I thought July would be the month I would get caught up. But I fell further behind and only finished two books. I haven’t had the focus to really sit and read.
The Beach House by Jane Green
☕☕☕/ 5
Nan realizes she will soon be out of money and decides to rent out rooms in her beach house to strangers. As everyone’s lives intertwine, secrets come to the surface. Friends are made and new families are formed at The Beach House.
Jane Green writes well but for me, this one fell short of her other books such as Jemima J and Mr. Maybe. It wasn’t bad but I saw everything coming from the start and figured out the big twist before it was revealed. It wasn’t bad but I would not read it again and would only recommend it if you are looking for a light read with a little mystery. The story also abruptly jumped around. A few times I had to go back and make sure I didn’t miss a page. A chapter would start with one character’s story and then suddenly jump to another with no warning. It would help had there been an extra space or a character, something to notate we were changing point of view.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
☕☕☕/ 5
Theo has been interested in the case of an artist who murdered her husband and hasn’t spoken a word since. Of course, his interest is only because he’s a forensic psychologist and he thinks he can get her to talk. Alicia Berenson is locked in an institution for murdering her husband and hasn’t spoken a word in years. Will she open up to Theo?
An interesting concept. I wanted to keep reading and see where it went. I had some suspicions early on and was wrong. By the time I figured out what was going on, it was about to be revealed. I wish the ending was better. I felt like the author suddenly thought readers were dumb and had the main character, Theo, explain everything he did. It is a good read if you like a medical-ish thriller.
What did you read in July? What was your highest-rated book?
Follow me on TikTok to see the very short video of these two books.