There are only a handful of times where I have gone out of my way to read an Advanced Readers Copy months before it’s release date. That being said, when I was provided with an eARC of The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey in August via Netgalley, I took to my Kindle to read it that same day. And I can proudly say, I definitely made the right decision in doing so!
Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research. She’s patient and gentle and obedient. She’s everything Evelyn swore she’d never be. And she’s having an affair with Evelyn’s husband. Now, the cheating bastard is dead, and the Caldwell wives have a mess to clean up. Good thing Evelyn Caldwell is used to getting her hands dirty When they said all happy families are alike, this can’t be what they meant…
This thriller was incredibly well written and paced. I have never read a Sarah Gailey novel before, but I know that people typically tend to enjoy her writing. This book was no exception. The writing was very simple and easy to understand. It was also very to the point and efficient in this story. The novel was paced very well, being suspenseful at certain times, while also being stagnant at others.
I also really enjoyed the small cast of characters. There are essentially only four characters that are central to this story, which I enjoyed immensely, as several thrillers I have read feature a high number of characters that I typically find hard to differentiate. While none of the characters were very likeable or rememberable, I thought they were written perfectly for the purpose of this novel.
My favourite part of this novel was the cloning aspect, which turned out to be no surprise. Whenever I read a thriller that has a tech or sci-fi element, I always end up loving it and enjoy seeing it intertwined in the novel. While I am not a huge sci-fi reader, I find sci-fi tropes in thrillers so engrossing and compelling, which is why I initially added this to my most anticipated list for 2021!
The plot itself was great. As I said earlier, this books really encapsulated everything I love in thrillers. A family/domestic drama, murder, and a sci-fi element! At times, I would have enjoyed a bit more action. I also thought that the ending dragged on a tad. But other than that, this book was fantastic! Overall, I rated it 4.25/5 stars!
Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC to read and review!
For the past three consecutive years (2018-2020), my first book of the year always managed to be my least favourite book of the year. And these weren’t books that I gave 2.5-3 stars to, I’m talking about 1-star books, which is insane! Thankfully, by way of reading Milk Fed by Melissa Broder, I finally broke my god-awful curse!
Rachel is twenty-four, a lapsed Jew who has made calorie restriction her religion. By day, she maintains an illusion of existential control, by way of obsessive food rituals, while working as an underling at a Los Angeles talent management agency. At night, she pedals nowhere on the elliptical machine. Rachel is content to carry on subsisting—until her therapist encourages her to take a ninety-day communication detox from her mother, who raised her in the tradition of calorie counting. Early in the detox, Rachel meets Miriam, a zaftig young Orthodox Jewish woman who works at her favorite frozen yogurt shop and is intent upon feeding her. Rachel is suddenly and powerfully entranced by Miriam—by her sundaes and her body, her faith and her family—and as the two grow closer, Rachel embarks on a journey marked by mirrors, mysticism, mothers, milk, and honey. Pairing superlative emotional insight with unabashed vivid fantasy, Broder tells a tale of appetites: physical hunger, sexual desire, spiritual longing, and the ways that we as humans can compartmentalize these so often interdependent instincts. Milk Fed is a tender and riotously funny meditation on love, certitude, and the question of what we are all being fed, from one of our major writers on the psyche—both sacred and profane.
I want to start off this review by explicitly stating that this book will NOT be for everyone. There are quite a few weird and disturbing fantasies that the main character, Rachel, talks about in great detail, which may be off-putting for some readers. Additionally, at the beginning of the book, you immediately recognize that Rachel is dealing with an eating disorder, and has been for the majority of her life due to childhood trauma. The book starts off with a conservation about her eating habits, which spirals into other various triggering conversations. So if that is something that may make it hard for you to read this book, I would steer clear for now.
All that being said, the book may not be for everyone, but it certainly was for me!
All of the characters in this novel were so authentic and raw, and seemed very real to me. Each character had an interesting perspective or story, and made a very different impact on Rachel throughout the short window of her life that we read about. Rachel was such a complex and layered character, who had many real flaws and issues with her life. Rachel’s odd fantasies and ideas may seem disturbing at times, but I feel like everyone can relate to her as most people share many of the odd things that she thinks about on a daily basis. I could see a lot of myself in Rachel, which contributed to why I enjoyed this novel so much. I also really appreciated Miriam, the second main-character in this novel and Rachel’s love interest. Like Rachel, she was very complex and layered, and the characteristics she had may surprise people that are not close to orthodox Jewish women. She had a mind of her own and acted like her own person, while also enjoying her religious lifestyle and family. Orthodox Jewish women are frequently looked down on in Americanized societies, so to see someone from Miriam’s religious roots make such a deep character was incredibly refreshing to read about. I would have liked to have read more about Miriam’s parents and siblings, as I found them to be very intriguing characters.
The writing of this story was quite simple, but very raw. When I read first-person narratives, I often find that the author is describing the main characters thoughts instead of simply writing them from their point of view. In this story, Broder writes the story so well, that everytime I picked up this novel, I was immersed into Rachel’s mind and could clearly understand her thoughts and where they were coming from.
