This Fitness Class Has Equipment That’s 48 Times Dirtier Than Your Toilet

Ashley Macey
Mar 08, 2018

Whenever we hit a workout slump, we immediately sign up for a heart-pumping fitness class. Not only are group classes a great motivator to actually squeeze in a workout during a hectic week (hello, we’ve already paid for it), but attending a group class is actually scientifically proven to alleviate work-related stress and improve your overall quality of life. Not too shabby for a 60-minute hot yoga session! But despite all the wonderful benefits of working out in a group, there’s one significant downfall: Workout classes are a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria.

“Think about the filthy facts for a second: Human hands are hotbeds of microbes, and group workout equipment can come in contact with dozens of them every day,” says an expert at Elliptical Reviews. “Plus, sweat combines with bacteria when it reaches the skin — and participants in these classes work up plenty of perspiration.” Consider us officially grossed out.

So in an effort to measure which workout classes have the dirtiest equipment, Elliptical Reviews swabbed equipment from the four most popular fitness classes — Barre, CrossFit, spin, and hot yoga — and conducted bacterial tests to reveal the total number of microbes that appear on various workout tools. They gathered three separate swabs from each class and took the average of the CFU (colony-forming units) totals. Then, they compared it to the grossest thing they could think of: the number of CFU on the average toilet seat.

Are y’all ready to hear the results? After swabbing the equipment in the classes thrice, the researchers concluded that the barbells used in CrossFit classes were by far the grossest thing they tested, and were actually inhabited by 48 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Hot yoga wasn’t far behind — the yoga mats contained eight times the CFU of an average loo. Spin class came in third, as the resistance knobs on the spin bikes had a negligible germ count, and the wooden bar in Barre class had similarly minimal microbes, which the researchers found particularly impressive given that the bars often come in contact with bare feet.

Perhaps even more interesting is the type of bacteria found on each piece of equipment. On the CrossFit barbells, 31 percent of the bacteria were gram-positive cocci, which is often associated with skin infections and diseases like pneumonia. Despite having less bacterial overall, hot yoga mats and cycling resistance knobs had an even greater proportion of these pernicious pathogens, with 52 and 67 percent of bacteria registering as gram-positive cocci, respectively. While the researchers didn’t find any of these harmful bacteria at Barre class, they did find a ton of gram-negative rods, which affect humans negatively and are often responsible for respiratory infections that are increasingly resistant to antibiotic treatment.

So what can we do to reduce our risk of exposure to these nasty germs? The first step is simple: Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds immediately after leaving the class. Second, the researchers recommend arriving earlier to class and wiping down all of your equipment before you use it. “Repeat the process once you’re done, of course, out of respect for your fellow exercisers,” they suggest. “After all, that sense of community spirit is part of group fitness classes’ appeal: exercisers supporting each other as they pursue better health together.”

Do you wipe down your equipment before and after using it? Tweet us by mentioning @BritandCo.

(Photo via Getty; image via Elliptical Reviews)

This Is the Best Time to Stretch During Your Workout

Between work commitments, grocery runs, and coffee dates, it feels like we barely have time to even make it to the gym. So when we do actually get our gear and go amid all these responsibilities (hello, 2024 New Year’s resolution), who can blame us for simply wanting to skip straight to cardio, burn as many calories as we can in 30 minutes, and then bounce? Unfortunately, this is a super ill-advised way to exercise, because it means you’re skimping on an essential part of the workout routine: stretching. Although adding a warmupmight mean tacking an extra 20 minutes onto your workout (you can do it!), the numerous benefits should make integrating stretching into your gym time a no-brainer. Nichole Tipps — lead trainer for V Shred, a virtual fitness training program — offers us some insight about the importance of stretching.


Everything You Need To Know About Stretching During A Workout

1. Why to Stretch: It’s not just for gym rats. According to Tipps, all of us, no matter how athletically inclined, should be incorporating stretching into our schedules.

“Many people ignore stretching when working out or just as a daily routine,” she says. “Stretching has an array of health benefits that serve as building blocks for longevity and physical well-being.”

Stretching increases flexibility, which improves range of motion in addition to improving workouts, and it delays the effects of atrophy later in life. It also aids posture and relieves stress. In terms of exercising, stretching has advantages both pre- and post-workout.

