Winter Rave Reads
Marching into #March and I guess it’s finally time for my first official blog post of 2024!!!! Welcome, you guys! I am so happy you’re here! I’ve been reading up a storm per usual but haven’t yet organized my thoughts or reviews into anything cohesive or pretty. Until now! This year, I’ll be sharing my standout reads on Instagram once again, but also here on the blog occasionally, plus… are you ready for it… in two brand new places!
YAY!!!!
Tune in every other Wednesday to the Booked Solid podcast, where I’m co-hosting conversations on all things #bookish with my dreamy author pal, Hannah Caitlin Parker. We are absolutely FLOORED by the response so far and the caliber of authors so enthusiastically willing to speak with us. It’s already SO much fun! This was such an easy YES for me, and already one of my new biggest literary blessings. I am so wildly grateful! Also huge CONGRATS to Hannah for signing her first (two-book!) deal with Tyndall House this week! Are you kidding?! Never stop dreaming, you guys!!!
Additionally you can subscribe to my brand-new newsletter, On That Note, which will also just be pure FUN. Writing updates, favorite reads, fashion finds, you name it! I want it to be a meaningful, entertaining, and genuinely enjoyable monthly touchpoint with you guys. I can’t wait! Subscribe if you wish and send me any content ideas! This is for YOU, my loves! I hope it’s a blast, pun intended.
Now back to actual BOOKS! First, don’t miss this post on the ole IG grid, which I shared earlier this year. I spent the holidays devouring every writing craft book I could get my paws on. Behold some of my all-time FAVES—and a couple gems that were new to me!
And now, let’s roll into some reads I am swooning over already in 2024! Oh, my! Every single one of these is a WOW and I’m honestly jealous if you haven’t read them yet. Especially The Women by Kristin Hannah. (What are you even waiting for?!) You are in for some TREATS, friends. All kinds of genres, all kinds of thoughts, all kinds of GOLD for you here!
In March, April, and May, I’ll be writing-writing-writing the rest of my book #3, so my reading recs might be light for a while. But I hope these hold you on over!
Plz me know if you’ve read them yet—and what else I simply can’t miss!
LET’S GO!
If we’re buds on Insta, you already know how I feel about this knockout *experience* of a book! Whew. Wow. Jaw-drop. Chills. Okay! The Women will absolutely be in my top three books of the year—and instantly shot to my top 10 books of all time! I think it even surpassed The Great Alone and The Nightingale, which is some of the highest praise I can give. I had the privilege of hearing Kristin Hannah speak at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on the eve of this book’s release, and I know this only enhanced my journey through its gorgeous and emotionally powerful pages.
Women can be heroes. Frankie serves as a nurse during the Vietnam War, and we follow her from day one: oversees, through hospitals and battle grounds, her loves, her traumas, her losses, her return to the United States, her whole mind and body and soul. This is really all you need to know going into this masterpiece—this and the fact that the story will leave you guessing, gripped, and probably wrecked. The twists and the turns. Her return from the war. The romances. That’s right: romances, plural! BRB, I need to go relive and psychoanalyze all of them for the twentieth time!
Something I really cherish about this book, too, is how much I learned. My knowledge of the Vietnam War prior to reading The Women was spare at best, embarrassing at worst. Now I feel intimately familiar with it, and from such a unique female perspective; I can’t stop asking new questions. I want to know every detail. I can’t recommend this book enough. Read it, savor it, talk about it. We will 100% be devoting a whole podcast episode to it as I know my co-host-sis feels the same!
The next three thrillers I’m droppin’ upon you, I realize, are similar. They feel like cousins or friends. I guess I’ve been in a mood?! Call it winter, call it #atmosphere, call it a deviation from the typical domestic thrillers I tend to devour! They are all masterfully written, page-turning mysteries with Gothic vibes, unforgettable settings, and narrators you won’t forget! So much unreliable goodness. I’m laughing diabolically just thinking about it!
