We measure things in horsepower, football fields and dog years, but do you know the latest tomato unit of measurement?
A shirt full.
Matt gave birth to 100 tomatoes from the garden!
We have more than we know what to do with.
Although of course spaghetti was at the top of the use list!
Delicious summer vegetables were seared in a pan with a can of tomato paste: zucchini, eggplant and about a dozen of those tomatoes. We added dashes of Italian seasoning, salt and Garlic Gold for more flavor depth, but let the maters do the talking.
On the side we cooked a package of mystery meat that I’m pretty sure was ground turkey that Karen left in our freezer during her move. It was delicious!!
Served over some whole wheat pasta
This dinner TOTALLY hit the spot. I finished every bite, veggies and all, which is a first for me this week.
This afternoon I snoozed on the couch before a call. I say snoozed because I put on the Pandora Spa station and just rested – I’m not sure I actually feel asleep, but it was a completely rejuvenating 20 minutes.
After my call (really gearing up for this new project!), I opened a jar of sunflower butter and dove in. It’s been 17 days since I finished my last jar [thanks, blog, for that data], and I MISSED IT SO MUCH!
And one final thought for the night – thank you Mrs. Compton for the beautiful baby blanket!! Love the colors!!
I’m in search of a great book to read. Something adventuresome, written in the last few years, easy to read but with a great plot. Any recommendations?
Night!
{ 160 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh sweet blanket. Did Marcia make it?
Yes!
I am in the middle of Noah’s Compass by Anne Tyler. Haven’t finished yet, but I love it so far!
I’d highly recommend Unbroken by Lauren Hillebrand. A real-life adventure. Difficult to read at points, but it’s the most fascinating life story, and it reads like a novel.
i loved unbroken! highly recommend that as well!
Highly recommend it as well. As well as her other book Seabiscuit if you haven’t read it.
Unbroken was incredible. Spent a weekend at lake Tahoe (CA) reading it and couldn’t put it down
I read Unbroken too! You won’t be able to put it down.
I’d have to agree on Unbroken, my favorite book I’ve ever read, amazing story!
Hi Kath,
Glad to see you’re doing well!
I know other people’s dreams are boring, but I thought you’d get a kick out of this: I dreamt I was trying to make whipped oats and couldn’t find a banana for the life of me! I searched and searched! Darn pregnancy dreams, LOL.
As for books, I just finished “A Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness .
http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Witches-Novel-Souls-Trilogy/dp/0143119680/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345769555&sr=1-1&keywords=a+discovery+of+witches
It’s a paranormal romance, but the protaganist is a 33 year old woman who is a very accomplished historian of science, which gives it much more depth than the typical teenage version. I really enjoyed it.
Bree
I read “A Discovery of Witches” too, at the suggestion of a librarian. I’m now reading the sequel, but I’m not as engaged with it – at least, not yet.
I just finished the sequel and I was totally disappointed! After loving the first book and being unable to put it down, book 2 was sooo slow and not anywhere near as interesting to me.
I read “Witches” too and thought it was okay, but anyone considering it needs to know that it’s LONG! And that you’ll be waiting most of the book for the witch and vampire to consummate their relationship.
‘The Loop’ by Nicholas Evans.
If you haven’t read it yet- Gone Girl!
I second this!
Third!
Gone Girl, definitely!
DEFINITELY Gone Girl!! Fits that description perfectly. An amazing mystery and a total page turner. Really, really good.
Another vote for Gone Girl!
Sorry to disagree but I thought Gone Girl went way beyond creepy. Finished it but wished I had not…
Do you regret not using your RD degree more than you have the last couple of years? I just passed my exam a few months ago and I can’t wait to find my first job as a dietitian. I don’t mean this to sound negative at all, but you went through so much school to get the RD degree. Do you think you will ever go back to working in a more common workplace setting?
I use my degree every day! Just not in a classical fashion. RDs are doing so many creative things these days. No regrets.
How are you using your rd degree? Is it part of the freelance work and conference calls you mention sometimes? I’d be interested to hear more about it. I started reading when you were in school and always wondered what you ended up doing with it!
It’s a part of my career as a food blogger and freelancer. I don’t have to be literally practicing dietetics to put the degree to use.
