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Your Next Great Read! ❤️📚
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items These books are permanently bookmarked in my brain! Some I loved, some I liked-either way, they keep coming up in conversations in several book groups! The books recommended here contain affiliate links. (ad)
Sections
8
Characters Who Will Stay With You
Books People Loved-But I Didn't
Unforgettable Historical Fiction
Characters Who Broke and Healed My Heart
Didn't Expect to Love it!
A Much Needed Laugh
Characters Who Will Stay With You
The characters in these stories range from quirky to unique-but they are all unforgettable! 📚
I absolutely loved this story! Britt-Marie is my hero. Thank you to all who recommended this beautiful book! Britt-Marie first appeared as the irritating neighbor in Fredrik Backman’s "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry," but in "Britt-M...
Britt-Marie Was Here: A Novel
When I first posted this as my current read and asked for opinions, the input was extremely mixed. People either really loved it or really hated it to the point of DNF. Now that I'm on the other side of it, I firmly stand on "team love." The story st...
Anxious People : Backman, Fredrik:
Have you ever randomly chosen a book and it turns out to be a lovely surprise? Remarkably Bright Creatures was EXACTLY that-a lovely surprise! I can not express to you how much I enjoyed the unique twist on a storyline that is otherwise overdone. We ...
Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Novel
What would you do for money if you were desperate enough???? I started this very meaty book (about 700 pages!) with high expectations, since I am a huge fan of "The Help". In my humble opinion, Kathryn Stockett does not disappoint! The story is set i...
The Calamity Club: A Novel - Stockett, Kathryn
The Silent Wife is one of those books that proves you don't need lovable characters to tell a fantastic story. In fact, I don't think there was a single redeeming quality among any of them—and somehow that made the book even more delicious! The story...
The Silent Wife: A Novel - A. S. Harrison
Books People Loved-But I Didn't
Trending all over-but I simply wasn't inspired!
I started this story with high expectations, since it had been recommended by so many avid readers. Even through I didn't care for the story overall, I still feel it is worth reading. We meet an elderly Portuguese man named Theo, who has just moved t... in a world crying our for everyone to slow down, lift their heads from their screens, and talk to each other! Find the full review here: facebook.com/share/p/1HahntCu4Q
Theo of Golden: A Novel by Allen Levi
I just wasn't feeling this one.... Honestly, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans was a frustrating read for me. Sybil is such an unlikable main character that I had a hard time caring about what happened to her. She offers several apologies in her le...
The Correspondent: A Novel: Evans, Virginia
I think a better title for this book would be a bunch of winemakers who have a knack for making a bad situation worse! This one was loved by many, but I found there were so many plot holes that the story just didn't add up in my eyes. There's a nice ...facebook.com/share/p/1Cx2j9zHmM
The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel
Before I even started this book, I asked a handful of people for their opinions—and the responses were all over the map. Some loved it, some felt lukewarm, and more than a few decided to DNF. After reading it myself, I can see why it’s such a polariz...
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You Shes Sorry
I think I have the unpopular opinion... Overall a good read-but I have to admit I have a bit of a love hate relationship with this one..... Evelyn Hugo comes from a poor background and will do anything to become a star----pretty typical story. She ma...
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Reid
This one fell short for me. It was an interesting concept. We all have a special friend that we hold dear from different stages of our lives. We have that childhood friend, and if we are fortunate enough, they will still be in our lives well into adu...
The Five-Star Weekend - Elin Hilderbrand: Books
The story starts out strong as we meet our unreliable narrator, Natalie, who gives up her Harvard education to become a “tradwife” when she meets Caleb in college, who comes from a very wealthy political family. Caleb lacks any real ambition, so Nata...
Yesteryear: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel
Unforgettable Historical Fiction
I'm a big historical fiction fan. I think it can really add “meat” to a story! Here are some of my favorites!
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE—and honestly, it may be THE best! This is one of those rare books that completely takes your breath away and stays with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Imagine an entire novel writ...
Angel Down: Kraus, Daniel: Books
This story, based on true events, is a beautiful reminder that we can choose to help just one person when we are powerless to do more. Lale, a prisoner at Auschwitz, is tasked with the job of tattooing identification numbers on his fellow prisoners. ...facebook.com/share/p/1CztZQNHZM
The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Novel of Love & Survival
Based on a true story, "Cilka’s Journey" is Book 2 in the series that began with "The Tattooist of Auschwitz", and once again Heather Morris tells a story that is both heartbreaking and incredibly inspiring. Cilka is only 16 years old when she is sen...
Cilka's Journey: Novel (Tattooist of Auschwitz 2)
I love historical fiction that depicts ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances where they discover their inner hero. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel perfectly fits the bill. We are introduced to Eva Traube, who is a young Frenc...
The Book of Lost Names - Kristin Harmel
Kristin Hannah truly hit this one out of the park! It was the fastest I have ever read 480 pages. Our protagonist Frankie is genuinely a unique character and I found myself hurting for her, warning her to run, and just generally wanting her to be hap...
The Women: Kirstin Hannah
I finished this book at 5am this morning-I kid you not. It is one of the best books I have ever read in my lifetime! It broke my heart in a million pieces while continually putting it back together over and over. If you've read this one, you know EXA...
