Books I Read in November (& Whether or Not You Should Read Them).

Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes & Jo Piazza 

Plot: "An outrageously funny novel about one woman's attempt--through clay diets, naked yoga, green juice, and cultish workout classes--to win back her career, save her best friend, and lose thirty pounds.
When Janey Sweet, CEO of a couture wedding dress company, is photographed in the front row of a fashion show eating a bruffin--the delicious lovechild of a brioche and a muffin--her best friend and business partner, Beau, gives her an ultimatum: Lose thirty pounds or lose your job. Sure, Janey has gained some weight since her divorce, and no, her beautifully cut trousers don't fit like they used to, so Janey throws herself headlong into the world of the fitness revolution, signing up for a shockingly expensive workout pass, baring it all for Free the Nipple yoga, sweating through boot camp classes run by Sri Lankan militants and spinning to the screams of a Lycra-clad instructor with rage issues. 

At a juice shop she meets Jacob, a cute young guy who takes her dumpster-diving outside Whole Foods on their first date. At a shaman's tea ceremony she meets Hugh, a silver fox who holds her hand through an ayahuasca hallucination And at a secret exercise studio Janey meets Sara Strong, the wildly popular workout guru whose special dance routine has starlets and wealthy women flocking to her for results that seem too good to be true. As Janey eschews delicious carbs, pays thousands of dollars to charlatans, and is harassed by her very own fitness bracelet, she can't help but wonder: Did she really need to lose weight in the first place? 

A hilarious send-up of the health and wellness industry, Fitness Junkie is a glorious romp through the absurd landscape of our weight-obsessed culture." 

Favorite quote: “Have we all become so desperate to share everything that we’ve stopped enjoying our lives?”

My thoughts: I love when a book is lighthearted and fun but still manages to cover some serious topics. This one fit the bill perfectly. I laughed out loud several times but also nodded along thinking ugh yes, that's so true.  Should you read it? YES. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
Plot: "For Mike Muñoz, a young Chicano living in Washington State, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. Not too many years out of high school and still doing menial work - and just fired from his latest gig as a lawn boy on a landscaping crew - he knows that he's got to be the one to shake things up if he's ever going to change his life. But how?

In this funny, angry, touching, and ultimately deeply inspiring novel, best-selling author Jonathan Evison takes the reader into the heart and mind of a young man on a journey to discover himself, a search to find the secret to achieving the American dream of happiness and prosperity. That's the birthright for all Americans, isn't it? If so, then what is Mike Muñoz's problem? Though he tries time and again to get his foot on the first rung of that ladder to success, he can't seem to get a break. But then things start to change for Mike, and after a raucous, jarring, and challenging trip, he finds he can finally see the future and his place in it. And it's looking really good.

Lawn Boy is an important, entertaining, and completely winning novel about social class distinctions, about overcoming cultural discrimination, and about standing up for oneself."

Favorite quote: “Friends,” Andrew says, the candlelight hitting his braces just so. “It’s true, we all rage. We all hate. We all fail. But . . .” And here, he raises a finger, pausing for dramatic effect, something he learned at his Toastmasters group. “That rage and contempt, that disappointment, that’s what makes us yearn so hard. Those deficits, they make us reach, they stretch us. They make us fight back when it matters.” 

My thoughts: This is a tough one. Sometimes when books cover important topics, I feel weird saying I didn't love them. This is one of those. It covered important topics, pulled at my heart, but as a book, I didn't love it. It jumped around too much for my taste and was reallllly slow in a lot of places. 
Should you read it? Meh. Not sad I read it, but also didn't love it.  All We Can Do is Wait by Richard Lawson
Plot: "In the hours after a bridge collapse rocks their city, a group of Boston teenagers meet in the waiting room of Massachusetts General Hospital. 

Siblings Jason and Alexa have already experienced enough grief for a lifetime, so in this moment of confusion and despair, Alexa hopes that she can look to her brother for support. But a secret Jason has been keeping from his sister threatens to tear the siblings apart...right when they need each other most. 

