Destiny of the Republic

by Candice Millard

Recommended by America’s Favorite Government Teacher Sharon McMahan, Destiny of the Republic was outside my comfort zone. I had been reading books on minimalism and finance and here we are with a post-Civil War history book about the death of President Garfield.

I loved Destiny of the Republic. The way it ties political history in with medical developments and the invention of the telephone. It’s amazing to think how this all took place only 140 years ago, yet the world is so vastly different now.

It’s the perfect jumping-off point for historical deep dives.

The Silent Patient

by Alex Michaelides

My first fiction novel of the year. I brought The Silent Patient on our trip to the Grand Canyon back in May. My sister and I imagined all of this camping downtime. Well, there was none. On the flight home, I started the who done it murder mystery and couldn’t put it down.

Artist, Alicia Berenson is found standing in front of her murdered husband’s body and never speaks again. The Silent Patient follows her story through the eyes of her psychotherapist, Theo Faber.

Alex Michaelides gives you a twist that I had to reread twice to catch. I’m looking forward to reading his other novel, The Maidens.

The Maidens

by Alex Michaelides

No One Knows

by J.T. Ellison

After 5 years, the state declares Aubrey Hamilton’s missing husband dead. No One Knows is a twisted rollercoaster that takes you along on Aubrey’s haunted road to closure.

The book will keep you on your toes and pull a full 180 on you. It’s a mystery, but I wouldn’t call it a thriller as it proclaims.

The Midnight Library

by Matt Haig

My neighbor and I started chatting about books and decided it would be fun to read a few of the same titles to chat about over girls’ nights. She had just finished up The Midnight Library and loved it.

The Midnight Library follows Nora Seed through an Ebenezer Scrooge dream/purgatory. Nora is depressed and lost in life; the Midnight Library gives her the chance to see what could have been, had different choices been made throughout her life.

If you wonder how your life could’ve been different, or have any regrets – pick it up today.

The Last Thing He Told Me

by Laura Dave

The Last Thing He Told Me follows Hannah and her step-daughter Bailey on their mission to find Bailey’s dad. It’s a fast-paced mystery showing that sometimes it’s the hard things in life that bond us forever. The ending made my heart full.

Where’d You Go Bernadette?

by Maria Semple

A holiday from the murder mysteries I was pouring down the hatch. Where’d You Go, Bernadette is a delightful escape from heavier titles.

Bernadette is a famous architect turned Stay-at-Home-Mom who has lost her marbles. Her feud with the PTA president had me rolling. It’s a fantastic vacation read. Especially for mothers of school-aged children.

Where The Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens

As I started Where the Crawdads Sing, I was forcing my way through. I was 100 pages in and almost gave up, but people kept listing it as one of their all-time favorites so I gave it my all and was grateful I did.

A resilient orphan in the North Carolina marsh, Kya Clark survives a great deal, but never so much as considers losing hope. Kya follows you through life well after the last page. I think the best part of Where The Crawdads Sing is after you finish it, and spend the next few days digesting her quiet strength.

Things You Save in a Fire

by Katherine Center

Things You Save in a Fire caught me so off guard. It started out like a cheesy movie I could see a B-list pop star playing for her straight-to-streaming acting debut. And then bam, I’m crying on my back porch needed to finish it immediately.

Katherine Center lures you into the walls put up but pain, and the strength it takes to allow all kinds of love back into our lives.

The Woman in the Window

by A. J. Finn

The Woman in the Window is a wild, wild ride. There is a particular scene that haunts me as a mother. I tried to watch the movie and wasn’t into it, even though I think Amy Adams is the absolute perfect person for the role of Anna Fox. I just feel like internal dialogue novels are puzzling to put onto film without losing half of the weight.

A story of trauma, loss, and pain tied up in a thriller bow; you are right there with Anna the whole way. Never knowing what to believe. So good.

Such a Fun Age

by Kiley Reid

I knew Such a Fun Age was a trending book. I saw it everywhere. Someone had told me it was a coming-of-age story for two women. I guess that’s accurate. It’s somewhat forgettable, to be honest.

Kiley Reid touches on today’s social climate through two women’s day-to-day sticky dynamics of a 25-year-old-Woman-of-Color nanny, Emira, and a privileged, lonely boss, Alix. When those worlds do a little more than collide it’s time for Emira to stand her ground. It’s a sassier version of a Hallmark movie.

Having been a nanny in my twenties, a few of the work moments hit close to home.

American Dirt

by Jeanine Cummins

Everyone should read this book.

I’ve heard it caused some cultural appropriation controversies online (I didn’t deep dive that), however, it’s fantastic.

American Dirt follows Lydia Perez as she tries to outrun the cartel with her young son. The human connection this book provides is priceless. It never lets up. It never relaxes. It burns itself into your heart. And as a mother, holy cannoli.

Dark Places

by Gillian Flynn

The title sums it up. Dark Places is the darkest book I have read all year. After this one I needed a beach read chaser. Gillian Flynn is the queen of twisty thrillers and this is absolutely no exception. The end was gut-wrenching for me.

November 9

by Colleen Hoover

It’s a Taco Tuesday of a book. Will November 9 change your life? Probably not. But it’s a delicious no-fail choice.

I can tell why people are obsessed with Colleen Hoover’s novels. They are quick, sexy, mysterious page-turners. Perfect for a vacation or airplane read.

The story of Fallon and Ben keeps you rooting for love and forgiveness. And while circumstances were wildly different, I related heavily to Fallon’s coming of age search for confidence. Ben may have even reminded me of early love.

Verity

by Colleen Hoover

This book is such a hot seller, it’s hard to find. I feel like every time I posted what I was reading on social media, someone would recommend Verity. After reading November 9, I caved and hunted it down on Facebook marketplace. My neighbor said it was “twisted”. Sounded up my alley.

It started out great. You are instantly committed. It’s a page-turner. But Colleen Hoover tried to fit in every F*ed up thing she could think of in this book. The list of trigger warnings for Verity is long. You finish the book not knowing what to believe, which is the fun of the game and great for book clubs. However, if you are going to sit down and read 305 pages, pick up His & Hers or anything by Gillian Flynn. I just wouldn’t recommend it.

His & Hers

by Alice Feeney

SO good. His & Hers came as a gripping surprise. Alice Feeney does an incredible job investing you into her characters; all while making you doubt everyone’s innocence equally. Every chapter made me question who had done it. BBC news anchor, Anna Andrews comes back to her hometown to cover a murder. It’s the first murder that Detective Chief Inspector Jack Harper has had in Blackdown. As details unfold, everything is hitting closer and closer to home for both of them. No one is safe.

Not as dark as Gone Girl or Dark Places, but just as thrilling. I put her new title, Rock Paper Scissors, on hold at the library immediately.

The Guest List

by Lucy Foley

The love Lucy Foley’s writing. The Guest List got me in the end. Foley does an incredible job of taking you through a group of friends and untangling years’ worth of spider webs. I can’t wait to read her new title, The Paris Apartment.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Any book that follows a determined woman through a secret life, yes, give me. Having lived in Los Angeles for 7 years, Evelyn Hugo felt like an honest look into the other side of celebrity. Very Elizabeth Taylor. Reminded me of the #InstagramIsntReal trend. Even if you think you know everything about a celebrity – you probably know nothing.

City of Girls

by Elizabeth Gilbert

A coming of age story of a girl in 1940s New York. I quit this book.

Drunk showgirls, a crumbling theater. I just didn’t care. I may pick it up again sometime because friends loved it. But I just didn’t feel like spending my time on the pages.