There’s no doubt that reading is one of my favorite parts of the day.

Sure, it’s hard when you have kids to carve out time to relax and read, but I’ve found that reading a good book is the best way for me to relax and fall asleep at night.Even on long days when I’m amped up hitting the sheets, a good book will always relax me enough to pass out for the night. That, and the three-hour-long bedtime routine with my kids. ¯_(ツ)_/¯But really, what it all comes down to is getting out of my own head and my own routine. Realizing the world is so much more massive and complicated than what’s going on inside these four walls.

To me, there’s nothing more calming to me than hopping into someone else’s world for a while.

I’m a voracious reader and would be happy to share a more extensive list if anyone out there wants more recommendations, but for now, here’s what I’ve been reading–and loving–lately!

Three womenby lisa taddeo

As they say, the truth is stranger than fiction. Lisa Taddeo is a journalist by trade, and while this book is a work of non-fiction, the detail and verve with which she paints her “characters”–three women, all in wildly different relationships–makes it feel more like pure, can’t-put-it-down fiction.Lisa lets us into the world of three women. One had a relationship with her teacher when she was seventeen. The other is in a passionless marriage, and seeks the rush of love elsewhere. The third has a husband who encourages her to have relations with other men–usually, while he’s right there.I couldn’t put this one down. It’s so well written and researched, you feel like you’re right there watching it all unfold. Intimate and detailed, I couldn’t recommend this more.

the seven or eight deaths of stella fortunaby juliet grames

If you’re Italian-American, you just have to read this.Stella Fortuna just won’t die. From her childhood in the rural region of Calabria, Italy, through the rest of her life, she lives through unimaginable accidents that only serve to fuel her stubbornness.But why do she and her younger sister Cettina–once the best of friends–have a falling out? This novel is for anyone who is all about drama, Italian-style.

the royal weby heather cocks and Jessica Morgan

Pure, unfiltered, pretend-you-too-could-be-a-princess fun.American Rebecca “Bex” Porter goes to London to study and ends up finding a getting a whole lot more than just an education.A story about how we can’t always fit in, even when we try our hardest… and why that’s just fine, even when a throne is involved.I loved this book because it is such a light, fun read, but it’s so well written. I never considered myself to be much of an Anglophile, but reading this book and getting a peek at what royal life might be like gives me a whole new understanding of why some people are.Excuse me while I go furiously Google “Meghan Markle and Duchess Kate” and fall into a proper research hole.Happy reading! I would SO love to get recommendations from you guys on books you are loving! Drop them here in Comments or email me at Sonni@SonniAbatta.com. I’m all ears!