Another thing: the RD is 1/3 foodservice and I own a foodservice establishment
I don’t work in the bakery every day, but I work on it most days. I’ve done a bit of public speaking too. It’s such a broad field with so many opportunities.
I too am an RD not working in a traditional RD field. I’m in policy and advoacy for a global diabetes NGO. So yes, its definitely related to nutrition, and I use my nutrition/RD skills everyday, but explicity speaking I’m not working as an RD. I second Kath’s response that RDs are doing an enormous variety of things these days, which is what makes it such a great profession. You can really choose how and where you want to use your RD.
As someone who has enjoyed a considerably longer career than most readers here, Kath’s chosen profession (s) makes perfect sense to me. I know that you too will broaden your perspective re. opportunities available to you – if not immediately post-schooling, then in 10 years or 20 years. This is natural and healthy and a sign of personal evolution. Instead of narrowly focusing on the linear career trajectory that you imagined during your college/grad school days, you will begin to apply your academic training and real world experience in roles that are compatible with your unique passions and lifestyle circumstances. Good on Kath for tuning into her own compass vs. working directly in a field that doesn’t perfectly fit the person she has become, simply b/c that is what others expect.
I’d love to never have to think about scoop numbers and hotel pans. ha
I love this response!
Have you read the Kite Runner? Life of Pi? They are both quite adventuresome.
Yes, liked them both!
Did you see that they are coming out with a Life of Pi movie? Now I have to read the book before it hits theaters!
just read and liked the 1st two books in the discovery of witches trilogy, gone girl and the paris wife. enjoy these final moments, mom to be!
I looooove tomato sauce for pasta, definitely my favorite! And I highly recommend Divergent and the sequel Insugent by Veronica Roth. She’s a young writer from Chicago and the novels are based in a dystopic world, which is actually Chicago in the future. They are quick reads, but not short in length, they’re just so hard to put down!
I second these books, loved them!
If you haven’t read it, you should read ‘The Night Circus’! It is a wonderful book and a quick read.
YES!
I’ve heard a lot of good things about The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It’s on my bookshelf and on my “read next” list. Right now I’m in the midst of the third Game of Thrones book
Bahaha Peter went out to the garden and came back with a stomach full of tomatoes just like Matt
Oh, so jealous of those tomatoes! I just went with one potted tomato plant this year. With 4 kiddos, I just wasn’t up for battling the deer and groundhogs this year. I think we got about 5 little tomatoes total.
My parents make salsa with their tomatoes every year! they make about 2 dozen batches and can it!
Oh good one – that should be next!
Just finished “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed and am now reading “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn. Both are great – Wild is adventuresome in a out-in-the-wild way and Gone Girl is suspenseful!
I second “Wild”. I’ve read it twice already!
Im in the middle of reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It’s INCREDIBLE. It’s definitely on my top ten all-time favorite book list.
I second this! PS- It’s totally on my bucket list to have a vegetable garden someday. I imagine it must feel very fulfilling to be able to eat the things that YOU grow.
Your husband’s shirt is very fitting!
I’m so jealous of your garden tomatoes….garden tomatoes are the best. That baby blanket is beautiful! Emily Giffin books are really good quick reads and she just came out with a new one. I loved all of the following books: The Sisters by Nancy Jensen, The Violets of March by Sarah Jio, The Bungalow by Sarah Jio, The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg, and anything by Joshilyn Jackson.
This isn’t an “adventuresome” book in its most common form – but I think you would really enjoy it: “Pour Your Heart Into It” by Howard Schultz (CEO of Starbucks). It talks about how Starbucks was born, entrepreneurship, following your passions, running a business, etc. A really fun read and inspiring read!
Violets of March by Sarah Jio…loved it!
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is Fantastic!!
I would recommend Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn or The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.
You also might enjoy the new Julia Child bio! I think I am going to pick that up next.
I just finished These is my words. Now waiting for the second one at the library.
