Best Books of Summer 2016

This year I made it a point and a New Year’s resolution to read more books. I was quite the bookworm growing up, visiting the library at least once a week over the summer and winning Accelerated Reader competitions in school. Plus, my grandma was a librarian, so it’s in my blood. This summer I did very well at achieving my reading list – I even started a book club! What were my favorite reads? Keep reading!

Most of my favorite books these days are psychological crime thrillers. I think this is a literary-wide trend for my age and interests, so if you’re into books like Gone Girl or Girl on the Train, you’ll love these! By the way, how cute is this weaved tote from No Mas Cantina here in Castleberry Hill Atlanta (it’s delicious)? It’s the perfect picnic tote for these late summer days and fits about 4 of my books in it! Since I’ve been trying to save money by checking books out from the library, it’s been the perfect tote and fashionable storage space.

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison: This was probably my favorite read. It felt a lot like Gone Girl to me in that I was totally hooked and had to keep reading to find out how it ended/began. Another reason why I liked it so much was that it takes place in Nashville and frequently talks about the area. Gotta love the Southern nuances.

The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage—they were happy, weren’t they?—screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life?

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult: Not really a suspense/thriller, but still a high favorite on the list (probably second place). I always love Jodi Picoult novels despite that they’re a little cheesy. I love her writing style though, and this book is about World War II which I get easily interested in. It is a longer book, but so worth it.

Sage Singer befriends an old man who’s particularly beloved in her community. Josef Weber is everyone’s favorite retired teacher and Little League coach. They strike up a friendship at the bakery where Sage works. One day he asks Sage for a favor: to kill him. Shocked, Sage refuses… and then he confesses his darkest secret—he deserves to die, because he was a Nazi SS guard. Complicating the matter? Sage’s grandmother is a Holocaust survivor.

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda: This one was a bit hard to wrap my mind around since it works backwards, day-by-day for two weeks. But that’s also what makes it super suspenseful. I blew through this one and I ended up finishing it mostly in 3 days.

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica: I read Mary Kubica’s The Good Girl last year and really enjoyed it. This one was no different. A quick and easy read that took me completely by surprise. I really enjoy Mary Kubica’s writing and she has a very unique mindset for surprise endings!

In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she’s the person Quinn thought she knew. 

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware: This one wasn’t my absolutely favorite of the summer, because the characters annoyed me, but it was a page turner. I felt like I already had predicted the ending, yet it was still suspenseful and interesting. It started out a bit slow (so don’t give up!), but it was well written and thought out to the end.

Nora hasn’t seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back. Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her? But something goes wrong. Very wrong. Some things can’t stay secret for ever.

What did you read this summer? Share your recommendations below!

Thank you to No Mas Cantina for the beautiful Mexican tote!