Looking for your next great read? Today I’m sharing 19 incredible books I read this winter. Be sure to bookmark this post for your next library day!
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Check out the January Book of the Month Club Selections:
The Survivors by Jane Harper
The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.
The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
Outlawed by Anna North
The Removed by Brandon Hobson
December 2020 Must-Reads
The Monsters We Make by Kali White
Any child of the ‘80’s remembers the heightened awareness of stranger danger and the missing kids that lined our milk cartons.
This smart and chilling thriller is a work of fiction, but relies heavily on a true life case of three paper boys that disappeared, all within a few years of each other, while out on their morning deliveries.
This page-turner is told from alternate perspectives that include the officer assigned to the case, the sister of a fellow paper boy, and a 12-year-old boy that is carrying around a secret that haunts his every waking minute.
I could not put this book down and recommend it, in particular, for fans of Rene Denfeld.
The author spent hundreds of hours researching these missing person cases and conducted numerous interviews with reporters and officers that covered these past cases. This read is absolutely solid from start to finish.
Triggering warnings: child sexual abuse
4 out of 5 Stars
Verity by Colleen Hoover
I have finally dipped my toes in the Colleen Hoover waters after SO many of you have insisted that I dig into her books.
I realize that I picked the one that fits the least with her romance writing, but this book is also one that people post about with a good ol’, “WTF??” so I had to find out what the fuss was about.
It seems this is one of those either you really love it or you really hate it.
Personally, I thought it was a really clever twist that had to me guessing from the beginning.
A woman is hired as a ghost writer to finish the remaining books in a famous author’s series (Verity Crawford), after a car accident has left her bedridden and unable to communicate.
To really make sure that she gets all of the author’s notes and start to understand her process, she stays with the writer’s family to gather all she needs.
While gathering information for the book though, she stumbles upon Verity’s memoir that makes some stunning declarations that all is NOT as it seems in this woman’s world.
The memoir is highly disturbing and graphic, which made me turn the pages even quicker than I had expected.
The ending is really quite clever and, overall, I enjoyed this twisty thriller a lot.
I would recommend this if you are looking for a dark winter thriller to keep you entertained!
4 out of 5 Stars
The Four Winds by Kristen Hannah
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I know many of us have come to rely upon Kristin Hannah’s novels for her heartstring pulling narratives and a good yearly cry.
I can tell you that she is delivering on that again with her new novel, available on February 2nd, 2021.
This historical fiction novel is set in the 1930’s, just as the drought has broken across the Great Plains.
This account of one family’s story showcases some of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, when the Dust Bowl era strikes with a vengeance.
Farmers are forced to either uproot their families, to supposed promises of greener pastures or try to farm in inhabitable conditions for their livestock and land.
More surprising, to me, is how many simply abandoned their families with the burden became too much, leaving behind women and children to figure out how to handle everything.
That is what happens in this story and it is, honestly, one of the bleakest books that I’ve read.
There is, truly, not a glimmer of hope in this one and the tragedies go on for hundreds of pages.
It is beautifully written, I learned a lot, I cried a lot, and I was left begging for a little more hope in this story.
4 out of 5 Stars
Wunderland by Jennifer Cody Epstein
Wunderland ended up being so excellent that I decided to select it as 2021 MomAdvice Book Club pick.
This gorgeous historical fiction novel explores the friendship between two girls and the nation’s abrupt swing into fascism.
The Berlin teenagers, Ilse & Renate, both decide to join Hitler’s Youth Army together.
What they don’t know is that Renate’s family doesn’t qualify and she is considered a, “mischling,” because she is not born of the purest race.
Once inseparable, the race laws shatter their friendship and lead to a shocking betrayal.
Decades later, this betrayal is brought to light again, upending the life of Isle’s daughter as she uncovers the shocking truth about her mother and her long-buried secrets.
As with all books set during this era, I walk away feeling like I have learned just a little bit more about the daily challenges people faced during this time.
Epstein does a fantastic job tying all of the details together and weaving these different decades of perspective into the story.
