1. Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin
This trilogy has been catching my eye for a while and I finally picked it up. The books in it are : The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, and The Retribution of Mara Dyer. I was very impressed with how this book was able to seamlessly mix romance, drama, and suspense. This book had me on the edge of my seat with all of the plot twists and the intense story line. Michelle Hodkin's writing was so vivid and descriptive, I was in love by the second page of the first book. I read this whole trilogy in a week and it still left me wanting more. I give these books a 10/10. Absolutely amazing.
2. My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak
This book is so good for someone wanting a light read that will have you laughing out loud. It is about Sloane, who through an unfortunate series of events finds herself living in a house with a family of 12 boys, very much out of place. This book reminded me of the Cheaper by the Dozen children, it was so funny. I read this one in a day, and as light as it was I just couldn't put it down. This is a great read for anyone needing some sunshine in their life!
3. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
Picoult is one of my all time favorite authors. This one is so far one of my favorites that she has written, and I have read quite a few of her books. She has a knack for pulling you into a story and hitting you with a throat grabbing plot twist. She is one of the few writers that even after book 12, you still can't get enough of her. I would recommend any book by her, but this one was by far my favorite!
4. House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Another one by Picoult that was too good not to put on this list. This book is about an autistic boy who finds himself and his family in the middle of a murder investigation. What I like about Picoult's writing is that in the midst of the amazing story, she manages to tie in social issues and stay true to the subject. In House Rules she talks a lot about autism, the different spectrums and the research that has and hasn't been done. This is another one I highly suggest by her!
5. Cellar by Natasha Preston
I picked up this book about a year ago on sale, and truth be told it sat on my dresser for about a month before I actually read it. I get a little wary about reading books by authors I haven't heard of. This one was a pleasant surprise. If you read the Mara Dyer books at the beginning of this list and liked those, this needs to be your second stop. Its about Summer, a girl who goes missing in a small town. It is a dark book, but not so dark that its sad to read. I read this book after reading Jaycee Dugard's memoir and found them very similar. 5 stars!
6. Awake by Natasha Preston
After reading Cellar, I saw this book and had to get it. This book is also about a girl that goes missing but finds herself in the middle of a religious cult. Preston's writing was just as descriptive as Michelle Hodkin's which is why it pulled me in so quickly. I absolutely recommend both of these books! I am looking forward to reading more from this writer!!
7. The Program by Suzanne Young
I have had this book recommended to me a few times, but I didn't pick it up until about two months ago. The first book is The Program, and the second book is The Treatment. It's a dystopian novel about a society where suicide is treated like an illness, and "at risk" teens are put through something called The Program that is supposed to "cure" them of the disease. I loved loved LOVED these books. They aren't long reads so I went through them pretty fast, but they were still so good! I didn't pick this book up right away because to be honest, I have been reading a lot of dark books lately and I didn't want to top it off with a book about suicide, but the books are written so well that I would not categorize these as a dark, sad read. 8/10 definitely worth it!
8. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
This book is very different from the others on the list. I haven't much cared for historical fiction. I picked up a few books here and there but never really got into it. However, my mom has read multiple books by Gregory and told me over and over I needed to try it out. This was the first book I read because I loved the movie so much. Of course, the book is a million times better. After I read this book I picked up three more of her books and loved those all the same. The Other Boleyn Girl (if you haven't seen the movie) is about Henry VIII and the end of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and then the move from Mary and Anne Boleyn. I love this subject and time period anyway so that gave me a small push to read this book. Gregory has a knack for making you feel in the history. She is so descriptive and doesn't leave one detail. I was impressed at how she was able to tell the history in a story. What I liked about these books was that I learned so much about the history, without being bored to tears by dates!
9. Zoo by James Patterson
This one was also a recommendation by my mom. They also made a TV series out of it, although I wouldn't recommend it unless you're just bored. It was nothing like the book and it wasn't very good acting. The book however, was phenomenal! It is about a scientist and how he notices animals turning on humans over the course of a few years. It was a different read for me but it was a change much needed. I liked the science portion of this book even though it was fiction for the most part, it made it very interesting. I haven't read any more of Patterson's books but only because I have been reading others, he is definitely on my list of favorites already!
10. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
This one was a long time coming. I have seen the musical, but I had never read the book. Once I saw the first two books of the series on sale I decided there were no more excuses. I did realize that he is a difficult writer for me to read. I didn't read the second book and I didn't read any more of his books after this one. But I did like Wicked. Now that may be because I find the musical so phenomenal but either way, I think it was an amazing book. Like I said, he is not the easiest writer and not my favorite but this book for sure should be on everyone's reading list!
11. Mississippi Mud by Edward Humes
This book is one of the only non fiction books I 100% enjoyed. It is about the Sherry murders in Biloxi. I found it interesting partly because of where it is set, and it was such an awful thing that happened I wanted to learn more about it. After reading this it led me to ask so many questions and want to learn so much more. I learned a lot about where I live and the area I am from. This book was very well written and very well researched. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether or not they are familiar with the gulf coast just because it is such a gripping story!
