What I've Read in Quarantine

I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!! hhaha. I have read some books lately that have quickly qualified as some of my all-time favorites. I usually am pretty hard on critiquing books because I don't want to throw out 5/5 stars frivolously, but two of these... I had to. They were incredible.

I want to preface this by answering a few frequently asked questions! 

I find 95% of the books I read through Grace Atwood's blog. The other 5% are recommendations from friends, podcasts, and you! I generally prefer light beach reads, but after reading the Woman in the Window (a thriller) in January (review here -- I gave it 5/5 stars), I've been more open to trying new genres, especially thrillers/suspense novels!

I update my Goodreads page constantly with the books I'm currently reading, want to read, and have read. I also have all of my past book reviews in this section of my blog.

Let's get into what I've read recently!

Verity by Colleen Hoover // 5/5 Stars

This thriller was highly recommended by Grace here, and I knew immediately upon reading her review that I needed to read it. Wow. It was incredible.

Lowen, an aspiring writer, is offered a position to complete the best-selling series of novels by author Verity Crawford, who has been in an accident leaving her in an unrecoverable state in her own home. Lowen must do research for the novels by moving into Verity's home and spending lots of time with Verity's husband, Jeremy. The events that unfold are page-turning, captivating, exciting, and romantic... there were surprisingly a lot of sex scenes which I wasn't expecting, and a couple of huge plot twists toward the end. 

Normal People by Sally Rooney // 5/5 Stars

This was another highly recommended book all over Instagram. It was precious. 

Connell and Marianne have known each other forever, from when Connell was the popular one in high school, and Marianne was nothing, through college where the tables turned. They weave in and out of each other's lives, and the story follows them from their first encounter, through their many experiences over the years. It is such a gripping story of young love and the kind of relationship that might not always be the best for you, but you just can't let go of.

It reminded me of "Tell Me Lies" a little bit because this is the story of a long-winded love that sees many, many ups and downs. It also reminded me a bit of "Perks of Being a Wallflower," because of the writing styles and how the two main characters, Connell and Marianne, are both so raw and unfiltered. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I loved it. It is coming to Hulu very soon!

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover // 4/5 Stars

After reading Verity, I was really excited to read another book by Colleen Hoover. But... you really can't compare the two! While Verity was a crazy thriller, this one is more of your classic beach, romantic, light read. But oh.. it's so good. The ending is perfect and so worth it.

Morgan is Clara's mother, and she had her at a very young age. The story alternates between Clara and Morgan's perspectives when a horrible tragedy happens to their family. Both of them are now experiencing similar events in their lives, but they're hiding a lot from each other, as any mother-daughter duo does during the teenage years. I gave this four out of five stars because it was absolutely fantastic and I was so into it, but sometimes I just get frustrated as a reader when there is a lot of dramatic irony, and I felt myself having to put the book down and take a break just to collect myself... lol. But if you're into that, you'd love this! The story is so sweet, with a few twists here and there that make it a page-turner for sure.

I am currently reading Where The Crawdads Sing, and just ordered The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo to have on deck!

Have you read anything great during quarantine?
xoxo