Five on Friday: What I've Been Reading

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Hi everyone! Happy Fri-Yay!!! I'm so excited it's the weekend because work has been STRESSFUL lately. I only have plans tomorrow night and I'm excited to keep my weekend open. I'm thinking a beach day, catching up on some R+F work, and just relaxing.  It sounds blissful lol! I also get to see some girlfriends Saturday night... yay! One of my most asked questions is "what are you reading" or "do you have any recommendations?" You bet I do! So let's talk about what's been on my reading list as of late.

Behind Closed Doors

I picked this book as our book club choice last month and WOW I couldn't put it down. It's very twisted and intense but oh so good. If you like thrillers and plots that are hard to figure out, this one is for you. It will keep you sucked in until the very end. Just a warning though... it's pretty disturbing! It follows the marriage of Jack and Grace, the seemingly perfect couple. There is a dark story resting below the surface almost too unbelievable to even conceive. You find yourself trying to figure out what you would do in a similar situation and bracing yourself for what will happen next.

The River at Night

This book was really good but also kinda strange. The premise seemed a little far-fetched but I guess who wants to believe that people are that crazy?? I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and it went from zero to 60 in a split second. I'm making it sound terrible but the book definitely kept me interested until the very end. Not as scary as Behind Closed Doors but still gave me the creeps. It's set in the middle of the woods on a rafting trip. The itinerary takes a turn for the worse when tragedy falls upon the group and they must put their heads together to figure out what to do next. I heard so many great things about this one, it was just different than I expected it to be. 

Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key was recommended by my friend Kayla and it did not disappoint. I have an obsession with all books set during World War II. I just think the time period was so interesting but also so devastatingly sad. The book is set during the Vel' d'Hiv roundup in Paris. I actually didn't know much about Vel' d'Hiv and let me tell ya, it's so sad. The book flashes between 1942 to present day Paris and follows the story of a little girl and  a grown woman who is somehow connected to her. This is a tear-jerker but so worth it!

My (Not So) Perfect Life

This is a MUCH lighter book and was a quick read. I've read a few other Sophie Kinsella books and I really like the author's "voice."  She's funny and the characters are always quirky, which I appreciate. This book is set in London where a young girl is trying to make her way in the glamorous and competitive field of branding. She "fakes it" through her tough life to show that she has what it takes. Finally, when she thinks life possibly can't get any worse, it does. This book will keep you laughing and interested until the end. A great beach read!

The Orphan's Tale

Secrecy is the name of the game in the Orphan's Tale, which is set during the Nazi invasion in World War II. The story follows a young girl on the run with a baby and a Jewish aerialist in the circus.  Appearances and deception keep the circus up and running and also hide the true identity of some of the performers. You'll see the contrasting differences between the two people but also seem the similarities of the hardships that were faced during this time. Such a heartbreaking book but also such an interesting story line. Even though this is once again about World War II, this looks at a different side of the invasion.