I remember you like lord of the rings. This is recent and so good and similar to good Tolkien. http://www.amazon.com/The-Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicles/dp/075640407X
First time commenter but I’m a huge fan of kerf and babykerf!! I think you’d lile The Book Thief by Markus Zusak! It is amazing historical fiction, thought provoking and a quick read because of shorter chapters. Also I know you like cheese and I have an idea of what you could do with those tomatos. Last summer I worked at a winery here in Oregon and they made a tomato jam for their cheese plates that was divine. It would also be great for holidays it has cloves , cumin , lime juice and isn’t too sweet. Its on the kingestatewinery.com website and also there is a video of how to make it on YouTube. I hope you check it out! Can’t wait to meet your baby boy
I wish you all the best!
Thanks for your first comment! Great suggestion
I second the Book Thief recommendation! Also, fun fact: it was originally marketed as a children’s book!
I saw a few recommendations for The Book Thief and I agree – also great! although, i still put Gone Girl ahead of it as a recommendation for an easy read yet complex plot!
Just finished The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Amazing book — some history, some romance, some time travel…
This is a great book . . . I love all her books in fact!
I loved The Night Circus! It was a little slow at first, but it picks up! Highly recommend it!
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón – best book ever.
Gorgeous book- so poetic that it’s hard to believe it was translated to English!
Reading this book is 1 reason I am going to Barcelona next month!!!
I am going in November, just for that reason, too! Have a great time. Are you going on the tour?
This book is totally YA (aint no shame!) and has a silly title… But I adored it, as did several of ther people I know:
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
It has adventure (boarding school! Paris!), is impressively researched (I once heard SP speak… It was remarkable what she considered), and the exciting “oh I wish I was 17 again so I could feel all those feelings but I’m glad I’m a grown up” nostalgia.
Seriously, a quick, sweet read
Life of Pi!
I add to the recommendation for Gone Girl! It’s really intreauging!!
Have you read “still alice”? It’s about a woman with early onset alzheimers-very moving book
Oh yes – this is a good one, too!
I loved Night Circus, The BOok Thief and The Life of Pi. I highly recommend Ready Player One. The best book I have read this year. Couldn’t put it down!
Three books I read (and loved) this summer: The Weird Sisters, The Art of Fielding, and The Age of Miracles. And yes, I second EVERYONE here who has recommended Gone Girl.
Oh! And– I know it’s early for parenting books, but my husband and I really enjoyed reading Bringing Up Bebe, if you’re looking for something baby/kiddo oriented but still interesting/entertaining.
Didn’t love the Weird Sisters, but I’m 2/3 of the way through The Art of Fielding and LOVE it. The Age of Miracles was a really quick, interesting read too.
I second the Bringing up Bebe recomemndation. I read it more from a nutrition/food habits interest, and even without a bebe of my own found it rather fascinating!
Also recommend The Art of Fielding. My husband and I read it for our respective book clubs and it was pretty much universally loved.
Like someone said, salsa would be a great thing to make & can for the winter months. It is a great, healthy snack to munch on with some tortilla chips!
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
“Redeeming Love” an amazing story and such a great read!!
glad you’re reunited with sunflower butter after 17 days! love it when blogs help with data mgmt like that
I love the Sookie Stackhouse series that True Blood is based on. Now granted there’s like 13 books so far in the series but they are great and entertaining reads!
A great way to get rid of those tomatoes is by making a tomato tart — saw it on the Chew earlier this week and it looked awesome!
The Selected Works of TS Spivet by Reif Larsen- about a genius boy who also happens to be a cartographer. The Smithsonian awards him a prize, thinking he is an adult, and he has to make the cross-country journey by himself. Sounds like it’s a kid/YA book but it’s definitely not (and will be a movie in a few years). Definitely in my top ten.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is really good! Highly recommend it.
You should read The Bungalow by Sarah Jio. It’s such a great story/mystery set in the South Pacific during war. On top of that it’s a super quick read, a page turner that totally sucks you in.
I don’t know how you do it, but every spaghetti recipe you make looks so dang amazing!!
If you liked Into the Wild, you might like Into Thin Air by the same author: http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/0385494785/ref=pd_sim_b_1
It’s a true story of a terrible disaster on a Everest climb (Krakauer was there). It’s an amazing story and he’s a great writer.
Kind of an adventure, but in a different way, Water for Elephants is great with and added love story as well. And not really much of an adventure, but also really good, is The Paris Wife a story about Ernest Hemingway’s first wife from her perspective. Really wonderful and I love reading about old school Paris.