My most favourite part about this book was the Jewish representation. Judaism is a very important aspect and theme in this book, as their are a few conversations that revolve around religion, culturally Jewish traditions, and the aspect of sexuality in Judaism. As a Jewish women, I hardly ever find myself represented in books. I have several friends and family friends that are very observant/religious, and to see Miriam live her life as a religious Jewish women was SO exciting to read about. My favourite scenes in this novel was when Rachel attends Miriam’s family’s shabbat dinner, as I found it so authentic and real, from the food they were eating, to the way they were having their conversations. Throughout the novel, Rachel continuously thinks about the Jewish chant/song titled “Eitz Chaim Hi”, which was so wonderful to me, as that is my favourite Jewish “shul song” as well. Not only was the culture of Judaism a frequent theme in this novel, but there were also some incredibly interesting conversations between Rachel and Miriam about Judaism, including a conversation between Rachel and Miriam’s mother about the state of Israel. It was so refreshing to showcase that just because an individual is Jewish, they may not always agree with how Israel is run, much like how an American, or even Canadian person may not like how their government leaders run their respective homelands. That conversation was a huge turning point in the novel, but also helped to show readers that not all Jewish people are the same. Diverse representation is incredibly important in literature, and I hope that I will be able to find and read more books that revolve around complex Jewish characters, such as the ones found in Milk Fed.
Overall, I rated this novel 5/5 stars. It was one of the most perfect books I have read in a long, long time, and I look forward to picking up Melissa Broder’s future novels. If you are interested in reading this novel, it comes out in (online) bookstores today! Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me an ARC of this novel to review!
Every year, I find that January is always the longest month of the entire year. Even though we have been stuck in our houses since last March, it still feels like this January was the longest month of all. I got quite a bit of reading completed for the first-half of the month, however, I probably could have read double the amount if I had read consistently during the last two-weeks of January (you can blame George Springer for that!).
The first book I read this year was SHOCKINGLY a 5-star read! The title of the book is MILK FED, written by Melissa Broder. Every year for the past three years, I have managed to read my least favourite book of the year as my first book of the year. Thankfully, that curse has now been broken by this wonderful book. My review will be going up tomorrow, so I am going to save my opinions for tomorrow’s post. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC!
The second book I read in January was EVERY LAST FEAR by Alex Finlay. I feel like this book is getting a lot of pre-release hype – similarly to THE SILENT PATIENT (one of my absoulte favourite books) – but, I do feel like it is earned! My review for this book will be up on it’s release date, but I will say that I really enjoyed it! Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!
The third book I read this month was A GOOD MARRIAGE by Kimberly McCreight. I have been wanting to read this book ever sense it released last year, but I am currently on a small book-buying ban, which entails only buying/pre-ordering new releases I am excited to read. For any backlists books that I am interested in, I will be getting them from the library for the foreseeable future, because if I really wanted to purchase them, I would have done so already. Anywho, back to this book! I really, really loved it! I am a huge domestic mystery/thriller fan, and this book was absolutely perfect for me! I loved the characters, the plot, and the twists and turns. I did not see the end twist coming, which made for a 4.5 star rating for me!
The fourth book I read this month was ALBATROSS by Terry Fallis. This one was recommended in a recent Ariel Bissett video, and since I typically love her book recommendations, I decided to try this one out. While I am glad I read it, I wouldn’t recommend it to everybody. I really enjoyed the beginning of this novel, where the main character begins his adventures in golf, but by the end, I thought that it was dragging on. Overall, I gave this book a 3-star rating.
The fifth book I read this month was INDIAN HORSE by Richard Wagamese. I read this book for my “Education Re-Imagined” course, and I am SO glad I read it. This book broke my heart in some sections, and lifted me up in others. I had a lot of previous knowledge about Residential Schooling in Canada, but this book shared much more graphic details about the horrible abuse and trauma children experienced, and how it changed their lives as they grew up and out of the schools. This book should be required reading, especially if you live in Canada.
The final book I read this month was SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut. I read this book for my mandatory “Intro to English Literature” course, and unfortunately, it was not for me. I found the story structure a bit too confusing and complex for me, especially because I am very used to reading linear stories in prose narrative. However, I am still glad I read it, since this book was quite the adventure! Overall, I rated it 2.25/5-stars.
In January, I read about half of one of my favourite books of all-time, BASEBALL LIFE ADVICE by Stacey May Fowles. If you aren’t already aware, along with reading, Baseball is my second passion/hobby. I am a huge baseball “nut”, and look forward to watching and attending games every season. Fowles is a passionate Toronto Blue Jays fan (like myself), and is one of my biggest writing inspirations. BASEBALL LIFE ADVICE is a collection of essays about the Blue Jays, and about baseball in general. From writing about the Bat Flip, to how Baseball gets women-fans all wrong, this book is always a pleasure to read. I have read this book in chunks several times before, but I am currently slowly making my way through the entire thing. I hope to finish it by the end of February, right around the time Spring Training begins (hopefully…)!
Those are all of the books I read in January! Overall, I am happy with my reading this month, and hope to continue on a steady pace going into the next several months! Did you read anything fastastic this month?
There are SO many books that I am highly anticipating this year, and I hope to read many of them throughout the next 12 months! Since I am trying to limit my book purchasing this year, I have pre-ordered many of these in order to eliminate sporadic book spending. This list is in release order, however, their release dates are subject to change. This list is filled with mystery/thrillers, romance, and literary fiction. To see the full list on Goodreads, click here.
When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front. But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister. When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents—especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself. The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby’s growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything. But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.
Cinderella married the man of her dreams–the perfect ending she deserved after diligently following all the fairy-tale rules. Yet now, two children and thirteen and a half years later, things have gone badly wrong and her life is far from perfect. One night, fed up, she sneaks out of the palace to get help from the Witch who, for a price, offers love potions to disgruntled housewives. But as the old hag flings the last ingredients into the cauldron, Cinderella doesn’t ask for a love spell to win back her Prince Charming. Instead, she wants him dead. Endlessly surprising, wildly inventive, and decidedly modern, The Charmed Wife weaves together time and place, fantasy and reality, to conjure a world unlike any other. Nothing in it is quite what it seems, and the twists and turns of its magical, dark, swiftly shifting paths take us deep into the heart of what makes us unique, of romance and marriage, and of the very nature of storytelling.
