2018 Fall Book Review Post

How has it been a few months since my last book review post? Time really flies, right? I thought I’d share my favorite books from the last few months – these would ALL make excellent holiday gifts, so if you still need to purchase some gifts, consider some of these:

The Great Believers is a book that I read a few weeks ago but I find myself thinking about the story at random times. The author moves back and forth between two connected stories. The first is Yale’s story – he is a young man finding himself in the midst of the AIDS crisis in Chicago in the 1980s. As someone who was a teen in that time period, I remember the fear and how little was known about the disease. The second story concerns Fiona, who was also a young adult at that time period and a friend of Yale’s. However, her story is told in the present day and is about how she is trying to reconnect with her daughter. Her scars from losing so many friends in the ’80s have made her who she is today and greatly affected her current relationships. The book is haunting, yet realistic. As I mentioned, it’s stayed with me for weeks now. My rating 4.5 out of 5.

Then She Was Gone: A Novel was another book that I continued to think about long after I had finished it. Although I did figure out the plot midway through, I found it well written and still wanted to continue to see how the author would wrap things up. We begin with wondering what happened to Ellie. She was a teenage girl who simply vanished on her way to the library. The novel moves between her voice, her mother’s voice and several other characters in the story.  The other main storyline is happening to Ellie’s mother. Years after her daughter’s disappearance, she is finally beginning to see hope for the future. My rating 4.5 out of 5.

Behind Her Eyes: A Suspenseful Psychological Thriller This was one of the few thrillers I’ve read that actually shocked me at the end. Please do not read ahead or you’ll ruin it for yourself. Louise is a bit daft, and often I wondered how on earth she could be so blind, but that’s kinda the point. She meets a man in a bar and feels like he could be a great match for her. Until she goes to work and discovers it’s her new boss. Quickly after she meets him, she finds herself in a bizarre friendship with his wife. An affair ensues and like I said, the ending was shocking. Everything is definitely not as it seems. My rating 4.5 out of 5.

Matchmaking for Beginners: A Novel was a joy to read. After all the dark thrillers I’d been racking up, it was fun to have a book that is a little more light-hearted (although still not fluff). Marnie meets her fiance’s great Aunt, Blix and finds they have a special bond. Blix is confident Marnie is destined for a great life and decides to help push her along.  So, upon her death, she left her house to Marnie. What Marnie discovers about herself and those around her was sometimes heart-breaking, often heart-warming and in the end, lovely. My rating 4.5 out of 5.

Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too was a book I kinda loved and kinda didn’t. I think there are a lot of excellent nuggets in the book and some very realistic and doable action items, but I wasn’t always a fan of the delivery. That being said, I think it’s a book every entrepreneur should read. My rating 4 out of 5. 

Have you read any good books lately? If so, please share in the comments – my list of books to read is getting shorter than usual, and that makes me nervous!

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