Scott is waiting to hear about his girlfriend, Aimee, who was on a bus with her theater group when the bridge went down. Their relationship has been rocky, but Scott knows that if he can just see Aimee one more time, if she can just make it through this ordeal and he can tell her he loves her, everything will be all right. 

And then there's Skyler, whose sister Kate - the sister who is more like a mother, the sister who is basically Skyler's everything - was crossing the bridge when it collapsed. As the minutes tick by without a word from the hospital staff, Skyler is left to wonder how she can possibly move through life without the one person who makes her feel strong when she's at her weakest. 

In his riveting, achingly beautiful debut, Richard Lawson guides listeners through an emotional and life-changing night as these teens are forced to face the reality of their pasts...and the prospect of very different futures."

My thoughts: It was a solid, angsty YA book (which I just crave every now and then, ya know?). A beautiful story with entirely too many characters and too much backstory on all eighty three of those main characters. I think it'd be a great movie, but trying to keep up with everything through the book was too distracting.
Should you read it? I'd pass. 
What did you read in November?!

Books I Read in September (And Whether or Not You Should Read Them).

At the start of this month, I finally paid off my EIGHTY dollars in library fees due to Jack "reading" (ripping) some books of mine. With my card back in action, I went through the library and tossed book after book into my bag. No method, no books I was looking for...if it looked interesting, into the bag it went. Which means the books I read this month were sheer "you look nice!" picks. 
Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley
Plot: The once-close Sunday sisters have not done a bang-up job of keeping in touch. Cassie is consumed with trying to make her life work as a Manhattan wife and mom to twin toddlers, while her bighearted sister, Sid, lives an expat's life of leisure in far-off Singapore. So Sid, who shuns social media, challenges Cassie to reconnect through old-fashioned letters.
Soon, the letters become a kind of mutual confessional that have real and soul-satisfying effects. They just might have the power to help Cassie save her marriage, and give Sid the strength to get her life back on track.

But first, one of Cassie's infamous lapses in judgment comes back to bite her, and all of the letters wind up in the one place you'd never, ever want to see them: the Internet . . .

My thoughts: I thought this book was adorable. It was lighthearted and snarky, but still covered some serious things that I really loved seeing in a book (like a stay-at-home mom who wasn't in love with being a stay-at-home mom, unconventional family bonds, and forgiving those closest to you). After a month of self-help books, this was a light, refreshing read!
Should you read it? I'd recommend it as a beach read! 
Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough
Plot: "Lisa is living a lie and everyone is about to find out.

Lisa lives for her daughter Ava, her job and her best friend Marilyn.

But when a handsome client shows an interest in her, Lisa starts daydreaming about sharing her life with him, too. Maybe she’s ready now. Maybe she can trust again. Maybe it's time to let her terrifying secret past go.

But when her daughter rescues a boy from drowning and their pictures are all over the news for everyone to see, Lisa's world explodes.

As she finds everything she has built threatened, and not knowing who she can trust, it's up to Lisa to face her past in order to save what she holds dear.

But someone has been pulling all their strings. And that someone is determined that both Lisa and Ava must suffer.

Because long ago Lisa broke a promise. And some promises aren't meant to be broken."

My thoughts: WHAT. A. RIDE. There's really no talking about this without spoiling it, but I did not see the twist(s) coming. Better yet, I thought I had guessed the twists, and was completely wrong. I love when that happens. *TRIGGER WARNING: Lots of rough content covered. I would definitely look it up first to see if you should read it.
Should you read it? SO MANY TRIGGER WARNINGS, but if you're okay with that, then yes. 
One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Plot: "Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
    Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. 
    Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. 
    Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
    Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
    And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
 
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose? 
 
