Book Review: Find Your Next Favorite Book
Who here is a reader? I am! And I love getting book recommendations from friends and family and others book reviews. They often suggest books I’ve never heard of or wouldn’t normally pick up on my own. In that spirit, I thought I would share a little book review with you guys!
I love reading. I have been passionate about books and have been an avid reader since I was young. Reading was the one activity my parents always supported and encouraged without question. Anytime one of us girls wanted a new book or wanted to read, my parents were all about it!
During my schooling years I was so overwhelmed with course readings that I didn’t really do much fun reading. If you read my 2020 goals post, then you know that one of my goals this year is to read 2 books per month! Unfortunately, January was the only month so far that I’ve actually hit that goal. But, I’m still reading way more than I have in the past few years.
When it comes to reading, I love books of a lot of genres. I love thrillers/suspense/mystery novels, magical realism, romance, historical fiction, classic literary fiction…really most types of fiction. I don’t read very much non-fiction but I do enjoy the occasional self-help book in the right circumstances. In my book review I’m going to try to include books from several genres so hopefully there will be something here for everyone!
THRILLERS/SUSPENSE/MYSTERY
This. Book. Was. Amazing. Kate Morton is an amazing writer and evokes beautiful imagery with her words. I will definitely be reading more of her books. The Lake House is about family, tragedy, secrets, and the lengths we will go to protect those we love. The unsolved, mysterious disappearance of an eleven-month-old from his crib during the family’s mid-summer party shakes the family to its core, leaving long lasting scars and secrets in its wake. The story is beautifully told from their present perspective and flashbacks to the tragedy that occurred 70 years prior. I loved Kate Morton’s writing style and her descriptiveness; it made you feel like you were there without being excessively wordy. And the way she reveals the mystery is amazing. There were at least 4 times I knew I had it all figured out but I never did.
I have read two of Lisa Jewell’s novels now and really, really enjoy her writing! She is truly gifted with her chosen genre. A London newlywed worried about her husband who didn’t return home from work, made anxious and scared after being told by police that her new husband never really existed. Meanwhile, a single mom finds a man on her beach that doesn’t know who he is. A yearly family beach vacation turned sour some 23 years earlier. I liked that this book wasn’t too long but covered a lot of ground fairly quickly and well. The build up was perfect with new details being uncovered at the perfect time. It really held my attention and made me want to keep reading.
ROMANCE
Where Have All the Boys Gone by Jenny Colgan
This was one of my February books to pay respect to the Valentine’s holiday. It was such a fun, lighthearted, easy read and I truly enjoyed it! It’s actually the second book I’ve read of Jenny Colgan’s…apparently I’m a fan of her writing. The story follows Katie, a twenty something city girl and professional who is fed up with lack of decent dating prospects. The numbers are in, and women out number men by twenty five thousand in London. Katie has had far too infrequent but bad dates and is annoyed at work. So she takes on a project in a small country town in the Scottish Highlands. I liked this book because it was light and fun to read. The main character is a strong female who is trying to find herself and figure out what she really wants in life. It’s a romance story without being too explicit. And the book has friendship, adventure and excitement, heartbreak and healing.
MAGICAL REALISM
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Full disclosure, I haven’t actually read this book in several years. But Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorite authors, I’ve read all her books and this was the first one that made me fall in love with her writing. Her stories are so relatable because they are about people who could easily be your neighbor. But there is always some element in her book that is just beyond explanation and outside of the real world. It’s beautiful how she weaves a touch of magic and the mysterious into her books. Every book truly sucks you in and takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout. Garden Spells is about a family in small town North Carolina with a special garden with a reputation. The Waverly family has tended the garden for generations and currently by great aunt and two sisters. One sister recently unexpectedly comes home with her young daughter. The book tells the story of family secrets and hurts and the enchanted garden they keep.
HISTORICAL FICTION
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
The Alice network follows two strong heroines through the First and Second World Wars and their aftermath. I LOVE books that tell the human story during different times through history and how major historical events may have played out in people’s lives. The novel by Kate Quinn is based on the true-life spy network organized and run by Louise De Bettingnies from Lille, France during the First World War. Louise passed information to British and French intelligence under the pseudonym of Alice Dubois and thus the birth of her “Alice” network. She reportedly had a network of roughly one hundred local citizens passing information/working for/with her. In the novel by Kate Quinn, Eve is one of these “citizen” spies working in Lille to gather information about the German plans. The story also follows Charlie St. Claire who is searching war torn Europe for her cousin, Rose, following World War II. The way their two stories and lives cross is mesmerizing. And I love picking up little historical facts along the way.
Hopefully this book review helped you find your next quarantine read and favorite book! I’d love to read some of your favorite books too. What have you read and loved lately?
XOXO, stay well friends
Jaye