Sera loves true crime podcasts. They make her feel empowered in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She’s sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it’s time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts. Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel’s small hometown to begin her search. She’s convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won’t be the last… Rachel did try to warn her.
FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT . . . except, she’s really not. The new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head. When Finlay’s overheard discussing the plot of her new novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . and she soon discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart.
Welcome to Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, eight protestant martyrs were burned at the stake here. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And two months ago, the vicar of the local parish killed himself. Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village hoping to make a fresh start and find some peace. Instead, Jack finds a town mired in secrecy and a strange welcome package: an old exorcism kit and a note quoting scripture. “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.” The more Jack and daughter Flo get acquainted with the town and its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into their rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. And when Flo is troubled by strange sightings in the old chapel, it becomes apparent that there are ghosts here that refuse to be laid to rest. But uncovering the truth can be deadly in a village where everyone has something to protect, everyone has links with the village’s bloody past, and no one trusts an outsider.
Blake Nelson built a homestead on a hidden stretch of land—a raw paradise in the wilds of Utah—where he lived with his three wives: Rachel, the first wife, obedient and doting to a fault, with a past she’d prefer to keep quiet. Tina, the other wife, everything Rachel isn’t, straight from rehab and the Vegas strip. And Emily, the young wife, naïve and scared, estranged from her Catholic family. The only thing that they had in common was Blake. Until all three are accused of his murder. When Blake is found dead under the desert sun, all three wives becomes a suspect—not only to the police, but to each other. As the investigation draws them closer, each wife must decide who can be trusted.
Everyone has secrets. They know yours… In the 21st century information is king. But computers can be hacked, files can be broken into. So a unique government initiative has been borne. Five ordinary people have been selected to become the latest weapon in thwarting cyber terrorism. A revolutionary medical procedure has turned them into the ultimate secret keepers – the country’s most secretive information has been taken offline and turned into genetic code implanted inside their heads. Together, the five know every secret – the truth behind every Government lie, conspiracy theory and cover up. Only somebody has discovered who the secret keepers are. And one by one, they are being hunted down…
With her newly completed PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a girls’ trip to Vegas to celebrate. She’s a straight A, work-through-the-summer certified high achiever. She is not the kind of person who goes to Vegas and gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn’t know…until she does exactly that. This one moment of departure from her stern ex-military father’s plans for her life has Grace wondering why she doesn’t feel more fulfilled from completing her degree. Staggering under the weight of her father’s expectations, a struggling job market and feelings of burnout, Grace flees her home in Portland for a summer in New York with the wife she barely knows. In New York, she’s able to ignore all the annoying questions about her future plans and falls hard for her creative and beautiful wife, Yuki Yamamoto. But when reality comes crashing in, Grace must face what she’s been running from all along—the fears that make us human, the family scars that need to heal and the longing for connection, especially when navigating the messiness of adulthood.
Of all the women and men Noni Blake has pleased in her life, there’s one she’s often overlooked–herself. After the end of a decade-long relationship, Noni decides it’s time for that to change. She’s finally going to prioritize her wants and desires and only do things (and people) that feel good in the moment. As she embarks on a pleasure-seeking quest that takes her halfway around the world, she discovers that maybe she can have everything, and everyone, she’s ever wanted. Effortlessly hilarious and relatable, Claire Christian spins a fresh, feel-good tale about starting over as a thirtysomething woman who’s been living life for everyone else. A story of self-discovery for the ages, Noni’s journey serves as a sparkling reminder that life is what we make of it–so why not enjoy it?
“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears. After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why. The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime. When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.
Skye Starling is overjoyed when her boyfriend, Burke Michaels, proposes after a whirlwind courtship. Though Skye seems to have the world at her fingertips—she’s smart, beautiful, and from a well-off family—she’s also battled crippling OCD ever since her mother’s death when she was eleven, and her romantic relationships have suffered as a result. But now Burke—handsome, older, and more emotionally mature than any man she’s met before—says he wants her. Forever. Except, Burke isn’t who he claims to be. And interspersed letters to his therapist reveal the truth: he’s happily married, and using Skye for his own, deceptive ends. In a third perspective, set thirty years earlier, a scrappy seventeen-year-old named Heather is determined to end things with Burke, a local bad boy. Inspired by the sophisticated mother of her babysitting charges, Heather vows to leave her impoverished hometown behind and make a better life for herself in New York City. But can her adolescent love stay firmly in her past—or will he find his way into her future? On a collision course she doesn’t see coming, Skye throws herself into wedding planning, as Burke’s scheme grows ever more twisted. Meanwhile, three decades in the past, Heather’s longed-for transformation finally seems within reach. But of course, even the best laid plans can go astray. And just when you think you know where this story is going, you’ll discover that there’s more than one way to spin the truth.
Reena Manji doesn’t love her career, her single status, and most of all, her family inserting themselves into every detail of her life. But when caring for her precious sourdough starters, Reena can drown it all out. At least until her father moves his newest employee across the hall–with hopes that Reena will marry him. But Nadim’s not like the other Muslim bachelors-du-jour that her parents have dug up. If the Captain America body and the British accent weren’t enough, the man appears to love eating her bread creations as much as she loves making them. She sure as hell would never marry a man who works for her father, but friendship with a neighbor is okay, right? And when Reena’s career takes a nosedive, Nadim happily agrees to fake an engagement so they can enter a couples video cooking contest to win the artisan bread course of her dreams. As cooking at home together brings them closer, things turn physical, but Reena isn’t worried. She knows Nadim is keeping secrets, but it’s fine— secrets are always on the menu where her family is concerned. And her heart is protected… she’s not marrying the man. But even secrets kept for self preservation have a way of getting out, especially when meddling parents and gossiping families are involved.
