Caroline's Book Club: Put Some Spring into Your Shelf

I know I say this an outrageous number of times, but I love every book on this month's list. They're just all so good! My rankings were really hard to make this month but I have finally figured it out. Let's dive in!

#1: Still Life by Louise Penny
I can't not include murder mysteries, guys. We know how it is at this point in the game. Still Life had so many great moments outside of the main murder plot which is why it earned the top spot. Normally with books that fall into this genre, you only get to see the aftermath as it relates to trying to figure out who the killer was. This novel not only shows that but it also takes a look at grief and how grief impacts the lives of each individual person as well as their relationships. Every character is involved in trying to help the police solve it and they're each able to offer help in their own way. The way that they actually solve it is spectacular and unexpected but totally fits the story as a whole. Everything sort of comes full circle at the end. Plus, if you love the characters, this is only the first book in the series.

#2: Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr
Romance novels are nice escapes from the normal world. However, they can become repetitive especially if the plot remains almost identical to others. Shelter Mountain has a romance plot that runs parallel with a very high-stakes situation involving fake identities, drug mules, crazy ex-husbands, and a very well put together team of Marines ready to take down the bad guys. The second book in the Virgin River series could not be anymore different from the show and it blows my mind how well the story is written. All our favorites from the first book make an appearance but we're still introduced to new characters that soon become ones we root for. Read this book!!

#3: Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Months ago, I blogged about a book called A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and I loved it! The sequel did not disappoint. The plot is different from the first but everything else is still the same. When a book series lives within the same world, it can be hard for writers to change up the story rather than a continuation (i.e. Caraval). Similarly, readers can struggle with interest if the story veers too far from the things they loved about the first. This series didn’t have that issue. The conflict within the first book stands on its own and the conflict within this one does as well. Each book flows nicely but you don’t necessarily have to read them in order because plenty of background is given. I love it when I’m annoyed to go to bed because a book is so good! A+ to Holly Jackson!

#4: Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart 
I’ve read two books in my life that were set in Iowa. Everything We Didn’t Say was the first. The interesting thing about this novel is that it is categorized as a “whodunit” but the mystery isn’t the primary focus. More like, every plot line relates back to it. As we explore different characters and situations, we learn a little bit more about the overarching question. Throughout the story, the author jumps between two different timelines: present time and the summer after the narrator graduated high school. I always find split timelines fun and personally think this one was executed really well. Sometimes, you don’t get lucky! Overall, I appreciated all the different characters and was satisfied with the final reveal.


#5: The Dead Girl in 2A by Carter Wilson
Online, this is classified as a psychological thriller but I’m also going to add on sci-if as well. The Dead Girl in 2A in no way goes as its title suggests. In fact, it all relates back to these experiments being done on children. This book gives few clues as to what’s really going on for the two main characters. You know virtually nothing until the very last chapters when all the random puzzle pieces given start finally making sense. I can definitely say that this one stumped me until the very end. Jam-packed with action and surprises, you’ll stay up all night until the final page is flipped.

Until next time, my friends!