My Top 10 of 2023

Posted on December 31, 2023 inSite News

Well here we are: Today is December 31st and WE MADE IT!  2024 is almost here!     Today we are ending the year with My Top 10 of 2023. I am selective with the books I give 5 stars too: In fact, I only had 14 books with 5 star reads this year.  I am putting two of those together since they are part of a series.  Three of the books in this Top 10 are actually book club reads, with one being my choice.  Book clubs can be a good thing: You end up reading books you might not have read otherwise!

I have an hour commute one way to work and my schedule is 10-hour days 4 days week, which doesn’t leave much time for reading.  I had many more audiobooks listened to versus kindle or physical books read. I am really enjoying the 10-hour days 4 days a week and hope I can adjust to get more reading of books done other than audiobooks. 

Here is my Top 10:

10.  The Chain by Adrian McKinty

This book club read was my choice. It is a thriller and I enjoyed it just as much the second time as I did the first time.  It is so fast paced, intense, and doesn’t slow down at all!

My full review is here: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/a-re-read-of-the-chain-by-adrian-mckinty/

9. Death Warrant by Bryan Johnston

This is a thriller with a unique premise that actually delivered for me. I can also see ‘reality tv’ going in this direction in the future with the direction the world is going.

My full review is here: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/audiobook-review-death-warrant-by-bryan-johnston/

8.  The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

This one was another book club read and I don’t think I would have ever picked it up on my own, and really enjoyed it! It’s historical fiction and it was narrated by Julia Whelan who is another favorite! I was really pulled in to this story and felt like I was there with the characters.

My full review is here: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/audiobook-review-the-four-winds-by-kristin-hannah/

7.  The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

This is a memoir about an innocent man who served nearly 30 years of his life on Death Row! Hinton’s story shows what a travesty our ‘justice system’ can be, especially for the poor and non-white people

My full review is here: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/audiobook-review-the-sun-does-shine-by-anthony-ray-hinton/

6. Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

This one is the last book club read that made my Top 10. I had actually never heard of it and really enjoyed it.  I became attached to the characters and they all are dealing with some kind of serious issue.  This is a debut and a strong one at that!

My full review is here: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/audiobook-review-where-the-forest-meets-the-stars-by-glendy-vanderah/

5.  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Another memoir that made my Top 10!I really enjoyed this one and McConaughey wrote and narrated it! Listening to it, it was like he was right there talking to you and telling his life story. I really enjoyed it and learned some things about him!

My full review is here: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/audiobook-review-greenlights-by-matthew-mcconaughey/

4.  Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin

Kiersten Modglin is a new to me author this year and I am really enjoying her work. Do Not Open was something to listen to: It was like Misery but on crack! Talk about some intensity with this book!

My full review is here: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/alc-review-do-not-open-by-kiersten-modglin/

3.  What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

What Lies Between Us is my second read by John Marrs, and I will be reading/listening to all of his novels! This book is intense and when you think he is done with the twists… BAM! Mr. Marrs gives us another one! This book keeps moving and doesn’t slow until the very end! If you enjoy thrillers and are not reading his books, you need to pick them up now!

My full review is here: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/audiobook-review-what-lies-between-us-by-john-marrs/

2.  The Housemaid and The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden

Freida McFadden has been getting a lot of attention these past two years and with The Housemaid and The Housemaid’s Secret I can see why! Both of these books are fast paced and you just can’t put them down! The third (and final?) book in the series comes out next June and I will be ready to see what is in store for Millie next!

My full reviews are here:

Housemaid: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/audiobook-review-the-housemaid-by-freida-mcfadden/

The Housemaid’s Secret: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/audiobook-review-the-housemaids-secret-by-freida-mcfadden/

And my #1 Read for 2023 is…………

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

This is a prequel to They Both Die at the End, but it needs to be read second.  There will be a third Death Cast novel coming out in 2024, and I WILL be reading/ listening to these again! These books just say so much and affected me so much. I actually cried with The First to Die at the End.   You know how it is going to go, but that journey… is just heartbreaking!  I was affected for personal reasons that I won’t go into (spoilers!), but damn Mr. Silvera, I just love these books and cannot wait until the next one comes out!

My full review is here: http://jessicasreadingroom.com/book-review-the-first-to-die-at-the-end-by-adam-silvera/

There is my list! I want to know what some of YOUR favorites were in 2023! Did we have any in common? Are there any of mine that you are interested in reading? Let’s bring on 2024 and a new year of reading!!

