This month was kind of a slow month. I only read 6 books. It was a total of 1,974 pages. Which makes for an average of 64 pages per day. I’ve definitely had better months of reading (but I’ve also had way worse). So here goes!
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St James (341 pages). This was another Once Upon a Book Club book, so gifties are on social. But back to the book itself. The small town of Claire Lake, Oregon, is seemingly peaceful. But nothing is as it seems. In 1977, the Lady Killer murders rocked the town- two men were gunned down. And poor little rich girl Beth Greer seemed like the only suspect. After her acquittal, she retreated into her mansion. In 2007, a child rapist and murderer terrorized the town. And in 2017, part time true crime blogger Shea Collins lands the interview of a lifetime with Beth Greer. After a childhood “incident”, Shea herself lives a sheltered life. And as her involvement with Beth deepens, she begins to wonder what darkness lies in Beth’s home. I finished in 3 days.
The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff (296 pages). 5 students at Baird College decided to stay on campus during Thanksgiving break- Robin, Patrick, Lisa, Cain and Martin. As they spend the weekend slowly getting to know each other, they also realize that there is a presence in their residence hall. And when the rest of the student body returns from break, the 5 of them realize that this presence isn’t a friendly ghost. And they need to send this evil spirit back to the abyss before it inflicts any more damage to their college or the other students. It was like Breakfast Club meets Poltergeist with a little Jewish religious folklore. And I loved it! I totally see why it was a Bram Stoker Award nominee. I finished in 3 days.
Remember Me by Mario Escobar (357 pages). Back to historical fiction for this girl. From 1936 to 1939, the Spanish Civil War raged. I actually didn’t really understand what they were fighting about for a very long time. It wasn’t like the American Civil War. This was the communists vs the fascists (had to google the difference on those). 13 year old Marco Alcade and his two younger sisters are sent, by their parents, to Mexico to escape the ravages of war. Along with nearly 500 other children, the Alcades faced a very different reality upon reaching Morelia. And most of these children never saw their parents again. I finished in 5 days.
Confess by Colleen Hoover (306 pages). At 15, Auburn Reed experienced a life changing grief. Nearly 6 years later, she accepts a temporary job at an art gallery. An art gallery where the artist Owen Gentry specializes in artwork inspired by anonymous confessions. Their connection is immediate. But both of them have confessions that could change everything if they let them out. I finished in 3 days.
The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel (337 pages). From age 11 to 19, Val and Lilly are absolute best friends and pen pals, sharing letters and recipes when they are apart. But one moment of betrayal lead to 27 years of silence. Can letters (or rather emails) and recipes help these two lifelong friends find their way back to each other? I finished in 3 days.
Darling Girl by Liz Michalski (337 pages). This was a Once Upon a Book Club book. The gifts were super cute. Holly Darling is the granddaughter of Wendy Darling (yes, that Wendy). The owner of a successful cosmetics company, Holly seems perfectly happy and successful, despite many family tragedies. But then she gets a phone call that her daughter Eden (who has been in a coma for over a decade) has vanished. Holly knows that there is only one culprit- Peter Pan. Because Holly knows the truth- Peter is not the hero the stories made him out to be. So Holly hires Christopher Cooke, a private detective, to help her track down her daughter. And the man the world will always view as the boy who never grows up. I finished in 3 days.
This month’s favorite was…..Darling Girl. I guess. I didn’t really have an absolute favorite this month.
