Becoming 5/5
Wow!! The AUDIO book is fantastic!! Put your political beliefs aside and just imagine a story, because that’s what this is. It’s a story of a poor girl from the south side of Chicago who’s parents gave her everything and made sacrifices so she could be successful. She meets a man who should find a high paying job and be “successful” by worldly standards but instead pursues projects, and to her disliking, politics. I love how she describes what it was like living in the White House, being the first black family, raising two girls for half their lives in the public eye, and then trying to make some difference herself. The story is not about politics or pushing an agenda on you but about the interesting story of how she and Barack got where they are. The first black family in Office (let alone raising two young children along the way) is a part of history and political views aside, it is inspiring as a human being and so educational! Jake and I loved it so much we went and purchased it for a keepsake for our children to read someday, after all, this is a part of history.
Silent Patient 5/5
A well done psychological thriller. This might even be my favorite psychological thriller book! A woman commits a horrific crime and then goes silent, and is placed In a psychiatric ward. Everyone has given up on trying to reach her except for one young therapist. I love how the author dives into such a serious psychological response and helps us all try to understand it as we read. There's no judgement for those with mental illness and he tries to paint a picture for us what it would be like and to what extents humans will go to when they are fearful and scared. It was amazing to see how the author could develop a character so well even when she didn't speak! There are many surprises, that’s probably all I should write! You’ll love this!
The Huntress 4/5
Well written, intriguing and educational. This is a historical fiction book based on women who committed real WWII war crimes (like inviting children to dinner then shooting them all). Postwar a lady moves to America and meanwhile people are hunting her for the crimes she thinks she can escape by now living a normal life and tricking everyone around her. I loved the characters and felt like I was a part of all of their stories. In the end the author also offers some of the truths behind this book! Great read!
Watching You 3/5
You may have read "Then She was Gone" last year, this is Lisa Jewell's latest book. In a beautiful and colorful neighborhood, the neighbors are all suspicious of each other. The book begins with a murder and then starts the story back in time leading up to the fateful event. Thankfully, the neighbors are always spying on each other so you are able to hear the suspicions of everyone as they play out. Every person has their own issues (and sins) and so it was hard for me to decide who I was rooting for while reading this book. Enjoyable, you might be able to predict it by the end (still enjoyable though). If you are patiently waiting for your next five star thriller read, this may hold you over.
The French Girl 3/5
In this book a group of friends spend a weekend at a cabin and one of them is murdered. The friends move on with their lives and try to forget that weekend but ten years later the case is opened and someone has to go down for that murder. It’s a good mystery and an enjoyable read. Reminded me a bit of Ruth Ware's The Lying Game for sure!
In this book a murder takes place at a fancy party in a mansion in the woods and your job is to figure out who the murderer is. Heres’s the catch, every day you wake up in a new body. You really feel like you are a character in this book and you are trying to solve the mystery yourself in fear of what happens if you don’t . This book was intriguing but complicated. I felt a little rushed reading it and so I think I may have enjoyed it more if I took my time and wrote some notes honestly. I think there are multiple levels to this plot and I’m not quite sure I was able to decipher them all. Since I felt like I was constantly trying to decipher the puzzle I felt a little stressed out by it. Some reviewers loved the game and the twists, so maybe my experience was out of the ordinary.
This book inspired the hit TV show, but this book is so much more than that. This book describes the ups and the downs of prison life but also tells the stories of the people inside. The TV show is full of drama, but the book is more focused on the emotional journey through prison and how Piper learned to live with and understand her prisonmates. Interesting read.
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