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them."
My thoughts: Amazon described this as "Pretty Little Liars meets Breakfast Club" and that's 100% accurate. I loved it and didn't want to put it down, and even though I guessed the ending, it was still a good read. I'm a sucker for young adult books and murder mysteries, what can I say?
Should you read it? Yes! 
What books have you read lately? Do I need to add them to my list?

Books I Read (& Podcasts I Listened to) in August & Whether or Not You Should Read (& Listen) to Them.

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Live Constantine 
Plot: "Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted. 

To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn't have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent."

My thoughts: It was a little slow during the first half, and I kind of guessed where it was going, but I enjoyed the second half so much I would still recommend it.
Should you read it? Yes, but trigger warning, it's got some abusive relationship elements. 
Imperfect Courage by Jessica Honegger
Plot: "In 2015, Inc. magazine recognized Noonday Collection as one of the fastest-growing companies in America. But years earlier, as Jessica Honegger stood at a pawn-shop counter in Austin, Texas, and handed over her grandmother's gold jewelry, her goal was much more personal: to fund the adoption of her Rwandan son, Jack, by selling artisan-made jewelry.   
This first step launched an unexpected side-hustle that would grow into Noonday Collection. Jessica embarked on this new journey and teamed up with her first artisan partner, Jalia, a Ugandan jewelry maker. She saw the meaningful impact Noonday brought to Jalia's community and knew it was the right move.
  Fear crept into Jessica's heart as she realized her success, or failure, meant the same for Jalia. But refusing to let fear hinder her goals, Jessica found the necessary (if imperfect) courage she needed along the way—the courage to leave comfort and embrace a life of risk and impact.
In Imperfect Courage, Jessica takes you by the hand and invites you to trade your comfort zone for a life of impact and meaning."
Favorite quote: "It's tempting to bubble wrap our lives. Layer upon layer of protection means we stay unbroken, right through to the end. We wrap ourselves in fear. We wrap ourselves in isolation. We wrap ourselves in nightly glasses of wine or in our beloved Instagram feed. We avoid real issues involving real people who live in the real world, because, what if I get hurt? And yet, what does this approach yield for us? A life of boredom. A lack of impact. Spiritual death."
My thoughts: This was the first book I read after Girl, Wash Your Face. As you know by now, I had a freaking religious experience with that book, so really, any book I read after it was destined to not live up to the hype. I did enjoy this book, but it wasn't what I was expecting. It was more of an auto-biography and less of a self-help book. 
It was crazy inspiring to hear the story of how Noonday started and get an inside look at the hustling that got her to where she is now, and I finished the book feeling super motivated. 
Should you read it? If you're a fan of Noonday Collections and want to learn more about that story, yes. 
PODCASTS: 
The Morning Toast
Synopsis: A morning show centered on pop-culture where they discuss the top five stories every day.
Listen if you: Like pop-culture, enjoy celebrity gossip, wanna know all the (non-important) important news.
RISE
Synopsis: "RISE is a podcast hosted by Mogul CEO Rachel Hollis. A bold conversation with fellow business powerhouses that provides the listener with real-life tangible takeaways. 
Listen if you: Love Rachel Hollis, want to be inspired by successful business people, want to hear "how I got here" stories, are currently hustling after your own dreams. 
RISE Together 
Synopsis: "Hosted by Rachel Hollis and Dave Hollis, The RISE Together podcast is more than just a conversation about their relationship. Each episode is filled with tangible advice that will get you and your partner to be the best versions of yourselves." Listen if you: Like hearing other people talk about tangible things that helped their relationship, are interested in how to better your own relationship, think Rachel & Dave are marriage goals (they are).
The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast Synopsis: "Hosted by entrepreneurs and brand builders Lauryn Evarts Bosstick and Michael Bosstick. On this show, you'll find a mix of audio entertainment including interviews with celebrities, entrepreneurs, experts, and thought leaders. You will also hear listener and audience questions answered on a weekly basis to answer questions on health, wellness, business, branding, marketing, and relationships."
Listen if you: Like The Skinny Confidential blog, are a fan of whoever they're interviewing that day, like logical tips on business, are interested in hearing how other people handle work/life balance.
What did you read / listened to this month?