The Only One Left is superb, guys. I bought it based on the recommendation of a Barnes & Noble employee but went for the audiobook because I had a car ride ahead of me. Linda behind the counter, you did not disappointment!
At seventeen, Lenora Hope, Hung her sister with a rope… Are you hooked yet?! Our twentysomething main character is caregiver Kit, sent to aid the infamous, wheelchair-bound Lenora Hope at her family’s grand-but-decaying mansion perched on a seaside cliff. Did Lenora really slaughter her family decades ago as folklore suggests? When she expresses a willingness to share the whole story with Kit, chilling revelations and fresh clues unfurl like fingers. This book had me listening WAY past my bedtime and I’m still straight TRIPPING over the ending! YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS IT. Trust me. If you’re in a thriller slump, start here!
(Note: There’s a moment toward the beginning with an Ouija board that turns out to be inconsequential. I just don’t mess with Ouija boards, in books or otherwise—but you can know it’s nothing and over quick!)
Taylor Adams won me over with No Exit, and I might even love this one more?! The premise is so twisty-brilliant. We meet young Emma Carpenter house-sitting an old beach house in Washington. Isolated save the companionship of her golden retriever, Emma has taken to popping e-books like candy. One night, she reads a horrific, terribly written novel and posts a scathing one-star review. The response—from the author—is shockingly quick and alarmingly sharp. Threats begin, followed by chilly disturbances at the house. Has the author… arrived to hunt her? And what of her elderly neighbor across the cliffs, with whom she communicates via written signs in the window? Is he a friend, foe, or something else entirely?
The Last Word left me wondering if any writer of this genre can spin an ending quite like Adams. You think you know, but YOU NEVER KNOW. His pace is literal rapid-fire—without ever sacrificing deeply nuanced character development, artfully woven backstory, and masterfully painted atmospheric details. This book confirmed how much I really adore his writing, his plotting, his gifts of dark fun! So many stars for this one! BRAVO!
Now for my third and final thriller rec of this post! One of my book club members picked The Heiress for the Family Saga category next month—and she knocked it out of the park! More Gothic elegance for you here, very much like the two books above. Best served with hot coffee, a fire, and several blankets. When North Carolina’s richest woman, Ruby McTavish dies, her adopted son, Camden, wants nothing to do with his nine-figure inheritance or the sticky-and-tricky family ties that come with it. However, after ten years of leading a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado, he finally returns to the family mansion with his wife, Jules, after his uncle’s death.
Let the mysteries roll! What really happened to all four of Ruby’s husbands? And what of her kidnapping (and return) to her family as a young child? Furthermore, Jules: are your intentions as clean as you claim, or are you harboring your own dirty secrets? This is just SUCH a great book. Full of the most fun twists. I can’t wait to discuss with my girls. Highly recommend all the way! I need more from Rachel Hawkins!
I read The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer a couple of years ago, and it really stayed with me. It’s rare that a nonfiction read has a long-lasting impact on my heart, thoughts, and behavior, but such is the way of Jesus. I’m going through this book with a group of women, Bible-study style, and every word feels like a salve for the weary soul. Our conversations have been so healing, grounding, and deep. If you are searching for more peace, contentment, mental clarity, and practical direction in the way of following Jesus right now, pick up this book. Comer models apprenticeship and Christianity in one of the clearest and purest ways I think we can witness and learn from in our present day. Gimme that Sabbath life!
Did anyone catch the viral trend of the gal asserting that all Christian fiction is lame with its lack of quality and pilgrims on the cover? The responses were hilarious and so fun; see this one from my new friend Carmen, for instance! I met Carmen last summer and she instantly became such a fun author friend, wealth of knowledge, and solid rock. She oozes joy, strength, faith, and intelligence. I couldn’t wait to read her Christian fiction and decided to start here with her newest!
