A short bit about how I usually read: I’m almost exclusively reading books that were either just recently published or they are soon to be published. A lot of people recommend books to me and I always say, “I’ll put it on my list!” But I don’t tell them that my “list” is full of books that I’ll one day read when I’m not in charge of staying on top of the newest releases for my community of dedicated readers.
That being said, it’s been kinda stressing me out that I can’t read older books. It’s been a little bit sucking the joy out of reading for me if I’m being honest. Which is a bummer because I’ve found a way to monetize almost every hobby I’ve ever head (welcome to life as a millennial) thereby removing all the fun. And I am determined not to let that happen to reading. Because I love reading, damnit.
ANYWAY all that to say–this month I allowed myself to only read backlist titles that have been on my “list”.
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The Couple at No. 9 by Claire Douglas
Download the audiobook here.
Order the paperback here.
My friend Shulah has been recommending this book for ages. And everyone who has read it has been blown away by it. So I finally decided to see what the hype was all about. And in my opinion, it holds up. I love a British thriller.
So this book starts with Saffron Cutler who’s just trying to do some renovations on her kitchen when, lo and behold, two human bodies are found by the construction crew in her backyard. Forensics show that these bodies were likely buried about 50 years ago when Saffron’s grandmother was the owner of the property. Saffron is determined to find out what really happened because she can’t believe that her sweet grandmother could have had anything to do with it.
I won’t go into it any more but y’all it does not go to the places you think it’s going to.
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Download the audiobook here.
Order the paperback here.
Another British thriller with a very typical premise: a girl goes missing.
What I liked about this story was that it’s told from the perspective of the missing girl’s mother. We catch up with Laurel a decade after her golden child, Ellie, vanished on her way to the library one morning. Laurel is finally ready to start putting her life back together after her life had been on pause for so long.
The perspective shifts back and forth between Laurel, Ellie, and Ellie’s abductor and Lisa Jewell leans heavily on her notorious storytelling abilities throughout this novel. It’s masterfully told–that much can not be denied. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend this book to just anyone. I spend a lot of time in the realm of thrillers and true-crime documentaries but this book went to some places that were too dark even for me. I definitely recommend checking out the content warnings on StoryGraph before deciding to read this one. StoryGraph is an excellent resource for a lot of reasons but specifically for content warnings if there’s anything you’d like to avoid in your reading.
Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey
Buy the paperback here.
Download the audiobook here.
After two relatively dark murder mysteries, I needed something that would be nothing but absolutely delightful! And I’d been holding this book on my shelf for exactly this moment. I read Waiting for Tom Hanks last year and thought it was so sweet and hilarious and focuses on my favorite romance trope: a normal falling in love with a famous movie star (I don’t know where this came from for me).
This book follows the BFF sidekick from Tom Hanks as she, essentially, discovers that she’s in love with her boss. It’s just witty banter and pies and cute outfits. And, okay, yes there is conflict but it didn’t overwhelm the story. Which I loved and needed.
Also, if you’re the kind of person who likes romance books but aren’t really big on detailed sex scenes, Kerry Winfrey’s books take sort of a fade-to-black approach to the nitty gritty of it all. Still very hot! Just not explicit.
Yeah! Just three books this month! But with the holidays coming up I’m cranking the reading out. I’ve already finished a book for October (and I have complicated feelings about it).
XOXO, Lib 