Do you have any book subscriptions? My absolute favorite is Book of the Month. They compile the seven best new books releasing and let subscribers choose which book (or books!) they want to get in their box. I’ve found wonderful thiller, fantasy and historical fiction reads I would not have stumbled across otherwise. Plus, each box comes with a cheeky bookmark (“If you wish upon a star, you might read your TBR”).
These are five BOTM picks that you will not want to miss, whether you are subscriber or not.
The Paris Apartment
About the Book
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Genre: Thriller
Book Review
Jess flees trouble by visiting her half-brother Ben in Paris. Separated in foster care, Jess has always been envious of how Ben charms his way through life, getting adopted by a wealthy family and going to Cambridge, while Jess works at a series of low-end bars. But when Jess arrives, Ben is nowhere to be found.
When she picks his lock, Jess begins to notice strange things. His cat has blood on its fur. There’s a large bleach spot on his wood floor, and his car keys and wallet are still there. And how did Ben afford such a huge apartment in Paris on a journalist salary anyway?
Everyone living in the building has a strong reaction to Ben’s name, from Sophie in the penthouse with her perfect clothes and designer dog, to Nick, Ben’s college friend who found him the place. Sophie is sure someone is hiding something, and she’s starting with Mimi, the nervous young girl with a wild roommate who seems about to have a breakdown.
This book had two great twists, one halfway through the book and one at the end. Someone (or someone’s) are trying to scare Jess away before she finds out the truth of what Ben got himself into. And from tempestuous love affairs to corruption and more, Ben has gotten himself into a lot.
A History of Wild Places
About the Book
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
Genre: Thriller
Book Review
Reminiscent of M. Night Shayamalan’s The Village, this book tells the story of a community, Pastoral, that is afraid of anything outside of its borders.
Travis Wren has a gift. From holding an object belonging to a missing person, he can trace their path through flashes of their memory. He’s a last resort for families who have given up on finding their loved ones through traditional means, and he’s returned many missing people, though more of them were dead than alive.
Travis is tracking missing reclusive author Maggie St. James when he stumbles across Pastoral, a 1970’s commune that the outside world thought had been abandoned. But he discovers that the community has strayed far from its peaceful, open roots, and now operates from a fear of the outside world. They even fear the contaminants the rain may bring to their idyllic world. Travis wants to find Maggie and get out, but he never returns.
Years later, Theo, a resident of Pastoral who broke the rules to stray past the boundary, finds Travis’s abandoned truck and begins to suspect that not everything they’ve been led to believe is true. Despite reluctance from his wife Calla, Theo becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Travis once he arrived in Pastoral, and as he pokes at Pastoral’s secrets, he begins to believe that the true rot may lie within.
This slow-burn story pulls you into the deceptively tranquil world of Pastoral, then pounces on you with razor-sharp secrets that threaten to tear everything and everyone apart. This book questions how far people will go for the sake of order and to protect their way of life.
The Family
About the Book
The Family by Naomi Krupitsky
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book Review
An elegantly woven, slow-paced family drama that brings you into the heart of mob families and ends with an explosive bang. Sofia and Antonia are best friends from birth and and make a vow to be “blood sisters”. Their fathers work for the same mob boss, and their parents live in apartments near each other.
But in the mob, loyalty is everything, and Antonia’s father is skimming money off the top, trying to save enough to buy his family’s freedom. When he gets caught and ordered killed, Sofia’s father, Joey, plays a part in his disappearance. Antonia’s world is shattered, but she stays close to Sofia, even as Joey grows to become one of the biggest bosses in the city. Their friendship has highs and lows, but neither girl is willing to fully let the other go. Antonia dreams of college and a different life, while Sofia dreams of power like her father has. But both girls fall in love with boys who work for Joey, leading to very different destinies.
This story is a testament to friendship that survives everything – murder, post-partem depression, and betrayal. In the end, one character will do whatever it takes to save both of their families.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
About the Book
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria Schwab
Genre: Fantasy
Book Review
This sweeping tale crosses centuries, as Addie, a young woman discontent with her lot in life, makes a deal with the spirits that whisper in the dark. She will live forever, but no one will ever remember her. No matter how many artists she inspires in a desperate attempt to leave her mark on something, the second she leaves the room, they forget their muse. Until, centuries later, one boy does remember her.
But Luc, the spirit who offered her the deal, doesn’t want to let her go so easily.
The Last Flight
About the Book
The Last Flight by Julie Clark
Genre: Thriller
Book Review
“People on the run only look behind them. Never ahead. I listen, and wait for my opening.”
Claire’s been planning to leave her wealthy, powerful, abusive husband for months. Now, on the eave of his run for Senate, everything has fallen into place. Now she’s counting down the hours until she’s a free woman. But then he sends her to Puerto Rico at the last minute, instead of Detroit, shattering all her plans.
Eva needs to run, and she sees Claire as an opportunity. Who would think that two people would exchange boarding passes after they made it through security? She just needs to spin a web of lies convincing enough for Claire to hand over her phone and ID.
This book goes back and forth between the past and the present, bringing both women to life. Though they have very different backgrounds, both Claire and Eva are sympathetic and have a tenacious will to survive. I found this book impossible to put down as I needed to see how each woman’s story turns out.