“Stretching increases blood flow to the muscles and improves your circulation,” explains Tipps. Because of this, failing to stretch beforehand can result in injury, and neglecting to do it afterward can lead to enhanced soreness and a longer recovery period. You’re also making yourself more susceptible to pain, inflammation, and tension in general, Tipps warns.

2. When to Stretch: Most people are at least vaguely aware of the benefits of stretching, but a lot of confusion surrounds when to actually do it during a workout. Contrary to popular belief, the heavy-duty stretching should be reserved for when you’ve finished exercising.

“After your workout is a better time to stretch with more dedication,” Tipps confirms. “Your muscles are tense, and they are tired and stressed in a good way. So stretching can help relieve that tension and reduce the soreness that results from working a muscle.”

Allot 10-15 minutes for these post-sweat stretches. Before your workout, simply stretch lightly, keeping the time to less than 10 minutes.

“Ease your muscles into the idea that you will be challenging them to perform,” Tipps instructs.

3. What to Stretch: Both of these stretch seshes should always address your arms, legs, and back, regardless of what areas that workout focuses on.

“There are different parts to each of these areas, so concentrate on those that your workout calls for that day, but don’t neglect everything else altogether either,” advises Tipps. “Remember, a lot of workout routines include compound exercises, which are multi-joint movements that work several muscles at one time.”

Although stretching might initially seem like yet another chore to add to your to-do list, its benefits are invaluable enough to no longer ignore. As Tipps encourages, “Stretch regularly, and over time you will reap the benefits and maintain your mobility.”

How do you stretch when working out?

There are quite a few stretches you can do when working out depending on what your body needs. No matter what you end up going with, remember not to force it — stretching should, well, stretch your muscles, but it shouldn't be painful! Check out these Pro Tips To Reach Your 2024 Fitness Goals, The Best At-Home Workouts, and 9 Easy Stretches You Can Do To Exercise At Your Desk for more ideas!

Is it better to stretch during or after a workout?

Nichole Tipps recommends saving your more intense stretches for after a workout. But don't be afraid to do a few easy stretches beforehand!

What’s your favorite stretch during a workout? Let us know on social media!

This article has been updated.

All images via Brit + Co

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Glen Powell & Sydney Sweeney Already Have Ideas For "Anyone But You 2"

Rom-coms are SO back, and after the flop-turned-viral Anyone But You gave us Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney onscreen, audiences are begging to see them together again. Glen's latest Vanity Fair profile (ahead of this year's summer moviesHit Man andTwisters) confirms "ideas are being batted around" for an Anyone But You 2, which I need in theaters, like, yesterday. Here's everything you need to know about the potential sequel — and which Shakespeare adaptation the duo should tackle next.

Will there be a second movie for Anyone But You?

Image via Sony Pictures

Both Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney have teased a potential Anyone But You 2. "I'm just so thankful that everybody is loving [Anyone But You]...a little love, a little romance," Sydney told Jimmy Fallonthere's "a high nine chance" for a sequel, while Glen confirms to Variety that the duo is "definitely trying to find the next thing...We’re reading everything and just trying to see what makes sense, what we can turn into something that audiences are going to respond to.”

Which Shakespeare story will Anyone But You 2 adapt?

Image via Sony Entertainment

There's nothing like a Shakespeare adaptation, and Anyone But You is actually loosely inspired by William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (similar to how 10 Things I Hate About You is inspired by The Taming of the Shrew!). I think they should totally continue this theme for all future sequels. Glen and Sydney would do phenomenal with the hilarity of A Midsummer Night's Dream — maybe instead of an enchanted forest, they take on a busy and colorful local fair, with Claudia and Halle of course. Think about all the possibilities! Nothing says confusion and chaos like fun houses, carnival food, and dead cell phone batteries.

How old is Bea in Anyone But You?

Image via Eddy Chen/Sony Pictures

Bea is a law student at the beginning of Anyone But You, meaning she's in her mid-20s. Considering Sydney Sweeney is 26, this is the perfect fit!

What do you want to see from Anyone But You 2? Check out our TikTok for more pop culture news, and read up on Our Dream Sydney Sweeney & Billie Eilish Sister Movie!

