The first half is all the books I read & recommend.

The second half are books I started reading / read but do not think highly enough of to recommend (although some I had to finish simply because I got too invested in what was happening and needed to know the ending).

No book links because I thoroughly encourage you to use a library or a local, independent bookseller and absolutely by all means possible, avoid Indigo/Chapters, and Amazon.

If you need one that delivers in Canada, I very much like McNally Robinson. They can order any book you like.

WHAT I RECOMMEND

Crunch: Natalie Whittle

This book is an ode to potato chips. Delicious. I would recommend having a bag open while reading it LOL… Or a few bags, really.

In all the flavours. I loved reading up on the history…

The Ex-Husband: Samantha Hayes

A mental thriller.. a really well done one because I had no idea how it would turn out until the end, and of course, it was immensely satisfying. The amount of GASLIGHTING.. do not read this if you have trauma from a relationship.

Powerless Trilogy: Lauren Roberts

I read all 3 books plus the extra one in between (so four in total) based on a world that is a mix of Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins meets the The Night Circus by Celia Bowen.

It is not as well done as the two mentioned above, but good enough that I read to the end, as it was a real page-turner. I just devoured every page.

The Outsider: Alex Finlay

Kind of like a legal mental thriller. Page-turning, with a great point of view of the protaganist as a man of colour. I enjoyed the super sharp, absolutely enthralling writing, and the accurate portrayal of elite clubs where you aren’t a member if you didn’t come over eons ago as the original immigrant.

The GOOD LIE: A.R. TORRE

A great legal thriller with a pyschologist who digs into why these children are being targeted by a serial killer. Action-packed, fast-moving, and an easy read.

Want more book recommendations?

All of my previous book recommendations are here.

DO NOT READ

The Dead Romantics: AShley Poston

WTF was this book? I couldn’t get past chapter one. Pass. Hard pass.

Men without women: Haruki Murakami

This was so highly lauded, that I had major expectations for it. It was okay. Just a collection of stories on men talking about women in their lives. It was so disjointed and weird in terms of storytelling, and each story made me ask – but what happened next – and I got zero satisfaction because there was no ending. I really didn’t like it but I think it is because these books are too intellectual for my pea brain.

The Engagement: Samantha Hayes

I incorrectly assumed that her ONE book that I read, meant her other books would be great. I will still read the rest of them, because even McFadden misses once in a while (another great mental thriller writer), but this book was not great.

I read it because I really wanted to get to the end and figure out what happened, but it was just so … dramatic. It needed heavy editing and the plot should have been tightened up because it felt like it dragged on forever and ever.

Her Royal Highness: Rachel Hawkins

Couldn’t get past chapter one.

Beautiful World, Where are you: Sally Rooney

I want to love her. Her personal views as an author resound with me, but I could not read past a few chapters. I think her style of writing is not my cup of tea, but I will give her other books a chance.