What I’ve Read Lately: The Most Notable

I’ve read 13 books over the past 3 months, but these 6 are the most notable reads I’m excited to share with you!

A Flicker In The Dark by Stacy Willingham

A Flicker In The Dark is the best psychological thriller I’ve read in a while. This debut novel, written by a Charleston local, has already been optioned for a limited series by Emma Stone, and I’m not surprised one single bit. This compelling novel grips you from the very first chapter and won’t let you go until the very last. It’s so hard to put down, and yet you want to pour over the pages slowly so as not to miss a single bread crumb as you to try and unravel the truth.

This story follows Chloe Davis, who was 12 years old when six girls went missing in her hometown and her father was arrested as their killer and sent to prison. Years later, a 20 year old Chloe has moved on with her life and become a physchologist. She is newly engaged when teenage girls start going missing, and it seems to all be happening again. She can’t keep memories of the past from resurfacing as she begins to question everything and everyone she thought she knew.

I’ve told all of my friends that they HAVE to read this book! So of course, I’m telling you. Just be sure to clear your schedule before you start because you won’t be able to stop reading until you reach the end!

5 stars

The Push by Ashley Audrain

The Push is an extremely dark novel. In fact, to get through this story, I found I had to take breaks. Which is really saying something because I read a lot of dark fiction. This one is especially tough because it deals with children, and I honestly think it should come with a death and suicide trigger warning. But while it’s one of the darkest books I’ve read, it really did made me think. And I found myself revisiting the ending in my mind for days after I finished reading. I’m sharing it here because it really does makes for a great book club discussion as it brings up many complex topics from the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships and post-partum depression to how much of who we become is nature versus nurture.

This gripping, psychological drama centers on Blythe Connor who wants to be the mother to her daughter, Violet, that she wishes her mother had been to her, but finds new motherhood absolutley exhausting and overwhelming. She feels convinced that something is not quite right with her daughter, but her husband dismisses her concerns and she starts to question herself. But when her son, Sam, is born she finds herself settling into motherhood the way she always hoped she would. Until one completely devastating moment changes everything, and she finds herself unravelling again and forced to face the truth.

4 stars

Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon

Hello, Molly! is such a funny memoir with so much heart! But of course it’s funny, how could it not be. What I wasn’t expecting was for Molly Shannon to be such a phenomenal storyteller! She writes with honesty, grace, and love, as much as she writes with with humor, and it just makes for such an incredible reader experience.

She begins at age four, when an awful car accident took her mother, baby sister and cousin away and forever shattered her world. And goes on to share about what her growing up years were like with her grieving father and older sister, how her dad always encouraged her to go after her dreams, how she got her start in comedy, her years working on SNL and all of the incredible people she’s met along the way. Molly Shannon tells her story with candor and wit. It’s a story of resilience, determination, and redemption. And I absolutely loved it!

5 stars

Brain On Fire by Susannah Cahalan

Brain On Fire is a medical memoir in which Susannah Cahalan gives an account of what was a mystery to doctors at the time. She was a healthy 24 year old until one day she was labeled psychotic, finding herself strapped to a hospital bed with no recollection of how she got there. In her memoir she shares her chilling descent into madness and her family’s inspiring determination to find her true diagnosis. Brain On Fire is a compelling, eye-opening look at mental health.

5 stars

Wildflower by Drew Barrymore

Wildflower reads like a hug. I mean, if you were born in or around 1978 like me, Drew Barrymore feels more like a sister than an actress you love but have never met. From the moment we saw her in E.T., she’s been a family member in our hearts. Am I right?!

So since I’ve been on such a memoir kick lately, I had to finally pick this one up…actually, I listened to this one. And the audio was great! Drew’s story in her voice….it just feels like a hug! I’m sorry, I don’t know of a better way to describe it.

In Wildflower, she’s funny and honest, telling stories from her past and her present. And when it’s over, you’ll wish it wasn’t.

5 stars

Going There by Katie Couric

Going There by Katie Couric is another memoir I think anyone from my generation will enjoy. I grew up watching Katie Couric on The Today Show. In fact, I learned about the importance of getting a colonoscopy from her when she had it done on live television.

Her memoir felt a little bit like a trip down memory lane for me. She does share quite a bit of her personal life, from childhood through now, most of which I didn’t know. But she also shares a lot about the stories she’s covered and the interviews she’s done throughout her career. And I found it really fascinating to get a behind the scenes glimpse at what she was feeling and thinking during those times.

4 stars

So there you have it, my most note-worthy reads of the past few months. I’ve clearly been on a memoir kick. 😉

Because a handful of people said they wanted me to share my 3 star ratings……

Honorable mentions: The Lincoln Highway, Heard It In a Love Song, and Bossypants all get solid 3-star ratings from me. I know a lot of people really loved The Lincoln Highway, but I thought it was just okay. It’s so long that I felt like I myself traveled The Lincoln Highway…...on foot. 😉 Heard It In a Love Song is a quick, weekend read. It’s like a Hallmark movie. Good, but not necessarily the best movie you’ve ever seen. Ya know? It’s a good palette cleanser if you want something easy and quick. Bossypants was funny. But as you can see I’ve ready a lot of memoirs lately, and Tina Fey’s wasn’t my favorite comparatively. Maybe that’s not fair of me. But life is both short and unfair. 😉 And I just feel like Hello, Molly! was better. I’m sorry for telling my truth. Except I’m not really.

I will not tell you which books I read that I just didn’t like at all. At least not on the internet. Feel free to email me, and I’ll be happy to share. 😉

Your turn! What have you read and loved lately?!