Wheeeee!!! It’s a doubly awesome Saturday ’cause it’s Reader Favorites day, AND it’s Halloween so I have a special treat. Today is Sadie’s turn and she switched up the favorites-list format a little. 😉 She’s been with us since 2013 and I must admit, her book tastes ROCK HARD!!! She and I discuss our latest awesome “finds” often, and Sadie’s suggestions do NOT disappoint.
A little on her HEA & cliffhanger preferences:
“I never want to know if it’s a HEA. If I hear that a book has a HEA, it’s always lingering in the back of my mind and I feel less emotionally invested. For me, it’s the same with movies. Agree that cliffhanger warnings are good because I am with Melissa – I always forget details from the previous book/s so prefer to read the series together if I can. For some, I just can’t wait
“
She always finds me tummy twisters, whether they be romance or psych thrillers and she’s also part of our peanut gallery. 😉 Throws peanuts at us often, for a few of her favorites that we (*ahem* I)have yet to read.
“Eleanor and Park!!!! OMG they get all the peanuts! … I’d like to join in. Also, I have been telling maryse to read “the kind worth killing” forever so I’ll throw some peanuts for them.”
But now we have her whole list and I am SO gonna use this!! And I love how she categorized her favorites. So know matter what we’re in the mood for, she’s got a favorite!
“Maryse, this was fun! We’ve been homebound this weekend so I appreciate the distraction. :)”
Favorite-favorites:
How to Kill a Rock Star and God Shaped Hole: A Novel by Tiffanie DeBartolo: These books are everything! I could go on (and on and on..) but just read them. PS – I love the thread that connects the two books.
Love Me With Lies Series and Mud Vein, Tarryn Fisher: Tarryn Fisher writes books I love to read. The end. I reread LMWL and Mud Vein on audio and was once again consumed by her words.
Favorite series:
The Bronze Horseman Series, Paullina Simons: I can’t remember being so consumed by a series as I was with this one. Tatiana and Alexander’s is the ultimate life-long love story.
Emi Lost & Found Series, Lori Otto. This is the series more people should be reading. Lori Otto is so talented and after reading the series you feel like her characters are family.
The Original Sinners Series, Tiffany Reisz. Fascinating series that gets better with each book, and Soren, Nora and Kingsley are some of the most interesting and complex characters.
Favorite psyc thriller mysteries:
Sharp Objects: A Novel, Dark Places: A Novel and Gone Girl: A Novel, Gillian Flynn. Gillian Flynn is a genius. Her entire arsenal is amazing (and the opposite of romance) and she writes the creepiest, darkest, twistiest and most captivating stories. Can’t wait for her next book!
The Kind Worth Killing: A Novel, Peter Swanson. This book will not restore your faith in humanity but will show you a really good time. A great psyc thriller, one of my favorites this year.
Dangerous Girls, Abigail Haas. My favorite YA psyc thriller that had me gasping out loud at one point.
Favorite “I’ll read anything this author writes:”
What Alice Forgot and Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty. One of my favorite authors – her dialogue is funny and sharp and her characters are all hot messes but relatable. Also, Moriarty’s “The Husband’s Secret” has the best epilogue ever.
After I Do: A Novel and Forever, Interrupted: A Novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid. More than love stories these books address some of life’s heaviest topics in a realistic and relatable way. And they are unputdownable. I will read anything she writes forever and ever.
Favorite funny/heartbreak:
Me Before You: A Novel, Jojo Moyes and The Fault in Our Stars, John Green. I loved both of these amazing stories for how they mixed memorable characters with humor and heartbreak. I rarely cry from books but I cried – for a while – from both. Don’t miss them.
Favorite YA:
Slammed: A Novel, Colleen Hoover. I’m a huge fan of all things CoHo but am including Slammed here because I still remember “that moment” of realization and my heart dropped. And The Avett Brothers.
Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell. I love these two funny, sweet characters so much, as well as the hopeful but realistic ending.
The Sea of Tranquility: A Novel, Katja Millay. I was blown away by the unconventional storyline and characters. Would love to read more from this author.
Favorite NA:
Left Drowning (Left Drowning Series Book 1), Jessica Park and True Love Story, Willow Aster. I’ve been struggling to find books I like in NA lately, and these are two of my favorites from a few years ago.
Favorite book I read this year:
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar, Cheryl Strayed. I read this for the 2015 book challenge in the non-fiction category and it.was.fantastic. I highlighted every page and I will go back to it over and over again. I’d recommend it to everyone.
Thanks Maryse! I love that I can just send this link when my friends or family ask for book recs 😉
Wonderful list, Sadie. Have not read a few cause they scare me.
I’m not sure I’ll ever finish the Emi lost and Found books.
I first heard of the Avett Brothers when they were an opening act at a concert. So when read Slammed I was like oh I know her obscure band, lol. I love I and Love and You. And a Father’s first spring is so very sweet.
Tiny Beautiful Things is just so wonderful. So fierce and beautiful.
Just read Carry On by RR and loved it. Started the year with E&P and now read all the books. 🙁
YAY Sadie!!!!
