Lattes, Life, & Luggage

Alright, fellow readers. It’s been a pretty active book year around these parts, which means I have a fresh list of recommendations for you to devour. As a mood reader, it’s hard to predict what will be pulled off the shelf next, but as we get into August, I start to reach for what I consider to be “cozy season reads.” Think witchy or supernatural books and psychological thrillers, or historical fiction with darker, grittier themes. When winter approaches, you might find me diving into fantasy, escaping to completely different worlds. Choosing your next book on vibes alone means there’s no rhyme or reason to it, but there are certainly patterns. It also means I usually have a good selection of recommendations spanning across multiple genres and reading tropes, so hopefully one or two of these spark your interest!

I’ve been killing my reading challenge this year, devouring books at a pace I haven’t achieved in years. From classics to memoirs, romance to fantasy, nothing is off-limits. If your TBR pile is anything like mine, you’re ready for long, leisurely weekends to spend losing yourself in pages while hopefully getting a tan. This list was easy to put together, but hard to narrow down. Read more at https://www.latteslifeandluggage.com/blog/8-books-to-read-this-summer.

Nothing beats an afternoon browsing bookstores or wandering markets on a morning coffee stroll. New York City is the perfect place for both. With grand markets littered throughout the city and bookstores around almost every corner, it’s impossible not to find some treasure to take home. Shopping at markets and independent bookstores puts the money directly back into the community, supporting small businesses, local artists, and creatives. It’s supporting someone’s creative dreams and pursuits while keeping the local economy healthy. To share every single market and bookstore in NYC would mean an endless scroll. However, we’ve pulled together a few finds that should make the top of your list.Get the full guide at latteslifeandluggage.com/blog/a-guide-to-nyc-markets-amp-bookstores.

There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a book as the leaves begin to fall, that dead leaf smell permeating the air as the subtle chill of cooler weather whispers down your spine. Cozy knits, a hot drink, and soft candlelit ambiance create an aesthetic we crave all year long. It’s a time for fantasy reads and witchy stories, psychological thrillers and nostalgic rom-coms. No matter which genre you lean towards, we can all agree that hitting the TBR pile as soon as the chill hits the air is a universally accepted simple pleasure in life. Not sure what to read this fall, we’ve got several recommendations to inspire your reading ambitions.

BookTok is losing its mind after Sarah J. Mass announced on social media that the first draft (drafts?) of ACOTAR 6 is complete. It’s been four years since Cassian and Nesta’s story hit bookshelves, and it’s THE topic of conversation as far as who the next installment will be centered around (Team Azriel, FTW!). We can all pray to SJM that the release be quick – perhaps an early 2026 date? One can only hope! With our return to Velaris in sight, this news inspired us to put together a summer reading list of our own. Whether you’re staying home this summer and grabbing a few rays in the park nearby or taking a long getaway to a faraway island, bring one of these reads with you. We’ve got you covered, whether you want to escape into another world or become inspired in this one. And to Sarah J. Maas, thank you for not making us wait five hundred more years for ACOTAR 6.Read more at: https://www.latteslifeandluggage.com/blog/10-books-for-your-summer-reading-list