Raising Riley

I can’t believe the year is already coming to a close! This is the first year where I felt like time truly flew by. With that being said, it’s the end of November and I’m sitting at 38 books read. I do plan on finishing a couple more before the end of the year because we have quite a bit of travel coming up. However, I want to share the books that have really wowed me so far this year, and I’ll update if anything sticks out to me in this next month!

I’ll preface this by saying I’m guilty of giving out a lot of 4-star reads, but I take 5-star reads very seriously! If I rate a book as a 5-star then it means I can remember the plot, ending, and overall writing even a year later. I probably cried while reading it, and it connected with me in a way that had a real impact.

My 5-star reads this year:

•The Women- Kristin Hannah

•Night Road- Kristin Hannah

•The God of the Woods- Liz Moore

•Broken Country- Claire Leslie Hall

Notable Mentions (Really Good 4 Stars):

•The Unmaking of June Farrow- Adrienne Young

•Wild Dark Shore- Charlotte McConaghy

•The Wedding People- Alison Espach

•Funny Story- Emily Henry

•None of This is True- Lisa Jewell

If I had to choose only one to recommend, it would probably be Broken Country by Claire Leslie Hall. As a mother, this book absolutely wrecked me. The emotions of the characters were so real and raw, and the author told the story in a way that you could relate and empathize with every character in this very confusing, heart-wrenching love triangle.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore gave me early Riley Sager writing vibes, which I absolutely loved. It felt like a classic mystery involving a missing child that slowly unfolds and ends in a way that I could’ve never predicted.

As for the Kristin Hannah books, you can look at my other blog talking about Winter Garden to know just how I feel about her writing. I think her storytelling is unmatched, and she never fails to deliver. If you know me, you know I can’t stand historical books (even most historical fiction), and Kristin Hannah has just absolutely mastered this historical fiction category in a way that no one else can (change my mind!!!).

I hope you’ll add one of my 5-star reads to your TBR list and let me know what you think! Happy reading!