I seem to be on a role with reading 4 books a month and- granted we’re only in the 3rd month of the year🙄, nevertheless-  I’m hoping to keep this going. So far I don’t think the books I’ve read have very much in common aside from being good reads! I’m hoping to figure out exactly what kind of books I like by simply reading as many I as I can get my hands on.

Anyway…here are the reviews!

All The Lovers In The Night – Mieko Kawakami ⭐️⭐️⭐️(3/5)

Psychological and urban fiction

Somehow this storyline wasn’t anything particularly gripping yet I found myself eager to know where it was going. I guess it was the writing style combined with constantly wanting to grab the main character by the shoulders and SHAKE SOME SENSE INTO HER!!!! Overall this one was a great reminder that you never know what’s going on in someone else’s head; be kind always.

📖Set in Tokyo, a copyeditor in her mid-thirties takes a chance on working as a freelancer after realising the corporate life isn’t for her. Despite her age she’s still rather uncertain of herself; a personality trait she’s beared since childhood. We walk with her through the new challenges, bad decisions and, most importantly, new friendships. Sometimes it takes 1 stranger to change trajectory altogether.

Where The Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Murder mystery, coming-of-age

Sadly, I started this book knowing how it was going to end BUT that doesn’t change just how incredibly beautiful the writing was. I loved the poetic tone to how a life of trauma, brokenness and a longing to love and be loved shaped the gentle yet independent soul that is Kya Clark (our main character). This is definitely one of those books I’ll be reading again in a year or two.

📖Kya’s known by the townspeople as marsh girl given that it’s always been her home. She’s different because they’ve made it so; unaccepted, deemed unintelligent and avoided at all costs. But Kya is far from what they’ve made her. Her complexities run as deep as the life of the marsh that she finds comfort in. When a boy known by everyone in town is found dead in the swamp the town yet again makes Kya out to be something she’s not- a murderer.

A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khalid Hosseini ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Historical fiction

Five stars is something I’ve been saving for a book that not only is breathtakingly written but also moves something within my soul, scores beautiful marks on my heart and leaves a permanent imprint in my mind. This is that book. I have no other words for this except that the life of a woman is an intricate yet stunning compilation of all she’s endured because endurance is only too familiar for the ones who often don’t even come second. We don’t share the same experiences but we share an understanding. Everyone should read this book.

📖Following the life of two Afghan women some twenty years apart, we learn what’s shaped them in character, what circumstances have brought them to varying points in life and how a friendship between women can change EVERYTHING.

The Housemaid – Freida McFadden ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

Psychological thriller, suspense, thriller

Reading this book felt like watching a movie. The suspense and WTF-moments were numerous! The writer gives you just enough information to feel like you can guess what’s gonna happen but at the same time there’re so many unanswered questions. And just when you think it’s going one-way, hang on tight because, there’s a whirlwind of unexpected turns headed your way!

📖An ex-con desperate for a job lucks out and finds a live-in housemaid position that seems too good to be true. The secrets and mind-games that unfold once she moves in get progressively more intense until everything leads to one clear pivotal point for everyone. This physiological thriller will keep you guessing and desperately trying to make sense of it all. Things are not always as they seem.

I would genuinely LOVE to know your thoughts on any of these books that you may have read or are planning to read. And I’m always happy to receive some recommendations if you’ve got ‘em.

Keep an eye out for my March book reviews😉