let's talk books! so many good reads so far this year

Haven't done one of these in a while! I only read 11 books last year, and from October to January I didn't finish a single novel. So you can imagine my surprise when I realized I have read 13 books since the beginning of 2021, already surpassing my total from 2020. I have to say... I have had the BEST run with books so far. I haven't rated anything lower than 3 stars, and even then, only 2 out of the 13 books have been given a 3 star rating. Some trends I have noticed...  I have been basically exclusively reading fantasy and thrillers. I marathoned a series and caught up on another one. I found a new favorite author and have been mainly reading on audio or doing a blended read of audio and ebook. Basically, I have been having a ton of fun finding new books- my reading theme this year seems to be "escapism". So on that note, here are the 13 amazing books I have escaped in to so far this year. 

The Night Swim. HOLY SHIT, guys. This thriller was so good. I listened to this on audio, and it was such a good kick off to my reading year. Night Swim follows true crime podcaster Rachel who is covering a rape trial in a small Southern town, and a listener of the podcast who is very insistent on Rachel solving her sister's murder that happened many decades ago. In this book, you hear about the trial, Rachel's investigation of both cases, and the podcast episodes that Rachel puts out during her time in the town. This audiobook is SO immersive. I love true crime podcasts and mysteries, so it was basically my perfect book. There is some great commentary about rape culture and the judicial system in America. I highly recommend this one. I think it would make for a great discussion for a book club, too. 

Pretty Little Wife is a really dark domestic thriller following a husband who is missing... and the wife who killed him. Yup, you heard me. At the opening of this book, you discover that the wife has murdered her husband and dumps his body and car off at the high school he works at... and then a police officer shows up, saying that her husband never reported for work, and she finds out that the car (and her husband's body) is missing. This book was WILD. 

The Stranger's Wife follows two very different women who are leaving their husbands for different yet similar reasons. Their paths cross in unexpected ways and the twists and turns in this book are super enthralling. I'd recommend going into this one blind, because this book will keep you guessing from start to finish. 

The Grisha Trilogy and The Six of Crows Duology. Ahh... the binge that I didn't come out of for days. Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse has been on my TBR for YEARS and when I realized that there was a Netflix adaptation coming out in April, I binged the entire series in preparation. I finished all 5 of these books in a little over 2 weeks. I am complete trash for this fantasy world! I plan to start the third series in this universe next month (it's not in the adaptation just yet) and can't wait to watch the show. It looks INCREDIBLE. I've been gushing over the trailers and set photos for weeks.

The One was a book club pick I recommended for my work book club and I LOVED IT. It was super different than I expected but I enjoyed it so much. This is the story of a world where a scientist has discovered a gene that can idenitcy your perfect match, your soulmate that you are genetically destined to be with. This discovery has been controversial, breaking up many relationships, marriages, and families. The story follows 6 individuals that have found their Match and the secrets that even your perfect soulmate keeps hidden from the world. 

What Lies Between Us follows a sadistic and toxic mother-daughter relationship, and the deadly consequences of keeping familial secrets. This one was fantastic! I was guessing the entire time I read this and it was probably the twistiest thriller I have read in a while. John Marrs is a new favorite author of mine and I can't wait to read everything he's ever written. 

Phantom Limb was a true psychological thriller and I read this one in a few hours. It is a story of twins who were severely abused and neglected by their biological mother until they miraculously escape and are adopted by a loving family. But even then, their childhood trauma is not erased. Elizabeth wakes up one morning to find herself in a hospital and the last thing she remembers is finding her sister Emily dead by suicide. This one was a super fast paced and thrilling read. I really enjoyed this one. 

A Court of Silver Flames is the latest installment of the Court of Thorns and Roses fantasy series by Sarah J. Maas. I laughed, I cried, I gushed, I squealed... ugh this series is and always will be a favorite of mine. This review isn't even coherent, but I loved it so so so so much. We follow Nesta and Cassian's story. OH HOW I LOVE THEM. Now I have to wait God knows how long for the next book in this series. In my eyes SJM can do no wrong. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend. 

House of Earth and Blood, Crescent City #1. SJM's first "official" adult urban fantasy... and OMG I loved this. This book is AMAZING! There are fae, fallen angels, vampires, shifters, archangels, witches... ugh this was so good. It was part fantasy, part mystery, part romance. My reaction to this was basically identical to ACOSF- I laughed, cried, BAWLED my eyes out, and most importantly, completely escaped into this wild world. It was perfection, at least for me. 

As you can see. towards the end of this post I just gushed instead of summarizing the synopses for you all... haha sorry, I just can't stop gushing and thinking about the last two books on this list. I hope I can continue on this trajectory! Anyway, hope you all have found some great reads as well! Happy reading, friends.