When her husband left her with a baby, a toddler and a fledgling business, Francesca managed–she wasn’t always gentle or patient, but the business thrived and Chris and Angelina had food to eat. At nearly 70, she feels she’s earned a peaceful retirement. But when a massive stroke leaves her voiceless, partially paralyzed and wholly reliant on the staff of an extended care facility, it seems her freedom is lost. However, Francesca is still clear-headed and sharp, and she knows one thing: she wants to live. She savours her view of a majestic chestnut tree through the hospital window, and speaks in her mind to her beloved friend Anna, dead for two years. The daily tasks and dramas of the rotating crew of care aides tether her to the world: Young Lily, eager to fall in love and regularly falling apart when things don’t work out; Michiko, with her spiky hair and tattoos and wicked sense of humour; Molly, endlessly kind and skilled in her work; Blaire, cold and enigmatic. Amidst the indignities of bed baths and a feeding tube, Francesca is surprised to experience flashes of hilarity and joy, even the blossoming of a new friendship with a fellow patient. But as she reflects to Anna on her dutiful son and her troubled and absent daughter, regrets and painful realizations rise to the surface. For the first time, there is nowhere for Francesca to hide from her own choices, and she must reckon with her past before it’s too late. A Funny Kind of Paradise is a warm and insightful novel about one woman’s opportunity for reinvention–for unconditional love, acceptance and closure–in the unlikeliest of places.
Abigail Baskin never thought she’d fall in love with a millionaire. Then she met Bruce Lamb. He’s a good guy, stable, level-headed, kind—a refreshing twist from her previous relationships. But right before the wedding, Abigail has a drunken one-night stand on her bachelorette weekend. She puts the incident—and the sexy guy who wouldn’t give her his real name—out of her mind, and now believes she wants to be with Bruce for the rest of her life. Then the mysterious stranger suddenly appears—and Abigail’s future life and happiness are turned upside down. He insists that their passionate night was the beginning of something much, much more. Something special. Something real—and he’s tracked her down to prove it. Does she tell Bruce and ruin their idyllic honeymoon—and possibly their marriage? Or should she handle this psychopathic stalker on her own? To make the situation worse, strange things begin to happen. She sees a terrified woman in the night shadows, and no one at the resort seems to believe anything is amiss… including her perfect new husband.
Ada’s life is a mess. She just caught her boyfriend cheating on her after a humiliating attempt at losing her virginity, and she’s had it up to here with her gorgeous older sister’s unsolicited advice. But things really hit the fan during a family vacation in Hawaii, where Ada discovers her own mother is having an affair. Apparently, everyone is falling into bed with people they shouldn’t. Everyone except Ada. But when Ada decides she’s going to stop trying and start doing—sex, that is—her best laid plan overlooks an inconvenient truth: Feelings, romantic or not, always get in the way.
Naomi Grant has built her life around going against the grain. After the sex-positive start-up she cofounded becomes an international sensation, she wants to extend her educational platform to live lecturing. Unfortunately, despite her long list of qualifications, higher ed won’t hire her. Ethan Cohen has recently received two honors: LA Mag named him one of the city’s hottest bachelors and he became rabbi of his own synagogue. Taking a gamble in an effort to attract more millennials to the faith, the executive board hired Ethan because of his nontraditional background. Unfortunately, his shul is low on both funds and congregants. The board gives him three months to turn things around or else they’ll close the doors of his synagogue for good. Naomi and Ethan join forces to host a buzzy seminar series on Modern Intimacy, the perfect solution to their problems–until they discover a new one–their growing attraction to each other. They’ve built the syllabus for love’s latest experiment, but neither of them expected they’d be the ones putting it to the test.
Jane easily falls in love with Duncan: he’s charming, good-natured, and handsome. He has also slept with nearly every woman in Boyne City, Michigan. Jane sees Duncan’s old girlfriends everywhere–at restaurants, at the grocery store, even three towns away. While she may be able to come to terms with dating the world’s most prolific seducer of women, she wishes she didn’t have to share him quite so widely. His ex-wife, Aggie, still has Duncan mow her lawn. And his coworker Jimmy comes and goes from Duncan’s apartment at the most inopportune times. Jane wonders how the relationship is supposed to work with all these people in it. Not to mention most of the other residents of Boyne City, who freely share with Jane their opinions of her choices. But any notion Jane has of love and marriage changes with one terrible car crash. Now her life is permanently intertwined with Duncan’s, Aggie’s, and Jimmy’s, and she knows she will never have Duncan to herself. But is it possible that a deeper kind of happiness is right in front of her eyes? A novel that is alternately bittersweet and laugh-out-loud funny, Gold in the Air is Katherine Heiny’s most astonishingly wonderful work to date.
You don’t know who. You don’t know why. But someone wants you dead. When Marianne’s husband Greg is knocked off his bike and killed on the way to work, she must unpick the life he left behind. Numb with grief, Marianne consoles herself by scouring Greg’s laptop, finding comfort in reading his old emails and tracing his footsteps across the web. Until one day, she discovers that he had been accessing the dark web. Why was Greg, a principled charity worker and dedicated husband, logging on to a website that showcases the worst of humanity’s cruel impulses and where anything is available for a price? Marianne steels herself and logs on. After tentative searching, she discovers her name on a hit list. In this fast-paced, powerful and exceptionally plotted novel, Marianne must figure out whether Greg was trying to protect her or whether he was complicit in the conspiracy for her murder. As she is pulled deeper into the depths of the underworld that Greg was seemingly hostage to, she gets closer and closer to coming face to face with Sam – the assassin hired to kill her. The dark truths that Marianne uncovers speak volumes about the dark underbelly of our society and forces us to question how far we would go to protect those we care most about.
Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in the north of Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed. But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, Dylan, who she’s avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier. Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they’ve totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with three hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can’t avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship… Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly… is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?
Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart–she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown–but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together. Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since. Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together–lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees. Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?
Tru Beck is a teenage girl from Pennsylvania who lives in a world that has become trapped in a fold in time and space, where “real” time has stopped but humanity continues to mark artificial time based on a website called N3WCLOCK.com. Tru lives in a house that has a switch at its center. No one knows what the switch controls, but her father continually builds larger and larger boxes around the switch (Tru lives in Box #7). Tru leaves the box through a Tru-shaped hole to go to school, where she pays no attention to the new “Solution Time” curriculum. In fact, the only interesting thing that’s ever happened to Tru at school is when she discovers (on her first try) that she can throw a javelin farther than any human has ever thrown anything before in human history.
Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold. Now, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find…
Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever. Malibu: August 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over–especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva. The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud–because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth. Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there. And Kit has a couple secrets of her own–including a guest she invited without consulting anyone. By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.
Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is honestly a bit out of his league. So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting—even if temporary—isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human. With the humor and heart we’ve come to expect from bestselling author Steven Rowley, The Guncle is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times.
When his girlfriend throws him out during the pandemic, Bambi has to go to his Uncle’s house in lock-down Lagos. He arrives during a blackout, and is surprised to find his Aunty Bidemi sitting in a candlelit room with another woman. They both claim to be the mother of the baby boy, fast asleep in his crib. At night Bambi is kept awake by the baby’s cries, and during the days he is disturbed by a cockerel that stalks the garden. There is sand in the rice. A blood stain appears on the wall. Someone scores tribal markings into the baby’s cheeks. Who is lying and who is telling the truth?
Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train. Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all. Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.
When prodigal daughter Heather Evans returns to her family home after her mother’s baffling suicide, she makes an alarming discovery–stacks and stacks of carefully preserved letters from notorious serial killer Michael Reave. The “Red Wolf,” as he was dubbed by the press, has been in prison for over twenty years, serving a life sentence for the gruesome and ritualistic murders of several women across the country, although he has always protested his innocence. The police have had no reason to listen, yet Heather isn’t the only one to have cause to re-examine the murders. The body of a young woman has just been found, dismembered and placed inside a tree, the corpse planted with flowers. Just as the Red Wolf once did. What did Heather’s mother know? Why did she kill herself? And with the monstrous Red Wolf safely locked inside a maximum security prison, who is stalking young women now? Teaming up with DI Ben Parker, Heather hopes to get some answers for herself and for the newest victims of this depraved murderer. Yet to do that, she must speak to Michael Reave herself, and expose herself to truths she may not be ready to face. Something dark is walking in the woods, and it knows her all too well.
Kat and Stevie may be best friends, but they are opposites in almost every way, except for the one that counts: they’ve both spent the last three years in Stanwich High’s theater program, paying their dues. Now that they’re seniors, they’re ready to race into the future. But before all that, they’re sneaking out to spend a perfect night together in New York City. The plan is to go to the hottest restaurant, see an underground show, and have an adventure along the way. What isn’t in the plan: Lost phones. A massive fight. A tiny pomeranian named Brad. Losing each other. Now, alone in New York City without money, without phones, and without one another, Kat and Stevie have to figure out what to do next. But there’s a dog to return to its owner, a show to catch, a reservation to make, a party to crash, and a very cute boy to kiss. And if they manage to do all that, they might just find their way back to each other before the clock in Grand Central strikes midnight.
A speculative thriller following ex-girlfriends raised at a remote, icy research institution, and what happens when they uncover the nightmarish discovery that their families are protecting there.
When Alice and Leo move into a newly renovated house in The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses, it is everything they’ve dreamed of. But appearances can be deceptive… As Alice is getting to know her neighbours, she discovers a devastating secret about her new home, and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before. Alice becomes obsessed with trying to piece together what happened two years before. But no one wants to talk about it. Her neighbors are keeping secrets and things are not as perfect as they seem…
Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the esteemed Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest. He says his wife couldn’t be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while. Teddy really can’t be bothered with the death of a school parent that’s looking more and more like murder or the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is on pushing these kids to their full academic potential. All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way. It’s really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.
Thomas and Viv Adler have a picture-perfect family. Affluent and attractive, with two well-mannered kids almost out of the nest, they live in a beautifully restored Craftsman house in a well-to-do neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. Their jobs are secure; their children are thriving; the world is their oyster. Until one morning, when they wake up to find that their house and car have been pelted with eggs. Thomas dismisses it as the work of a few out-of-control kids, but when a smoke bomb is tossed on their front lawn, and the tires on their BMW are punctured, he begins to worry. The family installs surveillance cameras but they show nothing but grainy images of shadowy figures in hoodies. Unable to identify the perpetrators, they are helpless as the assaults escalate. The police assure them that this is just the work of bored teenagers. But no one in the Adler family believes it. After all, each of them has a secret—kept not only from the outside world but from each other. Seventeen-year-old Tarryn is dabbling in a seedy online world; her older brother, Eli, has dropped out of college and refuses to tell his parents why; and Thomas and Viv have their own secrets that began as harmless fun and relief from the pressures of everyday life, but have grown into something darker and more dangerous. As the Adlers grapple with their guilt, fear, and shame, the assaults grow deadly. Their “perfect” façade is crumbling, and it may be too late for any of them to do anything about it in this addictive and twisty suspense novel that will keep you turning pages until its explosive ending.
