#EscapeWithImani: My Latest Reading Recommendations
There’s nothing better than waking up on a Saturday morning after sleeping in, snuggling up with Timber and my fiancé in bed, and reading a good book. (I recently bought this Kindle and love it. Best investment ever!) Reading gives me a relaxing break from reality. When I grab a book and open the pages, I’m immediately sucked into a world outside of my own, meeting new people and learning about their lives. In fact, this is why all of my book-related blog posts are tagged with #EscapeWithImani. We love to escape the harsh realities of this world to join someone on their journey in another world.
Whether you’ve read three books this year or twenty, I always recommend keeping a TBR (to be read) list so that you are ready when it’s time to pick a new book. I’m always ready to share, so let’s talk about my current reading recommendations. Get your TBR list and add these books ASAP.
Before we begin, let’s talk about how I chose these books! These five recommendations are all books that I read for the first time in 2024 and I rated five stars (with the exception of the first book, which I gave four stars). For each option, I’ll give a quick summary of the book and will let you know in as fewest words as possible whether I would recommend it for you!
Also, as a heads up, this post may contain affiliate links, which means I may make a commission if you decide to make a purchase. All of these books gets at least four stars from me so you know I recommend it! If you have questions, check out the Disclosure page.
Keep reading to see what my absolute favorite book is this year.
King of Wrath by Ana Huang
Yup. We're starting off with a wild one.
King of Wrath follows Vivian as she learns about her arranged marriage to Dante, a seemingly mysterious and sort of grumpy billionaire. As the story unfolds, we watch the relationship between Vivian and Dante as they deal with life, circumstances, and the consequences of an arranged marriage. I loved Vivian. She is strong, smart, and has a great career. I saw myself in Vivian (or maybe an alter ego) which is why I liked this book.
Recommend: Need a quick and easy read? Definitely recommend. I read this book in less than 24 hours so that should tell you all that you need to know. This is a great romance book, so if you’re looking for your next one that’s part of a series, try out King of Wrath.
Do Not Recommend: I don’t recommend if you prefer “clean” (aka not-spicy) romance books. If you’re not interested in the grumpy person, happy person trope, skip this recommendation.
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
I chose this book as one of my Book of the Month picks this year and really enjoyed this choice! Annie Bot follows an AI robot by the name of Annie as she seeks to be the best girlfriend for her human owner boyfriend, Doug. As Annie seeks to please Doug, we join her as her mind develops and reaches new depths. She begins to question everything around her and we watch everything unfold. It’s a wild ride. This book definitely gives I am Robot meets Handmaid’s Tale vibes, so buckle up!
Recommend: If you are interested in technology and AI, give this book a try! You’ll find yourself angry at society (and men) and rooting for Annie. Also, this book explores topics like “taking your power back” and “fighting the patriarchy.” If that interests you, add Annie Bot to your TBR list.
Do Not Recommend: If you are not interested in technology and AI, I wouldn’t recommend this book (although those are not heavy topics within the book)! This book is not a romance, so if you’re looking for that, skip this and move on to the next two recommendations.
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
I am new to Kennedy Ryan as of this year and I have no idea why it took me so long to discover this book. In Before I Let Go, Ryan does a beautiful job of exploring love, grief, heartache, and more. This book follows the lives of divorcees Yasmen and Josiah. They have two children, a restaurant, and a slew of unresolved feelings, emotions, and trauma. As readers, we are quickly swept into their world and rooting for them as a couple.
Recommend: I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for a romance book with a little (but good) spice and an emotional plot.
Do Not Recommend: The themes in this book can be heavy. Ryan explores grief, child loss, and more. So if these topics are not for you, I wouldn’t recommend this book.
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
I immediately read “This Could Be Us” after “Before I Let Go” because I fell in love with the characters and Ryan’s storytelling. This book follows Yasmen’s friend Soledad as she navigates major life changes. Before I Let Go explores topics like heartbreak and more. I don’t want to say too much so I don’t give anything away but I loved this book with the same fervor that I have for Before I Let Go. Of course, the spicy scenes were great too!
Recommend: I’d recommend This Could Be Us for the exact same reasons I’d recommend Before I Let Go: the exploration of romance, emotions, and healing.
Do Not Recommend: I do not recommend if you don’t want to read about heartbreak and cheating! (Heavy on the cheating because that really pissed me off.)
Mamme by Jessica George
Y’all. I absolutely love this book. It’s my favorite book of all time. My coworker, who is also an avid reader, recommended this book to me because she knows that as the eldest child and eldest daughter, I have a lot of responsibilities within my family unit.
Mamme follows Maddie, who is incredibly sheltered, as she branches out of her shell and steps into adulthood. This book will make you fall in love with Maddie and laugh harder than you have ever laughed before at a book. I felt like a friend of Maddie as I was reading about her journey. When it was over (at the end of the book), I found myself thinking about her and wondering what her day was like. Yes, that’s how strongly I connected with Maddie.
Recommend: If you’re an eldest daughter, then join the club and read Mamme. This book was made for us. Even if you’re not the eldest daughter, the main character is hilariously funny. So if you’re looking for a good laugh with some awkward moments, give it a try.
Do Not Recommend: For the record, this is a hard one for me because I love this book so much. But there are some heavy topics explored in this book. So I would not recommend if you have no interest in reading about grief or loss.
Need more?
Need more reading recommendations? Check out this post about my favorite books I read in 2023 or this post about the top 3 books I read in 2022. I also have a list of my recommended books here! Let’s escape together.
Share the Wealth
What are you current book recommendations? Share the wealth and leave the title and author below!