She ends the book with a thoughtful commentary on today’s politics and the overlaps that she never would have thought would have pertained to her story.
Reflecting on this history in time and the continued conversations about race and social justice will yield, I am sure, a really impactful book chat this year.
5 out of 5 Stars
Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West
Looking for a novel that really packs a punch and delivers on rich storytelling? I found myself unable to put this book down and I think you will too.
When a young mother is murdered in her home, on Chicago’s South Side, the police dismiss it as another act of violence in a black neighborhood.
Ruby King knows that there is more to her mother’s story than just that and she knows that her mother’s death puts her in an even more dangerous position than before.
Luckily, she has a best friend (Layla) to lean on who, truly, understands the gravity of what has happened.
Layla’s father is the Pastor of their church though and demands that Layla stay away from Ruby and her father.
Not only are they supposed to not show up for Ruby, they also are assisting and turning a blind eye to the fact that Ruby’s father could have been the murderer.
It leads the reader to wonder what the minister has at stake to protect a man like this.
This confident debut is one of my favorite 2020 reading surprises! West even allows space in her novel for the church building to be its own character, as it is observes the members throughout its halls.
I was blown away by this novel and the cleverly woven plot.
5 out of 5 Stars
His & Hers by Alice Feeney
This was the month for dark thrillers and I stumbled upon this book when it ran on sale this month.
It is the kind of book that you can devour in 24 hours with all that unreliable narration that I’ve grown to love over the years.
The His & Hers aspect allows the reader to switch between two perspectives- a news reporter who is covering a murder case and the detective that is suspicious of her involvement…oh, and happens to have had a romantic relationship with the woman that was murdered.
This is one of those perfect whodunit kind of books and Feeney builds out the story well, even adding in a third perspective from the unknown killer.
There is smart complexity built into each of these characters that made it a satisfying read that kept me up way past my bedtime.
4 out of 5 Stars
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you need a holiday romance escape, this novel is absolutely adorable and grin-until-your-cheeks-hurt cute.
Minnie Cooper has had an unlucky New Year’s birthday ever year of her life and it started with a man that she has never met…Quinn Hamilton.
The mothers gave birth to them at the hospital, just after midnight, and Quinn’s mother stole the cash prize for being the first baby born on New Year ’s Day AND what should have been her name.
Since this historic day, Minnie has had one bad birthday after the next.
After another disastrous time at a party, she ends up meeting Quinn and finds her world forever changed.
These two couldn’t be more different, but they find a deep mutual appreciation for one another that they could never have expected.
This novel can be summed up in two words: ABSOLUTELY CHARMING.
I could not have loved this one more and would love to see this one expanded into a sequel because Minnie & Quinn were such a treat!
5 out of 5 Stars
All That’s Bright & Gone by Eliza Nellums
Stories told from a child’s perspective can be an absolute hit or an absolute miss.
Luckily for me, Nellums does a phenomenal job in her debut, sharing the story from six-year-old Aoife’s perspective.
Aoife’s brother is dead and since this time, Aoife’s mother has been getting more and more confused.
When her mother ends up being hospitalized, her uncle comes to live with her and realizes just how bad things have gotten for Aoife.
Aoife has been living without essentials like food and a safe home, but she is able to navigate all of this thanks to her imaginary friend, Teddy.
With Teddy’s help, Aoife wants to get to the bottom of what really happened to her brother as she begins to uncover the truth that has been kept from her.
If you appreciated, Where the Forest Meets the Stars, I really think you will love this story too. It does lean a bit into magical realism, but I found the story to be beautifully told throughout.
4 out of 5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
While Ove has been one of my favorite characters, I can’t always say that I connect with Backman’s work the way that many of my readers do.
This novel was one that really grew on me and I wasn’t sure what to think most of my way through it.
Readers advised though that the audiobook was super enjoyable and I read the printed version so I do want to share that this appears to be the best format for connection.
An apartment open house becomes the site of a failed bank robbery and this is where a group of strangers are being held hostage.
