So it’s only April 4th and I’m already reading my NINTH book of the year and according to Goodreads I’m two books ahead of schedule! I have been trying to set aside time every night to read (at least 20 mins) and always have a book on hand. These two simple things have been working wonders for me!
In the past, I’ve sort of done book updates here and there but I’ve decided that in 2018 I’m going to do quarterly book posts to update you on the stuff I’ve read and my thoughts about each book. I figured this will give me time to read enough books for a post and you’ll be able to find everything more easily! My last book post for the year will still be my traditional “Year in Books” post so you can look forward to that!
FYI: you can still follow along in real-time through Goodreads or my Instagram!
1. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
3/5 stars.
My first book of 2018 was a littleeeee underwhelming. I bought this used in LA when we were at The Last Bookstore. I had heard such great things about it and it was a pleasant read but nothing super crazy. This book is about a guy named Clay who starts working at a bookstore and starts uncovering some mysteries about his boss and his place of employment. It was a pretty quick read but, like I said, overall pretty underwhelming.
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
2. Voice Unearthed: Hope, Help, and a Wake-Up Call for the Parents of Children Who Stutter by Doreen Lenz Holte
3/5 stars.
This book was one I had to read for my fluency class. It was a super quick read (only 140 pages) and I enjoyed gaining a new perspective from a parent of a child who stuttered but I don’t think this is something any non-SLP needs to pick up and read. UNLESS you have some sort of tie to stuttering and/or stuttering interests you.
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
3. The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn
4/5 stars.
My first thriller of 2018 did not disappoint! I received this through Book of the Month and really enjoyed it. It’s a long one (almost 400 pages) but I was really into the characters and the mind of the main character, Anna. She’s agoraphobic and sees something at a neighbor’s house but no one believes her. You’re left questioning if she’s really as “crazy” as everyone thinks she is. It also had a great ending!
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
4. Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica
4/5 stars.
I picked this one up at Barnes and Noble one day when I was killing time before my night class. I started reading it that day and finished it a couple of days later! I originally bought it because the author of one of my all-time favorite books, Caroline Kepnes, recommended reading Mary Kubica’s work. This book is about a girl that has gone missing, and her roommate trying to find her while learning new things about her along the way. She’s not sure her roommate is the person she once thought she was. This book drug on in some parts but overall it was a good read with an ending I could not have guessed!
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
5. Final Girls by Riley Sager
5/5 stars.
Ah, yes. My first 5 star read of 2018! This book was SO good. I was obsessed with the premise from the start. The main character, Quinn, is one of three girls who have been the sole survivor of a mass murder. The press calls them the “Final Girls”. When one of the three girls dies of apparent suicide, the two that remain finally come together. Quinn doesn’t remember details of the night her friends were brutally murdered and she became a “Final Girl”, but as the book goes on, more details start coming to light. This book was gripping, interesting, and unlike anything I’ve read before. I totally recommend this if you’re into thrillers/mysteries!
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
6. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
4/5 stars.
This book was quirky and fun and I found myself really loving Eleanor as a character as the book progressed. At first, she got on my nerves a tiny bit but after finishing the book I think that was the point! This is a story about Eleanor and how a new friendship helped her to discover new things about herself. The characters in this were insanely likable and overall it was a good read.
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
7. A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena
4/5 stars.
Another thriller! Have you come to expect anything less from me? This one was purchased for me by my friend Caitlin for a Secret Santa. I’m glad she introduced me to this book because I was really into it! Our main character, Karen, has just been arrested for speeding through a sketchy part of town but she has no recollection of why or what she was even doing there. As the story progresses, we learn more about Karen and her husband, the neighbors across the street, and the detective assigned to Karen’s case. Karen’s husband begins to question how much he really knows about his wife and tension builds between them. I don’t want to spoil anything else but let’s just say the ending is A+. Check this one out for yourself!
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
8. I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll
4/5 stars.
I read this one over two days at the beach on my Kindle. It was a fast-paced read that drew me in right from the very beginning. The main character, Ella, is on the train and sees something fishy going on between two girls and two men fresh out of jail. After going back and forth with herself, she decides not to intervene and call the girls’ parents. The next morning, she finds that one of the girls she saw on the train has gone missing. The rest of the story takes place a year later. The girl still hasn’t been found. We learn more and more about what really happened that night and the individuals involved. From Ella, to the girl’s parents, to the friend that was with her that night. I really flew through this and honestly could not have predicted the ending! The story was told from multiple points of view and there were a good number of characters but it didn’t deter from the story for me at all. It could be because I finished it so quickly!
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
