THE BEST BOOKS I READ IN 2017
After only reading 40 books in 2016, I was determined to read more in 2017. At the beginning of the year, I set my Goodreads goal for 100 books. Quickly I realized that was not a realistic goal especially after reading less than half of that the year before, so I changed my mind and reset it to 75. I'm happy to say I met and surpassed my goal, finishing the year with 78 books read. For me 2017 was a great year for reading. Here is a breakdown of my reads:
★★★★★ - 4 Books
★★★★ - 35 Books
★★★ - 37 Books
★★ - 1 Book
For 2018, I've pledged to read 85 books. I'm working my way up to 100. So let's take a closer look at my favorites for the year!
FIVE STAR BOOKS
Nora Shaw has been invited to her "friend" Clare Cavendish's hen weekend(a bachelorette party). But Nora and Clare haven't spoken to each other in ten years and if their mutual friend Nina wasn't attending, then Nora sure as hell wasn't going to go. Nora doesn't even know who Clare is marrying. Arriving a a house made completely of glass in the middle of the woods, with snow on the ground and no cell reception, Nora instantly regrets her decision to come. When disaster strikes, despite Flo(the maid of honor) trying to make this the best hen weekend ever, Nora tries hard to remember exactly what happened, but it's difficult. Will she be able to put the pieces together before she is charged with a serious crime?
Lindsey and Sophie are mother and daughter. They live together in Dogswood Bay. Sophie is in here senior year in high school and Lindsey owns her own cleaning company. When Lindsey finds out that her ex-husband, Andrew is about to be released from prison after 10 years, she goes on the alert. He was very abusive and manipulative towards Lindsey, but Sophie wants her dad to be a part of her life. When things start to happen that can only be explained by Andrews controlling behavior, the pair try to hide from him in any way they can. Will they be able to stay away from him, or will he try to hurt Lindsey again?
Karen and Tom Krupp have been married for two years and they are very much in love. When Tom comes home from work one night, he finds his front door unlocked and dinner half way done in the kitchen, but his wife and her car are no where to be found. After calling her best friend and neighbor Brigid and having no luck with where Karen, might be, Tom calls the police to report her missing. Shortly after, the police arrive at his door to let him know that Karen has been in a terrible accident and is in the hospital. Tom is instantly worried because none of these actions sound like his wife. But does Tom now Karen as well as he thinks? Is she keeping secrets from him?
Liv and Nora are cousins and practically sisters. They decide to take their families on a two week cruise down the coast of Central America. Both women cautious, they spend the first several days aboard the ship. When they finally decide to take an excursion, the men head for golf and the women take the kids on a zip line tour. This is when all hell breaks loose! From the bus breaking down, to six children going missing in a foreign country, this family vacation is definitely not going to plan. Told from the perspective of the children and the parents, as well other key characters that are introduced throughout, you dive deep into the story and it's hard to get drawn out!
My Four-Star Faves
FAVORITE AUTHOR
I have enjoyed reading James Patterson books for a long time now. I know a lot of people think his books are just cookie cutter these days. He writes an outline and then another author does the hard work. But I still enjoy his books and I will continue to read them. I'm up to date on two of his series, The Women's Murder Club and NYPD Red. It's so hard to keep up with his writing since he puts so many books a year. With at least 17 books coming out this year alone, keeping up has proved to be challenging. 7% off the books I read this year were James Patterson books. I hope to continue in my quest this year to read his standalone books and stay on top of the series I'm already reading. I would also like to start the Alex Cross series again. I've read a few of the books in the series but this was many years ago.
Here are the 11 James Patterson books I read this year:
The Best James Patterson book of 2017:
Detective Billy Harney comes from a family of cops. His dad is a cop, the head of detectives and his twin sister is a cop. Billy likes to play by the rules, he's a good cop. When he takes down a brothel in the middle of Chicago filled with the city's most prominent people, the mayor, the arch bishop, etc., he is faced with a few difficult situations to get him through this arrest and trial. With the help from Goldie, a family friend and the head of Internal Affairs, Billy will get to the bottom of this case one way or another. But then those involved in the case end up dead, including himself, briefly, and his memory leading up to the trial is erased. Will he be able to find his memory before he is charged with the deaths?
BINGE READING
In late October, I was determined to get caught up with the Helen Grace series. I had a copy of Hide and Seek, which is the 6th book in the series, from First To Read. When I was ready to read it, I found out I needed to catch up with the series, because the first paragraph had me confused. Then I realized that I only had 16 days to read 5 books. Unfortunately, I didn't get to Hide and Seek, but I did catch up with the remainder of the series. Helen Grace Series
MOST VISITED POST IN 2017
I'm thankful for all the new followers I've received throughout the year and each person who takes a few minutes out of their life to read my posts. The most visited post this year was from Hit The Ground Running by Mark Burley
WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2018
Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp -- January 2018
Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughn -- January 2018
Missing Isaac by Valerie Fraser Luesse -- January 2018
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones -- February 2018
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeny -- March 2018
How To Walk Away by Katherine Center -- May 2018
Dreams of Falling by Karen White -- June 2018
Thank you to everyone for joining me on my blogging journey. I hope to bring you more content this year and more reviews. I plan to review more of the audiobooks I listen to, which I haven't done in the past. What are your reading plans for 2018? I would love to hear about them in the comments.
HAPPY READIN'!!
