best friends and their books

(Shellby’s Version)

1. Verity by Colleen Hoover: I want to start by saying that this book may not be for everyone. It has some truly graphic moments and some extremely twisted chapters. But, if you love thrillers, this book is for you! I am pretty sure I read this book in one sitting – it was so good! How does Colleen Hoover do it?! Okay, but the real question is do we believe the note that Verity left behind at the end?
2. Educated by Tara Westover: Educated is about a young girl growing up in the mountains of Idaho, who never stepped foot in a classroom until she was 17 years old. Her mom and dad grew up as survivalists and pushed that ideology onto Tara and her siblings. I enjoyed reading about Tara’s experience because it was so “out there” that I had no clue people even lived like that! This book will have you rooting so hard for Tara, while simultaneously wanting to knock some sense into her. I am pretty sure if I saw her brother Shawn in real life, I would be throwing hands on sight.
3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Evelyn Hugo is a fabulous woman with a remarkable Hollywood career… and you guessed it – 7 husbands! Each husband leaves their mark on Evelyn’s life, though she is always holding space in her heart for someone else. This book will have you so captivated by her life, that the ending will take you completely off guard.
4. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah: This book is a historical fiction taking place between Texas and California during the Dust Bowl. Many families in Texas left for the land of opportunity aka California, but once they get there (and throughout their journey) they realize it is not all it’s cracked up to be. This novel highlights the dynamic between mother and daughter and a woman’s journey to fight for something she believes in. Spoiler alert: You will definitely cry at the end.
5. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell: (TW: Sexual Assault, Grooming, Rape are mentioned in this book) This was by far one of the saddest books I have read this year (I’m also looking at you, Where the Crawdad’s Sing). Vanessa begged her parents to let her go to boarding school, but once she gets there her life gets turned upside down. She is intrigued by her English teacher, Strane, who is almost twice her age. She feels like he “gets her” more so than her peers. But, being the abhorrent man he is, he takes advantage of her naivety, assuring her that she is just mature for her age. The PTSD of Vanessa’s relationship with Strane follows her throughout her young adult years as she tries to navigate her life. As a reader, you witness Vanessa try to minimize the abuse that Strane caused to her and his other victims. This book didn’t have a “happy ending” like I was expecting, but it just goes to show you that sometimes that’s reality. I normally wouldn’t have such a heavy, devastating story in my Top 5, but this book really stuck with me and I find myself thinking about it way too often.

Here’s to 2022! Read up, besties!