Books #63

My goal for 2021 was to read 90 books total. With just a few days left of the year, I have read 115! Yay!

Here are a few recommendations!

1 – A Dark Lure by Loreth Anne White

I enjoyed this book a lot! The twists and turns were well plotted and I thought it was well written. Interesting, strong characters, creepy story, isolated location. It all worked for me. Olivia is working and living at an isolated ranch and vacation lodge deep in Canadian wilderness. She has a past that she’s never fully healed from. When the ranch owner is dying, she calls his estranged son to return and be with his father. Cole arrives and of course, there is a potential romance involved, as well as her horrific past returning to haunt her. There are definitely some tough descriptions of sexual assault, so not for everyone. But well written.

2- The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen

I enjoyed this book a lot! My only complaint was that the current day story was not as interesting as the main story taking place in the 1800s.

The story is about the budding discovery of medicine in the late 1800s. They hadn’t figured out germ theory yet, but some young doctors were starting to put it together–especially when it came to childbed fever. It’s also a story about the Resurrectionists–which is a fascinating thing from history! This part of the story was well done and interesting to read.

3 – The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked that the story was told by three women in the middle of the scandal close to Henry’s end of life. While I’ve always been interested in Henry VIII and his weirdness, and knew a lot about it, I didn’t know a lot about Katherine Howard. Perhaps because their marriage was so short. This was an interesting insight into the scandal of the court, the plotting, the treason, the mental illness of Henry and the fall of the 5th Wife.

This book in the series was well written and fast paced. A lot of the books are very long and detailed and take awhile for me to read. But I zipped through this one in just a few days.

4 – Ice Cold: Rizzoli and Isles by Tess Gerritsen

This book was excellent! It was gripping and fascinating and fast paced. Maura Isles, Boston ME, is at a work conference in Wyoming. On a whim she decides to leave with an old colleague and his friends for a ski trip in a nearby town. Except they never make it there. The weather is awful, the car crashes, they are forced to set out on foot to find shelter. They find a weird, abandoned compound that turns out to be the home to a cult. The book is harrowing–dark, creepy, alone in the wilderness in a snow storm–excellent horror movie atmosphere. The story is unique and takes many twists and turns, even at the very end, that I wasn’t expecting. Couldn’t put the book down.

5 – These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

I don’t want to give away too much of this book. However, I will say this is one of the best books I read this year. It was so excellent! I read the first 50% of the book in one sitting.

A father and daughter live alone in a cabin in the Appalachian woods. No electricity, totally living off the land, except for the once a year supply delivery from a friend. The remoteness, the snow, the wilderness setting set the stage brilliantly. The bond between father and daughter was wonderful. The survivalism and loyalty touching. Absolutely excellent book.

6 – The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was about a very complicated relationship between MIL and daughter-in-law. I don’t know that I would necessarily call it a “mystery” but it suspenseful. It had some unexpected twists and turns and the ending was very satisfying. I definitely recommend it!

Happy reading!