One of my favorite ways to unwind after a long day on the computer is to get lost in a good juicy novel. I’ve always been a huge reader, even though I’m ungodly slow, and have found reading to be calming and therapeutic. 

The hard part is finding what books to read.  Goodreads. is my favorite site for finding what I am going to read next. You can look through what your friends have been reading or search top rated books. It is such a great resource because you can not only find what other people are reading but also books that are similar to your top rated books.

Below are some of my favorite recent reads. 

The Kind Worth Killing

On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him. Ted and his wife were a mismatch from the start—he the rich businessman, she the artistic free spirit—a contrast that once inflamed their passion, but has now become a cliché. But their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she’s done. Lily, without missing a beat, says calmly, “I’d like to help.” After all, some people are the kind worth killing, like a lying, stinking, cheating spouse. . . .

Back in Boston, Ted and Lily’s twisted bond grows stronger as they begin to plot Miranda’s demise. But there are a few things about Lily’s past that she hasn’t shared with Ted, namely her experience in the art and craft of murder, a journey that began in her very precocious youth. Suddenly these co-conspirators are embroiled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse, one they both cannot survive . . . with a shrewd and very determined detective on their tail.

 

 

Rating 5 out of 5

Review: I love me a good thriller novel and this one didn’t disappoint. The main character ties you in to her stories and keeps you wanting to know more about her past. This book is good till the very last sentence and keeps you interest throughout. A perfect read for summer.

101 Essays that will Change the Way you Think

Over the past few years, Brianna Wiest has gained renown for her deeply moving, philosophical writing. This new compilation of her published work features pieces on why you should pursue purpose over passion, embrace negative thinking, see the wisdom in daily routine, and become aware of the cognitive biases that are creating the way you see your life. Some of these pieces have never been seen; others have been read by millions of people around the world. Regardless, each will leave you thinking: this idea changed my life.

Rating 5 out 5

Review: An amazing read you can put down and pick up any time. These collections of essays enlightens you in ways you’ve never thought of. Some essays are better than others but all of them give you a new perspective on life. I highly recommend this book.

 

Mischling

It’s 1944 when the twin sisters arrive at Auschwitz with their mother and grandfather. In their benighted new world, Pearl and Stasha Zagorski take refuge in their identical natures, comforting themselves with the private language and shared games of their childhood.As part of the experimental population of twins known as Mengele’s Zoo, the girls experience privileges and horrors unknown to others, and they find themselves changed, stripped of the personalities they once shared, their identities altered by the burdens of guilt and pain.

That winter, at a concert orchestrated by Mengele, Pearl disappears. Stasha grieves for her twin, but clings to the possibility that Pearl remains alive. When the camp is liberated by the Red Army, she and her companion Feliks–a boy bent on vengeance for his own lost twin–travel through Poland’s devastation. Undeterred by injury, starvation, or the chaos around them, motivated by equal parts danger and hope, they encounter hostile villagers, Jewish resistance fighters, and fellow refugees, their quest enabled by the notion that Mengele may be captured and brought to justice within the ruins of the Warsaw Zoo. As the young survivors discover what has become of the world, they must try to imagine a future within it.

Rating 4 out of 5

Review: This is a beautifully written story about two sisters trying to survive in an unthinkable environment and their brave story to find not only a way out but also hope. It was hard to read about the tortures the children of the holocaust went through but it shed some light on just how strong humans can be, even when faced with the cruelest situations.