Book Review... Round Two!

Ralph Lauren pajamas, I also love these // pom pom blanket // Adventure coffee mug

Winnie's pajamas 

After this book review blog post, you guys have been asking for a second one! One of the nice things about being in the mountains is that there's not much to do up here, so I've been reading a lot. Here are some of my recent reads (some good, some not-so-good). Let me know your recommendations in the comments, too!

1. INTO THE DARKEST CORNER by Elizabeth Haynes
This book is one of my all-time favorites. It's a dark, psychological thriller that chronicles the relationship between Catherine and the handsome, seemingly perfect Lee. The novel effectively switches between past and present tense, and we can see the striking differences in Catherine before the relationship and afterward, when she suffers from both OCD and PTSD. Haynes doesn't skimp on any of the violent details of domestic violence in this novel, so if you're particularly squeamish it might not be for you. It's also particularly creepy if you live alone, like I do! However I do think this is one of the most riveting and spine chilling books of all time... this one is at the top of my favorites list.

2. THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR by Shari Lapena

This book is the one I read most recently... I would stay up really late at night reading because I wanted to figure it out! It starts out when the protagonists, married couple Anne and Marco, come home from a dinner party to find that their baby is missing. The police are called and the investigation begins, but you are guessing "who did it" until the very end. This was a page-turner and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it... it wasn't the BEST book I've ever read, but I would definitely recommend it to others as a must-read! 

3. HAUNTING RACHEL by Kay Hooper

Kay Hooper holds a special place in my heart as one of my favorite authors of all time. If I'm in a reading slump I always turn to one of her novels, even the ones that were written a decade ago! Almost all of her novels have some element of the psychic realm, which I am really interested in and enjoy reading about. In this particular novel, we learn that Rachel has run off to New York after her fiancé, Thomas, disappears in a plane crash. She returns home to her small town and learns there's a stranger in town, a man that could be Thomas's twin (or ghost!). As the story unfolds, it's very unclear whether Thomas is a good guy or if he is out to harm Rachel. I LOVED this one, it involved everything I want in a book: good writing, suspense, danger and a little romance!

4. THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton

I'm including this novel on the list because it's on many of the popular books lists that are out right now, but I did not enjoy it very much and wouldn't recommend it to others. It was supposed to be a thrilling suspense novel but I found it incredibly boring... I kept reading in hopes that something dramatic would happen, but it was lackluster all the way through. Jean's husband, who was implicated in the disappearance of a little girl, dies and Jean finally agrees to participate in an interview for the local press. Throughout the book we learn about the history of Jean and her husband, her husband's addiction to porn, and the details surrounding the little girl's appearance. It sounds interesting and the characters are very well developed, but the way it's written is just plain boring and predictable. Save your money and don't buy this one, folks!

Let me know your recs!