Books I Read in July (And Whether or Not You Should Read Them)

The High Season by Judy Blundell
Plot: "The Hamptons hath no fury like a woman scorned. 

No matter what the world throws her way, at least Ruthie Beamish has the house. Lovingly renovated, located by the sea in a quiet Long Island village, the house is her nest egg - the retirement account shared with her ex-husband, Mike, and the college fund for their teenage daughter, Jem. The catch? To afford the house, Ruthie must let it go during the best part of the year.

It's Memorial Day weekend, and Ruthie has packed up their belongings for what Jem calls "the summer bummer": the family's annual exodus to make way for renters. This year, the Hamptons set has arrived. The widow of a blue-chip artist, Adeline Clay is elegant, connected, and accompanied by a "gorgeous satellite" stepson. But soon Adeline demonstrates an uncanny ability to help herself to Ruthie's life - her house, her friends, even her husband (okay, ex-husband, but still). And after her job as the director of a local museum is threatened, Ruthie finally decides to fight back.

Meanwhile, away from the watchful eyes of her parents, Jem is tasting independence at her first summer job but soon finds herself growing up too fast. One of Ruthie's employees, a master of self-invention named Doe, infiltrates the inner circle of an eccentric billionaire and his wayward daughter. With a coterie of social climbers and Ruthie's old flame thrown into the mix, the entire town finds itself on the verge of tumultuous change. By the end of one unhinged, unforgettable summer, nothing will be the same.

In a novel packed with indelible characters, crackling wit, and upstairs/downstairs drama, Judy Blundell emerges as a voice for all seasons - a wry and original storyteller who knows how the most disruptive events in our lives can twist endings into new beginnings."

Favorite quote: “Maybe all relationships, friendship, partner, parent and child, were held together by the things you did not say as much as the things you did. The unsaid was the keystone in the arch. Once you kicked it free, you had nothing that held you up.”
My thoughts: I liked the writing. I liked the characters. I liked the plotlines. But there was WAAAAAY too much happening. Way too many characters and side plots. Because there was so much happening it felt like we only get a small taste of every little thing, and then oh, the book is over. So no real closure on anything, you know?
Should you read it? Meh.

You Are a Bad** at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero
Plot: "You Are a Bada** at Making Money will launch you past the fears and stumbling blocks that have kept financial success beyond your reach. Drawing on her own transformation—over just a few years—from a woman living in a converted garage with tumbleweeds blowing through her bank account to a woman who travels the world in style, Jen Sincero channels the inimitable sass and practicality that made You Are a Bada** an indomitable bestseller. She combines hilarious personal essays with bite-size, aha concepts that unlock earning potential and get real results."
Favorite quote: “You can have excuses or you can have success; you can't have both.”
My thoughts: I loved her first book, so of course I was excited to read this one. No surprise, I loved it. She really dives into changing your mindset, and I liked that. Like, why are we embarrassed to talk about money? We shouldn't be! Why are we embarrassed to want more money, like it's a bad thing? We shouldn't be! It's a quick read and the audible version is only 7 hours long. It's a great book to listen to on your commute.
Should you read it? Yes! 

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing The Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis
Plot:"Do you ever suspect that everyone else has life figured out and you don't have a clue? If so, Rachel Hollis has something to tell you: That's a lie.

As the founder of the lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and CEO of her own media company, Rachel Hollis developed an immense online community by sharing tips for better living while fearlessly revealing the messiness of her own life. Now, in this challenging and inspiring new book, Rachel exposes the 20 lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively, lies we've told ourselves so often we don't even hear them anymore.