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Jessica’s Top 10 of 2022

Posted on December 31, 2022 inSite News

Well guys, today is December 31st and WE MADE IT!  2023 is almost here!     Today we are ending the year with Jessica’s Top 10 of 2022.  2022 was apparently the year of the thriller for me as so many are in this list!  This year I have two short stories that receive honorable mentions. I just can’t put short stories in with my Top 10 list!

Here is my Top 10:

10. The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews (MKA)

MKA is a favorite of mine and I try to get her book every year! I was fortunate to go to a signing as well! Her books are always a fun read and have intrigue and some romance too! My review is here.

  9.  If We Break Up by Cheyanne Young

This is a YA contemporary about Honey and Luca whom are ‘the couple’  at their high school and their whole lives are already planned out. But…. Honey has doubts.  I absolutely loved this novel and the ending was absolutely perfect!  This novel ended the way it needed to and I adored it. my review is here. 

8.  Kallista/ The Lady Butcher (Books 2 and 4 of The Butcher series) by Sian B. Claven

This is a serial killer series made of four novellas, and Claven sent me the first three as audiobooks to listen to. I already had the whole series on my kindle, but can get through audiobooks much quicker with my daily commute to/from work. I really enjoyed this series which has a paranormal take on it and I loved it! The fourth wasn’t available on audiobook at the time, so I went ahead and read the kindle book as I had to finish the series!  Claven is just…. I love her work!

My review for Kallista is here.

My review for The Lady Butcher is here.

7.  Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwatrz

OMG- This is a YA historical fiction novel set in Edinburgh when women were looked poorly upon.  Hazel wants to become a surgeon when that just did not happen.  This novel was a solid 4 stars for me for most of it until it got closer to the end! And I have been ready for the sequel since finishing! It comes out at the end of Feburary 2023 and I can not wait to see how Schwatz ends this duology! And the cover… I just love it!  My review is here. 

6.  Verity by Colleen Hoover (CoHo)

Verity is my first CoHo novel and it is atypical from her others she writes. I loved Verity  and read it early in the year before CoHo starting appearing everywhere. And now it’s over-saturation of her novels.  I have yet to read the ‘extra chapter’ in the new collector’s edition, but I will sometime! I don’t know what it means for both Hoover and myself: How was Hoover able to come up with/write a novel so twisted and that I really enjoyed it! My review is here.

5.  Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

OMG! Hidden Pictures is definitely the book to read and it has illustrations to go along with the story which is the icing on the cake! This one is definitely a page turner and I read it in just a few days! Those illustrations are creepy and you will think twice before just looking at a child’s hand drawn picture again.  Read the physical copy! And if you send a SASE to the author you’ll get a book plate and more back: I did! My review is here.

4. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

WHOA!  This one was something to read! Here are my variety of reactions to this one in the order that they happened:

I knew it!
Wait…. What???
What am I reading???
WHAT am I reading!?!?
WTF did I just read!?!?!?

It’s a twisty mind bend and it seems like people either like it or they don’t. I loved it! My review is here.

3.  Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

This is another thriller that I loved in 2022! It reminded me of the movie Memento which I loved. Unreliable narrators are hit or miss for me, but this one was a total hit! This is a must read! My review is here. 

2.  They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

This one made my Top 10 list in 2019 and I had to read it again as the prequel was coming out and I wanted this one fresh in my memory. I have not yet gotten to the prequel but will very soon! This one shows you how important life is and to live each day as if it could be your last.  Because unless you have the Deathcast app on your phone, you don’t know when your life will end! I absolutely love this book. My review is here.

And my #1 Read for 2022 is…………

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

This is a thriller that made my #1! I can’t believe it beat out They Both Die!!!  I just love everything about this book. This is also one you can’t say much about because well… spoilers!!  But there is a murder and a time travel element. And the ending is just… I loved it and won’t say anything else except READ IT!  My review is here.

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Honorable Mentions

This year I have two short stories that made honorable mentions:

Choice by Jodi Picoult

I listened to this short story just a few weeks before Roe V Wade was overturned by the supreme court, and let’s just say Picoult turns the world around on men: Suddenly they get pregnant and not women and abortion is no longer a choice. My review is here.
Sleeping Dogs Lie by Samantha Downing

This is another short story I listened to and Downing has become another favorite author!  The ending of this short thriller was very unexpected and I absolutely loved it! My review is here.

There is my Top 10 and honorable mentions! Have you read any of them? Are you interested in any of them?

I hope 2023 brings on some great reading for you!

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