The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Great mystery! A wedding on an island, the guests full of secrets and grudges... what could go wrong? Throw in spotty cell service, a storm, lots of alcohol and you have yourself a page turner! It was suspenseful while also being funny—especially if you’ve ever planned, or been in, a wedding.

The novel jumps from a couple POVs but Foley makes it work. The groom is a reality TV star and the bride publishes a magazine. You also follow the wedding planner, the best man, the bridesmaid, and the plus one. Who dies? Who’s the killer? You're kept guessing until the very end.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson

Erik Larson delivers another gem. If you aren’t a big reader of history (or non-fiction), start with Larson. He weaves historical facts together so that it’s never confusing. And the research that went into this book is astounding.

The book revolves around Churchill. It shows his idiosyncrasies alongside his public persona, making for an entertaining portrayal of someone so well known. Larson also presents accounts from Churchill’s family and his “inner circle.” Two examples would be his daughter’s (Mary) diary about attending parties contrasted with one of his private secretaries (John Colville) journals. Also, during WWII, people volunteered to be “Mass-Observation diarists,” and Larson sprinkles their diary entries throughout. This book is both fascinating and terrifying. It’s one thing to know England was bombed, it’s quite another to experience it through other people’s eyes. I couldn’t stop reading.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

My biggest recommendation is to examine your mood before you choose a book. It could be the best novel ever written but if you aren’t in the right mood you may hate it. I started Untamed a week ago and I was not feeling it. I waited, tried again, loved it.

This book packs a punch. It was as if Glennon reached into my brain and picked out words I never knew I had. Or better yet – I knew I had them, but had no idea how to express that thought, that emotion, that idea. I kept thinking “Yes! That’s exactly it!” Glennon is the master of metaphors.

What’s it about? Being a woman, a mother, a wife. To stop pleasing and start living. To run free of your cage. To be brave and listen to your inner voice. My words can’t do this book justice, so read it… when you’re in the right mood to listen.