My Favorites

Suspenseful Romance

Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts follows the story of a community where mass shootings are happening.  The characters involved in these tragedies are real and show so much emotion.  This is one of the books I found in 2020 that made me fall in love with reading again.   It has a little bit of everything including tragedy, tragedy, revenge, and even a love story.

Hemlock by Kiersten Modglin is one of my favorite by this author and I've read over 20 of her books.  In this novel Maggie returns home after years away and reconnects with one of her best friends and an old flame.  I do not usually enjoy a love triangle plot but this works.  It does have some paranormal instances and a little romantic spice.

The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks is also a favorite as I've read most of his books.  The Guardian is more suspenseful as the POV shifts and we hear from someone stalking the main character.  In true form for Nicholas Sparks there is a love story and tragedy but I enjoyed how this one is more suspenseful.  

Historical Fiction

The Women by Kristin Hannah follows Frankie as she decides to follow her brother and enlist as nurse in the war against Vietnam.  While waiting for her date to leave, she hears word her brother was KIA.  The way Hannah was able to describe Frankie's time in Vietnam was detailed, heartbreaking, and awe inspiring.  This book goes on to show the road Vietnam Veterans faced when they returned to the United States.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.  I could see this being a very likely candidate for as a Book Club pick.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah chronicles the experiences of two sisters in France during the World War II.  It is an epic story of heroism and tragedy and I also appreciated the relationship of the sisters over this time period.  This novel asks the question, how much does it take to be considered heroic?

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz was one book I found when trying to find a book with a Z in the title.  I also read this right after The Women and felt in the mood for more historical fiction.  September 11, 2001 was a tragedy and seared into many peoples memories.  This story focused on two different children and their experiences on September 11th Brandon and Reshmina.   Brandon is a 9 year old with more survivor skills than the most accomplished boy scouts and Reshmina has an amazing heart and a lot of compassion. 

Best Twists

Mary Kubica's novel The Good Girl follows the story of a girl who was kidnapped and all the turmoil around this kidnapping.  This novel shifts in it's time period before and after an event as well as the POV, this can add to the complexity of the novel but I really enjoyed it.  The audio version had a full cast which made it easier to follow and really enjoyable.  The key question within this novel was how do you define victims, heroes, and villains?

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak is probably the most recommended book I see on some of the book groups I follow on social media.  Judging others is such a tricky spot - would you let someone watch your child if you knew they had abused substances and were in recovery?  They’ve admitted they needed help so how does society feel about those in recovery?  This novel has some paranormal and supernatural instances which could explain why it's given a "horror" genre.  This book had some of my favorite things - a creepy spirit, a rumor of a tragedy, nannying, second chances, and even some romance.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager was a novel with such a twist and I enjoy that.  Sager's books usually have some paranormal, supernatural, or occult reference to them.  Usually the books end up having an explanation you don't see coming.  In Lock Every Door a girl is working to start over and sees an ad that seems too good to be true.  There is a need for an apartment sitter in New York City and not only is the space amazing but the compensation involved to house sit is really great too.  How much does money matter?   

January?

February

• Hemlock by Kiersten Modglin - Paranormal, Romance

March

• The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods - Fantasy, Historical Fiction

April?

May?

June

• The Women by Kristin Hannah - Historical Fiction

July 

• Middle of the Night by Riley Sager - Paranormal, Thriller

August

• You Can Trust Me by Kiersten Modglin - Thriller

September

• Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose - Mystery, Family Dynamics

October

• That's Not My Name by Megan Lally - Thriller, Young Adult, Language

November

• No Exit by Taylor Adams - Thriller Mystery

December

• The Good Girl by Mary Kubica - Thriller Mystery