I was in a reading slump this year. I didn't read as many books as I wanted too, and the books I did read, I didn't really love. I don't know if I was choosing the wrong books, or was just too distracted to really immerse myself into the story, but it wasn't a great year of reading.

I'm writing this on December 26th and I've read 39 books. I'd like to fit in one more before New Year's Eve, even if it's cheating and it's a super short book... I'd just like to have an even number.

I set a goal of 50 books, and while I thought that was low enough, I knew by at least April that I wasn't going to hit it. I could make excuses -- I traveled more, work was busier than usual, or I couldn't find the right book but realistically, my attention span decreased. I scrolled a lot more on my phone and found myself watching more television. Reading wasn't my priority but I want that to change and go back to 'normal' in 2025.

Despite all of that, I did find some books I really loved and that will stay with me for a long time.

 I am so behind on my 2024 reading challenge and I honestly don't think I'm going to catch up... which is fine. It'll be the first time in 5 years that I don't hit it and I need to accept that...that's not going to stop me from reviewing all the books I do read!

One book that I did recently finish was Olivia Muenter's debut novel "Such a Bad Influence" and it was incredible. I've followed Olivia's writing career since she was at Bustle, and I've always loved her authentic, raw view of reality. She is never afraid to put it all out there and I appreciate it so much. She's also an incredible writer, so I knew her novel was going to be a knock out.

The minute Olivia announced her book, I preordered it and just from the summary, knew I was going to love it. I love thrillers just like Olivia so the fact that she wrote an influencer domestic thriller (which is probably more of a mystery) was just a bonus. 

As we get deeper into the influencer economy and people become more familiar with it, we're going to see even more fictional content taking place in these worlds which I'm very excited for because it feels like unchartered territory. 

There are few people I love more in the world than Andy Cohen. He is our Bravo Daddy, a wrangler of Housewives and pop culture aficionado. He is a New Yorker by heart and 30 year residence, and just so smart and talented. He is truly fascinating and he's truly one of my favorite people in the world.

Over the years, Andy Cohen has written a few books, most notably are his Andy Cohen Diaries, a play on the Andy Warhol Diaries. In these books he takes you through his entire year, day by day, and it is really interesting. He name drops so many celebrities, gives you an inside peek at the world of Bravo and you get to know the person behind the personality. 

When I heard he was releasing another diaries, "The Daddy Diaries" this time about his year becoming a father of two, I immediately preordered it. I purchased it on Audible because there is nothing better than listening to Andy Cohen talk about his day.

 I've always been a wellness girlie; I love the idea of a blissfully peaceful and well life; I love workout trends, mental health solutions, and everything that comes with a wellness lifestyle.

Because of that fascination, when I heard of the book "The Gospel of Wellness" I was intrigued. Written by a journalist who has reported on wellness trends in the past, it's like a first hand account of how the wellness industry came to be and has evolved over time.

I was thinking about buying this book but then I saw on the Libby app that it was available to borrow from the library so I took out the loan and read the book within a few days. It was so interesting, so enlightening and I really enjoyed reading it. Will I be unsubscribing from the wellness game? No I won't but I can appreciate more insight into it's origins.

 I read The Family Upstairs back in 2019 before it was released and loved it. When I found out that Lisa Jewell was writing a sequel to the story, I was immediately sold. I didn't know where the story could go since The Family Upstairs was so enticing and really told the whole back story, but I knew I trusted Lisa Jewell and I was going to read The Family Remains.

Lucky for me I was able to receive an ARC from Net Galley and immediately started reading. I was not disappointed in the slightest and you pick up right where Jewell left us last.

I will admit that I had a hard time remembering what happened in the first book since it had been two years since I last read it so if you've been wanting to read The Family Upstairs I recommend reading these back to back so the story is fresh in your mind.

Despite that, I really enjoyed this book and felt it added a nice wrap-up to the original story.

I have been feeling some type of way lately. I feel lost, confused, self-conscious, and filled with so much doubt. I don't know what I want out of life, what I'm working toward, or how to come into my own. Life feels really confusing and overwhelming right now and I need some guidance.

