Winter Reads

I’ve read quite a few books since my last book post…and I’m excited to share them with you today. I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting a couple…but they must not have been that good if I can’t remember them, right?

Troublemaker by Leah Remini

I am a pop culture fanatic and find Scientology extremely interesting. If either of those adjectives apply to you, you will LOVE this book. It is fascinating, sad, heartbreaking and interesting. I didn’t know Leah was a lifelong member of the “church”. Her story is riveting and she tells her story well.

Wildflower by Drew Barrymore

Eh. I skimmed most of it. Too fluffy and flowery and not enough behind the scenes tales for me.

Time’s Divide (book 3) by Rysa Walker

I loved, loved, loved the first two books in this series. This one? Not so much. It was way too long and tedious. I felt as though Walker was stretching it out to make a third book. I thought the end was anticlimactic and disappointing. I was really bummed too because of how much I enjoyed the first two. Oh well.

Make Me by Lee Child

I really enjoy Child’s Jack Reacher stories. This was the most recent one of his Reacher tales. (If you’re not a Reacher fan, start at the beginning!) Reacher decides to stop in a town called “Mother’s Rest” simply because he wants to know the origin of the name. He finds himself involved in a serious problem simply by stopping in this town. He meets a woman who is looking for a missing coworker. They team up to find out what is going on in this town and they team up in the bedroom! You won’t believe where this story takes you and what is going on in this small town. I really enjoyed it but thought Child could have wrapped up the story a little more quickly.

The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel

Oh how I loved this book. Promise me if you read this one, you’ll immediately follow it with The Nightingale (see below). I just happened to read them in this order and it made both books so much better. You’ll see what I mean if you read them. In this book, Hope is the owner of a bakery and a divorced mom to a teenage daughter who is struggling to keep her little life in Cape Cod together. When her grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s, in a rare moment of clarity, asks her to go to Paris to uncover family secrets, Hope finds more than she ever imagined. There’s a little love story mixed in, family drama and amazing plot twists. I don’t want to tell you too much more or I’ll ruin it!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I usually really enjoy Hannah’s books and this one was by far one of her best. I absolutely loved this book. It is such a great example of bravery and female power during one of the most horrendous times in history, World War II. The story focuses on two sisters. Vianne is the responsible older sister whose husband just left for the war. Isabelle is the rebellious younger sister who is itching to do something to help with the war. It is a beautifully told, riveting, absolutely heartbreaking story of how these two sisters survive the war. You will love it but it will break your heart.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

Slaughter is one of my all-time favorite authors. In fact, if I had to pick just one, she would be my favorite. I wish she would write faster because I want to read one of her books each week! I will warn you up front that this is probably the most gruesome and upsetting books she’s written. But it’s SOOOOO good. Claire and Lydia are sisters who haven’t spoken since their sister, Julia, disappeared over 20 years ago. Their lives are complete opposites: Claire is the trophy wife of a millionaire and Lydia is a single mother who struggles to make ends meet. Suddenly, because of one major event, they are back in each other’s lives and, finally, discovering what really happened to their beautiful sister. It is dark, it is scary and it is one of the best books I’ve ever read.

One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. My BFF recommended it to me after she stayed up until midnight to finish it…which if you know her is crazy because she’s always early to bed! I was glad I was reading it over Christmas break because I couldn’t put it down! One day, Emily Coleman, leaves her family. She disappears without a trace. She moves to a new town and starts to live a new life under a new name. But why? What happened to her to make her leave? You will want to read faster and faster to find the answers to these questions. Be forewarned, when you finally find the answers, they will break your heart. It’s so incredible. You’ll love it.

What have you read lately??