I LOVED Into Thin Air! It actually got me addicted to books about Mt. Everest about 10 years ago
“The Tiger’s Wife” is amazing and wonderfully written. I also second “The Book Thief,” “The Life of Pi,” and “Unbroken.” All great reads.
The Night Circus was recommended to be by a friend this summer. At first glance, it didn’t sound like something I would enjoy. I was wrong! Great story. A little different than what I normally read but an excellent story.
p.s. thank you for the great study tips (flashcards etc) you shared with me last year. I’m happy to report this Mom of 4 boys and business owner is successfully making her way through nursing school. Life is BIG!!
Congrats!!
Yes to Wild, Gone Girl, Shadow of the Wind……also, here’s a great one: The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball- it’s a gorgeous (true) story of a woman who leaves NYC and her career as a writer to start a year-round, full-diet CSA in upstate NY. Great, funny, beautiful- and she grows and raises my food. YUM
I second this! Absolutely loved this book.
I just read “Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close” and it is fantastic. I can’t think of any possible better book to recommend – it’s recent, adventuresome, thought-provoking and absolutely heart-wrenching.
I loved the first 3 books in the game of thrones series (on the 4th now)
My friend just made tomato chutney which sounds great — see thespicedlife.com
Dude. Read “Into the Wild”. I read it after I saw the movie (always better than the other way around, right?), and it was great. It cleared up a lot of things, hit on some emotions, and had the element of removed escapism that Krakhauer does well. Plus, you can convince your man to read it, and then you can have something non-business or kid to chat about!
have you read Special Topics in Calamity Physics? LOVED IT. and gone girl.
Kath – have you read Beside a Burning Sea by John Shors? It’s a good, easy read, about a group of people trapped on an island in the South Pacific during WWII. I couldn’t put it down – adventure, a bit of a love story, and beautifully written.
Look at all of those gorgeous tomatoes!! Do you have a dehydrator? Sun-dried tomatoes! You can make them in the oven, too. Your pasta dish looks yumm-o.
I have a baby snuggy thing my great-grandmother crocheted with the exact same colors! It’s very old now (32+ years) but I still have it!
I just started The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. It’s a long one, but so far it’s pretty close to everything you described you’re looking for and it’s very quick to read.
Love the book ideas and your yummy tomatoe suggestions. You could roast the tomatoes in the oven and have oven roasted tomatoes cooked in a slow oven or you could cut them up and freeze them.
LOVE the baby blanket – any chance of getting the pattern? So pretty!
OMG garden grown tomatoes are my FAVORITE!!!!!! Toamto salad tossed with onion, salt,balsamic and olive oil. MMMM, reminds me of being a little girl! Too bad I live on the other side of the country! I read a ton and I highly recommend The Atlas of Love— don’t think it exactly qualifies as adventurous but it is a wonderful sweet story and a very fast read.
“A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry.
This is my most favorite book of all time! Always thrilled when I see someone else recommend it. Gone Girl was great. Also, I just had someone introduce me to Elin Hilderbrand (I read Summerland). I really enjoyed it and have pick up some of her other novels too.
You should make salsa with all of those tomatoes! My dad used to do that when I was a kid and it was some of the BEST salsa I ever had in my life!
I’ve no recommendations for you unfortunately…I’ve just started reading The China Study but I’m not sure it’s what you’re looking for! Have you read it? Life changing!!! Power naps are awesome I must say…:)
Loved going through the comments! I am looking for book recos myself and will bookmark this page
I recommend Divergent by Veronica Roth. Easy, adventurous read. Similar to Hunger Games if you liked that.
I really enjoyed “A Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness and also the second part called “Shadow of Night”. I read them both in a week each… (they seem massive but you really get sucked into the story and just can’t.stop.reading!)
Hi Kath – really enjoying this book at the moment http://www.amazon.co.uk/Devil-Devil-Graeme-Kent/dp/1849013403. Those tomatoes look lush! I can’t wait to have a garden again and grow produce
Room by Emma Donoghue – it’s a page turner.
Yes!!!! I couldn’t put this down.
Mmm… I am obsessed with tomatoes at the moment!
