Earlier this summer, I wrote an article about books I wanted to read by the end of the summer. Well, I figured I would follow up and give you my opinion/review of each of them, plus some others that I wound up reading.

1. "Secret Lives and Private Eyes: A Delanie Fitzgerald Mystery" by Heather Weidner

I absolutely love a good mystery/crime thriller book, especially when the protagonist is a female. This book was a great page-turner. I actually read pretty much the entire second half in one sitting - it was that good. I highly recommend you checking this out and anxiously await the next book with me. Overall, 5/5 stars.

2. "The Nest" by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

This book was a little different than what I am usually drawn to (crime thrillers) but I really enjoyed it. Each member of this dysfunctional family had a sense of entitlement in different ways and they all brought a different dynamic when they were together. Very good book. Overall, 4/5 stars.

3. "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger

I absolutely loved this book. One person on goodreads said that the next book she reads has big shoes to fill and I totally agree with her! The author did such a good job of keeping you engaged in the book, I didn't want it to end. Definitely a 5/5 stars.

4. "Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness" by Susannah Cahalan

This is a story about one woman's medical trauma disguised as a psychotic break. Thanks to desperate parents and one creative doctor, the answer to her problems was finally found. It was fascinating and she did a great job balancing all the medical jargon with her experience - you do not have to be in med school to read this. Very well written and makes you think about the mental health field (or maybe that's just me because I work in it...). 5/5 stars.

5. "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave

This is going to sound contrary to popular opinion. I had such a hard time getting in to this book. However, to be fair I will say I downloaded this as an audiobook. I spent most of the time trying to figure out where I had heard the accent before. I finally figured it out: it's just like Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy from Saturday Night Live.

Once I figured that out, I could not listen and take the book seriously anymore. So, I wound up reading the SparkNotes version of it to give myself the closure of finding out the rest of the story.

6. "Nerve" by Jeanne Ryan

My sister went to see this movie when it was out over the summer. I actually wound up reading the book over one weekend. It had such good potential, but I felt disappointed in it. I hate when it feels like the author gets tired of writing and wraps everything up in one short chapter at the end. That was how this felt. It closes with a bit of a cliffhanger, providing the perfect chance for a sequel, but I doubt I will be reading it.

7. "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" by Maria Semple

I've never really been into satires because I haven't really heard of many good ones. But this was hilarious and ridiculous and wonderful. Such a good little escape into the ridiculous things people take too seriously in life (like Craftsman style homes). Highly recommend if you want something that doesn't require much thinking as you read!

Lastly, there were two books I put on my bucket list I still haven't gotten to yet. One is "The Girl with No Past" by Kathryn Croft. I borrow most of my books and audiobooks from the library, and this one wasn't available. Second is "I Let You Go" by Clare Mackintosh. I have been on hold at the library for this one since mid-July so hopefully my turn will come soon.

Any good books on your bookshelf? If so, please share!