Loner by Teddy Wayne

David Federman is a freshman at Harvard when he meets the beautiful Veronica Morgan Wells. He instantly becomes so infatuated with her that he is willing to do anything to get her attention.

This book was so disturbing. I could not put it down. If you've ever been stalked before, this book will feel familiar. Yucky! Disturbing but fascinating, and really well done in capturing the ick of stalking.

The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close

Beth and Matt are a young couple living in Washington, D.C. Matt is an ambitious lawyer with political ambitions, and Beth agrees to follow him so that he can pursue his dreams.

A very clever look into marriage and ambitions, and the toll it takes on a couple. Juicy, riveting, and smart.

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

Glennon Doyle Melton has written before about her recovery from alcoholism and bulimia. (Check out my review of her earlier book here. I think it was a good book, I just didn't read it at the right time.) Love Warrior adds another chapter in which she finds out about her husband's infidelities.

This is a raw, painful read, but there is redemption. Both Glennon and her husband work hard on themselves and their marriage in order to reconnect. I think that many, many women and men out there dealing with infidelity and sex addiction will find hope and encouragement in reading this book. 

Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp

Jane is nine years old and Louisa is her aunt. They are both invited to spend the summer at Jane's grandmother's house in Massachusetts. Jane senses the presence of Emily, her grandmother's long-ago deceased daughter.

This is one spooky and creepy Young Adult novel. Perfect for preparing for Halloween. But not great for reading when you're home alone.

Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

I was living in Asia and getting ready to travel down to Thailand when the tsunami hit on December 26, 2004. So I remember the time and the devastation and the news about it all. However, this is the first book that I've read on the tsunami and its aftermath. It is harrowing. Sonali lost her parents, husband, and two sons in the tsunami. She writes about her survival and life in the years following. So much shock, grief, and loss. Not a lighthearted read by any means.

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Jende is an immigrant from Cameroon living in New York City. He works as a driver for a rich Wall Street executive. But as he gets to know more about the family he drives for, and as his wife gets involved when she's hired as a summer assistant for the family, secrets come to light. Is it his place to say something?

Behold the Dreamers circles around the dilemmas that come with ethics, morals, integrity, immigration, the haves and have-nots, and the secrets that go on in families.

I stayed up late finishing this book. It slowed down in the last third of the book, but the rest went along at a pretty fast clip.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Lo is a travel writer on board a luxury cruise ship. In the middle of the night, she hears a scream and the thud of a human body falling into the ocean. She alerts security, but no one is found missing on the ship. Was it just because she'd been drinking too much? Is she going crazy?

A kinda thriller of a read, but just so-so, in my opinion.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

The real-life cold blood murder of a family in the dead of night. Who would kill the kind and hardworking Cutter family?

This true story reads like fiction. My only mistake in reading this is that I took it on vacation with me, and please trust me on this, this does not fall under fun vacation reading.

Izanami's Choice by Adam Heine

Izanami's Choice is a short book that can be easily read in one sitting. It's a combination of robots, samurais, Meiji-era Japan, with some murder and detective investigation as well. Who is good and who is bad and what's really going on? Totally not in the genre that I usually read, but it still had me reading and guessing about what was gonna happen.

This book is written by Boomer's friend, Adam. Adam and his wife live in Thailand with their ten amazing children. Adam invited us over for dinner twice when we were in Thailand a few years back. It was so fun. They have lovely family dinners together, and a very large rice cooker. 

So proud of Adam and looking forward to reading more of his writing!