With painful honesty and fearless humor, Rachel unpacks and examines the falsehoods that once left her feeling overwhelmed and unworthy, and reveals the specific practical strategies that helped her move past them. In the process, she encourages, entertains, and even kicks a little butt, all to convince you to do whatever it takes to get real and become the joyous, confident woman you were meant to be.

With unflinching faith and rock-hard tenacity, Girl, Wash Your Face shows you how to live with passion and hustle - and how to give yourself grace without giving up."

Favorite quote: “Your dream is worth fighting for, and while you’re not in control of what life throws at you, you are in control of the fight.” 
My thoughts: If you follow me on here or on instagram, you've seen me raving about this book. My feelings about it are too much to fit in a post shared with other books, so I've got a full post dedicated to why you should read it coming up soon. In the meantime, I'll say this: I can, without a hint of exaggeration, say this book changed my life. It was exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. I want everyone in my life to read it. 
Should you read it? YES. NOW. IMMEDIATELY. 
What did you read this month?

Books I Read in June (And Whether or Not You Should Read Them).

Guys. I did not have ANY duds this month. Isn't that the best?!
Forever is the Worst Long Time by Camille Pagán
Plot: When struggling novelist James Hernandez meets poet Louisa “Lou” Bell, he’s sure he’s just found the love of his life. There’s just one problem: she’s engaged to his oldest friend, Rob. So James toasts their union and swallows his desire.

As the years pass, James’s dreams always seem just out of reach—he can’t finish that novel, can’t mend his relationship with his father, can’t fully commit to a romantic relationship. He just can’t move on. But after betrayal fractures Lou’s once-solid marriage, she turns to James for comfort.

When Lou and James act on their long-standing mutual attraction, the consequences are more heartbreaking—and miraculous—than either of them could have ever anticipated. Then life throws James one more curveball, and he, Rob, and Lou are forced to come to terms with the unexpected ways in which love and loss are intertwined.

Favorite quote: "It was one of those moments when you feel unbelievably lucky to have been placed on the planet at the same time as the people in your life." <-- This made me cry in the best way.
My thoughts: Sam recommended this book to me and I will forever be indebted to her because of it (Dramatic? Possibly). It was the cutest, most heartfelt book I've read in a long time. I was so sad when it was over. 
Should you read it? Yes!!
Camino Island by John Grisham 
Plot: A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, impossible to resist.         
Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida. He makes his real money, though, as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in unsavory ventures.
     
Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous monetary offer convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Cable’s circle of literary friends, to get close to the ringleader, to discover his secrets.

But soon Mercer learns far too much, and there’s trouble in paradise—as only John Grisham can deliver it.
My thoughts: Story Time: My mom LOVES John Grisham. She's always telling me I would also love him. However, I read a book of short stories by him a few years ago and hated them, so I've been reluctant to try him again. I finally gave in on vacation and she told me to start with this one. DEAR GOODNESS I LOVED IT. I especially loved the heavy literary themes and author friends and book talk. A mystery book about books? Sign me up. It was so good!
Should you read it? Yes!
The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
Plot: Mark, Todd, and Zola came to law school to change the world, to make it a better place. But now, as third-year students, these close friends realize they have been duped. They all borrowed heavily to attend a third-tier for-profit law school so mediocre that its graduates rarely pass the bar exam, let alone get good jobs. And when they learn that their school is one of a chain owned by a shady New York hedge-fund operator who also happens to own a bank specializing in student loans, the three know they have been caught up in The Great Law School Scam.  
But maybe there’s a way out. Maybe there’s a way to escape their crushing debt, expose the bank and the scam, and make a few bucks in the process. But to do so, they would first have to quit school. And leaving law school a few short months before graduation would be completely crazy, right? Well, yes and no . . .
 
Pull up a stool, grab a cold one, and get ready to spend some time at The Rooster Bar.
 
