Popular thrillers, a cozy read, a beloved and hilarious classic, and a cautionary tale of power. Here are five books you should read next!
As an avid casual reader (depends on my mood, depends on the season) I’m semi qualified to give book recommendations. This is one of my love languages, I suppose, giving book recommendations (you didn’t ask for) as gifts.
Here are five books I’ve read recently that I think you should, too.
A Book I Couldn’t Put Down
I was turning pages so quickly, I couldn’t put this book down. I don’t usually keep up with book trends, so I was only vaguely familiar with The Silent Patient. All I knew was that it was a page-turner thriller that I hoped to read someday in the future. I rarely read thrillers, so that future felt very far away and very vague itself.
But life is full of surprises and then one day you’re walking down the street and there it is, collecting dust in a little free library. You pick it up and read the first page. Next thing you know, you’re turning them like it’s your job.
I’m sure The Patient needs no introduction, but if like me, you live under a rock, the book follows Theo Farber, a criminal psychotherapist who has the opportunity to work with Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who lives a seemingly perfect life with her fashion photographer husband.
Well, she used to, because she shot him in the face five times. When we meet her in the book, it’s been years and Alicia is stuck in a psychiatric unit. And she hasn’t uttered one word since that fateful event. So Theo is there to figure out what really happened that night and get miss Alicia to finally talk again!
The Silent Patient has a very easy writing style that was meant to be devoured in a short period of time. It’s a fun, casual read despite being a story about murder. I will say though, although the book kept me entertained and I enjoyed the plot twist, overall it was just an okay book for me. I think it’s the perfect book if you’re looking for an enthralling, easy read, but nothing’s that’s life changing. And sometimes that’s exactly what we need.
I say take this book, a towel, pack a snack and head to the beach on a sunny day. You’ll have a great time.
A Book That Kept Me Intrigued
For someone who claims not to read many thrillers, this is the second one featured on a very short list, so should you be listening to me after all?
Anyway, The Housemaid was my recent gateway into thrillers (after years not reading them). This book and I were brought together by the forces of Audible. It turned out I had expiring credits.
I’m not sure it was as engrossing as The Silent Patient for some reason. Maybe it was because I was sort of able to smell the plot twist from a mile away. Having said that, it was still quite entertaining!
The Housemaid is Millie Calloway, a young woman with a troubled past who takes a job as a housekeeper for a wealthy couple. Expect crazy twists from there. Think Gone Girl. Think wild skirmish scenes.
The Housemaid is another fun read you can take to the beach after you’re done with The Silent Patient.
This One Was an Eye-Opening Experience
Sometimes real life is spookier than fiction. And Careless People is the embodiment of that. Written by a former director of public policy at Facebook, the book is a critical account of Facebook’s internal culture and decision-making practices during her time there.
And boy oh boy! Where should I begin. Sarah’s time working for Facebook was peppered with insane experiences around the globe. A lot of those experiences show how callous and out-of-touch leadership in Facebook is (she also put herself through some awful situations for Facebook that really unnerved me, I’m not gonna lie.)
I really couldn’t put this book down. Sarah’s life is full of crazy events, from surviving a shark attack at the age of thirteen to being a diplomat and working at the UN to rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s most powerful leaders around the world. The book is full of juicy details and toxic workplace behavior.
Ultimately Careless People is another reminder that when it comes to social media, we are the product. We need to be more careful about how we use these services. I don’t want to bum you out, but I think this is an important read.
A Classic That Always Cracks Me Up
I’m a big Nora fan. And if you love Nora, you know Heartburn is a hilarious, fun (and kind of sad) Nora classic. I’ve read it a couple of times and it’s always a delightful read.
Nora’s writing is a perfect expression of who she was as a person: smart, witty, and entertaining.
Heartburn is a story about the breakup of the perfect marriage. It’s a heartbreaking and hilarious tale of adultery, revenge, group therapy, and pot roast.
Remember Nora gave us Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, so this is top tier romantic comedy (not a lot of romance, but a lot of anguish and delightful snark!, but these things only elevate the comedy).
Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. Rachel writes cookbooks for a living, and in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, she offers the reader some of her favorite recipes (this was how the world has come to learn Nora’s famous vinaigrette).
Heartburn is an autobiographical novel based on Nora Ephron’s marriage to and divorce from Carl Bernstein, her second husband. I think it’s fascinating the way she was able to turn this personal tragedy into funny art.
This is the perfect spring read. It’s light, breezy, and sometimes out-loud-funny. The group therapy scene cracks me up every single time!
The Nora Ephron of the Culinary World
Now that I’ve sang Nora’s praises, I have to mention a writer who’s just as witty, smart, and delightful as Nora: Laurie Colwin.
I’ve talked about Colwin before. I’m a big fan. Just like Nora, she’s a master at writing about people and relationships. Both writers have a way of weaving food, complex human feelings and ordinary human experiences into their writing and it’s a beautiful thing.
More Home Cooking is a collection of essays, anecdotes, recipes, and advice. Colwin has such down-to-earth charm and wit that reading her books feels like talking to a wise, best friend.
I think Home Cooking is the perfect spring read. Not only is it short and easy, but it’ll also leave you inspired to cook more and try new recipes. Laurie is all about simplicity in the kitchen. You’ll find yourself making endless notes and highlighting endless passages of the book. And you’ll be left with plenty of inspiration for summer cooking:
“What I have learned is that in summer you don’t have to cook – you let the food do the work.
A sharp knife and a supply of tomatoes is all one needs to make tomato salad. Add some fried bread and you have a first course. Offer some corn on the cob, a plate of steamed vegetables, and some homemade mayonnaise if you have the energy. For dessert, peaches, berries, and melons in their natural state without a thing on them. After a day of water and sunshine people are hungry, but no one wants to fuss, and since on vacation all plans go to hell, no one feels guilty about sandwiches for supper.”
So there you go. Five books you should read next! Have you read any of them? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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