recent reads

It's been a little while since my last recent reads post. I have gotten a few books under my belt since then, especially since I've been frequenting the library for the past few months. It's been really fun scouring the shelves, and the kids have enjoyed picking out new books too. I used to love going to the library when I was young, so I'm happy to bring Jaxin and Quinn along. Although, I definitely have more time to peruse on my own.

Everything I Never Told You. I chose this book because it starts with a murder, and you guys know I love thrillers. However, this turned out to be such a beautifully written book about family and the struggles leading up to and following the death of a loved one. I enjoyed the characters and could feel their emotions through the pages. It's definitely not just a whodunnit book.

The Midnight Library. I had high hopes for this one, but it wasn't my favorite. The concept was really cool. There is a library between life and death, that let's you go back and make different choices to see how your life would have turned out. The different lives seemed so far-fetched (ie: Olympic swimmer or rockstar). I was hoping for more ordinary lives with deeper connections. I didn't really connect with the characters. I was also expecting a little more magic from the library, but it got weighed down with parallel universes.

The Silent Patient. I could not put this one down. This has been on my list for awhile. It's about a famous artist who murders her husband and doesn't speak a word afterwards. We follow her relationship with a psychotherapist and his determination to get her to speak and get answers. The beginning hooks you, and then the ending leaves you going "woah." I will say, I started putting it together in the last few chapters and I was still satisfied. 

The Home for Unwanted Girls. After reading Before We Were Yours (and loving it), I picked this one up. It's similar in children being separated from their parents and put in the orphanage system. However, in this book the orphans are proclaimed mentally ill as the result of a new law that provides more funding to mental hospitals than orphanages. This piece of Quebec history was new to me and horrifying to anyone, but especially a mama. This book follows the separate lives of the mom and the daughter she was forced to give up. It's definitely a heartbreaker, but I found the ending to be tied up too nicely.

My Dark Vanessa. This book is dark. It follows the abusive relationship between a student and her manipulative teacher. You get to read the innermost thoughts of a young girl being groomed and not realizing she is a victim. It's a disturbing, emotional, and frustrating page-turner. I feel like it really helped me understand the perspective of someone who is being abused, but believes it to be love. I do think it was longer than it needed to be with a few unnecessary characters towards the later half of the book.