Book Review 2.0

I haven’t had as much time as I would like to read lately with all the school work I have, but I’ve still been able to read a few books that I absolutely loved! Reading gives me a little time to just sit and relax, and not worry about my work for a little while. I have a huge list of books that I would like to read, so hopefully over Christmas break, once I have no school work to worry about (!!!!) I can get a lot of them read and will be able to make another book review. So, here are my favorite books from the past few months.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware // Nora and her ex-best friend Clare haven’t spoken in years, so Nora is surprised when Clare invites her to her bachelorette weekend in the woods. Secrets come to light, and the weekend ends with multiple people in the hospital.

 Oh my. This book was definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read. I love Ruth Ware’s writing to begin with, but the story line to this was really good and kept me on the edge of my seat. The beginning was kind of slow, especially if you don’t like the style of her writing. That’s pretty much what kept me going. But once things start going down between the characters you won’t want to put the book down.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie // A man, hated by many, is found one morning in his room aboard the Orient Express with multiple stab wounds. There are only thirteen other people on the train, so which one of them did it?

This book is a classic and has been made in to multiple movies. It definitely lived up to all the great things I’ve heard about it. I read it on my way home from North Carolina over the summer and it made the ride seem a lot shorter. There were so many surprises and it definitely was not unpredictable. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are into the classics like I am.

The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks // Julie’s husband left two things for her after he died: a Great Dane puppy, and the promise that he would continue to watch over her every day of her life. Four years later, Julie finds herself caught in a love triangle between two men she thinks are both equally as amazing as the other. After choosing one of them, she finds herself fighting for her life from a jealousy that turned into a murder wish.

This book was very different from a lot of other Nicholas Sparks books. It had a bit of a suspenseful side which made the book even more enjoyable for me than a normal book of his (romance and suspense are my two favorite genres). I was nervous the whole time I was reading, and I did not want to put it down. Of course, Julie’s dog makes the whole story even more heart-warming.

I Found You by Lisa Jewell // Alice, a single mom who lives on the coast of England, finds a man alone on the beach. She invites him into her home even though he has no idea who he is or how he got there. A few miles away, Lily Monrose has only been married to the love of her life for three weeks when her husband doesn’t come home from work one evening. She automatically begins to worry and calls the police, only to find out that her husband never existed.

This book was very interesting and kind of different, but I absolutely loved it. It wasn’t super suspenseful, but it still kept me guessing the whole time, and even through in a plot twist towards the end. Well, I at least thought it was a really surprising twist from what I had been believing throughout the whole first half of the book.

Educated by Tara Westover // Tara Westover, the daughter of two survivalists, grew up in the mountains of Idaho believing that the government and the rest of the world was a part of the Illuminati, just like her dad had been telling her her whole life. After her older brother leaves the mountains and heads off to college, Tara wants to do the same. Despite the obvious disappointment of her father, she begins to teach herself what she needs to know to get into college, and, years later, ends up with a PhD from Harvard.

I had to read this book for one of my classes, but it was one of the best books I’ve ever read. I think part of that is because it is a true story. Her life is so inspiring and a lot of it is just so bizarre and crazy that it’s hard to believe the book isn’t fiction. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It’s made it on the New York Times Best Sellers List and it definitely will not disappoint.

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena // Friends and couples arrive at Mitchell’s Inn, a small cozy lodge nestled in the woods, and expect to have a relaxing and romantic weekend. That is, until multiple guests are found dead, and nobody knows who the killer is.

Wow. I can’t even tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It’s the most recent one I read and I’m still in awe over it and how it ended. It was so suspenseful throughout the whole thing and there were so many great twists at the end that still have me thinking. It was not at all predictable- I literally did not know who did or what was going on until they told me, and a lot of times that isn’t the case with thrillers. And the setting really had a cozy wintery vibe that I loved. Definitely recommend this one as well!