I’ve loved sharing more about books lately. This month has been a particularly great month for reading and I’m grateful for that. I needed the distraction big time. Some of the books I read were gifted to me for Christmas (books make for GREAT gifts, btw!) and they’ve all been total page turners. Engrossing, propulsive reads that I couldn’t put down. Other books I received as ARCs (advanced reader copy) and it was so fun to read them before they hit the shelves.
Let me know if you like reading posts like this. I might even make this a monthly column. It’s fun to look back and remember all the incredible books I enjoyed reading. And, for more book posts, scroll down past the reviews to see previous book related content I’ve shared.
Alright, let’s check out this month’s winners!
9 Best Books I Read This Month:
1. Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand:
I only discovered Hilderbrand’s books last year and since then, I’ve been reading through her backlist. I wanted to read as many of her previous Nantucket books before reading Swan Song, since I knew that it was her last Nantucket novel. Her Nantucket books incorporate a lot of the same characters from the small coastal town and I wanted all of that back story before reading the last one, even though you can read the books in any order.
Swan Song is, literally, her swan song as an author and a swan song for the main character featured in the novel. It’s an incredible book. I was completely sucked in by the story and couldn’t stop reading it. Her books read like you’re watching a telenovela or a soap opera. You hop from one person’s head to another, getting inside all of their private lives and watching their secrets come out in the open. Yet, despite having this all-access pass to the character’s, we are still in the dark about what exactly is happening. Her books have a way of withholding just enough so the end is an unexpected reveal.
In this story, we see the final days of the police chief, Ed, before he retires. He takes on one last case, an odd one, about a super rich couple that nobody has heard of that buys a huge property on a slowly disappearing beach. The couple begins hosting huge, lavish, strange parties that makes them a lot of friends quickly, and some enemies soon after. When the house burns down and their assistant goes missing, Ed knows he can’t leave this complicated case in the hand’s of his replacement. He puts his heart on the line – quite literally – to solve the final case and then celebrate his retirement.
You’ve gotta read this one. Check it out here.
2. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus:
I know I’m late to the party on this series. It’s been out for awhile, but I’ve been reading a lot more YA lately and was gifted the 3-book set of this series for Christmas. Wow, this one is a page-turner. It’s very much a thriller/mystery with a murdery edge to it. These teenagers are a real mess, for the most part. They’re brought together by a student named Simon who has an agenda for revenge. He runs a gossip site that exposes everyone’s secrets and makes him feared across the high school campus. When they are all in detention together, Simon drops dead from ingesting water laced with peanut oil. After he dies, things get even weirder.
As the police continue investigating and questioning all four suspects, we continue to get a glimpse of all of their lives and learn that every one of them was hiding something and they all had ties to Simon in different ways. Any one of them could have wanted him dead, but they’re not the only ones. This one had elements of Gossip Girl, with the gossip app exposing the secret lives of high schoolers, combined with a murder mystery and high school rom com. It amazed me how distinct each of the four POVs were, too.
You’ll love it. Check it out here.
3. The Love Haters by Katherine Center:
This one was a NetGalley find. I’m a long-time Katherine Center fan. Two of her other books, The Rom Commers and The Bodyguard, rank in my all-time faves, so I was absolutely thrilled to score this book before release. It’s another winner. Albeit, a slower start than her other books. The first chapter introduces Katie, the FMC, who is a video producer on the brink of losing her job. She takes on an unusual assignment to try and stay employed, but it requires her making a video about an internet famous rescue swimmer for the coast guard. Caveat: Katie can’t swim. That’s just the beginning of what is a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming, delicious read that is equal parts rom and com. Katie can be a little annoying at times and her love story does not go smoothly (the best ones never do!). The MMC, Hutch, is an absolute dream boat and I dare you to not fall in love with him.
I have to tell you, this book made me wish I couldn’t swim. Did I have a crush on rescue swimmers before? Nope. Do I now? Absolutely.
You’ll fall in love with this one. Check it out here.
4. Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano:
Another NetGalley winner. This is the 5th book in the Finlay Donovan series. I’ve talked about them all before, because I really love them, so if you haven’t read them – start now and you’ll be all caught up by the time this one releases. This is a series that you need to read from the beginning, but it’s well worth it. Finlay Donovan, ex-wife, mom to two little kids, and struggling writer, ends up confused with a contract killer in book one. Then each book follows the messy results as Finlay and her nanny, Veronica, bumble their way through what happens next. It’s a wild ride, with a dash of romance, thanks to everyone’s favorite, hot police officer.
Sometimes a series can get stale as it goes, but I think this one was one of my favorites. Of course, I might say the same thing when the next one comes out.
Add this to your TBR and start the series from the beginning. Check it out here.
5. Better Than Revenge by Kasie West:
Big fan of Kasie West. I’ve been reading through her entire backlist of sweet YA rom coms, but also jumping ahead to read her new releases, like this one, as well. I was so happy to receive this one as an ARC and loved every minute of it! It’s out now, so you can grab it and see for yourself.
