I just finished student teaching, and am on my summer break, so I am able to read more books than I was able to during this semester. I have already checked out and put on hold a bunch of books from the library, and also am reading books that I own.
I read 13 books in May. The books I read were:
1. Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson
2. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
3. Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
4. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus
5. Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf
6. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
7. The Wife by Alafair Burke
8. The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon
9. Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart
10. The Au Pair by Emma Rous
11. Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak
12. #fashionvictim by Amina Akhtar
13. The Night Before by Wendy Walker
I will also include in this post mini reviews of the books that I read this month.
Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson - If you are looking for a good, emotional contemporary read about friendship, love, and more, do not hesitate to pick up this book. The book spans the girls' entire time at West Point, as well as a couple years after they graduate. There are parts that were very sad to read, and I won't spoil them, but I will say it's a very good, powerful read with strong friendships. I loved Dani, Avery, and Hannah, and the bond that formed between them.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang - I have not read The Kiss Quotient, but it is now on my list of books to read this summer after having read this good book. The story was reminiscent of romantic comedy movies that I like to watch, but with some more serious themes included as well. The set-up is rom-com gold, and you just know that feelings are going to somehow develop between these two characters, despite how much Khai may not want them to. This was a cute romance that also involved themes of characters creating new lives for themselves in a new country. And the lead male character is autistic as well. There is a lot to love in this book, and I think it would make for a great summer read.
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis - A lot of this book hurt to read, but that doesn't keep it from being one of the best books I've read this year. So much of it was painful to read because as a reader you can see Mickey's downward spiral into addiction, and you want someone to figure out what is going on with her and get her help before she spirals further. While I (or anyone close to me) haven't personally dealt with the issues highlighted in this book, I think the portrayal seemed to ring pretty true and seemed realistic. Nothing seemed overblown or sensationalized. This book shed some light on something that is a major problem in this country today.
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus - I enjoyed this second mystery by the same author who brought us One of Us is Lying. I really liked the two main characters, Ellery and Malcolm, and how they move had personal connections to different parts of some of the past events that had happened in the town. I was not expecting many of the resolutions of the various mysteries. McManus did a good job writing a mystery that was twisty and not predictable.
Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf - Wow, what a book! This book is not YA, but does have sections from the POV of a 12 year old character, which I personally liked, but some people may not. I liked the way that this story was told - from several different perspectives, as well as including journal entries by Cora, police interview transcripts, and text message threads between some of the preteens and teens. I was not expecting the final ending to the central mystery. There was a lot going on in this story and it was powerful and emotional, especially the way it was connected to a real case, which I then read about online. That case was truly a sad story and so were the occurrences in this book.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas - I think this book was as good as Thomas' first book. I did not personally agree with everything that Bri said or did, which isn't surprising given that I am not someone who really likes rap to begin with, so it is unsurprising that I don't like everything about her rap lyrics, for example. But I still liked her as a character overall, and thought it was an engaging read.
The Wife by Alafair Burke - This was a gripping thriller where I truly didn't know who to believe. I spent most of the book wanting to believe one character in particular, but I had doubts sometimes. I was torn between wanting to trust Angela's husband, Jason, since she was the narrator, while also wanting to trust the woman who was accusing Jason. There were so many twists and turns throughout and it was impossible to know who was to be trusted. I highly recommend this book for a quick and engaging read that you won't want to put down. I'm excited to check out Alafair Burke's other books now.
The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon - When the main character's ex-boyfriend moved in next door, I knew from the start that that was a key setup for a lot of drama. Especially considering that they hadn't ended their relationship on a good note. I was not expecting some of the main reveals through this good story.
Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart - While this book has some mystery/thriller aspects, it was much more of a contemporary story about family and motherhood and I loved it for that. The characters were lovingly written with care. I especially loved Quinn as she tried to build a relationship with young Lucy, despite not really knowing anything about where Lucy even came from. My least favorite perspective to read from was that of Quinn and Nora's mom, because it sometimes dovetailed away from the main plot and I wanted to know what was going on with the sisters. But I can see why the author included her perspective.
The Au Pair by Emma Rous - This is an atmospheric mystery that takes place in two time periods. I was not expecting the resolution that occurred. I had some thoughts throughout about how the mystery could end, but it was more complicated than I was able to figure out, so it was definitely not a predictable story.
Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak - I don't think I was expecting to love this one as much as I did. I didn't realize how interesting the inner workings of a cable news network could be. While billed as a thriller, it was more of a gripping story about a probably toxic friendship and ambition. The thriller aspects didn't really kick in until closer to the end, and by then, I was already totally caught in the story and the world shown in this book. The book grabbed me and didn't let go until I had gotten to the final page.
#fashionvictim by Amina Akhtar - It was interesting reading this book right after Necessary People, because there are some similarities in general plot theme, though #fashionvictim was less serious and very satirical. Both books involved main characters who let their ambition rule them and weren't likeable. There were not really any likable characters in the entire book, but it was obvious that the author did this by design.
The Night Before by Wendy Walker - This is my first Wendy Walker book that I've read and it definitely won't be my last. I currently have Emma in the Night checked out from the library too, so I'll definitely be getting to that one soon. This book had a lot of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, and I also really liked both Laura and Rosie and unraveling the stories of their pasts. I enjoyed how the book was told alternating between Laura's POV from the night of the date, and Rosie's POV from the next day when Laura was discovered missing. I would certainly recommend this for fans of good thrillers.
Katie