Because of that, I've been nose deep in every self-help, empowering book I could find and this was one of them. "Girl on Fire" is included in Kindle Unlimited and is by an author that I've followed on and off for years. Cara Alwill Leyba wrote "Girl Code" back in the day and the book was everywhere. She became an inspirational, women empowerment icon and has written several other books based on that messaging. 

"Girl on Fire" is her latest, published in 2019 and it is a short, empowering book full of exactly the words you want to hear. I devoured the book within a few days and highlighted so many paragraphs and nuggets of wisdom that I wanted to come back to in the future. 

I've been taking a break from thrillers recently but had The Good Marriage burning a hole in my bookshelf for a while. This novel was released last year and I received it as a Book of the Month. This isn't your traditional 'thriller', it's not even a thriller... I definitely need to get better at classifying books better.

"The Good Marriage" is a legal mystery with some murder and drama thrown in. It was very long winded but super interesting. I enjoyed it! 

I chose "The Shadows" by Alex North as a Book of the Month pick months ago but just got around to reading it over the past two months. Sometimes I buy books or I add books to my TBR list and forget about them or forget what drew me into them initially. That's what happened what this book...  I chose it, forgot about it and then when I read the description I was intrigued. It was like buying the book all over again.

This book was a little scary, very interesting, and super twisted in a really great way. I would classify it as a paranormal thriller which is really different for me and I really loved that. It's a new genre that I've been reading a bit more and definitely think it suits my reading interests.

Publisher's Summary

You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile--always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet--and inspired more than one copycat.

Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree--and his victim--were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and suffering from dementia, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.

It's not long before things start to go wrong. Paul learns that Detective Amanda Beck is investigating another copycat that has struck in the nearby town of Featherbank. His mother is distressed, insistent that there's something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.

It wasn't just the murder.

It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again...

My Thoughts

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors. She writes incredible mystery novels and whenever there is a new book of hers on the market, I know it's going to be good. "Invisible Girl" was no different and I gobbled it up within a day, give or take a few hours.  

I received the novel from NetGalley (I'm so grateful to be part of this resource for writers and reviewers because I get the best books from them) and even though it took me a little time to read it. 

"Invisible Girl" was released in August and everyone has been talking about it so I knew I had to make it one of my first reads of the new year. 

Publisher's Summary

Owen Pick’s life is falling apart.

In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a computer science teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel—involuntary celibate—forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.

Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbor Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.

Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears—and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.

My Thoughts

This book was very suspenseful yet not in a bad way. The entire book was unanswered questions: where was Saffyre, what was up with Owen, did the Fours family know more than they said? Everything felt so wrong and unhinged, you were just always waiting for an answer to be revealed. That was one of the reasons that I needed to read the book so quickly -- I just wanted answers. 

"Invisible Girl" alternates between the POV of three characters: Owen, Cat, and Saffyre. Saffyre's is in the past before she disappears and you see how she ends up where she ends up as the book goes on which I am thankful for. I wasn't a fan of Cat, she seemed like the typical suburban housewife and I felt like she didn't really add anything to the story. It felt like her POV was more neutral and unnecessary.

However, Owen, Owen made me sad. I felt in my heart that Owen was innocent. From what you read in his POV, it just doesn't seem like he's in the wrong. He obviously says and does questionable things but I was still rooting for him the entire time. I just wanted him to be ok. 

The entire plot of Owen being in trouble for Saffyre's disappearance when you knew something else was up with the Fours family was frustrating yet interesting. Things kept popping up to work against Owen which annoyed me to no end but I knew it had to work out.

Then on the flip side, you have Saffyre's obsession with Roan. It was strange and I wasn't a huge fan of it. I knew it was necessary to connect the entire story and it did make sense but the beginning was a bit odd.

The ending was semi satisfying, semi not. I felt like there was a vast, gaping hole in the story about the father, and I felt like we didn't get all the answers we deserved. However, I was happy with the ending for Owen, Saffyre, and Cat. 

This wasn't the most thrilling or twisty novel but it kept me entertained, held my attention and was a quick, interesting read. If you like mystery/thriller novels, you will definitely enjoy "Invisible Girl".

