I love to read. I have always enjoyed reading as it allows me to escape into a world of fiction, expanding my vocabulary is a super plus as well. Ever since I was young, I read above my level. In high school, we had Accelerated Reader and my “points” were always high, thus, each quarter I would have to read multiple books to fulfill my requirement for my English class. As college came and went, reading took a back burner. And then, BAM, Jordan and I were married with two kids and a busy (getting busier every day) career that I hadn’t read a book in 6+ months!

This past spring, I decided that reading was something I wanted to do (and SHARE) so I just made time. And by making time I mean I looked at my phone less and read more. I love social media but I can get easily consumed with it and then I look back at my time and think “what a boring way to spend my valuable time.” I am lucky in the fact that I can read with the TV on, with kids running around yelling, in almost any setting really. I read fast and have been amazed at the number of books I have quickly absorbed this year.

I am also addicted to buying books, particularly at Target. Sorry, not sorry. So, my #1 tip for anyone reading who loves to read (and also buys too many books), get a library card! Almost every town in our surrounding area has a small library. We are lucky, our county has a main branch in a neighboring town but we have a great branch just four miles from home.

I 100% love plot driven, suspenseful fiction. I like twists and turns and not knowing who kills who. My life is very PG so reading something a little dark and twisted gives me an outlet, one which I throughly enjoy.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Big Little Lies
• In a dark, dark wood
• Woman 99
• All The Missing Girls
• The Perfect Stranger
• The Couple Next Door

Here are SO many recommendation from my Instagram followers:

• Handmaids Tale
• Truly, Madly, Guilty
• The Nightingale
• Out from Egypt (series)
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz (I have this – will read soon!)
• All the Light We Cannot See (multiple recs)
• The Last Mrs. Parrish
• Behind Closed Doors
• Beneath A Scarlet Sky
• Something In the Water
• The Four Agreements
• Lilac Girls
• Then She Was Gone (I have this in my closet and will read over the winter!)
• The Family Upstairs
• The Broken Girls
• The Great Alone
• Glittering Court (series)
• Back of Beyond

THANK YOU so much for all of these recommendations! I love finding books that others loved (because that meas I’ll probably love them too!)

I’d love to grow this list. I know I may never get through it but I am sure going to try – have to start somewhere, right? Is there a book you cannot live without- one you absolutely loved or maybe a book you’ve read twice because it was THAT good?