One of my reading goals for 2021 is to re-read some of my all-time favourite books, and see if they still rank on my favourites list! To do so, I am going to pick one favourite book to re-read every other month from this list. I have been wanting to do this re-read challenge for so long, and I am very excited to try to do it this year!
The first book I want to read for my re-read challenge is CINDER by Marissa Meyer. The Lunar Chronicles series was one of my favourite book series ever, but I actually never found time to read the conclusion of the series, WINTER. While I plan on reading the first one, I hope to actually complete the series throughout the year and see if it still holds up overtime.
The second book I hope to re-read is DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth. This book was the book that hooked me on reading, so I am really looking forward to re-reading it. I can’t even remember the last time I read a dystopian novel, but I hope this one is just as good as I remember it to be. If I am not mistaken, I have actually re-read this novel a few times, but not in recent memory.
The third book I hope to re-read is THE STARTER WIFE by Nina Laurin. This book was my #1 favourite book of 2019, but unfortunately, I remember next to nothing about it. Hopefully it surprises me and is just as enjoyable as it was during my first read almost two years ago!
The fourth book I hope to re-read this year is THE LAND OF STORIES: THE WISHING SPELL by Chris Colfer. The entire Land of Stories series is one of my all-time favourite series, and certainly my favourite middle grade book series of all-time. I have re-read this particular book countless times, but not within the last four years. I cannot wait to dive back into this world!
The fifth book I hope to re-read this year is BEHIND HER EYES by Sarah Pinborough. Whenever people ask me what my favourite book of all time is, I always say this one. This was my #1 favourite book of 2018, and the best book I had ever read at the time. I am really excited to re-read this one and see if it is solidified as my favourite book of all time!
The final book I hope to re-read this year is THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE by Cynthia Hand. This is my favourite holiday season book, and was in my top 3 books of 2018. Ever since I read this novel, I have read and loved a lot of other Cynthia Hand novels. She has a more mature YA title coming out this summer, and I am hoping to have this one read before I dive into her newest release!
Those are the six books I hope to re-read this year! Have you re-read any of your old favourite books? If so, how do they typically hold up overtime?
At the beginning of every year, I sit down and make a list of my yearly goals. Some change and some stay the same, but it is always fun to set goals and try to accomplish them throughout the next twelve months. For the past few years, I have been setting my own reading goals and sharing them with you. Sometimes they include goals relating to my blog or social media accounts, but this year, they are all related to books and reading!
GOAL #1: Read 24 Books
This year, I am going to worry less about how many books I read each month, and worry more about picking books that I think I will enjoy. By choosing the reading goal of completing 24 books this year, that means I will only have to read two books a year to complete it, making me stress less about the number of books and more about reading good picks!
GOAL #2: Quality over Quantity
I often find myself picking either shorter books or books that everyone else is reading during specific times of the year, regardless of if I believe I will genuinely enjoy the book or not. This year, I am going to try my hardest to read books that I actually want to read, even if they will somehow hinder my Goodreads goal or are not trendy to read at the moment.
GOAL #3: Sparse Book Buying
Last year, because of the craziness of 2020, I purchased a lot of books that I have yet to read. This year, I am going to be very selective about the books I will be purchasing for my physical collection. I have little room left on my shelves for new books, and want to fill the remaining space up with only books that I will be reading immediately and will most likely enjoy. I have pre-ordered a few of my most anticipated releases (more on those in a future post!), and plan on buying very few other books from that pre-determined list.
GOAL #4: Prioritize Books Sent by Publishers
Last year, much like every other year, I was kindly sent many books from publishing houses. Unfortunately, I did not read many of them, as I prioritized the (too many) books I purchased. I hope to make a significant dent in my backlist 2020 ARCs, and hope to enjoy all of them!
GOAL #5: Make a Better Attempt at Following my Monthly TBR
Over the past few years, I have made very little attempt at actually following the list of books I plan to read each month. In 2021, I plan on using my monthly TBRs as a strict list of books I plan on reading each month, and will try my best to complete all of them before the final day of the month.
GOAL #6: Complete my Re-Read Challenge
In 2021, I hope to re-read a lot of my old favourite books… but more on that in a future post!
Those are all of the reading goals I have made for myself to complete this year! Do you have any reading goals in mind?
One of my favourite ways of reflecting on previous years is to recap and reflect on my goals! Each year, I try to set some reading goals for myself, and share them on my blog to try to hold myself accountable. While I rarely accomplish half of my goals, I always enjoying setting them and trying to complete them. Last year, I set seven goals for myself, and I managed to accomplish five of the seven!!
I managed to read 50-books in 2020, which surpassed my original Goodreads goal of 45! As I shared in my Top 8 Books of 2020 post, I could have easily read upwards of 70, but due to the craziness of 2020, I took some long, extended reading breaks throughout the year.
GOAL #2: Read a Variety of Genres VERDICT: COMPLETE
This year, I read a record number of adult contemporary and literary fiction! Up until 2020, I read loads of mystery/thriller and YA novels, so I am very happy that I branched out to a new genre this year. Because I enjoyed so many adult contemporary novels in 2020, I hope to read many more this year!
GOAL #3: Post more Consistently on Bookstagram VERDICT: INCOMPLETE
While I love using (and stalking people) on Instagram, this year I realized that my preferred medium of discussing books is through my blog. I went through periods of posting and abandoning my Bookstagram account in 2020, and therefore I hope to post a bit more frequently on it this year.