I always recommend Skinny Dip by Carl Hiassen to people. Hands down, the funniest book I’ve ever read. Literally couldn’t put it down!
Try Rush Home Road my absolute favorite book ever.
If you liked Hunger Games…you should read the Divergent triology. First book is Divergent, second is Insurgent. Third isn’t out yet. Also the Maze Runner triology was pretty awesome.
I love the shirt full look. I cannot believe you ate mystery meat
although it could not have been that mysterious if you actually ate it.Have you read Wild by Cheryl Strayed? Its great.
Those tomatoes look amazing. It’s my favorite part of August!
i am admiring the blanket!! (as an avid knitter…and baby blankets are my specialty item!).
“the undomestic goddess” by sophie kinsella -> although it does not meet all your prerequisites, it’s very entertaining!
Wow- that is a lot of tomatoes. Our plants have yet to give us anything.
Ahhh…tomatoes! I can’t get enough of those beauties -roasted, raw, sauteed – you’ll flnd them on my plate every day this time of year!
Shamefully, I started more books than I finished this summer. But, my memorable reads have been similar to others: the memoir, Wild (Oprah book club pick) and Gone Girl (coming soon to a theater near you.) Also, I liked When We Were the Kennedy’s and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (an oldie but guaranteed to put a smile on my face every time.) I’ve heard great buzz from my friends and family re. Beautiful Reins and Age of Miracles too, but haven’t dug into either yet. My mom tells me she is enjoying The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at the moment.
My favorite is “The Devil in the White City”. It’s nonfiction, but reads like a thriller. It’s about the 1983 Chicago World’s Fair and a serial killer. I think they may be making it into a movie soon?
My second favorite book! (see other comment:))
I too found “The Devil in the White City” to be a fascinating read! I read it a few years ago when it first came out, and I’ve noticed now it’s back on the NY Times bestseller list.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed! So so good and I can bring it to the bakery for you if you’d like
That would be fun! Long time no see!
I second the Wild book! I’m reading it now and it’s a great book. It’s not too dense, and is a page turner.
I see that a lot of people have recommended it, but The Book Thief is one of the best pieces of fiction I have ever read (and I’m a former English major and current English teacher, so that’s saying a LOT!) I also recently loved The Forgotten Garden and The Year We Left Home.
I have been loving sweet ‘n spicy slow roasted tomatoes lately! Cut the romas in half, toss with olive oil, honey and red pepper flakes. Put on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for a few hours at 250*. Really great on sandwiches, in pasta, etc.
Let’s see…I’ve recently read & enjoyed:
Wild
Gone Girl
The Selection
What Alice Forgot (I think you read this already but I could be confusing you with another blogger)
I’m about 75% through Defending Jacob and I’d rec’d it. It’s not “adventure” though.
I second another gal’s suggestion about Into Thin Air (the Mt. Everest book). It’s been out for several years, but definitely worth a read AND fits your adventure criteria!
Very excited for Baby Kerf!
i had almost the exact same thing for supper last night!!!
i recommend REBECCA. by daphne du maurier. an old classic~i had to hunt a copy down at our local used book shop. hard to find but OH so good! i love the old writing with details that make me wanting to ” sit under the walnut tree and drink my tea”. half way through and i love it, a book club read!
I love all the book suggestions! Adding a few to my reading list for vacation next week
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese was the best book I’ve read in the last few minutes! Great character and plot development. Highly recommended!
“Unbroken” is a must-read!!!!!
Oh my goodness – you just never know the things that will spark conversation in a post I guess!
Love the tomato measurement system – congrats to Matt on a beautiful bundle!
How did you like On the Island? I read it a couple of months ago and loved it! The best book I’ve read recently is: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail. So inspiring!!
Loved it!
I’m really enjoying “The House at Tyneford” right now. Easy reading, engaging and a little bit similar to Downton Abbey! Hope you find a great one, I’ll be anxious to hear what you choose.
Hooray for garden-fresh tomatoes (delivered by handsome guys in fitted t-shirts, especially) and fabulous book recommendations! My TBR list just grew exponentially.
