Below you will find my book list volume 3. In this list you’ll find four great books and one not so great book, but before we get to all that I have an important question for you. Do you prefer reading an actual book or do you use an e-reader? Now, I know some people are hard core “book” people and others like e-readers. I’m a fan of both.
I used to be one of those people who said I would never use an e-reader. It felt like using an e-reader was cheating. Like I was offending the author in some way. I also felt people who used e-readers weren’t really “book people”. However, once I realized how easy it was to download a book and start reading it instantly changed my mind. There is nothing worse than traveling and not having something to read, OR you finish your book and can’t get another one right away. The flip side of that scenario is packing 7 books in your luggage because you can’t decide which one you want to read. Yep that’s been me taking books out of my luggage while trying to check in for a flight because my bag weighs too much.
So, in the name of convince and not having to pay extra airport baggage fees, I use a kindle when I travel. Judge if you will, but that’s just how I roll.
The Last Mrs. Parrish – Liv Constantine
This was one of my favorite books last month! It’s a great thriller and it’s so entertaining! It’s centers on Amber Patterson a runaway young woman who inserts herself into the world of a wealthy prominent woman, Daphne Parrish. Amber desperately wants Daphne’s life. Her home, Her husband and her money, and she will do whatever it takes to get it. The first half of the book is written from Amber’s point of view, and the second half is written from Daphne’s perspective. There is a great twist that I didn’t see coming, and it was so good! I blew through this book in about two days. It’s an awesome beach read and I highly recommend it.
The Book of Essie – Meghan Maclean Weir
This was another great read! Essie, Ester Hicks, is 16 years old and the youngest of 6 children. The book begins when she realizes she is pregnant, but you don’t know who the father is. Not only is this an issue for obvious reasons, but it is compounded by the fact that her father is an Evangelical Pastor with a huge congregation. What makes it even more complicated is that her family has starred in their own very successful reality television show since before she was born.
Essie’s family decides that the best solution to this “problem”, is for her to get married. Throw in an older sister who has been missing for 4 years and a fiance who is bribed into marring her and you’ve got a great read!
99 Percent – Sally Thorne
I’ll be perfectly honest. I hated this book. There was so much hype about this book it was ridiculous. It seemed like everyone I knew was reading it and absolutely loved it. So of course I jumped on the band wagon. I’m just glad I borrowed this from the library and didn’t spend any money on it.
This book centers on twin siblings, a brother and a sister. When their grandmother dies and leaves them her house they decide to remodel and flip it. They hire their childhood friend and neighbor who is a contractor to do the work. Long story short the sister and the neighbor have had the hots for each other since they were kids, but neither will do anything about it. The characters are not likable and very immature. For some reason I keep reading it because I hoped they would redeem themselves, but it never happened. Don’t waste your time with this one. It’s not worth it.
The Huntress – Kate Quinn
For those of you who read The Alice Network will enjoy Kate Quinn’s newest novel The Huntress. Set during WWII and immediately after the story focuses on three plot lines and three sets of characters that eventually cross paths.
The first set of characters is Ian Graham and Anton “Tony” Rodomovsky who operate a small office in Vienna. Their job is to find low level war criminals and bringing them to justice. The person they are most desperate to find is a German woman called “The Huntress” who is responsible for killing Ian’s brother.
The next we meet is Nina Markova and The Night Witches. The Night Witches were an actual group of female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment in Russia. An incident occurs that forces Nina to desert her regiment which leads her to meet Ian’s brother and The Huntress.
The last character we meet is Jordan McBride a 17 year old girl living in Boston after the war with her widowed father. Shortly after we meet her her father he introduces her to his new fiance. She has recently fled Europe with her young daughter in hopes of starting a new life. Jordan thinks there is something very odd about her new Step-mother, but can’t quite put her finger on it. This book kept me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend it.
The Identicals – Elin Hilderbrand
Elin Hilderbrand can do no wrong when it comes to easy breezy summer reads. The Identicals is about a set of twin sisters Tabitha and Harper. When their parents get divorced the girls are forced to choose one parent to live with. Harper chooses laid back dad Billy and Tabitha is left with her domineering, uptight fashion designer mother Eleanor.
Harper and Billy live on Martha’s Vineyard while Tabitha and Eleanor choose Nantucket. After their father dies the two now adult siblings, who haven’t spoken in years, decide to trade places for a summer in an effort to leave behind their complicated pasts on their respective islands. However, the two women quickly realize the grass isn’t always greener on the other island. The end was a little anti-climatic but overall a good light summer read.
Hope you can find something that tickles your fancy in this list. If not you can check out my book list volume 1 and volume 2.
Thanks for reading! Hope you are off to a great week.