As an Author myself, I want to help people discover and find new books, try different authors and genres... and expand those horizons of the mind! Enjoy this monthly blog where you'll find a curated artisan-crafted book list for your reading pleasure. Here go you... my top book recommendations for April 2023! It's just one book a week :-)
1. Then She Was Gone Free on Audible
I figured more than 75,000 global reviews couldn't be wrong. This thriller expertly combines the heartbreak and drama of a missing daughter, the mystery and suspense of unearthing clues, and a new romance that quickly turns suspect. A riveting page-turner!! (Unless you're listening... but it's still riveting either way)
Back of the book: Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenage golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her. And then she was gone. Now her mother, Laurel Mack, is trying to put her life back together. It's been 10 years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie's case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a cafe, she is surprised at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she's meeting Floyd's daughters - and his youngest, Poppy, takes her breath away. Looking at her is like looking at Ellie. And now the unanswered questions she has tried so hard to put to rest haunt her anew...as well as some new ones about Floyd and Poppy.
2. Where the Crawdads Sing Free on Audible
I loved this book! Even though I didn't grow up in 1960s south... or near a swamp, somehow the lead character was still so relatable. Maybe this story tugs on that outcast feeling of human nature we all have at times, but I was cheering for Kya on every page. The pace at the end did feel a bit rushed... like the author was on a deadline... Delia I can relate to that too. Overall a must read with over 400k 5-star reviews!
Back Cover: For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
3. Run Rose, Run Free on Audible
When I saw that Dolly Parton and James Patterson teamed up to write a book, my heart skipped a beat. :) What could possibly go wrong with this? Nothing. I can't help but wonder how much of Dolly's personal story is intertwined with both of the talented and ambitious leading characters. There's also an album to go with the novel... what a novel idea! (sorz had to haha)
Back Cover: A new singer arrives in Nashville. She calls herself AnnieLee Keyes, and she has more beauty, talent, and ambition than most -- and a dangerous past that she's running from. Her performance of original songs at open-mic night at the Cat’s Paw Saloon downtown transfixes Ethan Blake, back-up musician for country star Ruthanna Ryder. Ruthanna may have retired—for deeply personal reasons—but that doesn’t mean she’s stopped writing music. Every day, she records songs she’ll never release. When Ruthanna hears AnnieLee sing, the legend decides to help the ingenue. But a boost from a mega-star like Ruthanna may spotlight the talented newcomer’s secret. Now AnnieLee may not live long enough to realize her dreams of stardom—or for the world to learn her true identity.
4. The Wish Free on Audible
Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite contemporary authors and once said that he finds much of his inspiration from his lovely wife and their own love-at-first-sight story. *pausing for 'awwww' reactions* I love pretty much everything this man has written since The Notebook (his first novel!) and still have my dearly beloved autographed copy. His stories always layer themes of life's struggles with romantic plot twists, that challenge the leading characters to overcome fears and obstacles. This book is no different and did not disappoint. Did I mention I love Nicolas Sparks? <3
Back Cover: The year 1996 was the one that changed everything for Maggie Dawes. Sent away at 16 to live with an aunt she barely knew in Ocracoke, a remote village on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, she could think only of the friends and family she left behind...until she met Bryce Trickett, one of the few teenagers on the island. Handsome, genuine, and newly admitted to West Point, Bryce showed her how much there was to love about the wind-swept beach town - and introduced her to photography, a passion that would define the rest of her life. By 2019, Maggie is a renowned travel photographer. She splits her time between running a successful gallery in New York and photographing remote locations around the world. But this year she is unexpectedly grounded over Christmas, struggling to come to terms with a sobering medical diagnosis. Increasingly dependent on a young assistant, she finds herself becoming close to him. As they count down the last days of the season together, she begins to tell him the story of another Christmas, decades earlier - and the love that set her on a course she never could have imagined.
About me?
My own reading library is an eclectic collection of pop-fiction, self-help, mystery, romance, thriller, esoteric spiritualism, non-fiction, biographies, and cutting edge science and technology. I suspect as this blog continues, the topics will broaden as I personally discover new themes to explore. :)
I guess I should also promote my books here in case the four above don't fill your time!
Happy reading! Until next time, please stay safe and healthy! :)
Elizabeth
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