Second Chapter Reads

I decided to choose my next read from The New York Times Bestseller List. "The Dutch House" by Ann Patchett has been sitting in the top five of the list for a few weeks now. I then found it on the "Most Wanted" shelf at my library and decided to see what the fuss was about. The summary on the cover of the book was vague and didn't make much sense, so I won't give you a summary. This is one of those books about humanity, about people, about relationships, about family. The book is described as a fairytale, but I'm not really sure I would describe it that way. The book is narrated by the brother or the son, Danny. I have to note that it is always interesting to have a male narrator written by a female. It makes me wonder if this is really how he would have seen his own story and why Ann Patchett didn't tell the story from Maeve's point of view instead. However, in doing the narration this way, because Danny is telling Maeve's story, too, it...

#1 on my thriller countdown... my VERY favorite Thriller... Before I Go to Sleep  by SJ Watson. This one will knock your socks off, y'all! Before I Go to Sleep  is about a woman called Christine who wakes up every morning with no memory of who she is. Through labeled pictures and the help of her husband, every day she pieces together her life and learns of the accident that made her this way. You will like this book if: ✔ losing all memory of your life is scary ✔ you like an unconventional mystery ✔ you want to be left guessing until the very last sentence ✔ you like a good page turner ✔ you want a book sure to keep you up at night I found this book on complete accident when I was actually looking for Before I Fall  by Lauren Oliver (also very good). I still have not seen the movie based on this book, because, let's be real, the book is always better. This is an awesome thrill ride that will have you rooting for Christine as she fights to figure out what is real...

I have been reading a TON of thrillers the past few weeks to see if there was one out there that should be on my Thriller Countdown list. My criteria for choosing a book to read is usually that it was a New York Times Bestseller, it has close to a four star review, and I read the reviews by other authors and book critics (the short blurbs on the back cover). This book was mentioned more than once as "unputdownable" and was recommended again and again on all of my book apps, SO... #2 on my Thriller Countdown to Halloween is: The Couple Next Door  by Shari Lapena. This is a novel about a couple whose baby daughter goes missing while they are at a dinner party next door. As the case unravels, page after page of secrets are revealed and leaves you questioning - How well do you really know the couple next door? Your husband? Your parents? You will like this book if- ✔ you enjoy mystery/crime novels ✔ you like twists and turns at every corner of detective work ✔ you want...

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to meet Elin Hilderbrand. I haven't been to meet an author since I heard Junot Diaz speak at UNLV, which I think was almost ten years ago! I get nervous and weird when I meet authors. Kind of like a normal person meeting a big shot celebrity or athlete, that's how it is for a bibliophile meeting an author. Anyway, so I waited in line with 350 other women to meet the vivacious, gorgeous, tanned, fashionista, cancer survivor, foodie, overall amazing, Elin Hilderbrand. I was thankfully able to get my book signed by her (swoon) before she got up to speak. She was so funny and told many amazing stories. I've decided I'm not going to retell her stories on here for two reasons. One, they are her stories, not mine. And, two, I probably wouldn't do them justice. However, I will try and recap her point of "why beach books matter" by telling it in my own way. Elin grew up going to the beach on the East coast, I grew up going...

#3 on my Thriller Countdown to Halloween is... Come Sundown  by Nora Roberts As I was scrolling through the books I've read in the past year or so on the Goodreads app, looking for options for my Thriller Countdown, I saw Nora Roberts Come Sundown  and let out an involuntary, "Yaaaasssssssss!" Nora Roberts is an amazing writer. Not only can she jump from one genre to another with ease, she also has the ability to blend genres, such as in Come Sundown:  A thrilling blend of suspense, mystery, and romance. You may like this book if: ✔ you LOVE a strong, empowered, confident female leader as your protagonist ✔ you dream of the beautiful landscape of Montana ✔ you don't mind a little romance mixed in with your thrill ride ✔ you want a book that you just CAN'T put down ✔ you want a book that makes you fall in love with its characters and miss them when the book comes to an end The plot of this book is a little jarring, a little crazy, BUT you will LOV...

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware is the next recommendation on my Thriller countdown! Hal believes she has received a letter unintentionally stating her inheritance following the death of a woman she's never met. She decides to attend the funeral anyway and see if she can turn her own bad luck around. What she finds is a family full of secrets and deception of their own. You will like this book if: ✔ you like old, creepy houses ✔ you are a fan of Agatha Christie ✔ you can't help but wonder what secrets this family is hiding ✔ you like unpredictable plot twists ✔ you are in desperate need of suspense I thought I had this book figured out and I almost put it down, until WHAM plot twist that completely took me by surprise! I was riveted until the very end. Have you read this one? Are you adding it to your list? Comment below!

I love this description of this book from Entertainment Weekly:  "An unforgettable―and Hollywood-bound―new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." #5 on my "Thriller Countdown" to Halloween...  The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a relatively new release that jumped to the top of the bestseller list earlier this year.  This book is about a woman's act of violence against her husband and the therapist obsessed with revealing her motive. The hitch? She hasn't spoken a word in six years; since her husband was murdered. You will like this book if: ✔ you can't resist a psychological thriller ✔ you like  unpredictable ✔ you can follow a complicated case with multiple suspicious people ✔ you are ready to have your mind blown by a twist ending This is another page turner and I did NOT see the ending coming! I kept questioning if she was actually guilty or not guilty. Truly a masterpiece of suspense ...