Lead image via Sony Pictures

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The Ideal Number of Rest Days Per Week, According to Experts

If you’re one of those people who needs all the help you can get to enjoy your workouts, it can be hard to motivate yourself to work out twice a week, much less four or five times. By contrast, for some people, exercise addiction is a very real thing. But actually, there’s a pretty definitive number of days that you should be working out versus resting, at least once you’ve reached a higher level of fitness. Most new activity and fitness trackers even provide expert guidance on resting, like COROS watches and the new Apple Watch. Cue the ever-important rest day. It turns out, exercise experts agree on the number of rest days people who are in good shape and exercising regularly should take. On average, you should be taking two days per week for rest and active recovery.

Strength Training: 2-3 Days

Photo by Karolina Grabowska /Pexels

The magic formula, according to Noam Tamir, CSCS, founder of TS Fitness, is three days of strength training, two days of cardio, and two days of active rest per week.

Strength training days are absolutely crucial for maintaining a healthy weight. In addition to forming and shaping a strong, sexy bod, adding muscle mass increases your resting metabolism — meaning you'll burn more calories when you’re at home on your couch, enjoying a good Netflix binge. If you’re not looking to add any noticeable muscle, you can theoretically strength train twice a week and make use of that third day for cardio, but we wouldn’t recommend skipping it altogether.

You can strength train in a variety of ways, too. Lifting is an obvious option, but for those who are really looking for a leaner physique or who just hate lifting, pilates and intense vinyasa yoga are also fabulous. Functional training, like rock climbing or rowing, also qualifies.

Make sure to take a break between your strength training days. Most experts say that you need at least 48 hours for your muscles to recover. In the meantime, there’s cardio!

Cardio: 2-3 Days

Photo by Mikhail Nilov / PEXELS

Cardio is undoubtedly important, not only for keeping your heart healthy, but also for burning fat. Without getting too technical, you should aim to hit 85-100 percent of your target heart rate for roughly 15 minutes. You can calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. So, if you’re 27, your max heart rate would be 193, and 85 percent of that would be 164.

You can get there with high-intensity interval training, long-distance running, Zumba, cardio kickboxing — whatever floats your boat.

Active Rest: 2 Days

Photo by Maksim Goncharenok / PEXELS

Finally, one of the most important parts of your workout plan: active rest. Two days of your week should be fully focused on letting your muscles rebuild through gentle stretching, walking, restorative yoga, or foam rolling. By completing these kinds of workouts twice a week, you’ll be staying active and building flexibility all while chilling out!

The Dangers of Over-Exercising

Photo by Anna Shvets / PEXELS

It’s important to take time off from your workouts if health is your overall goal. For one thing, over-exercising can lead to adrenal fatigue and other disorders, as exercise is literally added stress for your body. Your adrenal glands respond to exercise by releasing stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, and over time, not giving your adrenals a break can lead to tiredness, lethargy, and even thyroid problems.

And besides, it’s important to take a mental break from exercise. When you start to obsess about fitness, is when a healthy habit turns into something more sinister. Do yourself a favor and take at least two days a week for rest or active recovery. Your body will thank you!

What’s your current weekly workout schedule? Tweet us @BritandCo and let us know!

Header image by Polina Tankilevitch / PEXELS

Brit + Co. may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

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The 'Bridgerton' Cast Is “Obsessed” With Claudia Jessie

When I sit down with Bridgerton's Claudia Jessie, Jessica Madsen, and Hannah Dodd over Zoom, it's immediately clear that they LOVE each other. The three women talk so quickly and overlap so much that it's easy to believe they play friends and sisters onscreen. And when I ask for their go-to confidence boosters, Claudia can barely explain why she's "just accepted that it's probably not gonna happen" before Jessica and Hannah jump in.

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‘Bridgerton’ Stars Claudia Jessie, Jessica Madsen, and Hannah Dodd On Keeping Secrets & Season 4

"Ultimately I could love myself, or I could just be like, 'Here I am,'" Claudia Jessie says. "Most of the time, none of us know what we're really doing anyway. So I think I'm just letting go of any attachment of trying to feel confident."

"You should be confident because everybody loves you," Hannah Dodd counters. "Everybody's obsessed with you! I think, if you surround yourself with the right people as well, like my friends give me confidence, the right people, like your team and you guys."

