book recommendations + a review of my Kindle

in 2018 it was my goal to read a book a month. i didn't exactly read one book every month, but i'd go in spurts of reading a few here and there when i had time. i tried hard to read on our long flights instead of work, and it became a good habit for me last year! during the first week of this year on our cruise, i read three books and shared them all on my Stories. you all loved the book recommendations, so i thought i'd round up the books i've read last year AND share the books that are on my reading list for 2019. plus, my parents got me a Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas, so i wanted to share a little review on that, too. keep scrolling for book recs and reviews! xxbooks i read and recommend:Girl, Wash Your Facei admit, i was a little late to this party. there was so much buzz about this book on social media, and last year i finally hopped on the bandwagon. Rachel Hollis is so motivating and real and inspiring, but she always seems like your bestie. if you're a female entrepreneur, a women looking for inspiration in your corporate career, or even a mom with hobbies and passions, this book is for you. i like to dog ear book pages that i find inspiring or underline phrases... and i felt like this entire book was marked up!Girl, Stop Apologizing {pre-order}the follow-up to the book above, this one is available in March! i was sent an early copy and WOW. this is basically HOW to do the things Rachel talks about in her first book. highly recommend!Crazy Rich Asians trilogyyou probably heard a ton about this book since it was made into a major motion picture last year with an all Asian cast! the movie was so cute {and the design was insane}, but the books were a millions times better and i highly recommend them! they are fast reads and such a cute story. i personally love that there's so much designer, haha. you'll get what i mean when you read them! basically an Asian American women finds out her boyfriend from Singapore comes from one of the richest families there and it follows their love story and how his family/background plays into their relationship.Crazy Rich AsianCrazy Rich GirlfriendRich People ProblemsDumplin'Netflix made this a movie late last year, and SO many of you sent me messages about watching it! i wanted to read the book before i saw it, and i didn't have time until after the holidays. i read this book on our cruise in a day. it's another easy read and follows the story of a curvy girl in high school. Willowdean's mom is a past beauty pageant queen, she's falling for the hottest boy at work, and she's drifting from her childhood best friend. she decides to take back her confidence by entering her town's famous pageant. this book is so heartwarming and it's all about finding confidence in your own skin.just downloaded Puddin' {the sequel}!What Alice Forgeti'm a huge fan of the author Liane Moriarty! she's the author of Big Little Lies, which was one of my favorite books i read in 2017 {and the HBO series was INSANE}. a woman wakes up after hitting her head at the gym and has forgotten the past decade of her life. all she remembers is being married to the love of her life and newly pregnant. reality sets in when she's told she has three children, on the brink of divorce, and has made decisions in her personal life that don't represent who she really is. i read this book on the plane from Miami to Phoenix and i couldn't put it down!Sharp ObjectsGone Girl is easily one of my favorite books AND movies, that's how good it is. Sharp Objects is by the same author! it was made into a HBO series, so i knew i had to read it before watching. it's such a twisted plot, but another book i could NOT put down. if you're into dark drama, this book is for you. a woman is a reporter and goes back to her small hometown to help solve the murder of two girls... and her personal life ends up being completely involved in said murders.When Life Gives You Lululemonsthis is the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada! it's quick and easy, yet entertaining. it follows Emily's life in the Connecticut suburbs after leaving Miranda Priestly. it's one of those beach/pool reads and i loved it! i'm secretly hoping they make it into a movie, too.The Last Mrs. Parrishokay the twist in this book was INSANE. i didn't even come close to see it coming! Amber is a nobody who wants to be a somebody. she befriends Daphne, who is a socialite and married to a real estate mogul. the women become fast friends, but they both have secrets that change the course of their life, and friendship, dramatically. couldn't put this one down!Fat Girl on a Planethis is a fiction book, but i found so much relatability in it! it's all about pursuing your dreams, finding yourself, and being true to who you are. the author herself sent me this book last year, and she lives right here in Phoenix! hoping to meet her someday soon!Stories from the Influencer Next Doori couldn't resist adding this to my must-read list... since i'm featured in the book! this is an incredible coffee table book by rewardStyle and LikeToKnow.It that tells the stories of 100 influencers/bloggers worldwide! it's a fun peek behind our screens at our backgrounds, skills, and every day motivation. if you head on over to the Amazon listing, you might just see my photo, too!on my list to read for 2019:-The Husband's Secret {started this today and already LOVE it}-To All The Boys I Loved Before series {we JUST watched this movie on Netflix, and i had no idea it was a book series! such a cute movie and they are already making the second one}-Puddin' {the sequel to Dumplin'}!-The Nightingale {SO many of you recommended this book!}-Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur {love a good female entrepreneur motivational book}-The Confidence Code {always interested in reading what others have to say on this subject}-Educated {one of the top books of 2018, looks like a fascinating read}-All We Ever Wanted {i'm a fan of this author}now, onto my Kindle Paperwhite review! i've only had it for a few weeks and love it! it's important to note that i really love buying and reading from actual books. however, with all the travel we do and wanting to read more on planes {and being a speed reader!}, carrying multiple books every trip was just getting... heavy haha. the Kindle is a great way to still support authors, read, and have multiple books "on you" at one time.this is the thinnest version yet, it's waterproof {perfect for a bath tub-lover like me}, and TONS of storage. i love that it easily connects to wifi, is so small, and has a battery life that lasts for weeks. i have yet to charge mine since getting it on Christmas! you can even pair it with your blue-tooth headphones and use Audible to listen to books, too. i personally love that it tracks how you reach in various ways; i like that it shows me what percentage of the book i have left on each page! the only thing i DON'T like about it so far is that the on/off {more like a sleep button} button is at the bottom and because i rest my pinky on the bottom while reading, sometime i will hit the button and turn it off mid-read. i wish that button was on the top or something! other than that, i'm loving my Kindle Paperwhite!