This year I set a goal to read 20 books and surpassed it by reading 37. I have gotten back in the groove of making time to read, and I have loved sharing book recommendations and receiving suggestions — I can’t wait to do it again with you next year. My goal for 2022 is to read 35 books (between taking a course for another certificate and moving, I hope I can make it happen). Also, if you want to know what I’m reading in real-time, you can add me on Goodreads. In the meantime, here’s my book review volume V:
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Everyone and their mother read this one this year, and it intrigued me enough to pick it up myself. Some people said it fell flat for them, but I loved this one. Poppy and Alex fatefully became best friends in college even though they have nothing in common — she has an insatiable wanderlust while he prefers to stay home with a book. She lives in New York City as a travel journalist, and he lives in their small hometown as a teacher, but every summer, they take one week of vacation together. The story alternates between present-day and past trips, and the chemistry between Poppy and Alex is palpable. It’s a slow burn but definitely worth the read.
The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish
I’ve read a lot of thrillers, and I loved this one. Jaime and his neighbor, Kit, commute by riverboat daily to work; however, Kit isn’t on the boat the first morning after Christmas. The police are waiting for Jamie after he disembarks because a passenger claims they saw Jamie and Kit arguing on the last boat home, and now the police say Jamie had a motive to kill him. Kit’s disappearance takes readers on a twisty journey of deceit and lies. I was on the edge of my seat until the last page because I was dying to see how it’d end. If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Honestly, I’m a little surprised it’s not as popular as other thrillers because it’s pretty clever, and I highly recommend this one to fans of thrillers.
Float Plan by Trish Doller
This book review has a great batch of books, and I thoroughly enjoyed this contemporary romance story between Anna and Keane. There is an advisory at the beginning about self-harm and suicide. Anna and her fiancé were supposed to go on a trip together, but he tragically passed away before the trip. She impulsively decides to complete the sail alone but quickly realizes she needs help, so Anna hires Keane, a professional sailor who quickly becomes more than just the hired help. They both struggle with loss in their unique ways but discover that it’s not too late to chart a new course. Even though the reader knows where the story is going from the beginning, it’s still a sweet read. Their destinations reminded me of Caribbean cruises I’ve been on, making me want to book a trip ASAP.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
I decided to reread this one before I watched the show. In my opinion, the book is way better than the show, but I enjoyed the show as well. The story has many characters, but it mainly centers around three women, all with children attending the same school. All the women have distinct personalities that make them easier to follow, but I loved that they weren’t one-dimensional. Then there’s a murder at trivia night, and it’s a mystery who the murderer is. It’s a delicious drama that’s engaging and suspenseful — it isn’t too dark and heavy while still addressing important topics. Even though the book is quite long, don’t be put off because I flew through it in a little over a week. It culminates in a surprising yet satisfying ending. If you’ve read the book and watched the show, which did you like more?
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Eleven years ago, Shelby went missing. Then soon after, Meredith and her daughter, Delilah, also vanish just blocks from where Shelby last was seen. Their community searches for answers, but the case goes cold. Now, 11 years later, Delilah returns, and no one’s prepared for what they’re about to find. I flew through this one in less than a week and found it a quick, riveting read. The one critique I have is that the ending is a letdown because it’s so farfetched after the intense buildup of the plotline. If you don’t mind suspending your disbelief, it’s still a compulsive read; however, I’d probably skip this one if you’re critical of thrillers. Overall, I still enjoyed this one despite some of its flaws.
What’s the best book that you read in 2021? What have you recently read that I should add to my to-read list? Please leave your suggestions in the comments! To read my other book reviews, click here. xo
I finally read Beach Read this year and really loved it. I got People We Meet on Vacation as an add-on for Book of the Month so hopefully I’ll get to that soon.
Lauren
Oh the other passenger sounds amazing!! So glad you rocked your reading goal!!
Loooved People We Meet On Vacation! One of my favs from this year
The Other Passenger sounds so good. I’m definitely adding that to my list.
I love thrillers so I’m adding The Other Passenger to my TBR list.
I thought the book Bit Little Lies was better than the show too but I did enjoy the show as well. I loved Float Plan and even though it was kind of sad it did make me want to book a trip to those islands myself.
I agree, People We Meet was slow but worth the read. The other Passenger sounds like a good one!
I enjoyed People We Meet on Vacation. I really liked Big Little Lies and the show! Float Plan is on my to read list.
I annoyed my husband so much when we watched Big Little Lies – I kept giving him commentary from the book. LOL Oh well. I think that’s the only one on your list I’ve read so far. Looks like I’ll be adding to my list again! 🙂 Enjoy your holidays!
I’m not a huge Mary Kubica fan, but I did like her newest.
Great list! I loved Verity and the Midnight Library.. but am always looking for new recommendations.
Such awesome recommendations thank you! I’m particularly intrigued with the Local Woman Missing, definitely going to give it a read this holiday 🙂
You always have some really interesting book suggestions. I’ve added more to my 2022 TBR list lol
Thanks for the recommendations! I have not read any of these and am always looking for something good to read 🙂
Great book reviews! I think that I will try to read “People We Meet on Vacation.” Since I love travel, I think I will enjoy reading that.
The Other Passenger seems quite intriguing to me, and because I do enjoy a good thriller, your review has piqued my interest.
I loved the book Malibu rising! I read it at the end of august this year and it was the perfect end to the summer kind of read. I highly recommend!!
Super post. I am going to get the big Little lies book as it sounds interesting
I want to read The Other Passenger. It sounds so good.
Absolutely adding The Other Passenger to my To Read list, thanks!
All of the books sound interesting, especially Local Woman Missing. Thanks for the ideas! I am always looking for new things.
As someone who loves books, I so appreciate this post! Definitely added some books to my list
Thanks for the book ideas! I recently got a Kindle (finally) and am always on the lookout for new books to read. 🙂
Thank you for these reviews. I had The people we meet on vacations and Big Little Lies on my list but just haven’t gotten to them. They will be my next two books.
I loved People we Meet on Vacation and Float PLan SO MUCH! WIll check out that Louise Candlish!!!!