"'How are you so confident to be so different?' I say at one point to Eloise," Jessica Madsen says. "And when I read that in the script, it was just like [how] I feel about you, and I really mean it...I remember saying it and really feeling like that was 100 percent true from me to you, [Claudia]."

The love is totally reciprocated, and when I ask what the three women would write in their own Lady Whistledown column, Claudia hypes up Jessica's love of music.

"I love music. I love making playlists," Jessica says. "I went through a little stage where Spotify was my everything. I wanted to be a DJ."

"You'd look great as a DJ," Claudia adds. "I don't know your DJ'ing skills yet, but you'd look amazing behind the deck like that."

Hannah adds that they talk a lot about their dogs, and books. "I do love books," Claudia, who just finished Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes, agrees. "I'm a big reader. Basically I like things that don't mean I have to leave the house. I could talk about the inside of my flat thoroughly. I could write about that, my four walls."

Image via Netflix

Bridgerton season 3 opens after Eloise's discovery that Lady Whistledown is actually her best friend Penelope Featherington. The middle Bridgerton child has had to keep it a secret all this time, and Claudia Jessie admits she's a good secret keeper, just for a different reason: "I'm good because I forget them immediately," she says.

"I'm like the grave," Jessica Madsen promises.

"I wouldn't say I'm a grave," Hannah Dodd adds. "I just have a group of people that I'm like, 'They don't count.' I will not tell anybody. But like, except for these...one or two very trustworthy people."

In the show, multiple characters' trust in one another is threatened — learning about Penelope's secret identity challenges Eloise's trust in Penelope, and Colin's remarks that he'd never court Pen threaten her trust in him. While we see these relationships evolve in unexpected ways, we also see new sides to characters we thought we knew. Namely, Cresside Cowper.

"Other than, obviously the really sad passing of the Bridgerton dad, Eloise comes from an incredibly sheltered, privileged, happy, nourishing environment where they can all be themselves," Claudia says. "So I think it is really important to see just how different it is [from the Cowper household], cause it also informs us a bit more about how difficult the situation is for Cressida and why she might be colder or a bit closed off."

"[She's] very lonely as well," Jessica adds. "She's got nobody. Not her mum, and definitely not her dad. It's opposite ends of the spectrum."

Image via Netflix

And while season 3 of Bridgerton is just about to debut, Jessica Madsen, Hannah Dodd, and Claudia Jessie already have dreams for Bridgerton season 4.

"I'd love for Eloise to get political, do you know what I mean?" Claudia says. "I'd love that because there's so much room for Eloise to go there."

"She could be the first Prime Minister!" Jessica chimes in.

"I don't know for Francesca," Hannah says. "I'm so excited to see what the writers come up with. I just hope she steps into herself a little bit more and kind of goes after things that make her happy, and knows that she's deserving of that. But I'm new here. So, like anything they give me, I'm gonna be happy with."

Brit + Co Rapid Fire With The Bridgerton Cast

Image via Netflix

Brit + Co: We've talked so much about books, what are you all reading?

Claudia Jessie: I just finished a book called Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. And it literally says on the cover "Low stakes, high cozy vibes"...It was beautiful. Really comforting. It was like a big hug.

Hannah Dodd: I'm reading Yellowface at the moment, and I just finished Lessons in Chemistry. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo [was] good. And that really took me a while to find another book that filled that hole.

Jessica Madsen: I have Dopamine Nation...I love audio books. So I actually have Viola Davis reading to me every night her autobiography, which is amazing.

B+C: What music is on repeat for you at the moment?

CJ: I'm listening to a band called Say She She. They're like three sexy, beautiful girls doing like funk, disco pop. Beautiful, cool stuff. And they're really, really cool.

HD: I'm less cool and very generic. Beyonce's new album and Ariana Grande's new album, and I'm obsessed with Noah Kahan at the moment as well.

JM: I'm a mixed bag. I've got a lot of different stuff that I love. Yeah, I've, I've been listening to a lot of Fat Freddy's Drop cause they've got a great summer vibe. Two Feet I really enjoy...I like jazz. Disco.

Image via Netflix

B+C: Bridgerton is our next watch, what's the last thing you binge watched?

