Books I Have Loved 2023
I know we are almost 1/3 of the way into 2024….better late than never!
These are in no particular order….
The Favor by Nora Murphy -> A woman does another woman an unexpected life favor and she recipocates it. What makes this unique - they don’t now each other. Or do they? Do their actions make them bad people? Morally gray plot makes for great book club discussions. 😇😈
Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor -> From the time Ajay, one of two main characters, is a child until he is well into adulthood, his life takes unexpected turns which makes him darker and angrier as time passes. This is due in large part to Sunny, the other main character, who takes an interest in Ajay when he is a teenager. Sunny is a man drowning in demons so when he takes Ajay under his wing, it is not necessarily a good thing. This is a long story, 560 pages, that brings you deep into life in modern India. I wanted to read this because I am interested in lives set in other cultures. This did not disappoint. 🇮🇳💰
The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson -> Books about two different characters whose lives eventually intersect have become one of my favorite story lines. A teenage girl who has great potential but a difficult personal life and a woman who marries above her economic background struggle to fit into roles and places they aren’t exactly welcomed. This novel was engrossing and you have to read to the very end to understand the connection the two characters have. 🔗
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden -> A new to me author. Millie, living in her car, is desperate for a job and accepts the position of live-in maid with the Winchester’s. Nina Winchester is erratic, her daughter Ceclia is difficult, and Andrew, the husband, is patient and kind. You think you know the story but remember there are always two sides. This reminded me of Gone Girl. The story reads quickly and is the first in a three book series centered around Millie, the main character (The Housemaid’s Secret (2023) and The Housemaid is Watching which will be available in June 2024). 🫢
The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian -> The setting and two female protagonists reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing - Ada returns to her abusive father after running away to marry a man who leaves her. One night, the father goes to far but Ada is saved by Matilda, a young woman who has her own share of heartache. The two young women slowly form a bond as they learn to work with their circumstances, show fortitude and use their wits to survive and thrive.💪🏼
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen -> I am so HAPPY that she has resumed writing! The ensemble cast of characters who live in an apartment complex and gradually create attachments to one another drew me in. I was rooting for each of them. There is a bit of twist at the end which connect the threads that each of these characters present. This author is known for the magical realism in her writing which is present but not as obvious as it is in her other novels. It took me a bit to get into this story but once I did…. ❤️
Night Road by Kristin Hannah -> It is Kristin Hannah, do I need to say more? This is the story of a mother of twins and it is the story of these twins who befriend the new girl that shows up on the first day of school. All suffer a friendship ending tragedy just before high school graduation which sends the survivors into different directions. This novel broke my heart and put it back together again.😥
The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose -> Wow! The plot: a wife who is a well-known successful attorney defends her husband, a struggling writer, after he is accused of killing his mistress. That in itself makes for a gripping read. BUT the very end….she took me in a direction and then yanked me around. One of Us is Dead (2022) is actually next up in my TBR pile. Looking forward to it! ↪️
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger -> His novel gave me a mix of Tom Sawyer and Lost Boys vibes. Living at the Lincoln Indian Training School means living with mean caretakers that commit unspeakable acts on children. One evening a horrific event occurs and the two main characters, orphan brothers Albert and Odie, along with their deaf friend and their favorite teacher’s daughter flee the school. They decided to float down river to the city where the brothers’ aunt lives, hoping she will let them live with her. I enjoyed it more than I thought; it was haunting and redeeming all at the same time. Ordinary Grace (2013) is in my TBR pile. 🛶
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid -> A novel I looked at often but didn’t pick it up. I don’t know what my hesitation was. A famous actress who is notoriously private decides to grant a much coveted interview discussing her life to a very specific journalist. This story is part history of Hollywood, part mystery as Evelyn Hugo, the actress, has a reason she wanted to give her story to Monique, a writer who is struggling with the direction of her life. Intriguing and sad. Definitely a new favorite author - I’ve gifted her books and I have others in my TBR pile.👰♀️👰♀️