It’s mid-November and I’m finally finishing up my Summer 2021 reading list. It seems I’m always a little overambitious when I set my reading goals, but oh well, at least it’s not Winter yet. Now that I’ve finally finished all of the books here’s the official update– my thoughts and recommendations on all the books I read this Summer/Fall.
I started off with Mel Robbins’ ‘The 5 Second Rule’ and ultimately I ended up being disappointed. Robbins’ TedTalk was enough to sum up her 5 Second Rule because the book felt dragged out. The point could have been made in one simple essay. I recommend the TedTalk or the audiobook version of this book, but not the print copy. Great idea, poor execution.
Next, I went for The Two of Us by Andy Jones and sadly, again, I was let down. I found the characters unlikeable, the plot was dull, and it felt like it took ten years to read.
Thankfully, things really picked up from here. It’s no wonder that Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was such a huge hit. It was riveting. It reflected the author’s love for true crime, which hit really well with me, also a lover of true crime. It was a real page-turner, which is exactly what I needed after the last two books. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves suspense, psychological thrillers, and crime. We watched the movie after I finished the book and I was thoroughly impressed by how the story translated to the screen. Of course, with every movie adaptation of a book, details get lost, but I felt the film captured the story very well overall.
Needing to lighten things up between Gone Girl and the final book on my list, I read You Belong to Me by Mary Higgins Clark. I’ve mentioned before that these are my ultimate guilty pleasure reads and that trend continues to hold up. Although this was no light read, it was a relatively easy read, and the storyline was awesome. This MHC book aged better than the last one I read and featured a badass female lead.
Finally, I bit the bullet and started my first Stephen King book, Under the Dome. Considering everything happening in the world right now from a global crisis and political downfall perspective… maybe this book wasn’t the best choice for my mental wellbeing? It has definitely left me feeling a little paranoid and very skeptical. Nonetheless, the character development was fantastic, the twists were exciting, and every chapter dropped a bomb that I was not expecting. I think this may be the beginning of a self-destructive and troublesome addiction to Stephen King’s writing.
What did you think of these books? Let me know in the comments! Stay tuned for my Winter 2022 reading list, coming up soon!
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