12. 50 Shades Series by EL James
Yes, I know you have probably heard so much about this book already. But it needs to be said. Yes these books are graphic, and yes they are sometimes crass. BUT they are still good. I'm not going to go deep into what they're about and what were the best parts. Read the books. No shame in this game. They're good. That's all!
A Few More..
I'm adding a few more without any details just as an end note, these are in no specific order and I'm not going to add a description to them but friends and family are always asking me for reading suggestions because I am always reading something. So here are a few more that I think deserve to be mentioned!
The Great Gatsby (My all time favorite)
The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
The Remedy by Suzanne Young
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
Congo by Michael Crichton
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Post Mortem by Patricia Cornwell
Thurston House by Danielle Steel
4. House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Another one by Picoult that was too good not to put on this list. This book is about an autistic boy who finds himself and his family in the middle of a murder investigation. What I like about Picoult's writing is that in the midst of the amazing story, she manages to tie in social issues and stay true to the subject. In House Rules she talks a lot about autism, the different spectrums and the research that has and hasn't been done. This is another one I highly suggest by her!
5. Cellar by Natasha Preston
I picked up this book about a year ago on sale, and truth be told it sat on my dresser for about a month before I actually read it. I get a little wary about reading books by authors I haven't heard of. This one was a pleasant surprise. If you read the Mara Dyer books at the beginning of this list and liked those, this needs to be your second stop. Its about Summer, a girl who goes missing in a small town. It is a dark book, but not so dark that its sad to read. I read this book after reading Jaycee Dugard's memoir and found them very similar. 5 stars!
6. Awake by Natasha Preston
After reading Cellar, I saw this book and had to get it. This book is also about a girl that goes missing but finds herself in the middle of a religious cult. Preston's writing was just as descriptive as Michelle Hodkin's which is why it pulled me in so quickly. I absolutely recommend both of these books! I am looking forward to reading more from this writer!!
7. The Program by Suzanne Young
I have had this book recommended to me a few times, but I didn't pick it up until about two months ago. The first book is The Program, and the second book is The Treatment. It's a dystopian novel about a society where suicide is treated like an illness, and "at risk" teens are put through something called The Program that is supposed to "cure" them of the disease. I loved loved LOVED these books. They aren't long reads so I went through them pretty fast, but they were still so good! I didn't pick this book up right away because to be honest, I have been reading a lot of dark books lately and I didn't want to top it off with a book about suicide, but the books are written so well that I would not categorize these as a dark, sad read. 8/10 definitely worth it!
8. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
This book is very different from the others on the list. I haven't much cared for historical fiction. I picked up a few books here and there but never really got into it. However, my mom has read multiple books by Gregory and told me over and over I needed to try it out. This was the first book I read because I loved the movie so much. Of course, the book is a million times better. After I read this book I picked up three more of her books and loved those all the same. The Other Boleyn Girl (if you haven't seen the movie) is about Henry VIII and the end of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and then the move from Mary and Anne Boleyn. I love this subject and time period anyway so that gave me a small push to read this book. Gregory has a knack for making you feel in the history. She is so descriptive and doesn't leave one detail. I was impressed at how she was able to tell the history in a story. What I liked about these books was that I learned so much about the history, without being bored to tears by dates!
9. Zoo by James Patterson
This one was also a recommendation by my mom. They also made a TV series out of it, although I wouldn't recommend it unless you're just bored. It was nothing like the book and it wasn't very good acting. The book however, was phenomenal! It is about a scientist and how he notices animals turning on humans over the course of a few years. It was a different read for me but it was a change much needed. I liked the science portion of this book even though it was fiction for the most part, it made it very interesting. I haven't read any more of Patterson's books but only because I have been reading others, he is definitely on my list of favorites already!
10. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
This one was a long time coming. I have seen the musical, but I had never read the book. Once I saw the first two books of the series on sale I decided there were no more excuses. I did realize that he is a difficult writer for me to read. I didn't read the second book and I didn't read any more of his books after this one. But I did like Wicked. Now that may be because I find the musical so phenomenal but either way, I think it was an amazing book. Like I said, he is not the easiest writer and not my favorite but this book for sure should be on everyone's reading list!
11. Mississippi Mud by Edward Humes
This book is one of the only non fiction books I 100% enjoyed. It is about the Sherry murders in Biloxi. I found it interesting partly because of where it is set, and it was such an awful thing that happened I wanted to learn more about it. After reading this it led me to ask so many questions and want to learn so much more. I learned a lot about where I live and the area I am from. This book was very well written and very well researched. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether or not they are familiar with the gulf coast just because it is such a gripping story!
12. 50 Shades Series by EL James
Yes, I know you have probably heard so much about this book already. But it needs to be said. Yes these books are graphic, and yes they are sometimes crass. BUT they are still good. I'm not going to go deep into what they're about and what were the best parts. Read the books. No shame in this game. They're good. That's all!
A Few More..
I'm adding a few more without any details just as an end note, these are in no specific order and I'm not going to add a description to them but friends and family are always asking me for reading suggestions because I am always reading something. So here are a few more that I think deserve to be mentioned!
The Great Gatsby (My all time favorite)
The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
The Remedy by Suzanne Young
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
Congo by Michael Crichton
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Post Mortem by Patricia Cornwell
Thurston House by Danielle Steel