What did you read this week?
xoxo
B

Whenever I finish one book and it's time to start another, I find it rather difficult to decide what to read. I have a lot of books on my TBR list and even more books on my Kindle from NetGalley. Sometimes I judge a book by its cover, sometimes its name, and sometimes I weigh the options by starting a few books at once and continuing with what catches my attention more.

For "The Girls in the Snow", I did a quick search for the publisher's summary and immediately was hooked. It has everything I wanted and needed out of a book a few weeks ago; gore, murder, mystery, and a strong female FBI agent. 

*This post might contain a few spoilers of the first few chapters but nothing major about the story will be given away! 

Publisher's Summary

In the remote forests of Stillwater, Minnesota, you can scream for days and no one will hear you. So when the bodies of two fifteen-year-old girls are discovered frozen in the snow, Special Agent Nikki Hunt is sure the killer is local: someone knew where to hide the girls and thought they would never be found.

Though Nikki hasn’t been home in twenty years, she knows she must take over the case. The Sheriff’s department in Stillwater has already made a mistake by connecting the girls’ murders to those of a famous serial killer, refusing to consider the idea that the killer could be someone from town.

Then another girl’s body is found, a red silk ribbon tied in her hair, and Nikki realizes that the killer has a connection to her own dark past, and the reason she left Stillwater.

Nikki is not the only person in town who wants those secrets to stay hidden. Will she be able to face her demons before another child is taken?

My Thoughts

Let me start off by saying that this story is NOT what you think it is. You think it's the traditional twisty, domestic thriller but it is the complete opposite. It definitely starts off that way; Nikki Hunt is called in because the town thinks two young girls were killed by the serial killer she is hunting. However, Nikki realizes that it's not the case... this was the work of someone else aside from her killer, Frost. 

While the case of these young girls is what brought Nikki to town, her own ghosts might just be the reason she stays. Her parents were killed in Stillwater and their killer is in jail, or so Nikki thought. She is faced with her past, the mistakes she might've made, and what really happened the night her parents were killed.

She is dealing with her past while also dealing with her present...a very real killer is out on the loose and killing young girls. Hunt partners with the local law enforcement to follow the very few leads they have on the girls' killer. 

At one point, it almost feels like the crime will never be solved... however, you get close at some point and it feels really satisfying. Everything starts to unravel and things are moving very fast and them BAM, surprise. Once you get past the half-way point of the book, things really start to pick up and it's a whirlwind of revelations. It was kind of shocking how quickly the story came to fruition 

This is a book that is never boring. It keeps you hooked from the first moment because you know there are going to many revelations. There are multiple plot lines going on and in a weird way, they all are weaved within each other. In the end, you get the satisfaction of multiple crimes solved, and all the loose ends wrapped up. 

"The Girls in the Snow" was shocking, a little gory, tumultuous, and worth every moment you spend reading it. 

All I have to say is that I cannot wait for Nikki Hunt Book #2... Stacey Green killed it with this novel.

xoxo
B

A few months ago I devoured American Royals within a day or two and the ending infuriated me. I needed to know what happened but the 2nd book, "Majesty" was so far away. Thankfully, I got approved for the NetGalley ARC and was able to read the book before it's release date... which was yesterday, September 1st. 

I recently finished the book and wow, I think I loved it even more than the first. If you don't know, American Royals is a novel series that dreams up what the United States would be if they had lost the American Revolution and there was a monarchy still in place. It's America with a Royal Family, the Washingtons to be exact and Beatrice is set to become America's first Queen. 

American Royals is about Beatrice's journey to prepare for her coronation and also showcases her parents trying to make sure Bea is married before that happens. Bea also has twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson who are, of course, the wild twins of the palace. They have their own storylines that intertwine with Beatrice's, mostly how they live in her shadow. 

 I received this book courtesy of NetGalley and finished reading it a few months ago. I've been waiting to review it until we were closer to the publication date, which was yesterday so here we are.

"The Last to Know" takes place in a small town in England. It revolves around an old house, old family secrets, and someone discovering them. It's a classic mystery!

Publisher's Summary

My Thoughts

Publisher's Summary

My Thoughts

Publisher's Summary

My Thoughts

Publisher's Summary

My Thoughts

Publisher's Summary

My Thoughts

Publisher's Summary

My Thoughts