Hi guys! Today I’m back with another installment of what I’ve read lately. I feel like I’ve been slacking a bit on the reading, but the fact that this post rounds out 14 books read this calendar year, it’s not so shabby! There were some great reads lately, so lets dive in!
Summary: This is the story of Jack and Grace, whom on the outside seem absolutely perfect. Perfect home, extravagant dinner parties, an adorable relationship. He’s a lawyer with a perfect record and she is the perfect housewife to Jack and doting to Millie, her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. What’s odd though is that Grace has no friends or life of her own. Wherever Jack is, Grace is. As the story unfolds, you learn gripping secrets, sad truths, and a totally twisted tale of what goes on behind closed doors and that everything is not always as it seems.
Would I Recommend It: While the story line itself is not revolutionary, the writing here is gripping. I couldn’t put this down. While I predicted the ending, it arrived in an explosive way that had you closing the book and both breathing a sigh of relief and also feeling extreme rage. If you like psychological thrillers, give this a go.
Summary: This is the story of Lily, Atlas, and Ryle. Loves over two seemingly different lifetimes and full of their own fair shares of highs and lows, failures and triumphs. Lily moves to Boston and leaves her old life behind, including Atlas, and develops into a blossoming young woman who meets and falls in love with Ryle, a seemingly perfect neurosurgeon. As their life together progresses, Atlas is surprisingly placed into Lily’s life again and things from there unfold as you would never imagine. This is a story of the right place at the wrong time and simultaneously the wrong place at the right time. Both stories will absolutely devastate you in their own ways and you will fall in love with Lily and her resilient and strong heart.
Would I Recommend It: This book rocked my world. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting and closed the book in absolute hysteric tears. I think every woman and mother should read this book. I can’t give my full thoughts without giving spoilers, but this is an incredible read. After reading Verity, I wanted to give this author another go, and while this story is WILDLY different than that, the writing is just as enthralling. I 100% recommend this.
Summary: This is the story of Lo, a woman invited on a press trip for a new ocean-liner that will prove to be a voyage that will change her whole life. As she embarks on the journey, she meets a cast of characters and unveils a hidden agenda that will alter the course of both the ship and the passenger’s interactions. What will happen to Lo and everyone else aboard the ship and who is the woman in Cabin 10?
Would I Recommend It: If you look this book up, the reviews are pretty terrible. This has been around for a while so I wanted to give a go regardless. I actually didn’t think it was that bad. While there are some totally unbelievable elements, the story itself was page-turning. There are other books I’d recommend before this, but if you like thrillers, this was a relatively quick and easy read with some fun twists.
Summary: This is the story of Kate and Tully, two young girls who find each other at a fork in the road in both their lives. What ensues is years of friendships, through ups and downs, family and success. This is the story of two women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It’s ultimately, about the one person who knows you, can hurt you, and heal you all at once. As Kate and Tully’s lives go on and intertwine and separate, you’ll fall in love with them and feel yourself relating to their vast experiences.
Would I Recommend It: I’m tearing up as I write this. A follower of my blog actually recommended I read this and I’m so glad she did! As someone who has a best friend from childhood, reading this made me immediately want to call her, see her, hug her. In fact, as soon as I finished, I texted her and said “if there’s one book you ever read on my recommendation, make it Firefly Lane”. Kristin Hannah writes about female relationships like no one else. My favorite book of all time is written by her and based on the sisterhood exemplified in that story, I should’ve known I was in for a treat. I read this in its entirety on the plane to Arizona, and I was ugly crying by the end. This book is such a delight and I highly recommend this to any and all girls who have powerful female friendships that define their lives.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Summary: Eleanor Oliphant lives a hum-drum life that consists of work, sleeping, and a vodka on the weekend. She lacks emotional intelligence and the ability to interpret social cues and thus has no friends or family in her life. That is, except for her Mummy, who she speaks to every Wednesday night. After a fateful accident, Eleanor and her colleague Raymond are swept up in the aftermath of the incident and their lives interwine. While this is all going on, Eleanor develops a crush on a musician that will also alter the course of her life. What lives in Eleanor’s past that causes her to behave as she does and what will happen to her future?
Would I Recommend It: 100%! This story was absolutely delightful and you fall in love with Eleanor so quickly and unexpectedly. As her relaitonship with Raymond progresses, you’re cheering her on from the sidelines. This book does such a great job of touching on mental health, also, and the story is just so good. This was a great break from all the psychological thrillers I had been reading and I loved getting tangled up in this heartwarming group of weirdos. I loved this book so much.
Summary: This is a novel that brings together many people across the same time in New York, surrounding the events of Phillipe Petit’s tightrope walk across the Twin Towers. While that itself is a small part of a story, the bigger piece is the lives of these individuals and how they intertwine, connect, and influence the course of each person’s direction.
Would I Recommend It: Definitely, especially if you love multi-layered novels with compelling writing that are set in significant historical time frames. I had to admit, the first quarter was a little slow for me but it definitely picked up. By the last quarter, I couldn’t put it down! This book is different than what I normally go for in that there is no big twist, no final revenge, and no real suspense. It’s simply a novel about people, their connection to other people, and the bigger lessons we can learn in life. The writing was truly incredible and I do think any book lover should give this a go.
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