GOAL #4: Be More Selective with ARCs VERDICT: COMPLETE
I could almost guarantee that everyone completed this goal this year (unless you’re a big Netgalley user), due to the pandemic and the amount of ARCs that were distributed by publishing houses this past year.
GOAL #5: Read More eBooks VERDICT: COMPLETE
During the summer, I made the thoughtful decision of purchasing an eReader. I purchased the newest Kindle Paperwhite, and although I was skeptical of it at first, it turned out to be one of my favourite purchases of 2020! I used it a lot for my school books, and also enjoyed reading a lot of eARCs on it this past year! My only wish is that my Libby ebooks would transfer onto it, but since I am from Canada, that feature is not accessible here.
GOAL #6: Post more consistently on my blog! VERDICT: COMPLETE
I am very happy with all of the blog posts I wrote in 2020, and hope to continue writing frequently in 2021!
GOAL #7: Read Harry Potter!!! VERDICT: INCOMPLETE
I think we can all agree that not many celebrities had a worse year than J.K. Rowling… 😬 Needless to say, this goal will not be on any future reading goals lists.
Out of all of my recent reading goals lists, this one was by far the most successful! I am really looking forward to putting together my 2021 reading goals list, and hope it is at least half as successful as this one!
Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I am really looking forward to 2021, and hope that this year is much better for all of us! January is almost always the month that I read the most books in, as I am the most motivated to read at the start of each year. That being said, I begin my second term of University during the second week of this month, so I am not exactly sure how much I will be able to read. This month, I have selected five books that I am really excited to read, and hope I will be able to get through all of them this month!
The first book I hope to read this month is MILK FED by Melissa Broder. For the past three years, my first book of the year has always been my least favourite book of the year, so I am hoping to end that streak by reading this novel! I am not exactly sure what this book entails, but I believe it centres around a plus-size religious Jewish women, which is so exciting to see. Needless to say, I am incredibly excited to begin this book today! Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for kindly sending me this ARC!
The second book I hope to read this month is LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam. One of my favourite Bookstagrammers, @Jordys.Book.Club, ranked this book as his #1 read of 2020, which means that I need to read it A.S.A.P.! I have heard some stellar things about this novel, and hope it lives up to all of the hype.
The third book I hope to read this month is BIRD BOX by Josh Malerman. Last year, I put a lot of my mystery/thriller novels on the back burner, including this book. I hope to make a sizeable dent in my personal thriller collection, and am starting it off by planning on reading this book! I have heard so many great things about this novel, and hope it lives up to all of the hype! I have also put off seeing the Netflix movie adaptation of this book until I read it, so I plan on watching it following the completion of my reading!
The fourth book I plan on reading this month is THE INHERITANCE GAMES by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I have been planning on reading this book for a while now, and am prioritizing to read it this month! Truthfully, I have not heard many things about this novel, so I am excited to go in it with fresh eyes. Thanks to HBG Canada for sending me a finished copy!
The final book I hope to complete this month is THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME by Robert Iger. Bob Iger was the former CEO of the Walt Disney Company, and if you know me in real life, you may know that I am a ginormous Dis-nerd! I love everything Disney, so it is quite surprising that I have never fully read Iger’s memoir. I am really looking forward to reading this, and plan on continuing 2021 by reading one non-fiction book a month.
Those are all of the books I plan on reading this month! What are you starting off your 2021 reading with?
This may be a tad depressing, but I have truly never been more excited for a to end! 2020 has been a year straight from hell, and I am hoping for a lot of positivity, health, and healing for everyone in 2021. Fortunately, one of my favourite strategies to escape from all of the horrible things this year brought on was to read a lot of books! I completed my original 2020 Goodreads reading challenge of 45 books, and ended up reading a total of 50 books this year! Last year I completed 58 books, and I definitely could have surpassed that goal if I continued reading at a high pace during the last quarter of the year. With school and some other personal things, I had practically no motivation to read if the book was not for school, but I hope things will change and I will be more motivated heading into 2021.
That being said, I managed to read some phenomenal books in 2020! I read loads of 2020 new-releases (thanks to some book shopping retail therapy!), and was so happy with all of the novels I picked up this year. Out of the 50 books I completed, I have selected eight novels that solidified themselves as new all-time favourite novels!
#8: Playing Nice by J.P. Delaney
This was one of my favourite thrillers of 2020! Ironically, last year, JP Delaney’s 2019 publication was on my top books of 2019 list, but I have to say that I enjoyed this one even more! I love a good family driven thriller, and that was exactly what this book was all about. This thriller had SO many unexpected twists and turns, and I absolutely loved it. You can read my full review of this novel here!
#7: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book absolutely blew me away. Believe it or not, prior to 2020 I had never had the chance to fully read this novel, and I am so glad I did. This book features some of the best written characters I have ever read about. Additionally, this book moved me to tears on several occasions, especially since so many of my elder family members have memories from WW2 that are just as frightening as the ones featured in this novel. Because of this book, I plan on reading some more historical fiction novels next year!
#6: The Switch by Beth O’Leary
Beth O’Leary’s 2019 release, The Flatshare, just missed my top reads of 2019 list, so I am incredibly happy that this one made it so high on my 2020 top books list! This book was such a delight to reader, and featured some incredibly memorable characters and storylines. Historically, I tend to avoid adult contemporary novels because I often find them very predictable and forgettable. However, this one was not like that at all! I had such a fantastic time reading this novel, and I cannot wait to read all of Beth O’Leary’s future releases! You can read my full review of this novel here!
#5: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Thousands of people are placing this book in their #1 favourite book of the year spot, and that makes perfect sense to me! This book was absolutely stunning in every single aspect. The characters, plot, and themes present in this novel are handled and written about so beautifully. I am not normally a big fan of hard-hitting contemporary, but this book is an absolute must-read.
