First off, I'm an avid book lover from way back. I remember when I was in junior high school going to the library and reading all the biographies I could lay my hands on. When I turned sixteen, I started reading romances, mostly historical. These days my reading list is a little (or a lot) eclectic. Here we go. My top 7 favorite fiction books.
We all have our favorite books. My list today doesn't include two of my very favorites from many years past, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach and Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (the first book I personally owned). You'll see the list of my current favorites runs the gambit from contemporary romance to warmhearted summer reads, historical, paranormal, and suspense. Let's get started. Leaving my favorite until last:
#7 The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. What I love about this book is exactly this: “The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives.” I love Monsieur Perdu's story and how it's told as if the reader is actually by his side as he travels down the Seine revealing how he came to be where he is. I didn't have to be in a hurry to finish the story. I love that.
#6 The Old Ducks' Club by Maddie Please. The Old Ducks' Club was such a surprise. Sometimes life can get to be too much, especially when you realize the life you're living is not what you thought it would be. First off, I didn't know there's a whole genre for and about older women who are 60+. And secondly, it was the first time that a heroine spoke so strongly to me. Sophia's story could have been mine—not the exact details, but her deep disappointment that life hadn't turned out the way she was expecting, and then what she did about it.
#5 The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. I love, love, love, stories about fake relationships, enemies to loves. Olive is the perfect heroine and I love how Adam's story unfolded.
#4 The Great Escape: A Novel (Wynette, Texas Book 7) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I have been a fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips for probably 20 years. I haven't read every book she's written, but I love her humor and how she can turn a story upside down by putting the heroine into surprising twists and turns.
#3 Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women Book 1) by Evie Dunmore. What I really loved about Bringing Down the Duke was that it was set during the time of the women's suffrage movement (in England!). There are four books in this series (the fourth is due out in December 2023) each about a lady who is a member of a suffragist squad and the men who are man enough and in love enough not to squash their ideals. The depiction of England and the time period (1879) is perfect. So well told, this story about the fight for women's rights went straight to my heart.
#2 First Touch by Elsa Jade. I'm going to be honest and say, yes, I'm a geek. I absolutely love a smartly told story. The first series I read by Elsa Jade (writing as Jessa Slade) was her Marked Souls series. So smart. So deep and complex and riveting. I always wanted more. And I got it in First Touch.
#1 The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. Total honesty here, I don't typically read books that are a book club pick. No particular reason. In the case of The Last Thing He Told Me, I bought this book because it was billed as a suspense novel about a husband who disappears. The blurb was fantastic. And when I started reading, I could barely put it down. Fast-paced. Excellently written characters. And family drama. I couldn't ask for more.
So there you have it. What are your top favorite books so far this year?
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See you next time. Happy reading!
xxxooo Susan
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