All the Light We Cannot See: Doerr Anthony
Characters Who Broke and Healed My Heart
Talk about a struggle. These characters faced unsurmountable odds and did they absolute best they could. Just like in life, sometimes we get the endings we hoped for-other times, not so much!
This one made my heart race. As a mother, I was overwhelmed with the thought of the lengths I would go to in an effort to protect my children. The story follows a fierce mother, Lydia, who loses her entire family when the cartel in Mexico enacts reve...
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
This novel is a true masterpiece, evoking laughter, tears, hope, and despair with every turn of the page. The story centers on Demon, a boy born to a mother struggling with addiction, set against the backdrop of Lee County, Virginia—a community ravag...
Demon Copperhead: A Pulitzer Prize Winner
Some people are born to be writers. I've no doubt that Wally Lamb is one of them. Only Wally Lamb could make me fall in love with a character who has done something despicable. Corby is the father of toddler twins who has been laid off and can not fi...
The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb
A beautiful reminder to focus on and cherish all that is important to you. The story follows Ellen, a dedicated wife, mother, and social worker. A series of miscommunications on a hectic morning leads to tragedy, leaving Ellen to navigate the very sy...
Little Mercies by Gudenkauf, Heather
Fredrik Backman has a knack for creating characters who feel so real that we find ourselves alternating between loving them and wanting to shake some sense into them. My Friends gives us some of his very best. The story alternates between two timelin...
My Friends: A Novel - Backman, Fredrik: Books
Some stories leave an imprint on your soul-for me, this was one of them. The Kitchen House is told through the alternating voices of Belle and Lavinia, it is a heartbreaking and beautifully written story about family, love, loyalty, and the bonds we ...
The Kitchen House: A Novel - Kathleen Grissom
Didn't Expect to Love it!
Some of these picks come with a lot of hype, so I wasn't entirely sure they would be my cup of tea. They are all unexpected nuggets of fantastic surprises!
Thank you all who recommended! I played with the idea of reading this one for years, but always shied away because I am not a science fiction fan. I am so incredibly glad that I broke out of my comfort zone! The first thing I will say is that the aut...
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Adams
Oftentimes, when a book jumps around in the timeline, it's easy to get lost somewhere between the past and the present. This was not the case at all in this story! It was so beautifully presented...there was never a point in the story where I didn't ...
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
This one was a beauty! What a heartwarming story....gives you all the feels! TBH, I thought perhaps Eleanor was autistic based on certain lines in the book that mention her inability to maintain eye contact and her struggles to understand social norm...
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
It was a little difficult to get in to-there are a lot of characters introduced in the beginning of the book and it took a little piecing together. The story jumps around a bit between the characters until suddenly you kind of realize that Elle is th...
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
A Much Needed Laugh
We're not talking rocket science here-sometimes we just need to open the pressure valve and LOL for a while!
Light, funny, and oh so relatable! You really have no idea what goes on in the privacy of a person's home! You can easily insert your neighboorhood into this story.... It was one of those books where you don't even realize you're halfway through and ...
Abbi Waxman: Books - Other People's Houses
All You Need Is Love ❤️
Love stories for the ages-you can never go wrong when you choose love!
A love story that I felt in my soul... Lucy meets Gabe in college at Columbia University- the day of the attack on the Twin Towers. They instantly connect even with the city falling apart around them. They both have big ambitions for their lives and ...
The Light We Lost: Santopolo, Jill
What a fabulous read! It's kind of a unique version of "Love Story". Two very different people from different backgrounds meet and fall in love-Josh and Lauren. Lauren finds out she has a rare lung disease called Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis-which h...
Pack Up the Moon: Higgins, Kristan:
Made Me Think of You by Libby Page is a very heartwarming story about love, loss, grief, and finding your way forward. Tilly loses her husband, Joe, to cancer, and she is understandably struggling to figure out how to move on with her life without hi...
This Book Made Me Think of You
Psychological Thrillers
So twisted, you'll be on the edge of your seat! Warning: Some of these titles contain scenes that may be disturbing to some readers. Proceed with caution.
If you’re looking for your next read-you just found it. The Push by Ashley Audrain was completely gripping from the very first opening sentence to the very last. The final words of the book bring it all together in a way that you may suspect, but sti...
The Push: A Novel - Audrain, Ashley: Books
A fabulous story about a woman named Grace, who would do anything to protect her sister Millie, who has Down's Syndrome. As always trying not to spoil the story, let me just say Grace ends up in an extremely dangerous situation she never could have p...
Behind Closed Doors: A Novel: Paris, B.A. - Books
Let me start by saying this is not my usual genre. I'm not a fan of murder mysteries. I do enjoy a psychological thriller from time to time, but blatant murder is not for me. Two sisters, Claire and Lydia are estranged due to a serious of tragic even...
Pretty Girls: A Novel - Slaughter, Karin: Books
It was the morning of April 20, 1999. I was going into the office late because I had a checkup with my OB/GYN. I was due with my first child that November. All was right in my world. I signed in and exchanged pleasantries with the receptionist, then ...
We Need to Talk About Kevin: Shriver, Lionel
Let me start by saying, if Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris, and The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen fell in love and had a baby...that baby would be The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine! What a fabulous story! I love when...
The Last Mrs. Parrish: A Reese's Book Club Pick