Favorite quote: “These are mistakes, not regrets. Regrets are over and done with and a waste of time to rehash. Mistakes, though, are bad moves in the past that might affect the future.” 
My thoughts: I loved Camino Island so much that I jumped right into another Grisham book. This book was incredible. The plot was so unique and managed to be shocking while still staying believable. It had one of the best endings I've read in a long time. I'm officially converted to a Grisham fan now. 
Should you read it? Yes! 
Three books, all winners! That's a good month. What did you read this month?

Books I Read in May and Whether or Not You Should Read Them.

The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham
Plot: "In the bestselling tradition of The Girl on the Train and In a Dark, Dark Wood, from the internationally bestselling author whom Stephen King called “an absolute master” of the psychological thriller, comes a riveting suspense novel about the unlikely friendship between two pregnant women that asks: how far would you go to create the perfect family?
Agatha is pregnant and works part-time stocking shelves at a grocery store in a ritzy London suburb, counting down the days until her baby is due. As the hours of her shifts creep by in increasing discomfort, the one thing she looks forward to at work is catching a glimpse of Meghan, the effortlessly chic customer whose elegant lifestyle dazzles her. Meghan has it all: two perfect children, a handsome husband, a happy marriage, a stylish group of friends, and she writes perfectly droll confessional posts on her popular parenting blog—posts that Agatha reads with devotion each night as she waits for her absent boyfriend, the father of her baby, to maybe return her calls.

When Agatha learns that Meghan is pregnant again, and that their due dates fall within the same month, she finally musters up the courage to speak to her, thrilled that they now have the ordeal of childbearing in common. Little does Meghan know that the mundane exchange she has with a grocery store employee during a hurried afternoon shopping trip is about to change the course of her not-so-perfect life forever…

With its brilliant rendering of the secrets some women hold close and a shocking act that cannot be undone, The Secrets She Keeps delivers a dark and twisted page-turner that is absolutely impossible to put down." -via Goodreads
   Favorite quote: “We need the darkness to appreciate the light, and the bumps along the road to stop us falling asleep at the wheel.” 
My thoughts: I loved this book. You find out the twist pretty early on, which was different than most thriller books I've read recently, and I liked it because it shaped the rest of the story. It wasn't a, "Okay I've got to solve what's going on" kind of book, it was a, "Oh my gosh, I know what's going on, how is this going to play out?!" kind of book.
Should you read it? Yes!
Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki
Plot: "High in the Hollywood Hills, writer Lady Daniels has decided to take a break from her husband. Left alone with her children, she’s going to need a hand taking care of her young son if she’s ever going to finish her memoir. In response to a Craigslist ad, S arrives, a magnetic young artist who will live in the secluded guest house out back, care for Lady’s toddler, Devin, and keep a watchful eye on her older, teenage son, Seth. S performs her day job beautifully, quickly drawing the entire family into her orbit, and becoming a confidante for Lady. 
But in the heat of the summer, S’s connection to Lady’s older son takes a disturbing, and possibly destructive, turn. And as Lady and S move closer to one another, the glossy veneer of Lady’s privileged life begins to crack, threatening to expose old secrets that she has been keeping from her family. Meanwhile, S is protecting secrets of her own, about her real motivation for taking the job. S and Lady are both playing a careful game, and every move they make endangers the things they hold most dear. 

Darkly comic, twisty and tense, this mesmerizing new novel defies expectation and proves Edan Lepucki to be one of the most talented and exciting voices of her generation." -via Goodreads
Favorite quote: “You think you know how a story begins, or how it's going to turn out, especially when it's your own. You don't.” 
My thoughts: This was an incredibly unique book...but I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. It told the story of several complex relationships, and instead of focusing on a real plot, focused on the characters. I was sad when it was over, not because I liked it, necessarily, but because I wanted more to happen with the characters I'd learned so much about. Overall, not my favorite. 
Should you read it? Probably not.    The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen 
Plot: "A novel of suspense that explores the complexities of marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous wife and her obsession with her replacement.
You will assume you are reading about a woman about to enter a new marriage with the man she loves.
You will assume the first wife was a disaster and that the husband was well rid of her.
You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships.
Assume nothing." -via Goodreads

