Harlan Coben is the only "mainstream" mystery writer I regularly read. He writes a good story, and his plot twists are not too predictable. Fool Me Once definitely kept me guessing. It was a multilayered story, and the ending was definitely a surprise. If you love Coben, you won't be disappointed with this installment. If you've never read Coben, this is a good one to check out.
Where We Belong was okay. There have been Emily Giffin reads that I have loved, ones that I hated, and ones that were just meh. This was meh. I felt like the story was going somewhere, and then it just kind of stopped. The ending wasn't my favorite, and while I know what I'm getting with these reads, I guess I just wanted more.
Luckiest Girl Alive was a good thriller. It was not the best thriller of all-time. It was interesting, but not something I would recommend to any and everyone. Honestly, I think the book falls victim to the hype. I hate when authors are compared to other authors because THEY ARE NEVER GOING TO BE THE SAME. Because of this, I went in wanting something from that OG author. That is not what I got.
On the other hand, Good As Gone is a thriller that you should absolutely check out. I read it for my online book club, and it kept me guessing. There were lots of twists and turns, the character development was great, and the ending was one I didn't see coming.
Carolyn Parkhurst is an interesting author for me in that she wrote a book I just loved (Lost & Found) and one I absolutely hated (The Dogs of Babel). The Nobodies Album was the tiebreaker by default. Good news - I really liked it. The book is interesting in that it has a couple of storylines. First, the narrator's son is accused of murdering his girlfriend. Second, the narrator is an author, and she's writing new endings to all her old books. So, the chapters alternate between the main plot, and then the old and new endings of her books. Honestly, I wish some of those books were real. It was a really interesting spin, and I'm glad Carolyn and I have reconciled as author and reader.
Miller's Valley was my fifth or sixth Anna Quindlen. I like her because she writes strong, deep characters and really captivating plots. This one was interesting. It was about a family and the stories they each had through years of living in the same area - an area that was going to be soon gone. I've liked some of her other stuff better, but still enjoyed this one.
The Shape of Ideas was a graphic nonfiction book that was just a fun read. It's one that I'd highly recommend for a quick dose of creativity and inspriration.
A Man Called Ove was the first read for my new in-person book club. It's one of those books that gives you all the feels. You also don't realize how many feels until you get to the last page, and you're a hot, sobbing mess. Ove is one of the most endearing and interesting characters I've read in a long time, and I still find myself thinking about this one days later.
P.S. Pictured in this book picture is my new Jessie Spano figurine. Fun Fact - Jessie is my fave SBTB character.
