7 Books I Couldn’t Put Down

If there’s one thing this self-quarantine has given me time for, it’s getting through my reading list. So today I’m sharing 7 books I couldn’t put down plus the next 3 that are on my list.

I’m pretty much always in the middle of a book, even if it means rereading an old favorite like Pride & Prejudice (Best. Book. Ever).  It’s probably my favorite hobby next to shopping and putting together outfits. In fact, I have to read every night before bed. It’s the only way I can really fall asleep.

Luckily, before all of this crazy started, I had a chance to stock up on some new reads. And, oh my goodness, I scored some good ones! These books were all incredible, I couldn’t stop reading them. A few of them I even finished in less than a day.

And, if you’re looking for more reading recommendations, check out this post containing ten of my favorite books or this post of summer beach reads.

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

I actually read this book last year, but it still deserves a spot on this list. Lawhon crafts an intriguing storyline that keeps you guessing right until the very last second. The novel jumps back and forth, telling the story from two different points in time. Part of the book focuses on the lives of the Romanovs and tells the events that led up to their tragic end. The other part tells the story of Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia, beginning in 1970 and moving backwards to 1920.

I’ve always found the history of the Romanov family interesting (probably thanks to the animated film that came out when I was a kid), and the description of this novel was too tempting not to pick it up. If you think you know the story of Anastasia Romanov, well, you should read this book and see just how much you really know.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

If you haven’t heard about this book yet, then I can only assume you live in some remote location without access to the internet. Where the Crawdads Sing topped The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers list for a combined 30 weeks between 2019 and 2020. And it’s a highly talked about pick from Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club. I first heard about it from my mama and I can promise you, this book definitely lives up to the hype.

Set in 1950s coastal North Carolina, the story centers around the life of Kya Clark, a young woman who has survived on her own in the marshes since she was a child. Shy and withdrawn, she’s known by the people who live in the nearby town of Barkley Cove as “Marsh Girl”. When a local man is found dead in 1969, the townspeople immediately suspect t Kya of murder.

Owens weaves a captivating tale that goes far beyond the usual concept of “whodunit”. She takes you on a journey back in time and immerses you in another life. This is one book you can’t put down until you reach the end.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Like Before We Were Yours, my mama recommended this book to me (she’s the one I inherited my love of reading from). Before We Were Yours is based on the real-life scandal that surrounded the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in the 1930s. It tells a story from two different points-of-view from two different points in time.

The story begins with Rill Foss, a young girl who lives aboard a shanty boat with her parents and younger siblings. But their life is torn apart one night after an emergency forces her father to rush their mother to the hospital. Rill and her siblings find themselves forced into an orphanage. Life in the orphanage is full of fear and Rill must fight to keep her siblings safe and together.

Fast-forward to modern day South Carolina where Wingate introduces Avery Stafford, a federal prosecutor from a wealthy family who has returned home to help her father. A random encounter with stranger leaves Avery questioning her family’s history and sets her off a path to discover the truth.

This book is full of suspense and intrigue and Wingate does an incredible job bringing the heartbreak of these events to life for readers.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Because of how much as I loved Where the Crawdads Sing, I had to try another book recommendation from Reese Witherspoon. This one was also a New York Times Bestseller and the book’s description was one I couldn’t pass up.

The story focuses on two women. Elena Richardson, born and raised in the planned community of Shaker Heights, embodies everything the placid suburb strives for its residents to be. The other, Mia Warren, is a nomadic artist and single mother who’s new to town. When a legal dispute erupts that divides the residents of Shaker Heights, Mia and Elena find themselves heavily involved but on opposite sides. In the process, Elena becomes obsessed with uncovering the secrets to Mia’s past.

In Little Fires everywhere, Ng explores the secrets that can shift our perspective and leaves you wondering whose side is the right side.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewel

This is a book I came across in an article about the most anticipated novels of 2020. It was also a Good Morning America Cover to Cover Book Club pick. The premise was so intriguing, I actually went ahead and bought the hardcover (something I never do).

Right after her 25^th birthday, Libby Jones receives a letter she’s been waiting for her whole life, a letter that may give her the answers to who she is and where she came from. Not only does she finally learn the identity of her birth parents, but she also finds she has inherited the abandoned mansion where they once lived.

What Libby couldn’t guess, is that she isn’t the only person that’s been waiting for this day to come. Or that the house she has inherited is entangled in a 25-year-old mystery. She sets out to discover the truth about what happened all those years ago and why police discovered her as a baby in the house along with three dead bodies all dressed in black next to a hastily scribbled note.

Jewel has crafted a novel that is twisted, dark, and utterly fascinating.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Another Reese-Witherspoon-recommended-read, convincing me that if Reese says it’s good, it’s good. From start to finish, I think I put this book down for a total of about 20 minutes. I couldn’t rest until I knew everything.

The story centers around three women; Madeline, Celeste, and Jane, whose children are in the same kindergarten class. Madeline is a vivacious and unstoppable force that can’t forgive her ex-husband for walking out or starting a new family. Celeste is the stunning wife of a wealthy man who only appears to have the perfect life. And Jane is the new-to-town single mother with secrets to hide.

Full of suspense, scandal, and drama, Big Little Lies takes a hard look at how the little lies we tell ourselves can have big consequences. Some of them can even be deadly.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

I picked up this book after hearing the buzz about it around social media. It didn’t hurt that it had over 4,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. I wasn’t disappointed.

Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling author facing a financial crisis, accepts an irresistible job offer. Bestselling author Verity Crawford has suffered an accident and her husband and publishing company need another author to step in and finish Verity’s wildly popular book series. In order to accomplish her job, Lowen must adopt Verity’s tone and style of writing, which means traveling to the Crawford home and combing through Verity’s office.

Her search uncovers Verity’s unfinished autobiography, containing an appalling account of the author’s life and uncovering secrets she never meant for anyone to find. What really happened on the night that changed the Crawford’s lives forever, and does Verity’s husband, a man Lowen finds herself falling for, deserve to know?

Next On My List

Because of my tendency to devour books like candy, I usually force myself to space out my reading list. Even though my next book is sitting on my shelf waiting to be opened, I haven’t started it quite yet because I just finished Verity a few days ago. However, I’ll be starting We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter this weekend. A fictional novel inspired by the true story, it tells the story of one Jewish family separated by World War II, determined to survive and reunite. The novel has amazing reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I’m also planning to read The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo. Another highly anticipated novel of 2020, it centers around one family’s messy past.