Literary Fiction

Top 5 Reads of 2019 – #2 and #1

My #2 favorite read of 2019 was…..

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Book of the Month strikes again! This was my January pick and boy did it start off the reading year with a bang! This one is a thriller, which is my favorite genre. In this book, a woman is accused of killing her husband, but will not speak to anyone at all. She is admitted to a psychiatric hospital where she meets a therapist who is determined to get her to talk. You literally have no idea while reading whether she actually committed the murder. I stayed up super late to finish this one, because I just HAD to know whether she was guilty. And then the twist…no clue that was coming. I think I literally gasped. The ending was a little rushed and could have used some more explanation and closure. But any book with a twist that I never saw coming and with that level of shock value is a winner in my opinion. And that’s also saying a lot since I read mostly thrillers and it can be hard to surprise me at times 😉

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Disclaimer: PG-13/R for language

Do You Read Me?: YES!!

And drumroll please………

My favorite read of 2019 was…..

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Probably not a surprise if you’ve read this one as it seems to top everyone’s list. This book could also be classified as a mystery/thriller, but it is so much more than that. I have to be honest and say that the descriptive language used throughout this book was a little much for me at times. The author has a science background and goes into extreme detail about the marsh where the main character lives. I even put this one down for a little while unsure if I would finish. However, I am one who can never fully abandon a book, so I did pick it back up and am so glad I did! Once I picked it back up, I flew through it! And the ending? Wow…..the last page completely threw me for a loop! It may seem a little surprising that my top read was one I almost abandoned. But when I looked back over the year, this one was the clear winner. It’s original, it’s well-written, it’s inspiring, it really makes you think, and the ending is such an unexpected surprise. Please read it!

Genre: General Fiction with some Mystery

Disclaimer: Honestly, this was my first read of 2019, so it’s been awhile. I don’t remember a lot, if any foul language in it.

Do You Read Me?: YES!!!

So that’s 2019! Looking back over my choices, I think my take-away is that books can such an awesome source of self-reflection. And sometimes you need to step outside your comfort zone and pick up a book that you normally wouldn’t read. Book of the Month has been an awesome tool for that last part this year.

So far 2020 has been off to a great start reading-wise! Can’t wait to share more books with you this year!