This unlikely group of misfits all come with their own sets of baggage and find themselves trapped together where stories begin to flow and connections are made.
Backman finds seemingly loose strings and manages to bring these characters together in surprising ways.
The story is told through alternating perspectives that can feel disjointed, but somehow add some magic to the story.
This was voted as a favorite by our book club members and will be featured as a 2021 MomAdvice Book Club selection.
I plan to reread this one in the audio format to see if that really does add the needed connection to this story.
4 out of 5 Stars
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
I was so excited to dive into this novel, particularly, after watching the real life documentary of Hillary that was on Hulu.
If you are at all interested in her younger years, I do recommend this because I found it to be quite fascinating hearing about her younger years.
In this fictional retelling, Hillary does enjoy her time with Bill, dates him, and refuses his proposal.
Clinton works on her own successful career as she decides to campaign and run for a presidency and the reader gets to go on the bumpy ride with her.
It was an interesting spin on her life story and builds all the way up until meeting Trump and then running against him.
In all honesty, I admired the concept even though the sex scene with Bill and a saxophone may be permanently imprinted on my brain.
4 out of 5 Stars
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
This is, by far, my favorite thriller this year and I hope that you can join us to chat about it in our 2021 MomAdvice Book Club.
Described as Get Out meets Rear Window, this clever thriller explores the topic of gentrification in a way that begs for a book club chat.
In this novel, Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her neighborhood seems to be changing before her very eyes.
Lifelong neighbors are now throwing up for sale signs and the shops she has visited for years are now being replaced by hipster juice bars.
Sydney decides to deep dive into the history of the neighborhood and finds an unlikely assistant, when taking a city walking tour.
What the two uncover can only be categorized as a nightmare and they must band together to stop the evil forces as work.
This is as good as any movie, has sooo much meat for discussion. Don’t skip this one this year!
5 out of 5 Stars
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
One of the big buzz books this year was this novel by Rumaan Alam. Reading the description, the plot sounded like one that I would immediately get sucked into and the audiobook ended up being beautifully narrated.
A Brooklyn family rents a luxurious house for a weekend getaway and, after barely unpacking, the owners come knocking and ask to come back to stay with them during a severe power outage in the city.
What the white renters didn’t expect was that the wealthy couple is black and that builds out into some well-developed plot points about “subtle” racism even when we *think* we do not have a racial bias.
They also didn’t expect that they would be without all technology, during the outage, and how the outage is only the start of this dystopian family vacation.
The beginning of the book was strong, intriguing, and well-written. The ending was VERY ambiguous without a clear conclusion that left me wanting a lot more. If the book had not ended so abruptly, I would have rated this one a lot higher.
3 out of 5 Stars
Tell the Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams
This science fiction novel sounded so intriguing that I couldn’t wait to dive in.
The premise for this one is that there is a machine that tells you exactly what makes you happy and people use this as guidance for success in their everyday lives and to get ahead in their professional world.
Even armed with this information (and working for the company that makes the machine) Pearl has a son that it is intent on living an unhappy life.
He isn’t interested in what this machine can tell him and is working through disordered eating and personal struggles that no happiness machine can fix.
The book started really strong, but I had a hard time connecting with this one.
Even if it wasn’t my favorite this month, I do think the messaging was strong. As we become more and more reliant on technology to motivate us, the idea that we shouldn’t allow it to define us was a strong one.
3 out of 5 Stars
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This thriller will be hitting store shelves on January 5th and was the perfect winter read-it-in-a-day kind of thriller.
Jane is working in a ritzy neighborhood as a dog walker.
Down on her luck, meeting Eddie Rochester couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.
Eddie is a widow, after a tragic boating accident takes the life of both his wife and her best friend.
Although it may seem a bit soon to be pursuing a love interest, he falls head-over-heels for Jane and can’t wait to start a fresh chapter with her.
As the title implies though, this widow’s story might not be all that it seems.
Lucky for him, Jane’s isn’t either.
Told in alternating perspectives this novel was a treat. I hope you enjoy this game of cat-and-mouse as much as I did.
