Hey bookworms!
It’s that time again where I share my latest book recommendations, and I’m so excited about this month’s picks! For those of you who’ve been following along, you know how much I love diving into a good book and sharing my honest thoughts with all of you. Today, I’m breaking down five more books that have been occupying my nightstand (and my thoughts).
But before we get into the recommendations, I wanted to share the video version of this post! If you’re more of a visual person or just want to hear me ramble about books while you fold laundry (no judgment, I do it too), check it out below:
A Reading Milestone!
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but with this latest video, I’ve now recommended FIFTY books on my channel! That’s right—fifty different stories, characters, and worlds that I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing and sharing with you all. If you’re new here and love books as much as I do, definitely check out my previous recommendations. I’ll link them at the end of this post!
Now, let’s get into this month’s recommendations:
1. Verity by Colleen Hoover
I have a funny story about this one. I actually bought Verity back in 2019, but when we moved to Germany, I had to put most of my books in storage (because books are heavy, and moving internationally is already a nightmare). Fast forward a couple of years, and suddenly everyone was talking about Colleen Hoover. After reading and loving It Ends With Us (which I recommended in a previous video), I was determined to dig this book out of storage when I returned to New York.
Verity ended up being the last book I read in 2021, and it was worth the wait. The story follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who gets hired by Jeremy Crawford to complete a series written by his wife, Verity, who’s now paralyzed after an accident. When Lowen moves into their home to go through Verity’s notes, she finds what appears to be Verity’s autobiography instead—one that contains disturbing revelations about Verity’s past and the death of one of their daughters.
As Lowen starts developing feelings for Jeremy, she faces a moral dilemma: should she keep the manuscript a secret, or should she show it to Jeremy, potentially freeing him from his marriage to Verity?
I have to say, this book is VERY different from It Ends With Us. While Colleen Hoover is known for her emotional romances, Verity is a full-on psychological thriller, and she absolutely kills it (pun intended). The ending will leave you questioning everything you just read, which is exactly what I love in a thriller.
2. The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
I’m still pinching myself that I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book from the publisher. When I started my book recommendation series, I never imagined publishers would send me free books in exchange for reviews. So thank you to everyone who watches these videos and follows my recommendations—you’ve helped make this possible!
The Night Shift begins on New Year’s Eve 1999 in a small New Jersey town, where four teenage girls are working the night shift at a Blockbuster. A horrific attack leaves three dead and only one survivor. The police identify a suspect, but he disappears without a trace.
Fifteen years later, history repeats itself when another attack occurs at an ice cream shop in the same town. Again, three workers are killed, and only one survives. The story follows three perspectives: the survivor from the original attack, the brother of the accused killer who always believed in his innocence, and an FBI agent working the case.
What I loved about this book is that it kept me guessing until nearly the end—which is saying something because I read a LOT of thrillers and usually figure things out early. The connections between the past and present are cleverly woven together, and the ending genuinely surprised me. If you’re a thriller fan (like me, who apparently «loves reading books about people getting killed»—I swear I’m normal), this one should definitely be on your TBR list!
3, 4, & 5: The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Series by Holly Jackson
The final three recommendations are actually a trilogy: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Good Girl, Bad Blood, and As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson.
I discovered the first book through Ava Jules’ Instagram recommendations (we typically have similar taste in books), and I immediately checked it out from the library. The story takes place in the town of Fairview, where years ago, a girl named Andie Bell was supposedly murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then committed suicide. Our protagonist, Pip, decides to investigate the case for her senior project because she can’t believe Sal—who she knew as a kind person—could have committed such a crime.
As she digs into the case, Pip discovers that nothing in Fairview is what it seems. The town is hiding dark secrets, and as Pip gets closer to the truth, she finds herself in increasing danger.
I really enjoyed this YA thriller trilogy, though I have to be honest—my enjoyment decreased with each book. I’d give the first one 4/5 stars. It’s fresh, clever, and genuinely engaging. If you enjoy authors like Karen McManus or Jessica Goodman, you’ll love this.
The second book, Good Girl, Bad Blood, continues Pip’s story after she’s gained local fame from solving the first case and launching a popular podcast about her investigation. Despite vowing to leave detective work behind, she’s pulled back in when her friend Jamie Reynolds disappears and the police aren’t taking it seriously. I’d rate this one 3/5 stars—it’s good but lacks some of the originality that made the first book so compelling.
The final book, As Good as Dead, follows Pip as she’s now solved two cases and gained even more notoriety. But when she starts receiving threatening anonymous messages and believes someone is stalking her, she has to decide whether to hunt down this new threat or become the next victim. I have to be completely honest here—this book was a 2/5 for me. The plot felt far-fetched, and I found myself frustrated with the characters’ decisions. I only finished it because I wanted to complete the trilogy, but it was a struggle at times.
That said, I know plenty of readers who loved all three books equally, so don’t let my opinion stop you from checking out the entire series if the premise interests you!
Looking Back and Looking Forward
As I mentioned in the video, I completed my Goodreads challenge of reading 24 books in 2021, and I’ve set the same goal for 2022. I’m actually ahead of schedule right now, so I might finally break my pattern and read more than 24 books this year! I’ve been trying to hit 36 books (three per month) for years, but somehow always end up at exactly 24. Maybe 2022 will be different?
If you want to follow my reading journey in real-time, you can find me on Goodreads as Flo Pereira and on Instagram as @flopereira. I often post quick reviews there before they make it to my YouTube channel.
Now I Want to Hear From You!
How many books did you read in 2021? How many are you planning to read in 2022? Are you on track, ahead, or (like me most years) constantly playing catch-up with your reading goals?
Have you read any of these five books? What did you think? And what books should I add to my TBR list?
Drop me a comment below—I love chatting about books with fellow readers!
Until next time, happy reading!
xo, Flor
P.S. For those curious about all 24 books I read in 2021 (as mentioned in the video), here’s the complete list:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian
- Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughn
- Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
- The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
- The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
- The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
- Still Lives by Maria Hummel
- Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
- The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
- The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes
- They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
- They’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
- You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
- Verity by Colleen Hoover
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