This one is set in high school and follows an aspiring podcast girl and her football boyfriend. When he gives her the shock of a lifetime by applying for one of the few coveted podcast positions – and wins – stealing the spot she thought was hers, it strains their relationship to the point of breaking. She’s not going to take that without a fight, though, and goes on a path to get her revenge. It’s a very cute story full of lots of fun, unexpected twists and turns.
Grab Better Than Revenge here.
6. Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto:
This one – wow – it really took my breath away. Julie Soto writes about these incredible musicians in such beautiful detail, I could feel and hear the music. It’s a really extraordinary story about the moody, talented cellist with a bad attitude who finds himself captivated with Gwen, self-taught professional violinist. When they begin competing for the first chair of the orchestra, things get heated, both inside and outside of the practice hall. Their chemistry is only electrified when they begin composing together to create a love song all their own. This is a love story that has steam coming off the pages, so reader be advised.
Funny story about this one: I bought tickets to see Julie Soto in Sacramento where she was on tour discussing this book. My car broke down a couple blocks away and I spent the evening sitting in a gas station mini-mart waiting for my car to be fixed and missed the entire thing. The ticket price included a signed copy of the book, so I was waiting to read it until after the event. When I did finally get to read the book, I was even more disappointed that I had missed the opportunity to see her in person.
Get swept away by Not Another Love Song here.
7. Summer in the City by Alex Aster:
This is Alex Aster’s adult rom com debut, after seeing massive success with her YA fantasy novels Lightlark, Nightbane and Skyshade. I was curious to read this, given the switch in age group and genre, but I’m so glad I did. It’s absolutely adorable. I really enjoyed it. Adult romance can be a tough genre to crack, because readers are quite picky about their tropes. Aster did a great job of hitting all the high notes here.
This story follows twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter Elle who has the chance of a lifetime to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. To get inspired, she returns to the city she swore she would never return to, in an apartment she could never afford. It’s the perfect place to write her screenplay…until she realizes her new neighbor is tech “Billionaire Bachelor” Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago.
Seeing him again fuels hate writing as Elle realizes her enemy might also be her twisted muse. When he asks her to accompany him to red carpet events, she’ll have to face her fury over their past, while trying to write her next bestselling screenplay.
There’s a lot more to this one. Promise. Check it out here.
8. Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams:
I’ve been reading Sarah Adams since her indie author days, so it’s been incredible to watch her journey to big-time romance author. This is her newest book and it’s really cute. It’s set in the same universe as the others in this series. I haven’t been a huge fan of her small town books in this series, but this is the best one I’ve read so far. The enemies to lovers trope works well here, even if I don’t understand why the characters don’t like each other in the first place. Also, I didn’t get why the guy likes Emily. She’s not nice to him, ever, in fact she oversteps in how rude she is, so idk. It doesn’t get to the point where it feels toxic, but I would say she’s unlikable for a lot of the book. Overall, Adams has a sweet quirky style that is easy to read and low anxiety. Great for these wild times we’re living in.
You don’t need to read the others to understand this one, although it helps. While I still think some of her early work is her best, this one seems to be getting back to the writing style of her early days.
Read Beg, Borrow, or Steal here.
9. The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes:
I loved the whole Inheritance Games series, so I was super excited to get this gorgeous book for Christmas. It’s the start of a new series, but same family and premise. There’s lots of new games, new characters, new twists and turns, and new setting, but if you loved her other books, you’ll love this one, too.
Set on the private island owned by the Hawthrone brothers, the Grandest Game is an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.
Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.
Read The Grandest Game here.
Where I Get My Books:
Never fails that I’m asked two questions by people after they see how much I read: how do I afford these books and how do I have time to read this much.
For the first one, I love telling people that most of my books are free, courtesy of the library. I love the library! Plus, I use ARC book sites like NetGalley that offer advanced reader copies of books that will be published in exchange for an honest review. This is one of my favorite ways to get books, because I can read books that aren’t even released yet and won’t be out for months. Several of the books in this post are from NetGalley, so depending on when you read this, they may be available for preorder and that’s it. I do get them all as ebooks, and I can download them to my Kindle directly from the NG site.
Second, I didn’t read for fun for many years. I was a big reader growing up, but then when I got my first teaching job, I didn’t have the time or energy to read anything other than required reading or student papers. Then, came the kids, and that trend continued for years. Now that they’re getting older, I’ve fallen back in love with reading and its been an amazing, mostly free, hobby that really helps me relax and recharge my batteries. I find little pockets of time here and there when the kids are entertained, or at activities, or asleep, when I can pick up a great book and get whisked away to a new place for awhile. It also helps that I’m a very fast reader, thanks to all those papers I graded for years.
If you love to read or wish you could read more, focus on finding books you enjoy and keep reading, with whatever time you have. Don’t feel like you need to read smart books or popular books. Stay away from book club picks if that’s not your vibe. You’re allowed to read whatever makes you happy.
More Book Posts:
- 20 best books you’ll want to binge read
- 11 ultimate gifts for the book lover in your life
- 9 Great YA books even adults will love
- 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
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I hope you find your new favorite book! Tell me in the comments below what book you’re reading or just read and what you thought of it.
Happy reading,
E
