You won’t be able to put down these 9 twisty page-turners that were released last year!  If you didn't know Goodreads is a free website that helps readers discover new books to read, keep track of what they're reading, and find personalized recommendations. I've been using this website for 9 years and it lists every book I've read, my rating of it and my review. There's also a Q&A section for each book so if you missed some detail and need an explanation, you post it there and someone will answer. It also lets you set a reading challenge for the year so you can set a goal of how many books you want to read and it shows you your progress towards that goal. 

Another thing Goodreads does is it asks it's users at the end of the year to rate the best books of the year. Each book genre started off with many many books and everyone votes for a few rounds until they get down to the top 20 books. At the end of every year I go to that list and read the descriptions of every book and put the ones that interest me on hold at the library. I currently have 22 books on hold at the library that I'm waiting for.  That's how I pick my books to read! By then the hold time at the library isn't that long and I'm only reading highly rated books.

For books my favorite genres are Thrillers/Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction and Memoir. I took a break from historical fiction because I feel most of those books are about WWII and I wanted new topic materials. To be honest,  Thrillers/Mystery books may not be much different from Romance books (which I haven't read) but envision it to be somewhat cheesy. I grew up watching America's Most Wanted every Saturday night, now I watch Dateline every weekend that I might be home. I also like the Crime Junkie podcast. I'm all about a good crime mystery! 

All these books came out in 2023 and most I read over this summer. These books keep you on the edge of your seat that I can finish them (300-400 pages) in 2 days. 

The Housemaid's Secret - Freida McFadden

 The number 1 book got 86,468 votes!  This is a sequel but I never read the first book and feel this is a stand alone book. Millie is a maid in a penthouse apartment in NYC but never sees the wife who stays in the bedroom (goofy and unbelievable). It’s an easy read with just a handful of characters and short chapters. With every move Millie made getting into the couple's business I kept screaming “No! Don’t do it!” The plot twist was unexpected. The book was an extremely addicting and gripping thriller. I couldn’t put it down as I read it in two days!

None of This Is True - Lisa Jewell

This is my second book by this author. I binged this in one sitting because I could not put it down. Very few books keep me awake until 1am to finish reading. This psychological thriller grabbed my attention from the start and held it all the way through. Podcaster Alix Summers celebrates her 45th birthday at a restaurant that Josie Fair is also celebrating her 45th birthday. They bump paths and Josie becomes the subject matter of Alix's next podcast series, but Alix soon finds out that Josie has been hiding dark secrets. I loved how current it was with a podcast, ring camera, etc. I love that this book wasn't written in dual time frames and flashbacks. It's been picked up to be made into a netflix film! 5 stars

After That Night - Karin Slaughter

This is my second book by this author. This book has a lot of characters, you should write their names down so you can keep up. That said it was a suspenseful mystery that I couldn’t put down. Sara, an ER doctor, has a blast from the past when a rape victim is brought into the hospital. The last chapter was weird, you could do a drinking game for how many times the word forks was written, very distracting between the conversations. 5 stars

The Villa - Rachel Hawkins

This is my second book by this author. I read a lot of cheesy mystery books but this wasn't it so I read it in 2 days. The Villa is a slow-burn drama about a crime from the past that intertwines with the present. In 1974 five people all spending time at Villa Rosato in Orvieto, Italy. Too much drinking and drugs  makes for a bad mix. The Villa has two contrasting timelines: a present-day timeline with Jessica “Chess” and Emily “Em” and a 1970’s timeline with rockstars Pierce and Noel who bring along stepsisters Mari and Lara. The publisher says this book was "Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein." This book is a slow burn with layers with many deeper themes and messages. 5 stars

The Only One Left - Riley Sager

This is my second book by this author. Lenora Hope is a rich woman her 70s that was accused of murdering her family and now lives at the cliffs, but can never leave the house because she is paralyzed and can only move her left hand. Kit is her new caregiver. The book is gothic, spooky, and takes place in a creepy house high on a cliff above the ocean. It’s a mystery not a thriller because it’s all about the past. There’s whiplash, confusion, red herrings, and drama. The last 10% of the book is a plot twist! It’s an easy breezy read that starts slow, but I was able to finish in two days. 5 stars

Bright Young Women - Jessica Knoll

The book was a 2022 Reese Witherspoon book club pick. This is a crime novel where you must stop the ending, told backwards. The book starts with the crime, then every chapter goes back in time. Because every crime has its inception in the past, buried deep in history. Jen is the narrator and her husband has been so good at lying that his secrets have been hidden in plain sight with complete lack of details or explanations. The best kind of liar. This was a unique plot, one I've personally never read in a book before, absolute mindblower! The twists were not predictable to me!