Favorite quote: "I was happy, I think, but I wonder now if my memory is playing tricks on me. If it is giving me the gift of an illusion. We all layer them over our remembrances; the filters through which we want to see our lives."
My thoughts: Oh my gosh. I have so many things I want to say, but since I am a good friend who doesn't want to spoil this book for you, I will not say them. But read this boooook!  It's been awhile since a book made me stop and realize I had not a clue what was happening. I LOVE when that happens. 
Should you read it? YES! Like, now. 
What books have you read lately?

Books I Read in April & Whether or Not You Should Read Them.

A Separation by Katie Kitamura
Plot: "A young woman has agreed with her faithless husband: it's time for them to separate. For the moment it's a private matter, a secret between the two of them. As she begins her new life, she gets word that Christopher has gone missing in a remote region in the rugged south of Greece; she reluctantly agrees to go and search for him, still keeping their split to herself. In her heart, she's not even sure if she wants to find him. Adrift in the wild landscape, she traces the disintegration of their relationship, and discovers she understands less than she thought about the man she used to love.
A story of intimacy and infidelity, A Separation is about the gulf that divides us from the lives of others and the narratives we create for ourselves. As the narrator reflects upon her love for a man who may never have been what he appeared, Kitamura propels us into the experience of a woman on the brink of catastrophe. A Separation is a riveting stylistic masterpiece of absence and presence that will leave the reader astonished, and transfixed." -via Goodreads

Favorite quote: "In the end, what is a relationship but two people, and between two people there will always be room for surprises and misapprehensions, things that cannot be explained. Perhaps another way of putting it is that between two people, there will always be room for failures of imagination."
My thoughts: I do not understand why this book got such awards. I. Hated. It. I didn't love the writing style, but I can see how some people would (not much punctuation, no quotation marks so it's hard to know when something is a thought and when it's said out loud). My problem was that this was, essentially, a plotless book. Truly. Nothing happens. It's bizarre that's it's touted as some big mystery, because it's not.
Should you read it? No. Hard pass. 
Liar by K. L. Slater
Plot: How far would you go to protect your family? 

Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his children alone, with the help of his devoted mother Judi. Life isn’t easy, but Judi’s family means everything to her and together, they manage. 

Then Ben meets Amber. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben but Judi isn’t sure … there’s just something about Amber that doesn’t add up. 

Ben can’t see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn’t want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children. 

The further Judi delves into Amber’s personal life, the closer she gets to shocking secrets that could change everything. And Judi must make a decision that could lead to the most disastrous consequences. -via Goodreads

Favorite quote: “There’s a point at which you may might realize the journey isn’t really for you any more. But every time you get a chance to change paths, you just stay put because it’s easier. You end up trudging along the same old way and watching as life happens to other people as you pass by. Then one day you just stop looking around you.” 
My thoughts: My friend Kait recommended this one, and based on her review, I knew I was going to love it. It did NOT disappoint. It was twisty and layered and kept me guessing the whole time. The characters were so well written and I loved their point of views. Everything I want to say about the book, I can't say without spoiling it. So just read it. 
Should you read it? YES. 
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Plot: Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down. 

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the alluring mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When the Richardsons' friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town and puts Mia and Mrs. Richardson on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Mrs. Richardson becomes determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs to her own family – and Mia's. 

Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of long-held secrets and the ferocious pull of motherhood-and the danger of believing that planning and following the rules can avert disaster, or heartbreak. -via Goodreads

Favorite quote: “Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground, and start over. After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way.” 
My thoughts: When I was about 1/3 of the way through this book, a friend asked me if I was enjoying it. My answer was that while I loved it so far, I still had no idea what it was actually about. 
That's what made this book so good. It's about the characters, not about any one event. There is a plot and a big event, but by the time you get there, you're so invested in the characters and their own explorations that the twists are just background noise, if that makes sense. She writes the most amazing characters, and I was sad when this book was over because I wanted to know even more about them. 
Should you read it? Yes! 
What have you read lately? And should I read it?

