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It’s the second Tuesday of the month which means that I’m sharing my April reads with Jana and Steph’s Show Us Your Books linkup. It was a slow reading month for me. I only read five books, but all but one were great reads. Here are my April 2018 reads in least to most liked.
3 stars
Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver – This was my only non-fiction book of the month. After being diagnosed with MS, Carver reassessed her life and decided to live a more minimalist life. Her book gives tips and strategies on how to pursue minimalism. I found it to be too autobiographical and the advice was pretty basic.
4 stars
The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth – This book is about Pleasant Court and three women, Essie, Ange and Fran, who live with their families there. When Isabelle, a single woman, moves into the neighborhood the women are on high alert. Each of the women, including Isabelle, are each dealing with their own struggles. While it appears to the others that their lives are perfect they are indeed not. The story line and writing style of this book reminded me of Liane Moriarty. While Hepworth has become a recent favorite author, this book had a different writing style/feel than her other books that I’ve read. It was still an enjoyable read for me though.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah – Hannah has been a favorite author for awhile. I found this book to start off slow. At first, I was thinking this wasn’t my kind of read. However, once I got about half-way through I got really invested into Leni’s life, rooting for her and her mom.
The Other Mother by Carol Goodman – Daphne meets Laurel at a postpartum mother’s support group. The two both have daughters named Chloe. Soon Daphne starts dressing and looking like Laurel. Their intense friendship has some drastic consequences. When I picked up this book, I realized that I had read one of Goodman’s books many years ago and wasn’t a big fan of it. So, I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy this book. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this was a decent suspense read.
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney – Amber wakes up in the hospital, unable to see or speak. However, she can hear everything going on around her. As the story unfolds between the past, the week before her accident and the present, we discover what really happened. I feel like I’ve read a couple of books recently where the wife was in an accident and can’t remember what happened prior to it and I wasn’t impressed. This book though had lots of twists and I found it to be an enjoyable read.
I’ve only read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, but I keep hearing her other novels are worth a read too. Any in particular you’d recommend?
I really liked Firefly Lane, Night Road, Home Front, Between Sisters…..so many!
I just finished The Great Alone and loved it! The Family Next Door sounds really interesting (I think it’s on my tbr), and The Other Mother sounds so creepy!
I liked The Great Alone but it wasn’t my favorite of Hannah’s.
I’ve never read anything by Sally Hepworth, but based on what you say I think I’d enjoy her. I’m adding this to my TBR now, and The Great Alone is also up there–hopefully I’ll get to it this summer!
This Sally Hepworth book wasn’t my favorite. I recommend The Mother’s Promise and The Things We Keep.
Adding Sometimes I Lie to my Goodreads list!
Can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
The whole coma/can’t remember thing has really become a trend. Like you, I still enjoyed Sometimes I Lie but I put a couple netgalley books on the back burner because the premise is too similar and grows stale quickly. I’ve been putting off reading The Great Alone but everyone seems to enjoy it. I might as well put my name on the hold list because it will probably take some time before it gets to me!
The Great Alone starts slow, but is worth continuing to read. Have to find some other type of suspense reads….I may possibly go back to some James Patterson.
I’m on the holds list for Sometimes I Lie – I’ve been seeing it all over the place! Twisty books are great summer reads, and by the time my hold comes in, it’ll be full-on summer 😉
I’ve not really read any Kristin Hannah (and in fact am one of probably 2 people who really didn’t like The Nightingale), but of course I’ve been seeing this new one all over the place too. It sounds intriguing enough to give it a try…
Yes, Sometimes I Lie will be a great summer read. I recommend you give Hannah a try. The Nightingale was super different than her other books. I think of her more as a contemporary fiction writer.
Loved The Great Alone, mostly for the character of Alaska itself.
I feel the same about the wife/accident scenario.
I might have the Sally Hepworth on the book shelf downstairs. No wait that’s another book with houses in the title. LOL
Yes, reading about how wild Alaska was back then was interesting in the Great Alone.
I am #3 on the waiting list for the Great Alone, and I’m #3 for 3 other highly recommended books too… I don’t know which one I will have to skip!
I know that pressure to feel like you have to read all the new releases because you know it’s going to be forever until you get them back!!
I have been waiting on The Great Alone FOREVER and the wait will continue for more months. SIgh.
I was on the wait list for it for a long time as well!
The Other Mother and Sometimes I Lie both sound like really good books! I’ve been on a huge thriller kick lately and these both sound like good additions to my list!
I had to give up on thrillers for awhile since they were so disappointing. These two weren’t too bad. Hope you enjoy them!
glad you liked the great alone – i found it started really slowly as well, but i eventually got into it. i think someone else mentioned sometimes i lie today so i’ll have to check it out!
I agree that The Great Alone started slow but was worth continuing reading.
I’m reading The Family Next Door right now! I agree that it reminds me a lot of Liane Moriarty. I like Sally Hepworth’s other books better so far.
Looking forward to what you think of The Family Next Door.
I haven’t read any of these, but I’m glad you had all mostly good reads this past month. I do like a good suspense read, so some of these look intriguing!
-Lauren
Yes, a good reading month is always good!
I read a Hepworth book fairly recently and it was really good! The Other Mother sound intruiging…
I’ve really enjoyed all the Hepworth books that I’ve read so far.
I’m looking forward to The Family Next Door. I was able to meet Sally earlier this year at a book event. It was fun to hear her describe the book. Hoping to get the Great Alone read in May. Pam 🙂
That is so awesome that you got to meet Sally! The Family Next Door wasn’t my favorite book of hers, but was enjoyable.
I’m glad to hear that about The Great Alone. It doesn’t sound like my kind of book, but I am hearing such good things. I’ll plan to give it a shot this year! 🙂 XO – Alexandra
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