It is hard to believe we are already OVER half way through the year. That means I am overdue for my latest book review. So far this year I have read 9 books and have LOVED almost all of them. It rarely happens that all the books I read I would recommend but this time just about all of them I would encourage you to read. If you are interested in purchasing any of them I have linked all the books via Amazon so all you have to do is click the image and it should take you straight there.
So without further ado here goes:
- Every Breath by Nicolas Sparks
- I have to say Sparks is one of my FAVORITE writers. I am a sucker for the Notebook and was super pumped to break out this book (my new Christmas gift) early January. So I was super bummed to only be able to rate this one 6/10 stars. It is the story of an African guide who meets a woman from North Carolina via a mailbox full of letters. All in all I just didn’t feel it was up to the normal Sparks greatest but still enjoyed the story.
2. It’s Better to Build Boys Than Mend Men by Truett Cathy
- If you know me you know that Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, is one my heroes and I think every parent of a son should read this book. Super easy read and full of so many amazing tidbits. I give it 9/10 stars and totally recommend!
- I gave this one 8/10 stars although honestly really didn’t feel completely ‘right’ rating it as I think it is a must read if you are going to visit the academy or want to know more about what life at the academy used to be like. Even though it is not my normal kind of read a friend of mine who is a Naval academy grad took us to visit the Naval Academy in Annapolis back in April and told us we had to read this book before visiting. He said it is the closest thing he has ever read to his time at the academy. And guys I’m so glad I did. Highly recommend if you have any interest in learning more.
4. Water from my Heart by Charles Martin
- Charles has recently become one of my favorite authors. This particular book was deep but thought provoking and I really enjoyed it. I gave it 7/10 stars. It pushed me to think differently and do some research on events as well. I would recommend it.
5. Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
- This could easily be my favorite book so far this year. I LOVED IT and gave it 10/10 stars. I even passed it to my mom and grandmother to read as well and they both loved it. We have very different taste when it comes to fiction so it is hard to find a book that we all like but this one hit every aspect of everything amazing. I have googled and ordered more books from this author after reading this one. It is an English mystery that kept me guessing the entire book and without saying too much I will just say that if you are looking for a great page turner that is still light enough for a beach read I would click the above link and add this to your cart today.
6. The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
- This was my third Charles Martin book (2nd of the year) and I ended up decided to give it 7/10 stars. It is a really great story about a plane crash with two strangers and their journey for survival. It was hard to put down and leaves you wanting to know how it all ends. I will say there were a few twists I really didn’t see coming. I really liked it so when I found out it had just been made into a movie made my sweet hubby go out and rent the move the very same night I finished the book. Let me save you the trouble. On that note if you get this book be sure to get the NON movie version (linked above).
7. Long Way Gone by Charles Martin
- I liked the prior Charles Martin book so much that I decided to read another and ended up liking this one even more and gave it 8/10 stars. It is the store of a country music artist, the relationship between a father and a son, and the journey through life. I really loved it. It has a great message and as a parent really made me think and also feel for all the characters in this book. It was really great.
8. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
- Another favorite artist. Another book I LOVED. I gave this one 9/10 stars. This was another page turner I couldn’t put down. This is the story of the complicated relationship between a husband and wife and “the other woman” that believe it or not actually had me cheering for the other woman. Also story that had me guessing until the end and wishing it wasn’t over once I finished it.
9. The Pact by Jodi Picoult
- Jodi is such a deep, intriguing writer. I love that she writes about hard topics and researches them so deep before writing fiction. It is hard to find an author who cares so much for fact in a fiction book but Jodi does a great job with this. This book was raw, emotional, and a bit hard to read but I loved it non the less. It was a page turner that I couldn’t put down (read the entire thing in a day and a half). I gave it 8/10 stars but only because it was a bit disturbing to me but in a way that challenged me. It is the ‘love story’ if you want to call it that between two teenagers and talks a lot about teenage suicide. It is really an awesome story and highly recommend it as well.
Below is the next book on my list. I can’t wait to break it open and see what all the hype is about! Click on the link below if you want to read it with me.
That concludes my list so far this year. What is your favorite book so far this year? What book should I read next?
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