No doubt about it, this election has taken a toll on people. From the tense months and weeks leading up to it, to the almost all-nighter many of us pulled to watch the results trickle in, and now the post election anxiety that we all face – regardless of who we voted for. In fact, everyone I talk to has an increasing sense of fear and anxiety about where the world is headed, and I relate to that.
One way I combat my own big feelings about life is to read more. It’s a great, affordable escape that can really be the mental equivalent to taking a vacation. I read a ton before I had kids and then stopped for awhile. A couple of years ago, I came back full force and I read a lot now, to the tune of hundreds of books a year. So, I thought it would be a fun mental escape for me to share my favorites with you and hopefully you find a new, engrossing novel on this list that will whisk you away, too.
20 Best Binge-Able Books You Won’t Want To Put Down:
*Affiliate links are used for books I read and loved. If you make a purchase through my links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. Cheers!
Mystery/Thrillers:
I go light on the mystery and thriller category, which I think is called the cozy mystery now or something. To me, it means not too dark with little to no graphic violence. Bonus points if there’s a hint of romance and some humor thrown in. These are my favorites recently:
- THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM by Laura Dave – This was a page turner! I absolutely love Laura Dave and this delivered big time.
- THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave – This was her first huge hit and rightfully so, it’s phenomenal. It’s also a TV show on Apple TV and I shamelessly binge-watched it. So good.
- FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT by Elle Cosimano – I ate this one up. It’s hilarious! A divorced mom on a tight deadline has writer’s block and is increasingly afraid her ex will take her kids. When she’s accidentally assumed to be a contract hit woman, she goes along with it out of desperation and it’s a wild, unstoppable ride.
- FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS ‘EM DEAD by Elle Cosimano – The saga continues with Finley. She got herself into this mess, and she’s determined to get herself out – but more people are going to be unalived, first.
- FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUN by Elle Cosimano – Yup, I’ve read the whole series, and I bet you will, too. These are deliciously binge-able. So much fun.
- FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE by Elle Cosimano – Finlay and her parter-in-cime need a break after solving all those cases and dealing with all those, but when they take off for Atlantic City, it’s not all fun and games. Not even close.
- THE PERFECT COUPLE by Elin Hilderbrand – Listen, the book is better. Much, much better. I know she’s also considered a “beach read” writer, but this is no beach read, people. It’s going to keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through. I’ve been reading a ton of Elin’s books lately. Once I find someone I like, I tend to work my way through their backlist. You can’t go wrong with anything by her. I’ve been saving her last book, SWAN SONG, for last. I’m almost ready to read it.
Romance – Open and Closed Door:
- THE ROM-COMMERS by Katherine Center – This hilarious rom com follows two writers with drastically different ideas of how to write the same script. I adore Center’s writing style, her lovable, but fallable, characters, and the hilarity that ensues. A must read.
- THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center – He needs a bodyguard; she’s hired for the job. This rom com twists standard gender stereotypes on their head and it’s delightful. This is one of the best books I have ever read. I loved it cover to cover.
- NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG by Julie Soto – This one blew. me. away. I play classical piano and have spent some time behind the scenes at a symphony, which added a lot of nuance to this book for me. Extraordinary. And, funny story, I bought tickets to see Julie in my area and get a signed copy of this book. My car broke down, I missed the show, but the bookstore that hosted it saved our signed copies for us and I was able to go pick it up. I’m so glad, because this is a new favorite.
- YOURS TRULY by Abby Jimenez – I read everything Abby writes. She’s an auto buy author for me, but this remains my favorite of hers so far. I absolutely loved the two characters, their personal journeys and their journey together. You will not want to stop reading.
- BOOK LOVERS by Emily Henry – Emily Henry is another auto-buy author for me, but this is my all-time favorite book from her collection. I loved, loved, loved the characters. She’s a shark book agent who gets dumped for the small town baker and goes on a trip with her sister to lick her wounds. She runs into Charlie, a handsome and brooding book editor, and, well, you’ve gotta read it for yourself.
- SEVEN YEAR SLIP by Ashley Poston – I fell in love with the Dead Romantics, so of course I had to read this one, too. I like them both. Her work has a touch of magic realism or maybe it’s called paranormal romance, basically there’s always something magical that happens. In this one, Clementine takes over late aunt’s apartment, but there’s something going on with it. Whenever she walks in the door, the year is different, and in the past, a handsome man used to live there.
Young Adult:
I read heavily in YA, especially the last few months, so this is barely scratching the surface. What I like about YA is that they are heavily plot focused and and often move quickly. I just don’t have the attention span/energy to read literary works like I used to. I want an escape, something adorable, with not too much grit or graphic anything, and YA always seems to deliver on that front.
- GEEK GIRL by Holly Smale – I’m late to the party on this one, since it’s a bestselling series, but the Netflix show inspired me to look it up. It is so cute and totally binge-able. Plus, I love the ND rep.
- BETTER THAN REVENGE by Kasie West – I’ve been working through Kasie West’s backlist, but when this one popped up on my NetGalley account, I immediately clicked “request”. I am so glad I was able to read it in advance, it’s ADORABLE. A podcaster girl and her football guy go after the same coveted spot for the school podcast. While you’re waiting for it to come out, anything by Kasie West will do.
- CANCELLED by Farrah Penn – A retelling of the adorable movie Easy A, which is one of my favorite movies, this book is an easy A when it comes to high school rom coms, too.
- BETTER THAN THE MOVIES by Lynn Painter – One of my all-time favorites. Its sunshine in book form. Absolutely adorable. It’s the start of Lynn’s Painter’s YA series. They’re all cute and can be read as standalones, but this is the best one.
- CHECK AND MATE by Ali Hazelwood – I knew nothing about the obsession with chess and chess competitions, until I read this, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. This is an incredible book about two top chess players who have met their match in each other.
- HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE by Talia Hibbert – Love this funny story about a content creator and an athlete who have to survive outdoors together. Really cute.
- TWEET CUTE by Emma Lord – I have read everything by Emma Lord, including her adult novel, and I just got approved for her unreleased book on NetGalley, which I am SO excited about. This one might be my favorite, but it’s hard to choose. They’re all so good.
******
You know what’s funny, I had so many more books I could’ve added to this, but I ran out of room on my little graphic, so I decided I was done for today. If you like book posts like this, tell me in the comments below, and I’ll put together some more.
If you’d like to read more, but you’re concerned about the cost of buying books, consider using your local library. I feel like a lot of people forget how easy it is to rent out a book and if you want something that your library doesn’t have, they’ll ship it for free from another library in their system and email you when it shows up. Also, I love getting books in advance on NetGalley in exchange for a reviews. In fact, I got pinged today that I was picked for the brand new, unreleased FINLAY DONOVAN book and I know exactly what I’m doing this weekend *happy dance*.
If you’re looking for more fun book posts, check these out:
- 11 ultimate gifts for the book lover in your life
- 9 Great YA books – a couple crossovers in this one
- 9 best Halloween picture books for kids
- 9 beautiful coffee table books you’ll actually want to read
- 10 must-have books for the makeup lover
Happy reading!
E
