I've been hearing a lot about this book "The Widow" being similar to "Gone Girl" and those types of books. If you've ever read my blog before, you know that I love a good suspenseful, thrilling novel. I needed something good to listen to on Audible after listening to all the Harry Potter books, and I thought this novel was a good place to start.

Well, it was thrilling and very interesting. It was also really messed up.



Nothing will ever beat "Pretty Girls" in the effed up category but this was kind of close. It was a little slow to start and a little difficult to follow (this may be a book that is actually easier to read) but it was good.

It takes place in England, and Jeannie is now a widow. She saw her husband get hit by a bus, and what you soon find out, is that her husband had been accused of kidnapping a little girl.

The novel follows Jean's life before, during, and after the accusation while also showing you many different perspectives, different sides of the story, and it helps you put the pieces together.

The book was intense at times, and it wasn't that difficult to figure out the ending, but there were many twists and turns throughout the book. What threw me off the most was the main character Jean, and how unstable she seemed throughout the book. It was a little alarmingly at how she acted.

The Widow was a great book and right up there with Gone Girl, Luckiest Girl Alive, and The Girl on the Train. It will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

If you can handle a little bit of suspense, and a kidnapping story, then you'd really enjoy this!

Here we are again, trying out a new writing format. I have been reading/listening to too many books to do separate posts about them, and sometimes I find myself rambling in book review posts just to fill up space or get my point across.

I think rounding up the books in one short paragraph is much better than dedicated posts that don't make that much sense.

Let me know what you think!

I will preface this by saying that I didn't read any of these books -- I listened to them all on Audible, Amazon's audiobook companion. I've been addicted to Audible since April and have listened to too many books. You can read my initial thoughts on Audible here but clearly I love it.




Let's get started, shall we?

1. Primates of Park Avenue: This was a book that I had heard negative reviews on and didn't think I would want to read it, but it somehow drew me in. I listened to this after listening to a slew of nonfiction memoirs and wanted something a little fluffier but still not 100% fiction. It was really interesting to hear stories about the Upper East Side and how it truly is a different world with different rules. There was a lot of science and biology wrapped up into it and I think that made the book a little more credible. Also, the author was in no way similar to these women she talked about, which I think was a misunderstanding in the reviews I read. She wasn't bragging about the lifestyle, she was simply informing people of what goes on (she was just as shocked as the readers!) This was a pretty good book and I would recommend it if you want something light but not completely chick lit fiction.

2. The News Sorority: I had been lusting after this book for a good year and finally listened to it. I was weary of listening to it because I thought I would prefer to read a book like this but OMG, it was amazing. It takes you through the journey of three of the most famous women news anchors of our time and tells the stories of major events in the world, and their lives, and journalism in general. It sparked my nerd bug, big time. It was really long and those are my favorite books to listen too... and it was incredible. I was a journalism major in college and I'm a writer at heart (as you read my blog...duh) so it was wonderful to hear about Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Christiane Amanpour's lives & careers. It definitely made me crave a journalism career and it was inspiring. This was another book that didn't get great reviews but if you love news, journalism, and memoirs, I think you'd really like this.

3. Killing Monica: Written by Candace Bushnell, aka the writer of Sex and the City novel (yes it was a book before the tv show) and it was hilarious. The premiss is that a very successful NYC author who just got divorced is sick of writing about her famous character, Monica. Everyone LOVES Monica & can't get enough of her, but PJ Wallis is tired of living in Monica's shadow. She needs to do something but what happens isn't what she expects.

I was definitely annoyed by it at times, and it may have been because I listened to it instead of reading but it was really outlandish and funny. A fake death? A crazy actress? New York City? Sign me up! It was definitely fluff but there is a deeper meaning behind it. I read some reviews and articles about this and a lot of people thought Bushnell was talking about Carrie Bradshaw in the novel, and it was hard for me NOT to think of that but she assured critics that it isn't based off of real life. It was a great read and I listened to it pretty quickly.

4. Luckiest Girl Alive: I got into a mood where I really wanted to listen/read a thriller novel. This was one that I had begun seeing everywhere and I couldn't resist. Let me start off by saying that this definitely has that "Gone Girl" & "Girl On the Train" feel but not as insane or twisted. It takes place in NYC and the main character works at a magazine as a sex writer so it definitely has a more present day, glamorous feel. I definitely was surprised and pleased with the true storyline, it was really interesting and crazy, and it gave me the chills. It was shocking and intense and a little hard to listen to at times but it was incredible in my opinion. Is it as good as "Gone Girl?" -- no, of course not. I don't think anything will come close to that for a while. I feel like this is a book I'd listen to again, that's how much I really enjoyed it.

As you can tell, I don't care if a book got bad reviews. Never judge a book by it's cover...or a review. If something sparks your interest, always read it! You never know where your next favorite will come from.

What books have you been reading/listening to lately? What do you think I should read next?

Let's first start off with the fact that I have always been a huge book lover. I adore books and it took me a while to get into the swing of an e-reader. I missed (and still miss) the feel and idea of a physical book.

I'm very odd when it comes to what I choose to read in an actual book form and what I choose to read on my iPad or Nook.

Book series that I've started in e-reader form (like Pretty Little Liars), I will continue in e-reader form. Books about the real world and jobs, I prefer in physical book form.

It's just how my mind works.

But, what I have never thought I would like was the idea of an audiobook. Listening to a book? How ridiculous! I need to see the words in front of me! I need to be able to connect with the story by looking at it.

Well, that is surely not the case anymore.

I downloaded "The Girl on the Train" as my first free audiobook from Audible, which is powered by Amazon. I figured it's free and I mind as well give it a shot, I had nothing to lose.

I also thought that it would be a great thing to do while I was on the train going to and from work. My commute is a little longer than it used to be at my old job so I needed something to occupy my time better and not make me want to jump out of the window.

I don't really enjoy listening to music on the train because it kind of gets old and it bores me. I figured an audiobook would be a great solution.

And my goodness it was.



I'm addicted and I've listened to two other books so far. I purchased a membership to Audible which for $15 a month, you get one free credit toward a book and the audiobooks are pretty expensive so it was worth it to me.

It definitely keeps my attention and listening to someone narrate a story is so thrilling. I'm able to picture the story much more than reading the actual words on the page. It's weird but it really holds my attention and I am completely enthralled in the book. I look forward to my train rides for the sole purpose of listening to the books.

So that's the deal on Audible--if you're skeptical, sign up and try it. Your first book is free and you have nothing to lose. It's amazing and I think you'll love it, especially if you're a book worm!

Anyways...



I've heard so many people rave about Girl on the Train, I needed to check it out for myself. Many have said it is the next Gone Girl and I have to agree. It takes place in London and the narrator(s) have British accents and it makes the book that much better.

This was a book that kept me on my toes. It was very suspenseful and eerie and it had you trying to guess what would happen next. It also would lead you in one direction and then throw something at you that completely didn't see coming. It was just amazing on all levels. I looked forward to finding out what the hell happened at the end, it almost couldn't come soon enough.

The main character, Rachel, seemed very delusional at times but at the end, you were proud of her. It was amazing character development, even if she was annoying at times.

I won't give anything away but I will give a short summary. Basically Rachel is a drunk and obsessed with her ex husband. She has a delusional way about her, she is a fake, and she can't move on. You think you know her story, you think you know THE story but you don't.

The twist at the end was just as amazing as Gone Girl and it was just an incredible book. I would love to read it over and over again!

Have you read The Girl on the Train? What did you think?