Finishing this reading list proved to be a bit of a challenge. I found myself being drawn to other books and could not resist reading one or two that were not on this list. We also did some travelling (posts coming soon) and got a new puppy! Pretty awesome distractions, if you ask me. Here’s the list:
My Gal Sunday by Mary Higgins Clark was the next book up in my personal challenge to read all of the books ever written by the Queen of Suspense. I knew exactly what to expect from Mary Higgins Clark and she did not disappoint– nor did she stray to a new plotline. Predictable, but so satisfying.
The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed had been sitting on my bookshelf for so long. I did not know what to expect from this book; certainly not a story of high school girls, sexual assault, and feminist uprisings. I am glad this book exists and I feel it handed sensitive topics with care and grace. The protagonists were well-developed characters and very likeable young women. As a story, though, I could not help but feel like it was a little cliche.
Colleen Hoover’s Verity has blown up in popularity over the past month or so. It’s huge on social media and all of my friends are reading it and raving about it. I, of course, had to jump on the bandwagon and I am SO glad I did. I will definitely be reading more of Colleen Hoover. She writes like a modern Mary Higgins Clark (I just know MHC has to be one of Hoover’s muses). This story was suspenseful, riveting, and thrilling. Loved it.
Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns was a touching read. It’s a story of motherhood, love, and heartbreak amid Afghanistan’s tumultuous society. It was an excellent book to read right around International Women’s Day. It did not break my heart as much as ‘The Kite Runner’ did, but it came pretty darn close.
I did not end up reading I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. It’s a long read and I could not find the ambition to tackle it as I already know the storyline and ending from having watched the miniseries. I know television typically does not do books justice, but there are so many other stories I want to experience. So, I gifted this book to my sister and I hope she loves it (she hasn’t seen the show and I told her not to watch it!)
Let us know what you think!