Hey Kath! A great new book is A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison (check out his website http://corbanaddison.com/). The book deals with human trafficking and it is narrated from two points of view. I loved it! It is a powerful read with rich, well developed characters. I teach English (grades 10 – 12) and brought it into the classroom as a supplemental text for some of the readers. HIGHLY recommend! Also, are you on pinterest? There are some amazing titles suggested here. I wanted to pin it to my “good reads” board but I didn’t see a pin-it link. Anyway, enjoy your last few days of quiet! Can’t wait to meet the little man
Great harvest Matt!! Our tomatoes were not liking the heat and petered out…Best book I’ve read so far this year “Beautiful Ruins” and Jess is reading it too. Tomorrow’s the big day
Ahhhh!! GOOD LUCK!
Thanks. I’ll call Karen in the afternoon
Yesterday I learned about a social book cataloguing website called goodreads.com. You mark books you have read and/or want to read and organize them onto “shelves.” (Sort of like Pinterest boards, but just for books) It also makes book suggestions based on your rankings and allows you to browse what your friends have read and like.
Ive heard all about this but have yet to join! Need to
Good Reads is awesome!
Please join! My friend let me know about it 2 years ago & I’m addicted! I love being able to keep track of what I’ve read/what I’d like to read & get suggestions from books I’ve liked. I’m sure you’ll have multiple blog readers ‘friend requesting’ you if you join
I already had friend requests waiting… Amd no books added yet! I put some in
Wow, that’s a lot of tomatoes! AND a lot of book recommendations…
From my perspective, books I’ve loved recently would be “The Poisonwood Bible,” “Prisoner of Tehran,” “The Secret Daughter,” “The Help,” and “Half the Sky.”
If you haven’t read it, Water for Elephants is very good. I enjoyed it before it was a movie. Also, The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly is a good read as well. Best of luck on your upcoming delivery!
Do you have a great recipe for tomato sauce? I also have a ton of tomatoes I need to do something with and haven’t found a really good sauce recipe, thanks!
Yes, this is my all-time fav! http://www.katheats.com/recipage?recipe_id=6000309
You don’t have to simmer it quite as long as the recipe says – we’ve made shortcut versions with less liquidy tomatoes
Wild, The Night Circus, Gold by Chris Cleave, Live Your Dash, I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella, A Secret Kept by Tatiana DeRosnay, and the 50 Shades trilogy are my latest reads. I believe you have read Little Bee by Chris Cleave, Gold is definitely worth reading.
Add Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson to my list. Live Your Dash by Linda Ellis is an excellent inspirational read.
Do you have a section of your blog dedicated to book recommendations? If not, you should! I always love finding them hidden in the posts, but some of your ideas have been books I’ve also really enjoyed (loved On the Island!) I’m finishing “The Happiness Project” today, starting Gone Girl tonight, and have “Wild” on my bedside table (popular choices based on the comments!)
I don’t have a page dedicated to my favorites because I haven’t been until recent years that I’ve had much time for reading. I’m also a really slow reader (because I fall asleep at night after 10 pages!) and reallllly picky about books! I like a lot of them, but rarely do I just love one.
However, on my behind the blog page there is a link to a post of blog reader book recommendations and I’m going to add last night’s post to that list too. I often reference the comments for suggestions!
Shout out for Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy, which is technically young adult. The first book is called A Great and Terrible Beauty. It’s about a teenage girl in 1895 who discovers she has special powers.
And it’s not a novel but Terry Tempest Williams’ When Women Were Birds is in-frickin’-credible.
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund, anything by Georgette Heyer, The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah Eden, Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. I’ve been really into trilogies lately. Here are some of the ones I’ve enjoyed: Eve & Once (1 & 2 of 3 are out), Partials by Dan Wells (1 of 3), Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1 of 3), Under the Never Sky (1 of 3), across the Universe & A Millions Suns (1&2 of 3).
Also, anything by Sarah Jio and Kate Morton.
Anything by Jodi Picoult.
I’ve been reading The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and absolutely love it. The first two books were great, but the third is a little scary!
I think you would enjoy The Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner. It is dystopian fiction, if you liked the Hunger Games, you will love this trilogy! I honestly thought it put the Hunger Games to shame!! I read the whole trilogy in a weekend!! Happy reading!!