My recent reads | December/January 21/22

This is my first recent reads post of 2022 but honestly, most of these books were ones I read in December. A pretty good reading month it seems! I've added a quickfire review for each book, and if you've read any of these definitely leave me a comment and let me know what YOU thought.

 

How Do You Like Me Now by Holly Bourne

 

Holly is queen of YA, but this is a more adult book. It follows girl boss Tori, author of a wildly successful memoir about how happy and amazing she is. But it's all a lie and her life is crap, really, and her best mate is falling in love while Tori's boyfriend won't propose to her and it's all very sad. I didn't like Tori much (I pitied her really) but I did enjoy the book as a whole and the message behind it. Buy it here.

 

Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis

I featured this in my 22 books to read in 2022 post, because I absolutely adored it. Boy meets girl in a traffic jam and it turns out maybe they were destined to meet all along - sounds cheesy and not my kind of book at all but it's so well done and I just adored it. Buy it here.

 

New Friends by Daniel Hurst

I've read a couple of Daniel Hurst books now, and I wasn't a huge fan of this one - something about it just seemed a bit lacklustre. It's a clever plot, though, following a couple who meet another couple on holiday who are only out to scam them... If you want an easy thriller-ish style book to read, though, get it on the Kindle! Get it here.

 

Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso

I got this through NetGalley, drawn to the cover and blurb. It's a YA book about the sister of a girl who is currently lying in a coma following a fall from a nearby viewpoint; the protagonist Savannah is on a mission to find out exactly what happened that day, all while covering up her own involvement... If you like YA mysteries this definitely fits the bill! Pre-order it here.

 

The Daughter by Liz Webb

Another NetGalley pick, this isn't out yet - but I'd recommend it when it is. It follows Hannah, an alcoholic looking after her dementia-ridden dad with no help from her estranged and now-famous brother. Her mum is dead, and Hannah is convinced there's more to the story so we follow her as she vows to find out. I really enjoyed this one. Pre-order here.

 

Playdate by Alex Dahl

Looking for a really really really long thriller? This is it. It's too long, in my opinion, because as much as I wanted to know the ending I almost gave up. But I'm glad I persevered, as it's a great story about a little girl who is abducted during a playdate, vanishing into thin air alongside the woman and child her parents left her with. It's such a fascinating story, with so many layers... 99p on Kindle here!

 

The Lies You Told by Harriet Tyce

I got this in a charity shop - it's by the author of popular thriller Blood Orange, which I didn't love. But I thought I'd give this a go nonetheless, and I'm glad I did. This one's better, in my opinion, following a woman and her daughter who move to England after a major fallout with the husband/father. They return to the mum's childhood home, and it all goes massively wrong. Buy it here.

 

Her White Lie by Jackie Walsh

Did I like this or did I not? I'm genuinely not sure - but I didn't love it. It follows a girl called Tara, just due to get married, and also her ex best friend Faye. It's a dual narrative but where I usually like that, this time I just found it confusing. The storyline is good if you're into thrillers/whodunnits, but something was definitely amiss here... Buy it here.

Am I Guilty by Jackie Kabler

 

This is a horrible but fascinating story about a baby dying in a hot car (obvious trigger warnings for this one), allegedly due to the mother leaving him there while drunk. But she's convinced that something isn't right, and she doesn't know what. The book unravels a horrifying tale of deceit, and the overlap of two families with a lot going on. It's so well written and the twist is one I simply did NOT see coming! Get it here.

The Hiding Place by Simon Lelic

 

This was another NetGallery arc, so it's not out yet, but is brilliant if you want a seriously twisty and layered crime thriller. When it comes out definitely get your hands on it! It follows the age-old murder of Ben Draper who disappeared from a high and mighty boarding school - his body is found and we get to see how the investigation unfolds, involving some really interesting people... Pre-order now.

Pretending by Holly Bourne 

 

I'm flying through books at the minute but this is the last one I'll include here as this post has gone on long enough! I genuinely absolute despised this book - and I love Holly Bourne as a YA author. But this, an adult fiction book following a woman who is fed up of horrible men and pretends to be someone else (a fake/"perfect" woman) to attract a man, then ends up falling for him because he's different. It's written from the perspective of a rape victim, so obvious trigger warnings there, but it is basically an essay about how awful men are and nothing else. Not for me, honestly! Buy it here.

Have you read any of these books - or do any of the ARCs I've read appeal to you? Let me know in the comments below!