I will reference this list a lot! 😀
Sadie I’m loving your book list. Seriously we’re book soulmates cos you picked some of my all time best books including those that I put on my top book list too…How to Kill a Rockstar..sigh love it, Colleen Hoover (would read her shopping list if she published it). Left Drowning. So many.
I’ve read almost all but Taylor Jenkins Reid (I’ve got both but I’m too chicken to read them). Thanks for sharing.
Wow! So many of these are my favorites as well. I am with you on any book by Laine Moriarty…. Automatic for me. I have a few from your list on my tbr list which I will now be rearranging asap:) While reading through your list, I kept thinking…This truly could have been mine. We could be reading buddies, no doubt!
Thanks for the great list, Sadie! I have not read any of these. Now I have many to chose among 😉
Thanks guys! bev, Tiny Beautiful Things!!! Sigh. That book!! One of my all time favorites. Lisa, I love having book soulmates! did you read God Shaped Hole? Marit, I’m so so so jealous! Read down this list and I promise you will love them! Xoxo
I bought it Sadie!!! (Tiny Beautiful Things)
I can’t wait to try it out.
Kim, I missed your comment earlier! Let’s be book buddies! Which ones havent you read?
Maryse, my e-copy is completely yellow from highlighting. Enough said! Just a great book about so many different things.
Sadie, did you see it may be adapted to tv?
Maryse, just open it and read whatever letter and advice you come to. You will want to give it to all the people in your life.
Gah! Now I’m thinking it should be next after I finish “Room”
Yes Bev!! I can’t wait!! It is exactly the kind of book you want to gift. My friend Billie has given it to a ton of people and she just read it last month. Maryse, which of the above haven’t you read yet? I’ll start putting the pressure on. 😉
Quite a few, Sadie. None of your Psych Thrillers, which interest me BIG time! Obviously “The Kind Worth Killing” (tee hee!!! My bad) and the “Sweet” one…
Oh it’s on girl! One a week until you read ’em all
I’m excited Sadie, I just got the Ebook Tiny Beautiful Things from my local library. I’d never heard of it before but am excited to give it a go. Thanks for the rec!
Sadie….yes God-shaped Hole ruined me. We were on holidays when I got go the end of that book and I had to have an afternoon alone to absorb that ending, have a good cry and pull myself together. I still think about it. And I’m not usually good with angsty, gut twisting, ugly cry inducing books (i.e. couldn’t finish Brightside).
Sadie, anyone who has Tiffany Reisz’s a Original a Sinners as part of their favourites list, has got me excited to try the rest of your list!
Jennifer, I hope you love TBT as much as I did! I think about it all the time.
Lisa, yes, God Shaped Hole is so powerful and I want Maryse to read it ASAP. It’s a must read for those who loved HTKARS because of how the two are connected.
Rebecca, I love Original Sinners! There isn’t a series quite like it, right? I have The Virgin and Queen on my short list TBR. The Saint is actually my favorite of ’em all.
Saide I know how they are connected ’cause of HTKARS, and I thought that was SO clever even IF I didn’t read #1. SO I sorta have a spoiler for #1, but it doesn’t bother me… I know it will be awesome. And I will absolutely read it. 😀
Sadie, I LOVE so many that you love too. HTKARS and God-Shaped Hole is way at the top for me with Bronze Horseman, Tiffani Reisz everything, Left Drowning, Sea of Tranquility, all 3 Liane Moriarty, Colleen Hoover, Tarryn Fisher… My list would be too similar! And so… so excited to read your recs that I haven’t read, like Emi Lost & Found Series (Never heard of it?) and Taylor Jenkins Reed (has been on my TBR list for ages) but I’m going to push them up. Love your list!!! Thanks for sharing!
Aw thanks Marina!!! Sounds like we have very similar tastes!! You will love the Emi series and My two favorites from TJR are up there and you can’t go wrong with either (both were my favorite books read last year).
Two more recs if you guys have read those ^^^ is Happiness for Beginners. It’s really good and has great romantic tension while also being laugh out loud funny at times. Just trust me. And the Storied Life of AJ Fickry. A must read for book lovers. I loved that one hard too.
Yes!! I wish it hadn’t been spoiled for you but I still think you’ll enjoy. Keep me posted 🙂
Hello,
My list has lots of overlap with Sadie’s as well. The Bronze Horseman is my favorite book followed by the Love me with Lies series by Tarryn Fisher. What Alice Forgot was also a home run for me. I read The Kind Worth Killing and it was amazing! Per Sadie’s suggestion I read Dangerous Girls which I finished yesterday and it was very suspenseful, although I managed to predict the ending which was unfortunate (but it’s YA so it happens). Another YA thriller I would recommend is Don’t Look Back- it is somewhat reminiscent of Dangerous Girls but I think I preferred it slightly more. Definitely check it out! Also The Snowman by Jo Nesbo and Night Film by Marisha Pessl are two of my favorites. If you have any other psych thriller suggestions Sadie I would love to hear them 🙂
Thank you for the recommendations, Avalon. We have a Psych-Thriller Recommendations list, and I’ll add yours on the next update. 😀
https://www.maryse.net/books/book-recommendations/highly-recommended-psychological-thriller-books.html
Also Because She Loves Me by Mark Edwards and Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson. Sorry, almost forgot those 😉