CJ:Barry, which I think is the best comedy that's ever been written, ever. I know I'm gonna re-watch it as well cause it's just unbelievable. The amount of respect they show that comedy is so beautiful.

HD: I haven't binged anything in a while, but I'm really excited to watch Ripley. And I think the last thing I binged was One Day as well, which left me heartbroken.

JM: I just binge watched — I say binge gently — Yellowstone, so I want to be a cowgirl now, really badly. I want to live in denim for the rest of my life, in cowboy boots, badly. And then I just I always put Schitt's Creek on. I've watched it 10 times now, which is embarrassing. I love it. We need laughter. We need fun.

B+C: What's on your summer 2024 bucket list?

JM: I would love to get on a beach. I wanna be on a beach for a bit and just feel the sand and the sea.

HD: I'd just like to get through this part of my life, which is quite exciting and new for me and I don't know. I wouldn't say no to a beach either.

CJ: Just a load of iced coffees. That's great when that season comes around, you can have iced coffee. That's like my favorite cause I kid myself into thinking it's not the same amount of caffeine as a hot coffee, so I'm like 'I can have three!' and then I'm rattling.

What are you most excited to see in Bridgerton season 3? Check out Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan & Luke Newton Got The Best Advice From Their Co-Stars for more!

Lead image via Netflix

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Get 20 Beach Reads For Up To 80% Off During Amazon's Book Sale

Calling all BookTok, bookstagrammers, and leisurely readers: the Amazon Book Sale has landed! I can barely contain myself because there’s so many great titles — including more than a few picks from Reese Witherspoon’s book club — that Amazon is discounting for it’s special reading crowd.

I know I’ve been stuck on romantasy books for a while (sorry, not sorry!), but there’s so many other great picks you’ll be able to snag on sale. And if you’re a Kindle type of woman, you’re not being left out.

Amazon isn’t leaving any stone unturned with this sale so let’s jump right into what to expect and which books are on sale right now!

When is the Amazon Book Sale?

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The Amazon Book Sale runs from today until May 20, so you’ll have six full days to plan your (very discounted) TBR list.

What should I expect from the Amazon Book Sale?

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The Amazon Book Sale will feature titles from different genres that you can save up to 50% on. Not only that, but Kindle users can save up to 80% on books! In case you’re wondering, you're not dreaming — this is really, really good.

The best news about the sale is that you can start shopping deals NOW. So, what are you waiting for! Take a peek at our picks!

Are Kindle books included in the Amazon Book Sale?

Image via Amazon

Yes! You'll be able to find a plethora of discounted kindle books during the Amazon Book Sale. The best news is that you can access three months of Kindle Unlimitedfor $0!

Shop Book Editors' Picks During the Amazon Sale

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

Alix Summer and Josie Fair quickly become friends after a chance meeting on their birthdays. They seem to have things in common which leads Alix to feature Josie on her podcast. But the closer they get, the more Alix feels conflicted about her new friend.

Before she can piece together her concerns, Josie has found her way into every part of Alix's life and it's only after she disappears that Alix realizes how much danger she's in.

Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum

Jen Weinstein and her friend Lauren Parker are ever popular in Salcombe, Fire Island during the summer season. They seem to have a hold on anyone that comes in contact with them, including their husbands. However, there's no denying that grudges have been steadily building over the years due to things unspoken. And Rachel Woolf? Well, she's just there to have a great time even if it's at someone else's expense.

However, who knows more than they're willing to share and who would be so angry that they'd commit a murder?

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Weyward is a moving novel that alternates between various timelines and involves a family's mystical powers.

In the present time of 2019, Kate takes refuge at her great-aunt's cottage that's worlds away from the person she's afraid of. She's not entirely sure, but she can't shake the feeling that there was more to her great-aunt than was outwardly presented.

The timeline of 1619 is then introduced and readers get to know Altha, a woman who's accused of having something to do with a farmer's death. The thing is Altha truly does know magic associated with the world around her, but people are on edge and will do anything to have a witch trial.

Then in 1942, we meet young Violet who feels trapped in more ways than one. She wants nothing more than to live a life that's not confined by hiding behind society's expectations of women. Her only connection to her mother and her past is finding the word 'weyward' in her bedroom, thus setting off a chain of events that lead back to 2019.