4 out of 5 Stars
Happy & You Know It by Laura Hankin
Although I am WAY out of the baby/new mom phase, I was looking for something light and decided to read this little book, “Happy and You Know It.”
This novel was full-on dark satire.
Set in NYC, this is all about a privileged group of moms that gather for weekly playgroups. Their gatherings even include their own private musician, who is paid to sing to their babies, as they update their coveted social media profile.
All of them harbor little secrets (dark pasts, money woes, sordid affairs, and deep rooted beliefs in the wellness culture that has them spending loads of $$$). It’s delightfully awful.
Hankin, the author, happens to write for McSweeney’s and has been featured on Funny or Die.
Being funny doesn’t necessarily mean smart comedy, but this author attended Princeton so she has the academic chops to make it all believably hilarious.
It reminded me a little of, “A Ladder in the Sky,” where it is so deliciously terrible that you can’t stop flipping the pages.
With parents behaving badly these days (is distance learning bringing out our *true* sides or what?) I loved sinking my teeth into parents that I just don’t have to really deal with in my real life.
4 out of 5 Stars
Do No Harm by Christina McDonald
Thank you to the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Night Olivia Fell was one of my favorite thriller’s last year so I was absolutely thrilled to receive an advanced reader of her latest novel, available on February 16th!
There is nothing we wouldn’t do to protect our children and McDonald explores that idea when a mother finds out her son has a rare form of cancer that requires a treatment that no family could ever afford.
Practicing as a physician, Emma knows that the she has access to one thing that can help her bank enough money for this cancer treatment…access to opioids.
In a town that is gripped by the opioid epidemic, she has no trouble finding clients, but also finds herself in a dark world that takes a surprisingly bad turn.
One thing I really appreciate about McDonald’s writing is that she creates a compelling story both for this mother and compassion for the opioid crisis, as a whole.
This one challenges your own moral compass in some really clever ways.
This thriller is beautifully paced and meat enough for a great book club discussion.
5 out of 5 Stars
Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’m all about the thrillers right now and I can’t wait until you can get your hands on this one (hitting store shelves on December 29th) because it kept me guessing all the way up until the final pages.
As a seasoned thriller reader, you know that is no easing feat anymore!
Lilia is a complex character with a dark past and becomes one of the prime suspects when her husband goes missing.
The two are in a loveless marriage and it would come to a surprise to no one if Lila ended up killing him, after the way he has treated her.
He’s not the only one who has gone missing though and as the police (and true crime podcasts) start digging into Aaron’s disappearance, they begin to wonder if a few unsolved missing person cases might be connected to this.
Lila killed her husband though so she’s a little less worried…until the body disappears and she starts receiving messages that indicate that he might still be alive.
Say what?!
The readers gets to follow along on each twisty path and Kane does an incredible job weaving these stories together.
The ending is oh-so-satisfying.
Make sure you add this one to your stack this month!
5 out of 5 Stars
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Mary Kubica is one of my favorite thriller writers so I was absolutely thrilled to get a copy of her latest novel.
I’m sorry to say that this won’t hit store shelve until May 18th, but I want to put it on your radar, in the meantime.
Kubica builds a great twisty story that has the just right amount of suspense and whodunit fun that had me flipping the pages as fast as I could.
It is unusual for more than one person to go missing in a neighborhood, but that’s what happens in this story leaving one to wonder if these cases could be related. Not only do two women disappear, but a six-year-old little girl has also vanished.
Eleven years later though, the child is found and everyone wants to know where she could have been and how this could be connected to the other disappearances.
This book is fast paced, had really inventive twists, and read like a really suspenseful film. I, truly, had zero idea where this was going and that made it a pleasure to read from start to finish.
I can’t wait for you to get your hands on this one so be sure to add it to your to-be-read stack for 2021!
4 out of 5 Stars
Read With Me This Year
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enjoy these reviews? here are a few other reads you’ll enjoy this year!
the best books of 2019
19 thrillers to keep you up all night
Happy Reading!
