Book Review 3
Jean Ahn
Hi everyone! Hope you all are hanging in there during this crazy time. Washington state is still pretty much on lockdown and currently still in quarantine. One of the benefits is being able to have more time to read! I haven’t done a book review in a while and I’ve read a handful of books the last few months and wanted to share some books I’ve read! Reading is so calming and has been really helpful to me during this anxious time. I try to read a wide range of genres and aim to finish one every one to two weeks. I especially love reading before bed and I actually noticed I fall asleep earlier and have better sleep versus when I aimlessly scroll on Instagram on TikTok. 😂Anyone else guilty of aimless scrolling before bed?!
Here are the books I have read recently…
Then She was gone: This mystery/thriller was very well written and a definite page turner that I finished in less than a week. The writing really lures you in and all your questions are answered at the end. Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter and beloved by her parents, friends and teachers. She suddenly goes missing and for 10 years very little clues are unearthed and her disappearance is a mystery. Overall the book had a great pace and at times there were disturbing aspects but all in all I would recommend this one.
When Breath Becomes Air: I had heard so many great things about this book and I can see exactly why. It’s a memoir written by an American neurosurgeon Dr. Paul Kalanithi who battled stage IV metastatic lung cancer and how he continued to fight till the very end. It was heart warming and makes you enjoy the little things and live a life of gratitude . It was named the #1 New York Times Bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize Finalist. Can’t recommend this book enough!
The Turn of the Key: I chose to read this book since I I loved other novels by Ruth Ware. The protagonist, Rowan Caine stumbles upon a nanny position that seems almost too good to be true and accepts the position at Heatherbrae House, at first she is in awe of the luxurious ‘smart’ home nestled in the Scottish Highlands and by this picture-perfect family when a child is found dead and Rowan finds herself in prison on trial for murder she did not commit.
Where the Crawdads Sing: I had seen this book on the New York Bestseller list and read great reviews so I knew quarantine was the perfect opportunity to sit down and read this one. For years Kya Clark the so-called ‘Marsh Girl’ abandoned at a young age survived for years alone in the marshes of the North Carolina coast. When the town’s golden boy Chase Andrews is found dead, locals instantly suspect Kya which leads to her standing trial for murder. I highly recommend this one, it was definitely a page turner which I finished in a week. I really hope they would make a movie of this in the future!
The Kiss Quotient: This book was recommended to me by a good friend and she begged me to read it. I was hesitant at first since the plot seemed a bit strange but I ended up liking it in the end. Stella Lane is a brilliant, smart and rich economist but suffers from Aspergers and feels she needs ‘practice’ with dating and sex. She hires escort Michael Phan, who can’t afford to turn down her offer and agrees to be her ‘pretend boyfriend.’ Think Crazy Rich Asians meets 50 Shades of Grey, this fun, light read will definitely warm your heart. I would recommend this one!
The Death of Mrs. Westway: The story revolves around Hal, a struggling tarot card reader who receives a mysterious letter that explains she is to inherit a family estate. She realizes that the letter was sent to the wrong person but she attends the funeral anyways and uses her skills as a honed tarot card reader to navigate this peculiar situation. I tried to like this one but wasn’t very impressed. Normally I fly through Ruth Ware’s books but this one was pretty boring the entire time up until maybe the last few pages. I wouldn’t recommend this one.
What are some books you’ve read during quarantine? Share below in the comments!
