12 Fiction Books to Read

JANUARY

I am currently reading Lessons in Chemistry by Connie Garmus. 4.6 stars out of 77,000+ Amazon reviews. Print length 400 pages. I had been hearing great things about this book. I must say that it immediately grabbed my attention. I just got started on this one, and I am about 150 pages in at the time of writing this post. I can see why this was the book of the year for many publications like the New York Times. Chemist Elizabeth Mott is not your average woman in the 1960s. She is a chemist in a male-dominated world. It is at times laugh-out-loud funny and other times sad. I find it to be a page-turner thus far.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: This was probably my favorite book of 2023! I was overjoyed to see that it is a mini-series on Apple starring Brie Larson. You'll laugh, you'll be a bit angry and you may even shed a tear. I highly recommend reading this if you have not.

FEBRUARY

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena. Print length 368 pages. 4.2 stars out of 5 with +20,888 reviews. I had read her other book, The Couple Next Door, and had enjoyed it.

This book centers around a family with some dark secrets.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: This was an enjoyable read. I wouldn't call it a favorite, but it kept my attention. The book is a bit of a mystery who-did-it genre. I enjoyed reading the family's dark secrets and trying to solve the crime.

MARCH

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand. Print length 447. 4.4 stars out of 5 with 24,900 reviews. Elin is one of my favorite authors. Ashlyn and I have tickets to see her do a talk in Hoover, Alabama in February. We can't wait. This will be the first of hopefully a yearly mom/daughter trip.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: I LOVE all things Elin Hilderbrand. This book did not disappoint. An old hotel with a ghost is remodeled in the present day into a luxury retreat. It follows the history of the ghost as well as the hotel staff. It was a fabulous read! I cherish my autographed copy. Elin has a new book coming out this summer which will be her last in the beach reads. She is retiring.

APRIL

The Last Restaurant in Paris by Lily Graham. Print Length 332 pages. 4.4 stars out of 5 with 2,500 reviews. The scene is Paris in 1944. Marianne runs her restaurant in German-occupied Paris. Her smile is bright even as she harbors hatred for the German soldiers. One day her doors close and she disappears. Years later, her granddaughter tries to solve the mystery.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: If you love historical fiction, you will enjoy this book. I love it when a book goes between the present day and back in time while trying to discover the past. If it takes place in Paris, it's a huge plus!

MAY

Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore. Print Length 384 pages. 4.2 out of 5 stars with 1,200 reviews. Summer in Maine centers around 2 women visiting for the summer. It sounds like a great warm-weather read.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: I enjoyed this book. I recommend reading. It's a family saga with a failing marriage and a few twists and turns. It's not your typical beach read which typically has some romance. This centers around some family secrets that unfold throughout the summer in Maine. The small town sounds fabulous.

JUNE

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Moonaghan. 4.6 stars out of 5 with 6,100 reviews. Print Length 268 pages. Nora is a romance screenwriter. Her life changes forever when her husband leaves. She turns this tragic turn into something wonderful. It sounds like a light-hearted summer read….perfect for the beach.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: I LOVED this book. It's a great beach read. It's lighthearted and so fun. It's that great, easy read that is perfect after reading something deep. I loved the humor in the book. I'd read a sequel.

JULY

The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey. 4.3 out of 5 stars with 26,100 reviews. Print length 335 pages. The setting is 1977 Minnesota. I can't wait to read this one. Two missing girls are the center of this thriller.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: This wasn't a favorite. I found it a bit slow-paced. It was a great read if you are into solving a mystery. I like my thrillers a bit more suspenseful.

AUGUST

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan. 4.5 stars out of 5 with 6,500 reviews. Print length 431 pages. Everly, a history professor, is asked to curate a museum collection based on a 180-year-old shipwreck that has been discovered. She is on a quest to solve some of the mysteries that surround the tragedy.

I met the author years ago when she did an author talk in Greenville, SC. At the time, I was not familiar with her. I went with a friend to a lunch-hour talk. She is a lovely woman. We are even friends on Facebook (happened before she got big…lol). I love her Friends and Fiction group on Facebook with several of my favorite authors.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: How had I never heard of this tragic shipwreck in Savannah? This is a fabulous read that I highly recommend. It's a modern story full of tragedy that unfolds as Everly researches the Savannah shipwreck. The stories intertwine in such a lovely way as Callahan steps us back in time with her historical account of the Pulaski ship. Must read!

SEPTEMBER

When in Rome by Sarah Adams. 4.3 stars out of 5 with 1,300 reviews. Print length 312 pages. This takes place in Rome, Kentucky, and not Italy!! This is a classic chic-lit read and light-hearted.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: This was another fun, lighthearted chic-lit read. It's very predictable, but fun nonetheless. I could see this one being a Hallmark movie! It's a very cute book with a sweet ending.

OCTOBER

A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. 4.6 stars out of 5 with 28,500 reviews. Print length 389 pages. I love a great series. This is book 1 of 3. I think this is a great book for October to cozy up with. A town is rocked by the murder-suicide of 2 high school seniors. 5 years later, a senior decides to investigate this as her senior project. She uncovers secrets that others do not want her to know!

Updated 12/30/23 Review: This was a great book. It's worth the read. It is a series. It's funny in that it is considered teen and young adult fiction. I didn't realize this until after I read it. It's a good story. It does make you wonder how a teenager solved a crime that the police did not!

NOVEMBER

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren. 4.2 stars out of 5 with 9,900 reviews. Print length 313 pages. I absolutely can't wait for November to roll around to read this one. Christmas novels are my absolute favorite. I think I could read them all year long! This one takes place in a Utah cabin. The main character is tired of her going nowhere job and just wants to be happy.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: I don't think that I have ever read a Christmas book that I did not enjoy. The story takes place with a family in their vacation cabin where 2 families spend the holidays. It's funny with of course a bit of romance. It's a fun, quick read.

DECEMBER

Christmas at Fireside Cabins by Jenny Hale. 4.5 stars out of 5 with 1,500 reviews. Print length 298 pages. I have read several books by Jenny Hale. They are fun and lighthearted. Lila escapes life to spend Christmas in Nashville in the cabins. She has a long list of Christmas novels.

Updated 12/30/23 Review: I enjoy Jenny Hale's books. This one is really cute. It's your typical romance. It's another that would be a great holiday movie. The lead character is a bit too perfect in today's world. It would sure be wonderful if more people like her existed. A nice curl-up by the Christmas tree read.