Books I've Read Lately (And Whether or Not You Should Read Them)

Dead Letters by Caite Dolan-Leach
Plot: "Ava Antipova has her reasons for running away: a failing family vineyard, a romantic betrayal, a mercurial sister, an absent father, a mother slipping into dementia. In Paris, Ava renounces her terribly practical undergraduate degree, acquires a French boyfriend and a taste for much better wine, and erases her past. Two years later, she must return to upstate New York. Her twin sister, Zelda, is dead.
Even in a family of alcoholics, Zelda Antipova was the wild one, notorious for her mind games and destructive behavior. Stuck tending the vineyard and the girls increasingly unstable mother, Zelda was allegedly burned alive when she passed out in the barn with a lit cigarette. But Ava finds the official explanation a little too neat. A little too Zelda. Then she receives a cryptic message from her sister.

Just as Ava suspected, Zelda's playing one of her games. In fact, she's outdone herself, leaving a series of clues about her disappearance. With the police stuck on a red herring, Ava follows the trail laid just for her, thinking like her sister, keeping her secrets, immersing herself in Zelda's drama and her outlandish circle of friends and lovers. Along the way, Zelda forces her twin to confront their twisted history and the boy who broke Ava's heart. But why? Is Zelda trying to punish Ava for leaving, or to teach her a lesson? Or is she simply trying to write her own ending?

Featuring a colorful, raucous cast of characters, Caite Dolan-Leach's debut thriller takes readers on a literary scavenger hunt for clues concealed throughout the seemingly idyllic wine country, hidden in plain sight on social media, and buried at the heart of one tremendously dysfunctional, utterly unforgettable family." -Via Goodreads
Favorite quote: “No one wants the complete picture, the whole story. It would leave no room for the fictions we need to tell ourselves about ourselves.”
My thoughts: I have no idea why, but this book took me forever to finish. I picked it up every night for about two weeks and just couldn't get into it. Once I did though, I really did love it. It's an incredibly creative story and a really raw look into the dysfunction of families. I was truly surprised by the resolution of the story (always a plus). In hindsight, I really enjoyed this, it just took me a minute to really start liking it!
Should you read it? I think so!
Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica
Plot: "The bad man, Daddy. The bad man is after us." 

Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon. 

Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit. 

Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date—one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried." -via Goodreads

My thoughts: This was a really great book with a terrible ending, and I never know how to feel about those. I enjoyed reading it, it kept me engaged, it was well-written...and then the story just flopped (in my opinion). 
Should you read it? I'd skip it, just because I HATED the ending. 
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
Plot: "On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister...
The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isabel—receive the text they had always hoped would NEVER come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.”

The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty, with varying states of serious and flippant nature that were disturbing enough to ensure that everyone steered clear of them. The myriad and complicated rules of the game are strict: no lying to each other—ever. Bail on the lie when it becomes clear it is about to be found out. But their little game had consequences, and the girls were all expelled in their final year of school under mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the school’s eccentric art teacher, Ambrose (who also happens to be Kate’s father).

Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill that will keep you wrong-footed—which has now become Ruth Ware’s signature style—The Lying Game is sure to be her next big bestseller. Another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time." -via Goodreads
Favorite quote: "A lie can outlast any truth." 
My thoughts: I read this book in one sitting (I had a glorious day last Friday and spent the entire day alone by the pool). I loved it, but I don't know if I would have loved it as much if I would have read it a chapter here and there throughout the week, if that makes sense.  It was an amazing binge read. Ruth Ware is incredibly talented. It reminded me of All The Missing Girls, except the stories from the past were told in a much better way (no confusing flashbacks). And I loved the theme of female friendship. 
Should you read it? Yes! 
What are you reading?