Stock Up On #BookTok Favorites

It Ends With Us & It Starts With Us Box Set by Colleen Hoover

For the first time ever, get your hands on the limited edition box set of Colleen Hoover's finest, It Ends With Us and It Starts With Us!

It Ends With Us begins with Lily believing that Ryle couldn't be more perfect for her despite his tendency to be rough around the edges. There's also the fact that he's not 100% open to dating. But, they somehow form a sort of love dance that becomes a romantic relationship. However, this is challenged when her first love Atlas comes back into her life.

It Starts With Us finds Lily and Ryle divorced, but they still communicate on friendly terms. But when Atlas comes into the picture again, Lily doesn't hesitate to let him into her world. It shouldn't feel complicated, but she knows that Atlas is the last man Ryle wants around. The ending is just as shocking, poignant, and beautiful as It Ends With Us.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Still excited that the movie adaptation of Red, White & Royal Blue is getting a sequel that'll premiere on Amazon Prime? Me too, but we'll have to wait for more news to drop about it! Until then, we can revisit our favorite couple by Casey McQuiston's book that's on sale for $15!

House of Ash and Shadow by Leia Stone

Fallon Bane spends a great deal of her life being untouched because of a lethal curse she was born with. Despite her acceptance, she still yearns for intimacy. To make matters worse, her father's own health becomes comprised which leads her to seek out help from a healer fae — Ariyon Madden.

He not only begins helping her, but he always touches her in a way she's never experienced before. Fallon is shocked that she's still ver much alive and things finally seem to look bright for her. That is until Ariyon tells other powerful fae about her.

From there, Fallon learns the truth about who her family is and why her curse exists..

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Young Feyre commits an offense agains the immortal and very powerful fae that sends her to their magical world. Though she's away from a life of poverty and tension, she misses her family.

Still, she resides in the home of the 'beast' who allows her to live in his home — Tamlin. What she quickly realizes is that he's actually one of the powerful faes and that she's not the kind of prisoner she thinks she is. Even more, she begins questioning everything she'd learned about the Fae world because it's not quite like what mortals say it is.

As the hostility between Feyre and Tamlin dies down, an ancient evil continues spreading through his world and it'll be up to Feyre to help stop it.

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The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Anna Fox has agoraphobia so she spends time by herself at home by herself and fills her days with drinking, watching comfort movies, and being a nosy neighbor. That's how she knows a new family — The Russells — have moved across from her.

She continues her usually nosy activities and finds herself witnessing something that seems horribly wrong. As she frantically tries to piece together the mystery of what happened, it becomes clear that the lines of her imagination and reality have become blurred.

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Kate Mularkey was never the popular girl until she met her best friend Tully. Their lives are polar opposite, but there's no denying how tight their bond is. Over time we learn that Tully has abandonment issues and looks for anyone — especially men — to love her. Her journey takes her to the big apple where she achieves all the glitz and glamour that life has to offer.

Kate goes on to become a wife and mother, two things she believes she wants, but it becomes clear that she's missing something. That something is what begins to burn a hole in her being and the more she watches her best friend Tully live a successful life, the more she wants that for herself too.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Elena Richardson and Mia Warren go to warn in this moving novel about classism. It dares to ask readers who deserves to be seen as a shining example of a mother as both women eventually face how far they're willing to go to protect those they love.

For Elena, Shaker Heights is all she's ever known. She's married, has four children, and is well-loved in her community. She believes that she's been able to achieve everything she has because she knows how to be the woman who doesn't color outside of the lines.

On the other hand, Mia is an artist who knows all about creating masterpieces with elements that are otherwise seen as messy. She and her daughter Pearl become a little too close to the Richardsons, finding their lives dangerously intertwined with them.

When a custody battle ensues that involves the young daughter of Mia co-worker, she finds herself willing to dismantle the pretty facade of not only Shaker Heights, but Elena as well.

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed (Only 2 Left in Stock)

Cheryl Strayed has spent over 10 years dishing out advice as 'Dear Sugar' has touched people with her columns, podcast Dear Sugars, and Substack. Deciding to compile all of the best things she's ever told people, Cheryl Strayed pieced together Tiny Beautiful Things so that readers around the world won't have to look far for her empathetic wisdom.