YOU GUYS. I loved it!!! Pretty Little Pieces challenges exactly what that original reel was claiming. This book is full of romance, small-town charm, and that perfect amount of spice without being steamy. She pushes the edge (without, you know, actually pushing it)… and I didn’t want the story to end! I absolutely adore Annabel Monaghan’s books, and this to me felt just like the best Christian version. I’M SO IMPRESSED, CARMEN! I loved it so much. She deals with tough issues, strong attractions, and a frothy HGTV-type plot with the hand of an artist, the heart of a friend, and best of all, a Christian worldview. Amazing!!!!
I saw this one popping around #Bookstagram over the holidays and savored it between Christmas and New Year’s. But it would be delightful any time of the year! Oh, you guys! This book is so charming, witty, and warm. I love me a good time-hop tale and this left me smiling SO big. Job, apartment, boyfriend: it’s all come crashing down for pastry chef Sadie Thatcher after a notably terrible year. So, when given the magical chance to relive said year, Sadie doesn’t hesitate! The author handled this story with such big heart, colorful metaphors, and endless creativity. Would YOU choose to retake a challenging year if you could? The Second Chance Year is such a beautiful novel and reminded me why I love romcoms. Melissa Wiesner was new to me, and I’d really love to read more from her!
The Devil Wears Prada meets the mega-famous-self-help influencer sphere in this wild and juicy ride! I love unearthing a gem that I must recommend! I couldn’t put this book down! For anyone who has ever closely followed any of the super-well-known internet personalities who pride themselves on squeaky-clean perfection and unattainable ideals—marriage, house, kids, health, #hustle—but you suspect might be hiding a murkier truth under fancy rugs, this book is for you.
In a word, I was fascinated by this novel, mostly because the author used to work for just such an influencer who has since faced a truckload of hardship (which to be clear, I would not wish upon anyone; ugh). The clever names and turns-of-phrase throughout this book are so much fun, and truly it all felt so real. I really enjoyed following our gal, Harper, as she navigates her coming-of-age years, friendships, romance, and a job far beyond what she bargained for. This is a binge read. It’s honest. It’s compulsive. The premise also feels important. Who are we following? What are they selling, really? What does, and should, the term #influencer mean? What about the ethics in all of it? I adored this one. It’s easy to read and hard to forget. Perfect for a weekend away. You’ll slurp it down—and just look at that slushie cover!
Rebecca Serle (college pal of mine… fight on, you queen!) is quickly becoming Our Lady of Magical Realism. This book is just so darn clever—not to mention, I think my new favorite of hers?! How does she keep outdoing herself?! What a premise! It LOCKED me! I’d love to discuss with a book club or fun group of gals. There is so much to unpack and ponder and dish!
Daphne leads her life with a unique sort of lottery from the universe: when a new man enters her life, a slip of paper arrives from nowhere with his name and an “expiration date” noting how long the relationship will last. Five days? Three months? Forever? What does it mean when a note finally comes to her without a date?
Rebecca’s writing is so tight, clear, and evocative. I gulped down this addictive journey of a young woman dating, as she also searches to find herself. I loved the storytelling and honesty—and the new distinct location and characteristics of each man who entered (and exited) her life. Daphne’s handsome best friend and ex-boyfriend, Hugo, is also a treat in these pages. I couldn’t tap through my Kindle fast enough to see how the story might possibly end—the twists! the turns! the feelings!—and I have a hunch you’ll do the same! I was honored to receive an advanced copy of this one. Releases March 19, 2024!
THE END!
What’s the best book you’ve read this winter? I want to know!!!
Note: Except for the Christian titles above, all books mentioned in this post contain some language and/or moderate steam. Nothing outrageous or fully explicit, in my opinion, but shoot me a DM for more info anytime!
Based in Orange County, California, Stephanie Mack is a longtime writer, wife to one, and mom of three little girls. She has been blogging at MOMentary Insanity® since 2014. Her work has also been featured on Scary Mommy, Faithit, Coffee + Crumbs, and more. She holds a Master of Professional Writing degree from USC. When We Blinked is her debut novel.
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In 2024, one specific piece of writing advice has persisted in reaching my ears. Through the Booked Solid podcast, landing my dream agent, and my ever-trustworthy author friends, the message echoes: Get out of the slush pile.