best friends and their books

(Tracie’s Version)

1. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins: I’m going to preface this by saying this book starts with a whole lot of violence, so it may not be for everyone. It had me on the edge of my seat from the very first to very last page. There were many times when I felt myself holding my breath while trying to read as quickly as I could to find out what comes next. This book tells a powerful story that I feel truly changed me. I gained an entire new perspective and that’s why I think this is a novel every American needs to read. This novel is one I will recommend for years to come.
2. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: I loved this book and didn’t want it to end. It is beautifully written. The twist and turns of the story made it incredibly hard to put down. This book has everything: a storyline filled with survival and loneliness, well developed characters, imagery, and suspense. I think it is near impossible to read it and not feel all the feelings for the marsh girl, Kya. And the ending, the ending almost ended me…
3. Verity by Colleen Hoover: This was the first Colleen Hoover book I read and let me just say it did not disappoint. It’s honestly hard to put together the words I have for this book. I’m still trying to process it all, especially the ending. The whole book shook me to the core. This book is twisted, unsettling, and disturbing but so, so good.
4. The Year of Less by Cait Flanders: I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I needed to read this book. As someone consumed by capitalism, Cait’s resolution to buy nothing for the year was extremely inspiring. So much so that I intend to do something similar for 2022. Her journey through her year of not spending money was insightful and entertaining. This book is more of a memoir than a self help guide to spending less that I was hoping for, but I still think this book makes my top 5 because it’s a story I really needed to hear. I plan on entering 2022 with a theme of “less,” less clutter, less buying, less indulging. Less is actually more.
5. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover: Yes, I chose another Colleen Hoover book as my fifth pick. I cannot get enough of her books. Each of her books has wonderfully developed characters, unpredictable story lines, and it evoked some strong emotions. She’s just too good. The complexities in this story line are unparalleled to almost anything else I’ve read. I especially enjoyed It Ends With Us because it teaches us that even though you love someone, it doesn’t mean you should be with them. You have to put yourself first. And that’s a lesson a lot of people need to learn.

“As hard as this choice is, we break the pattern before the pattern breaks us.”

2021 was a hard year for my family, like it was for so many others. Books took the back burner as I had to focus my energy on being a solo parent the majority of the year, grad school and moving half way across the country. I’m excited that I’ll have more bandwidth in 2022 for more books and the ability to share them all with you!

2022- I’m ready for you! Cheers, besties!