Wednesday Reviews : Recent Reads

Hi everyone!  First off, I want to thank you all so much for leaving me such nice comments on my first race recap.  It meant a lot to have so much support after a rough race.  But, like a lot of you mentioned, I should be happy with the fact that I finished, and take the lessons that I learned to improve for my next race.  Can't wait! 

Today, I wanted to review some recent books that I've read.  As I mention in most of my monthly goals, it's been a big goal of mine this year to start reading more.  I started off this year trying to read one book a month, but I recently raised that to two a month.  I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites from the year so far! 

The Girl On the Train - Paula Hawkins

This book follows three different story-lines that all center around one night.  One story is in the present, while another is in the past.  The characters are all involved in a mysterious event, and as their stories coincide we finally find out what happened that night.  The main character is a drunken divorcee who is extremely unlikeable, but occasionally I felt sorry for her and a bit of compassion.  The book is a really easy read, and suspenseful up until the very end.  
My rating: 9/10. 

The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty

Another book with multiple narrators and story lines.  The beginning is confusing, and the writing style is really unique.  I wasn't a fan of the book for the first few chapters, but it picked up once we found out the connection between the characters.  For the most part, their story lines were all separate.  At the very end, we see how they all come together in a devastating twist.  This is another easy read once you get past the first part of the book!
My rating: 7/10.     

Paper Towns - John Green

The story follows a nerdy high school boy who spends an unforgettable night with his neighbor, who happens to be his biggest crush.  The next morning she disappears, and the rest of the book is spent trying to solve the mystery of where she is, following "clues" that she left behind.  This was a slow read for me because most of the book was devoted to finding Margo and didn't have much of a plot.  I was also disappointed in the ending, but would love to see this in a movie.  I think the story lends itself to a movie script better than a movie, so I can't wait to see it!
My rating: 6/10 

Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

After watching "Gone Girl" in theatres, I wanted to read one of Gillian Flynn's novels.  This one isn't quite as disturbing as Gone Girl, but was equally captivating and suspenseful.  The book follows a young woman who was the lone survivor of a brutal attack against her family.  Her brother was held responsible for the crime, although a group of people think that he is innocent.  As we flip between the present and the past, we find out what really happened that night and the ending shocked me.  This is being made into a movie and I can't wait for it to be released!
My rating: 9/10 

My Sister's Grave - Robert Dugoni

This book centers around a mysterious murder, much like Dark Places.  A homicide detective has been trying to find her sister's killer for years.  Along the way, she finds out deep, dark secrets that her small town tried to keep from her, and also ends up falling in love.  This is an easy read, and I can't wait for the sequel to come out!
My rating: 8/10

Runner's World Big Book of Marathon (and Half-Marathon) Training 

This book is a great reference for anyone who runs- whether you're a newbie or seasoned runner.  Some of the information wasn't helpful to me, but there are a lot of pages I marked to look back on.  I loved the section on injuries, including what cross training would help and hurt you depending on where your injury is.  There are also full meal plans for hitting all of your macros during training and race week, as well as tons of different speed workouts.  I'll be using the book for years to come, and I also loved the inspirational stories sprinkled in!
My rating: 8.5/10 

What book should I read next?
Have you read any of these books?  Thoughts?
Do you like seeing film adaptations of books?