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

Georgia Mulcahy is the ultimate people-pleaser and her career is the epitome of it. She'd probably always be that way had it not been for a unexpected career change that sends her packing back home. Begrudgingly, she goes and soon discovers a diary where she once wrote down all of her heart's desires.

This inspires her to start checking things off her life's to-do list so that she can really start living. It's just that Levi Fanning is somehow her unexpected roommate while she's at her parents' home and his offer to help her complete her list feels like something she didn't know she'd encounter.

The more they spend time together, the more Georgie feels like there's more to life than checking off things on a list.

The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict

The Mitford sisters have always been the talk of the town, but nothing is as shocking as when one of the sisters decides she'd rather devote herself to a fascist leader. Another sister decides it's worth following her and this leads people to whisper salacious things about her alleged relationship with Hitler.

As the war between Great Britain and Germany threaten to spill over, their sister Nancy can't help but wonder what her sisters have gotten themselves into. She'll have to decide where her own allegiance lies.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

Daphne Bell has always known how long she'll be with a man before moving on to the next one. It's not that she's flighty, but more so that the universe literally tells her what to expect. These little nudges have been in her life for over two decades and it's something she's learned to accept.

However, the universe decides to be cryptic by only clueing her in on the name of the next man she'll spend time with. It's odd because if Jake knew the things she did, there's a chance he could walk away from her forever and that's the last thing Daphne wants.

On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass

Brighton Hills appears to be a picturesque place to live. It's a community that beautifully blends luxurious living with the gorgeous nature that surrounds it and the neighbors always have their eyes on each other.

However, Cora's desire to find out if her husband is having an affair leads her to form a partnership with Paige. She's the one neighbor that Cora knows keeps a watchful eye on what's going on in Brighton Hills after her son died.

The two women work together to discover what Cora's husband is really up to, but what they may stumble across will send a shockwave through Brighton Hills.

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Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalo

The Prince of Envy is struggling to save his demon court in Throne of the Fallen, but he's determined to find a way to do so. He's not afraid of the magic and mysterious people that keep crossing his path because nothing can stop his fierce desire to regain the control he once has.

Things are seemingly no different from Miss Camilla Antonius because she's facing blackmail by someone who literally makes her skin crawl. In order to change her fate, she reluctantly joins forces with The Prince of Envy and thus begins their dangerous journey through the Underworld.

It's the one place that may pull them together in more ways than one.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

Hart spends most of his time patrolling Tanria, but the loneliness does nothing to keep him company. Things couldn't be any different for Mercy though. She's tasked with making sure things are running properly at Birdsall & Son Undertakers and doesn't have time for anyone's foolery.

Ironically, Hart and Mercy both have taken up writing mysterious letters to strangers who have become their friends. The thing is they're not aware they've been communicating with each other.

It's a classic enemies-to-loves fantasy novel that'll make you smile with glee.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

Molly Gray is the Head Maid at the prestigious Regency Grand Hotel and runs a tight ship that makes sure the hotel maintains a flair that guests have become accustomed to. All is going well until successful author J.D. Grimthorpe suddenly collapses and is pronounced dead.

This lands Detective Stark — someone Molly doesn't exactly get along with — back on the scene as it's realized there's something terribly wrong going on. Anyone could be a suspect, including Molly. It'll be up to her to revisit things she's kept secret — like the trip she took to Grimthorpe's property long ago.

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Emily Henry knows exactly what it takes to write a moving novel that's filled with friendship, laughter, and romance. That's why it's not surprising that Happy Place is well loved by #BookTok and #Bookstagram.

It's all about how a once happy couple — Harriet and Wyn — find themselves embroiled in an interesting ruse so their friends don't suspect something's wrong with them. The fact is that they're no longer together and can barely stand being in the same room anymore.

It would be find if they weren't expected to happily show up to the cottage that's become the yearly hub for them and their friends. Still, they begrudgingly decide to make an appearance.

What's the worst that could happen?

For the first time, you'll be able to read Happy Place on Kindle for $5!

We can't wait to see what you snag during the Amazon Book Sale! Check out our storefront for more reading recs!

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Lead images via Amazon

This post has been updated.

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