2 Book Lovers Reviews
My Favorite Books of 2018!
Week of September 14th, 2020
New Release & Review:
Don't Look For Me
By Wendy Walker
*Top Recommendation!*
I started reading this novel right at bedtime. I’ll admit that this wasn’t one of my wisest decisions. This is definitely not the type of
story to relax your mind and bring you down a few notches in anticipation of a much-needed slumber. I read this book late into
the night, deciding to read one more chapter, which quickly turned into another…and another. I love a good thriller, but what I wasn’t expecting was the high level of creep factor that this novel had (I loved it even more). My heart was pounding, I was chilled to the bone, and I was glued to the pages. Who needs sleep?
*Read my full review...
Week of September 8th, 2020
New Release & Review:
Anxious People
By Fredrik Backman
*Top Recommendation!*
Some books fill you with emotion, some captivate you with top-notch writing, and some take you places that you never thought you
needed to go. Anxious People did all three.
Anxious People is a unique novel. It has humor, suspense, and a great deal of heart. Backman tells an intriguing story filled with
characters that are as original as the novel that they are in. What is the story about? It’s about people. Anxious people. Readers may find a character, relationship, or situation that they can relate to, but if they can’t, surely, they can recognize someone that they know in one or a few of them. It’s a character-driven novel that tells an unusual tale of a hostage situation and in the process weaves a masterful exploration of the human condition.
*Read my full review...
Week of August 24th, 2020
Book Review:
You Were There Too
By Colleen Oakley
*Top Recommendation!*
This book stole my heart. You Were There Too is a tricky novel for me to review. What can I possibly say about this book that will
express everything that I’m feeling and do it the justice that it deserves? I think that I’m simply going to tiptoe lightly so that I don’t spoil it for any other readers. It is better to experience it
for yourself, live through it all with the characters, and let the author take you on this emotional journey.
*Read my full review...
Week of August 17th, 2020
New Release & Review:
Little Disasters
By Sarah Vaughan
Little Disasters is a propulsive read that pulled me in from the very beginning and didn’t let me go until the very last page. In my opinion, this book is so much more than your average domestic/
psychological thriller. It had all of the elements that make for a wonderful edge-of-your-seat reading experience, but it had an emotional, raw, heartbreaking story that I felt right in the pit of my stomach.
*Read my full review...
Week of August 10th, 2020
Book Review:
The Friend Zone
By Abby Jimenez
I’ve been wanting to read this book for quite some time and decided that my family staycation was the perfect time to finally take the
plunge. A poolside chair, a cold beverage, and The Friend Zone in my hands proved to be a wonderful retreat.
You don’t have to be too many pages into this novel to know that this author has a wicked sense of humor. I was laughing out loud, reading passages to my husband, and simply enjoying the characters and their witty, sarcastic banter. But with that being said, this book isn’t all fun and games. There is a serious side to this story which deals with some heavier subject matter.
*Read my full review...
Week of July 20th, 2020
New Release & Review:
In Case You Missed It
By Lindsey Kelk
I try to mix things up with my reading to keep things lively and fresh, and after a couple of books that dealt with some heavier topics, I needed a few laughs and some lighthearted moments.
I am pleased to say that In Case You Missed It delivered just what I was looking for.
*Read my full review...
Week of July 13th, 2020
New Release & Review:
What You Wish For
By Katherine Center
*Top Recommendation!*
Katherine Center has become a must-read author for me. I don’t even have to read the synopsis for her upcoming release to know that I want to read it. She’s a sure thing, a go-to, and a creative soul
who never fails to inspire me with the beauty and depth of her characters and their stories.
What You Wish For was just what I needed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a reader, I always need a good book, but this one just came at the perfect time, its message hit home, and the story transported me within its pages and provided the ideal reprieve from the real world.
*Read my full review...
New Release & Review:
Dear Emmie Blue
By Lia Louis
*Top Recommendation!*
I adored this novel! Dear Emmie Blue will definitely be gracing my list of favorite books of 2020.
If ever a character deserved a hug, it is Emmie Blue. There were so many times that I wanted to reach through my e-reader and give Emmie a big hug. My heart broke for her. She was a kind-hearted, generous person who had been through a great deal in her young life. Between a distant, uncaring mother, an absent father, and an event from her past that changed her world, Emmie Blue has struggled with loneliness, not feeling like she’s enough, and always wondering what it’s like to be wanted, to be part of a family, and to be truly loved.
*Read my full review...
New Release & Review:
The All-Night Sun
By Diane Zinna
The All-Night Sun is a captivating debut novel by a talented author. Zinna’s writing is profound and beautiful. The novel is atmospheric and there is a mystique to it that not only drew me in but also filled me with a sense of uncertainty, unease, and chilled me to my core.
*Read my full review...
Week of July 6th, 2020
Book Review:
After You
By Jojo Moyes
Reading After You felt like being reacquainted with an old friend. I’m not sure why I waited so long to read this book, I’m just really glad that I finally did.
I fell back easily and comfortably into Louisa’s life. It takes place eighteen months after Will’s death and Louisa is still struggling
with her grief. It brought everything back to the forefront of my mind. I remembered their short but meaningful time together, his wishes for her, and their final goodbyes. Will wanted Louisa to live her life to the fullest, to get out there and experience the world, but after traveling around Europe for a spell, she found herself back in England feeling as lost and stagnant as she ever had. To make matters worse, a horrific accident meant that she had to return to her family’s home to recuperate.
*Read my full review...
Week of June 22nd, 2020
New Release & Review:
The Swap
By Robyn Harding
The Swap is a fast-paced domestic thriller that kept me riveted to the pages. If you’re looking for a summer read that will grab you, immerse you in the characters’ lives, and make you appreciate your own life, this book is sure to please.
I am a huge fan of S.C. Stephens and the Thoughtless Series, so when I saw that she was releasing another book that looked like it would be screaming angst, I was more than a little interested.
I do not shy away from novels that contain love triangles, cheating, or forbidden situations, in fact, I run right to them. My favorite books are always the ones that are able to make me feel every emotion: the butterflies, the anticipation, the plummeting doom of heartache, the will they or won’t they.
Week of June 1st, 2020
New Release & Review:
The Lies That Bind
By Emily Giffin
*Top Recommendation!*
The only drama that I flock to is within the pages of the books that I choose to read, and this book provided plenty of that. I’ve had some
ups and downs in my reading over the past couple of months, but this book drew me in from the very beginning and was impossible to
put down.
The Lies That Bind was an intriguing read. I was completely invested in Cecily’s story. She was heartbroken, missing her ex-boyfriend, and was seriously considering getting in touch with him. I think I was even shaking my head while I was reading it and thinking No, girl, don’t do it! Luckily, a stranger was able to change her mind before she did something that she might have regretted. She and this handsome stranger enjoyed a couple of drinks and each other’s company and shared a connection that seemed as though it was meant to be.
*Read my full review...