#4: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
I was a very late member of The Silent Patient train, but once I read this book, there was no stepping off it! This novel will go down as one of my favourite mystery-thrillers of all time. This novel was written so carefully and precisely, and the plot-twist was one I had never experienced before. If you ever find yourself craving a perfect thriller, I would highly recommend picking this one up! You can read my full review of this novel here!
#3: The Passengers by John Marrs
If you are a frequent reader of my blog, it should not come as a shock to see a John Marrs book land on this list! This year I purchased Marrs’ entire written collection thus far, and while I am still making my way through it, the Marrs novel I enjoyed most this year was The Passengers. This book was an absolute delight to read, and I hope it gets adapted into a TV series one day! You can read my full review of this novel here!
#2: Beach Read by Emily Henry
In the year that was 2020, I often seemed some fun, adventurous romance novels, and this one was my favourite by far! While there was not much actual romance, the conversations between the two main characters were so interesting to read, and my overall experience of this novel was one of the ones I have had in a long while! You can read my full review of this novel here!
#1: The Mothers by Brit Bennett
There are very few words that would do justice to my experience and emotions towards this book. I find it quite amusing that this book made it to the top of my favourite books list of this year, as the experiences the characters go through in this novel are unlike any I have yet to experience. That being said, the writing, characters, and themes in this novel are written to perfection. This book will remain an all-time favourite throughout the depths of time, and I cannot wait to read every future Brit Bennett novel in the future!
Those were my absolute favourite reads of 2020! If you would like to see all of the books I read this year, click here. What was your favourite book of 2021?
Wishing you all a fabulous and safe New Years Eve, and I am looking forward to reading with you all next year!
Over the past two days, I celebrated finishing my first semester of University (as an English Major… more on that later!), and celebrated SEVEN YEARS of Reading, Reading, Reading! Whether you have been reading my posts starting in 2013, or starting today, I am so incredibly thankful for you! My life has changed so much since I started this little blog, and I could not be more thankful for everyone who reads my posts!
Over the past few months, I have received quite a few books from a few different publishers, which have come out just recently or are scheduled to be released in the coming months! I always enjoying share new releases with you, which is why I love to both make and read these kinds of posts!
A quick disclaimer: This is in no way a form of bragging. I truly love sharing the books I receive from publishers, and since I share them periodically on my Bookstagram account, this is a way for my blog readers to see them all featured in one spot. Additionally, if you cannot afford to purchase new releases, or can only access books from your local library, you are just as important in this book community as someone who can afford such luxuries! Buying new books does not make you any “more” or “less” of a reader!
The first pile of books I am featuring all came from Hachette Book Group Canada, including one of my most anticipated releases of 2021, None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney! This book has received some insanely amazing praise recently (the Goodreads reviews for it are STELLAR), and I plan on reading it very soon!
The second book I received from HBG Canada was A Tale of Witchcraft by Chris Colfer. As many of you know, Chris Colfer’s first middle grade series, The Land of Stories, is one of my favourite series of all time! His newest series is a spin-off of that series, and includes new characters and new adventures! I cannot wait to read this second instalment!
The first book I received from HBG Canada was Horrid by Katrina Leno. I have read a handful of Katrina Leno’s previous releases over the course of the last few years, and have enjoyed most of them, so I hope I enjoy this one just as much!
The fourth book I received from HBG Canada was The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I have been seeing this book pop-up everywhere on Bookstagram and BookTube, so I plan on reading it quite soon to find out if it is worth the hype!
The final book I received from HBG Canada was very unlike the books I usually receive, but I am incredibly excited for it! Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval is a “coffee-table book”, featuring hundreds of photographs that all look like they come from Wes Anderson films! I skimmed this book when it first arrived in the mail, and I am so excited to take a closer look at all of the beautiful photos! Thanks to HBG Canada for all of those incredibly new releases!
One of my biggest bookish goals of 2021 is to read more contemporary/literary fiction novels, as that is the genre I have enjoyed reading from the most this year! Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason is a contemporary novel featuring some very interesting literary themes, and I am really looking forward to reading it! This book was released in Australia this year, and is set to release in North America on February 9, 2021! Thanks to Harper Collins Canada for sending me an ARC!
These last four books were all graciously sent to me from Simon and Schuster Canada! The first book I received from them was Yolk by Mark H.K. Choi. Choi wrote both Emergency Contact and Permanent Record, two incredibly well-know YA contemporary novels, and this is her third YA release! I have not read her previous novels, but am looking forward to reading this one nonetheless! This book is a tale of two sisters, which already intrigues me more than her other two novels!
The second book I received from S&SC was Milk Fed by Melissa Broder. All I know is that the two main characters in this book are Jewish women, which places this book near the top of my TBR pile (I rarely see any overt Jewish repersentation in Adult literarture)! I truly cannot wait to read it!
The third book I received from S&SC was Other People’s Children by R.J. Hoffmann. To be honest, I remember next to nothing about the synopsis of this book, but am still very intrigued by the title and cover! Another book I will be adding to my growing list of literary fiction to read in 2021!
The final book I received from S&SC was Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman. While the cover of this book is beautiful, what really hooked me in was the first sentence of the synopsis “perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Evvie Drake Starts Over” – two books I loved! I am really looking forward to this novel, and hope to read it before it releases on March 2, 2021!
Those are all of the books that showed up in my mailbox over the past few months! Again, I would like to extend a huge thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada, Harper Collins Canada, and Simon and Schuster Canada for these new books! I cannot wait to read and review them for you!
Reading, Reading, Reading 