Heart the Lover | 
pickThank the goddesses I'd not planned much today.
I picked this up from the library Monday and finished it today. She's so sublimely brilliant at writing from the soul yet no saccharin or twee paragraphs to contend with.
Her use of characters and normal life is wonderful.
Close to tears throughout much of this novel.
pickLoved it! Nostalgic, romantic, melancholy, heartbreaking and somehow cozy all at once. All the feels and such a vibe. Started in print (lovely) but finished on audio on a long drive and the narrator was perfect. This is such a book lovers book. The reading list I made of stories and books and authors mentioned is endless. King writes so beautifully about ‘writers and lovers‘(pun intended.) I‘ll be thinking of Jordan and Yashi for quite some time.
pickI‘ve had a huge #bookhaul recently! Many library holds as well as the middle ones I picked up at a deep discount.
The only one I‘ve finished is the King (tagged). I desperately wanted to LOVE it, but the last section‘s emotional manipulation felt fake to me, which was disappointing after such a strong start. I‘m still in a rough recovery so YMMV. Still worth reading though! (It was 4⭐️ instead of 5⭐️.) Personal update ⬇️
pickThis was so so good! Sad and heart breaking at times it‘s a book about life, relationships, challenges, regrets and disappointments. It‘s short and sweet, and heavy and thought provoking all wrapped up in a one or two sitting read. Kinda perfect.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book explores how the choices we make in our youth ripple throughout our lives, steeping readers in a sea of nostalgia, contemplation, and emotion. I thought it was so thought-provoking that the narrator is unnamed; her identity is shaped by the men who assign her names (Daisy, Jordan, Pollyanna, Hink) and view her through those projections. ⬇️
pickHeart the Lover, by Lily King (2025)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Premise: A college student finds herself caught in the orbit of two charismatic male friends, with lasting impacts on all of their lives.
Review: In the past, Lily King novels have fallen into the ‘liked but didn‘t love‘ category for me. But wow is this something special! This is writerly, insightful, and deeply moving, and it could easily find itself at the top of my books of the year. ⬇️
Picked up my pre-order book (tagged) for September from Riverbend Bookshop. Could not resist John Boyne‘s new book. #preorderbookclub #blameitonlitsy #porchlife
This past Saturday, I attended the Bookmarks Book Festival in Winston Salem, NC. Here is my book haul.
Very excited for a campus novel from Lily King!
pickWas this sponsored by Kleenex? I stayed up way too late reading this, longer than it should have taken b/c I was sobbing and struggling to see through the tears.
I adore this. Our MC meets 2 boys during college, she dates one who is a challenge, and she falls for the other. But that isn't really the story. I like that we don't know her name, but we know the boys call her Jordan b/c she reminds them of Gatsby's Jordan Baker. 👇
"I'm aware that I had ideas about the future that I hadn't discussed with myself."
^^^^^. I love this ?
pickI really loved this book about first love, friendship and loss. Beautifully written and engaging.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
Pub date: October 7, 2025
