What I Read: November 2020

Happy December (woahhhhh!)

I don’t read thrillers all that often because I’m a bit of a weenie when it comes to scary things, but this month I read not one but TWO thrillers that I loved. Predictably I also read two delightful romances, one of which is the perfect holiday book to devour right now.

As always I’d love to hear from you too: What did you read in November? Any favorites I should check out?

What I Read This Month:

 

They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman

I’ve been SO excited for this book to come out. I vaguely know author Jessica Goodman from the Jewish youth group I was involved with at the end of high school. When I saw her tweet about her book deal a while back I was immediately intrigued by this YA thriller.

They Wish They Were Us is about a group of high schoolers at a private school who are a part of a secret society, The Players. The process of becoming a Player is a long, brutal, initiation, but once you’re in you’re essentially golden and have access to test answers, the best tutors, top college advisors, and more.

During Jill’s freshman year, her best friend Shaila is mysteriously killed during the final night of Player initiation. Shaila’s boyfriend, Graham, confesses and the case is closed.

Flash forward to senior year and Jill starts getting texts about how Graham is innocent and didn’t kill Shaila. And it’s up to Jill to help figure out who really did it.

I was SO invested in this book and could not put it down. As I said earlier, I don’t typically read thrillers as it doesn’t take much to scare me, but this book was the perfect balance for me of twist and turns without being overly horrifying. Highly, highly. recommend.

My Rating: 5/5

✨

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

After finishing They Wish They Were Us, I wanted to read another thriller. I didn’t love this one as much, but I was definitely invested in wanting to know the ending.

Shay Miller is lonely. She’s hopelessly in love with her roommate and wishing she was working full-time instead of temping. After witnessing a horrifying subway suicide, Shay gets totally shaken up and wants to start to take control of her life. Enter the Moore sisters, Cassandra and Jane. They are glamorous, successful, and have a tight-knit circle they invite Shay into.

But of course, everything isn’t what it seems. The sisters are connected to the subway suicide Shay has witnessed and they’re worried Shay knows too much… and that’s not good for them.

I found this book tough to read at times with the constant gaslighting of Shay, I just wanted to shake some sense into her. But I guess that’s true in most scary movies and thrillers. While I definitely enjoyed the book overall and was caught off guard with the twist, I felt it dragged at times.

My Rating: 4/5

✨

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

I’ve been wanting to read this British rom-com for a while now. I also felt like I needed a break from thrillers for the rest of the month 😂

Chloe Brown is a solopreneur website designer managing her chronic illness which has destroyed her social life. After a near-death experience, she realizes she hasn’t been living life to the fullest. In fact, her life has become pretty boring and she wants to change this ASAP. So, she makes a “Get a Life” list including things like “Ride a motorcycle” and “Go Camping.”

Chloe’s building handyman and secret artist, Red, happens to be the right guy to help her with her “Get a Life” list — the guy has a motorcycle and all. She enlists his help and realizes they’re more compatible than she initially thought.

I loved the character of Chloe — she’s hilarious, she’s smart and she’s assertive. But the plot was a bit “meh” to me as it felt like not much happened throughout the book. It was less about the “Get a Life” list and far more about the “will they or won’t they” aspect of Chloe and Red’s relationship. While I love a romcom, sometimes the omg there has been a miscommunication! storyline falls flat for me. And that was the case here.

Still, it’s a delightful book about a delightful character if you’re looking for a fun read with some steamy scenes.

My Rating: 3.5/5

✨

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

Oh, how I LOVE a Christina Lauren book. I’m usually not into holiday-themed things — books, movies, etc, not my jam. But I fell in love with this book.

Every Christmas, Mae and her family meet up with their long-time friends at the same cabin in Utah. Mae absolutely loves this tradition and looks forward to it all year. This year is different, though. She accidentally kisses her friend, Theo… even though she’s had a crush on his brother Andrew for forever. When the trip is ending, it’s announced that the cabin is being sold. This was their last Christmas all together here.

Mae is absolutely devastated on top of her already feeling deflated that she’s still living at home working a job she hates. She gives a plea to the universe Please. Show me what will make me happy. And then suddenly WHOOSH. It’s 6 days earlier. She’s repeating the same vacation a la Groundhogs day.

I truly loved this book. I’m a sucker for a Groundhogs day plot point. Mae’s family friends were all so fun together, especially Benny who is like both an uncle and mentor to Mae. I also dug the focus on following what makes you happy.

I’ve read several Christina Lauren books at this point and I liked that this one didn’t just feel like a typical boy meets girl, boy loses girl storyline. There’s a lot more to it.

FYI, this book is also a December Book of the Month pick. Get your first book for $5 using this link.

My Rating: 5/5

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