fell in love before they knew enough about love to recognize it. Two friends who lost everything. Two adults who just feel lost.

It’s the story of Shiloh and Cary, who everyone thought would end up together, trying to find their way back to the start.

Thoughts: I started reading this at about 11am one day, and I couldn’t put it down till 3pm, when I finished it! It’s one of those books that just completely sucks you in, and the way the story unfolds is so unique. I first picked it up as a big fan of Rainbow Rowell’s other works, such as Carry On and Fangirl, and I was not disappointed. This book is definitely reminiscent of Fangirl to me, from the will-they-won’t-they of it all to the refusal to see each other clearly – but even when they’re fighting, you can feel how much these characters care about each other, and you never lose hope of the happy ending. It just makes it all the more satisfying when they see it too!

*Unfortunately, I only managed to read 3 books for this article, and so the snappy title is in fact a lie. My bad! Hope you can forgive me. However, I do have a fourth book for this list, which I did not read but several people I trust did, and they tell me it was incredible. So, for real this time:

4) Heir, Sabaa Tahir

Summary:

An orphan.

An outcast.

A prince.

And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, Aiz has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, Sirsha is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she’s willing to give up.

Quil is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives―and their hearts. Literally.

Thoughts: Again, I didn’t read this book, I can’t tell you why it’s great or what I loved about it. But looking through the reviews, you can see the people who can: “It’s painfully obvious this book hit home for me, making me feel seen in ways my childhood reads never did” (source); “it took me two months and it was worth every single day” (source); “The fast paced writing and amazing banter to the tension, action and unforgettable characters….in a nutshell Heir completely wrecked me.” (source). If that’s not a glowing recommendation, I don’t know what is.

Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you’re interested, give these books a read! If not, thanks for reading this anyway 🙂

Works Cited:

• McQuiston, Casey. “The Pairing by Casey McQuiston.” Goodreads, 6 August 2024, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199440249-the-pairing. Accessed 22 November 2024.
• Painter, Lynn. “Nothing Like the Movies (Better Than the Movies, #2) by Lynn Painter.” Goodreads, 1 October 2024, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207293948-nothing-like-the-movies. Accessed 26 November 2024.
• Rowell, Rainbow. “Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell.” Goodreads, 30 July 2024, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198530925-slow-dance. Accessed 29 November 2024.
• Tahir, Sabaa. “Heir (Heir Duology, #1) by Sabaa Tahir.” Goodreads, 1 October 2024, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206780522-heir. Accessed 15 December 2024.
  • Specific quote sources (in order):
    • https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/106941014-esta
    • https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/171361996-hassan-saeed
    • https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2978148-sakurablossom95 
    • Quotes can also be found under reviews on the Goodread page