My boyfriend got me a Kindle last fall, and turns out that has been the key to unlocking voracious reading. This month was even more excessive than normal – a flight to California allowed for some dedicated reading time, and (finally) having really nice weather and setting up the patio office meant I just wanted to camp out with coffee and a book at all times!

Dani and I also created our own reading challenge this year to increase our reading: 51 categories to prompt us to pick up books we wouldn’t typically read (or books that have languished in TBR-land for too long.) Here’s what I read this month, including what you should pick up and what you should let lay!

Under the Harrow: This was the book Dani picked for me for our reading challenge, and I was so engrossed. I’m a little late to the mystery/thriller genre, but this was such a great pick. I’m typically pretty good at picking up on twists or surprises beforehand, but for the first time in this book I had absolutely no idea who did it. I read it in two days, so it’s definitely an engaging read.

We’re Going to Need More Wine: I like to listen to audiobooks while I’m working to keep me from getting completely sucked into my computer during testing, and I’d heard great things about this book, so I grabbed it from Libby when it came available. Gabrielle Union is a fantastic narrator, and it’s really lovely to hear about her life. She pulls no punches and the book begins with the racism she experienced growing up in school, continues to her experience hiding a friend who shot a cop, failed relationships and marriages, and even more. It’s no wonder this was on so many must-read lists.

Like reading on your computer or mobile device? Check out Scribd – thousands of eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and more on your device!

Tonight I’m Someone Else: A friend recommended this to me, and I really enjoyed it. A collection of essays from throughout the author’s life, there’s a lot of diversity. It’s pretty heavy and took me quite a few reads to get through, but if you like creative non-fiction, this is a great one to pick up.

Goodbye, Vitamin: I really really liked this book. The main character moves back home to take care of her dad whose Alzheimer’s is getting worse, which I can relate to. She’s fresh off a breakup, feels lost, and leaves her job to help her mom out and try to keep her dad’s life as normal as possible. Definitely recommend.

Big Magic: This book has been on my TBR list for awhile, and I grabbed the audiobook a few weeks ago. It’s a short book, and Elizabeth Gilbert narrates, and it hit upon a lot of beliefs around creativity that I didn’t even realize I have, like guilt and shame and esteem. Who knew? This is another one of the rare books I’m going to hunt a physical copy down to reinforce the concepts.

Wondering how I read so much? My libraries use Libby – see if your library has a partnership, and check out the mobile app!

#GIRLBOSS: I’m about seventy years behind on this one. I finally found a copy at Open Books during their 50% off sale and after sitting on multiple library wait lists for months, I grabbed the $3.50 copy. I really enjoyed this for a lot of the same reasons I liked Big Magic, like it’s okay to be a weirdo and creative and your message will still resonate with people! Some parts came off as a bit preachy to me, but not enough to make me stop reading.

Hey Ladies!!!: This book was hilarious. I read it on Scribd using my iPad, and pretty much read it in one day. It’s an easy read and even if you haven’t been included on an inane email chain about bachelorettes or weddings, you’ll still find it super funny. The illustrations are really good too. A fun one to flip through.