I’ll be the first to admit that I do not read as much as I’d like to during the school year. Its challenging in particular for the average student (like me) who finds themselves constantly scrambling in between classes to complete homework or maintain a sense of commitment to clubs/sports or other related things. In return, this causes it to be hard to stop and smell the roses and do the things that you really, really love to do. For me, and many others, reading fits that bill. For the fellow bookworms out there, winter is the perfect opportunity to catch your breath from the constant adrenaline rush of everyday and snag a good book to delve into for awhile.
- “Behind Closed Doors” by B. A. Paris
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Jack and Grace exhibit the likings of a charming newlywed couple. The two encapsulate the meaning of perfection with their shared charm, elegance and beauty. They have it all, or so it seems. However, once people become fixated on this couple, speculation spreads about why Jack and Grace happen to be completely inseparable, forming the question: how perfect can one couple be?
- “The Last Mrs. Parrish” by Liv Constantine
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Amber Patterson dreams of living a life where she can no longer simply blend into the background. She craves an elitist lifestyle that she can claim as her own– and that is where Daphne Parrish steps in. Daphne has it all according to Amber, she is a beloved socialite and philanthropist with her uber-perfect fairytale husband. As her jealousy arises, a plan is concocted where Amber uses manipulation to descend herself perfectly into Daphne’s ever-so-perfect life with an outcome that is disastrous.
- “Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn
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To put this book into simple terms, expect the unexpected. It follows the complicated life of Camille Preaker, a journalist who returns to her small hometown in the hopes of investigating two unsolved cases of young girls gone missing. Rebuilding her life in the small town of Wind Gap, however, has rekindled the suppressed trauma that Camille has faced in her childhood due to the relationship with her estranged family. In a town where everyone knows everyone, secrets unfold and lies are brought to life. A tale of mystery and riveting storytelling that Gillian Flynn does best.
- “The Farm” by Joanne Ramos
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This book has a concept that has captivated me from the first time I read it. It takes place in a selective and luxurious retreat where women are treated like royalty and can go to for free under one condition — they have to partake in producing a baby for an uber-wealthy client. It follows the life of an immigrant named Jane from the Philippines who struggles to make a life for herself inside the bubble that is The Farm. As she tries to reconnect with her daughter from the outside world, she finds herself in an isolation that consumes her and makes her ‘prior life’ an afterthought.
I hope you enjoy these books — I know I will!