2016 Book Review

One of my goals this year is to read more.  I fell so in love with my new Kindle the second half of last year, that it made me so excited to read new books.  I only read a few last year, but I thought I would share them with you here.

Better late than never, right??  I’ve really loved reading book reviews lately too since I’ve finally gotten back on the bandwagon and even though I didn’t read that much last year, I wanted to document them 🙂  I loved several of them and would highly recommend a few!  Just in the last two months, I’ve read almost as many books as I read all of last year!  I will try to do quarterly book reviews from here on out.   You can follow my progress on Goodreads. Let’s be friends.

My Goodreads Profile

The Rumor

by Elin Hilderbrand

I actually listened to this audiobook instead of reading it while I was on a trip.  Based in Nantucket, this book follows a couple of friends that live seemingly perfect lives.  But this summer, rumors are flowing about the families that could shatter both of their reputations.  As they work to try to set the record straight, they may learn about more than they even imagined.  This book went by fast for an easy beach read and I love most all of Elin Hilderbrand’s books.  I would recommend this book.

When I’m Gone

by Emily Bleeker

I think I came across this book because it was free on my Kindle.   It’s about a woman who’s died of cancer leaving behind her husband, children, and many hand-written letters that get delivered to her husband after she’s passed.  It has a few good twists and turns but probably wasn’t my personal best choice of books since having a parent die of cancer hits a little too close to home. It started off a bit slow for me, but as the characters and plot developed, she had me wanting to read more.  I’d recommend to skip this one.

The Weekenders

by Mary Kay Andrews

I actually haven’t read many Mary Kay Andrew novels which is surprising because I love good chick-lit, but I’m sure I’ll read more this summer.  This is an easy read about a little island off North Carolina called Belle Isle.  Many families come here to live for the summer and some spend their time commuting here on the weekends.  Riley Griggs heads to Belle Isle for the first weekend of summer and waits on her husband that never shows.  As the plot thickens, she learns that she may have never really known her husband very well and a murder investigation will take over their summer.  I enjoyed the little bit of suspense and drama that came with this story.  If you want an easy summer read, pick this one up.

Carry On Warrior

by Glennon Doyle Melton

Glennon Doyle Melton of Momastery.com is hilarious and relatable and does a great job in this book reminding all of us mothers and wives out there that we don’t need to live a perfect life.  She shares her darker past and lets you in on her secrets to loving this crazy, messy life.  Her newest book, Love Warrior, is a NYTimes Best Seller and definitely on my reading list!  I love her honesty, humor and wit.  I’d recommend this one.

Truly Madly Guilty

by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors and I’ve loved some of her previous novels (The Husbands Secret, Big Little Lies), but I was not a big fan of this one.   I felt like it took me half way through the book before I finally took interest in the book.  The book is about six adults and three kids that attend a neighborhood barbecue and something goes awfully wrong.  The chapters jump from present day back to the day of the barbecue, constantly building up to what happened at the barbeque.   It was slow to start in my opinion, but then finally caught my interest when she lets you in on the secret. By the end, I felt like it became more relatable; but I wouldn’t rush to read this one.

The Woman in Cabin Ten

by Ruth Ware

My favorite book of 2016! I love a good suspense novel and reading this reminded me how much I love the feeling of not being able to put a book down.  The main character, Lo, is a writer for a travel magazine and gets the opportunity of a lifetime to take a week long cruise on an luxurious boat.  Everything seems perfect until one night when she thinks she’s seen something terrible happen on the boat.  Her past haunts her and she spends her entire trip working to prove her sanity.  There are so many great twists and turns that will keep you on your toes.  I would highly recommend this book!

It Ends with Us

by Colleen Hoover

This book touches on a very sensitive subject and has some fairly graphic parts that probably kept it from being one of my favorite books of the year, but it was still captivating.  I really enjoyed the story of Lily, who we watch grow up through grade school and move out on her own to Boston and meets a successful, brilliant Doctor that she falls in love with.  She thinks things may be too good to be true…until history begins to repeat itself.  How much are you willing to take for love?  You learn what Lily has to go through to try and find happiness.  I would definitely recommend this book.

Tell me what books you’ve read lately.  I love getting new recommendations.  What’s your most recent favorite?