December Reads

I read 8 books in December! That's double what I normally read, as I average a book a week. I don't feel like I necessarily had more free time this month although I did have several vacation days around the holidays. There were 2 books that I finished in a day each!!! Read on to find out more!

Don't Wake Up by Liz Lawler (release date February 5, 2019)

 Thank you to Harper for an advance reader copy of this book. This thriller was about a doctor named Alex who blacks out and wakes up on an operating table not knowing what is being done to her or by whom. When she comes to, the hospital she works at can not find any evidence of her experience. More and more odd things happen to others around her, and Alex thinks they are related (or that she is being framed). As Alex struggles with her mental stability due to her trauma, as well as self medicating and drinking, I was held captive until the end to find out what the truth was.

 

Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer (release date April 9, 2019)

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an advance reader copy of this book. Meghan is a teenager who suffers from many symptoms that doctors cannot find an answer for. As Becky and her husband finally find a doctor who thinks he has an answer, others accuse Becky of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (faking her daughters illness for her own selfish reasons). Meghan is taken away and institutionalized by those who feel she is in danger from her parents. As Becky fights the legal system to get her back and/or prove her diagnosis, her marriage crumbles and she has few people to turn to. This book kept me guessing until the end as I thought the answer would be Becky being the "bad guy" or else Meghan "faking it" for reasons that were hinted at. The twist at the end is really surprising!

 

Winter Loon by Susan Bernhard

I received this book from my friend Sarah as a Christmas gift, and I couldn't wait to read it! As a loon lover, that is what drew me in initially to add this book to my "want to read" list. I loved how the loon was incorporated into the story, and the Winter setting was appropriate for the season, but it's much deeper than that. This was a very sad book that haunted me for days after I finished it. I think the summary of the book gives it the most justice, so I am going to copy it here:

Abandoned by his father after his mother drowns in a frozen Minnesota lake, fifteen-year-old Wes Ballot is stranded with cold hearted grandparents and holed up in his mother’s old bedroom, surrounded by her remnants and memories. As the wait for his father stretches unforgivably into months, a local girl, whose own mother died a brutal death, captures his heart and imagination, giving Wes fresh air to breathe in the suffocating small town. When buried truths come to light in the spring thaw, wounds are exposed and violence erupts, forcing Wes to embark on a search for his missing father, the truth about his mother, and a future he must claim for himself—a quest that begins back at that frozen lake. A powerful, page-turning coming-of-age story, Winter Loon captures the resilience of a boy determined to become a worthy man by confronting family demons, clawing his way out of the darkness, and forging a life from the shambles of a broken past.

 

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

The reasons for reading this book were two-fold: "Winter theme" and also my friend Sarah got me hooked on Elin's books (more on that below)! This is the first book in Elin's "Paradise" series, and I really enjoyed it on a train ride to Chicago and back. Elin's style brings fun, easy reads and her descriptions of places make you feel like you are there. This book was set mostly on the island of St. John, and I can't wait to read more about this new set of characters as this series evolves.



Okay, so now onto Elin's "Winter" series which encompasses 4 books. Sarah gave me Winter Street first and boy was it addictive! So much so that I texted her to see when I could get the other books (which ended up being me stopping at her house within an hour). The series follows the Quinn family and is set on Nantucket. Another important grounding theme is Christmas, so it was the perfect series to read in December! I would describe these as a Hallmark movie in book form....... the story lines are a little far fetched...... a little cheesy....... but so, so good!!! I guarantee that you will be reaching for the next one as soon as you finish one. Two of the four books I read in 1 day (not both in 1 day, but each in 1 day). Here's Winter Stroll, Winter Storms, and Winter Solstice. I think Elin has officially won the title of "guilty pleasure" author of my 40's!