Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak by Writers Famous & Obscure

Definitely not a novel, but Six Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak is something I have been wanting to read for a while! It took me about 20 minutes to finish this book cover-to-cover but I really did enjoy it!

I've listed by favorite "memoirs" below:

• Not always perfect. But so worthwhile - Lauren Anderson
• Unrequited love is just another addiction - Amanda Faith Moore
• Hearts never look both ways first - Tanya Jarrett
• I loved the idea of you - Audrey Adu-Appiah
• I thought we had more time - Joe Hill
• Waiting to forget your name again - Cybele Paschke
• Arrived with hope, left with heartache. - Kacey Barron
• Romance remembered often better than experienced - Jean Feingold
• Still have hope. Maybe he'll change - Ariel Leve
• Love almost always leads to heartbreak - Raoul Felder, Esq.
• Tried men. Tried women. Like cats. - Dona Bumgarner
• Good as friends, disasters as lovers - Shani Friedman
• More complicated than movies let on - Erin McIntosh
• Love, unreturned is still worth feeling - Lisa Stanton
• I love you but fuck you. - Dean Haspiel
• She owns my heart, always will. - Scott Lynn
• Love makes the world go stupid. -David Sandler
• Now I hate hearing that song - T'Anna Holst
• In hindsight, I'd still choose you - Natana Gill
• Romantic comedies screwed me for life - Daniela Medina

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

As soon as I finished reading Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter I was desperate for more psychological thrillers. I read lists upon lists of recommendations and one book that kept popping up was Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin. 

This book is nothing if not a page turner! I finished it in barely over 12 hours 

Black-Eyed Susans tells the story of Tessa (formerly known as Tessie) who was found in a field still alive surrounded by the remains of other girls covered in Black-Eyed Susans (flowers for those who aren't familiar.) The story is narrated primarily by Tessa (present day) and young Tessie (after the discovery).

Heaberlin slowly provides bits of information sure to leave you guessing and wondering who the "monster" really is. Is the man on death row the killer or is the real killer still on the prowl?

I don't want to give too much information but I definitely enjoyed this book! No, it wasn't quite as twisted or enticing as Pretty Girls or a Gillian Flynn novel, however it was definitely worth the read! 

Room by Emma Donoghue

I have been waiting to read Room by Emma Donoghue for what seems like forever. Usually when I have so many expectations built up for a story I end up disappointed, but not with Room.

For those who don't know, Room tells the story of Jack who was born and grew up in an eleven by eleven foot room that he believes is the entire world. To his Ma, though, Room is the place where she has been held prisoner by Old Nick for the past seven years.

This book is the emotional and heartbreaking story of Ma and Jack and their escape from Room where they have spent so many years. Many parts of the novel are disturbing and horrifying. The entire book is told through the perspective of five-year old Jack.

I don't want to give any more away, but I would definitely recommend reading!

Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker

I just finished reading Four Seconds to Lose which is the third book in the Ten Tiny Breaths series by K.A. Tucker. These books, however, can all be read as stand-alone novels as they all tell the individual stories of several different characters. It is fun, though, to note the appearance of beloved characters from previous books as you read.


Four Seconds to Lose was my absolute favorite book in the series by far! Where I found the other stories to be slow and predictable, Four Seconds to Lose managed to keep me on my toes. I quickly felt myself become connected to the characters in the story and was disappointed to see it end (as I always am when I read a good book!)

For those who have read the others in the series, Four Seconds to Lose tells the story of Cain and shows a side of him that is quite endearing. I highly recommend this novel even if you are not a fan of the others in this series as it is a great stand alone book as well!

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

I originally picked up Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter after seeing it on the New York Times' Best Seller List for quite some time. I love psychological thrillers and I had heard this book was likened to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train (both of which I was totally enamored with) so I was really excited to start reading!

I was not disappointed, although a quick disclaimer that this book is not for the fainthearted! This book was absolutely phenomenal, but I also don't think I have ever read a book that has had me feeling so queasy or left me with such unease. If you're anything like me this book will leave you with tears in your eyes and chills running up and down your spine.

Pretty Girls is one of those books where the mystery becomes more and more intricate with every page. The descriptions are graphic and every detail is poignant! I found myself going back and rereading certain sections to make sure I picked up on every single word. I love books where you can tell that the author spent time making sure every single question is answered and that every piece of information fits together, and this book is definitely one of them. I didn't sleep for 2 days until I finished this book because it was that engrossing (and horrifying).


READ, READ, READ!!!

Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt

I just finished reading Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt. I've been looking forward to this one for a long time! For those of you who don't know, this is the true story of an inspiring and brave transgender girl, her family, and her identical twin brother and the journey that had to underwent in order to ensure that their daughter was treated fairly.

This is a beautiful story about being true to yourself and how important it is to stand up for what you believe in. I greatly appreciated how informative and inspirational this book is. It does a wonderful job of explaining the struggles that the family endured and that many transgender children have to experience on a daily basis. I do wish, however, that the narration was told more through the perspective of Nicole and her brother rather than the perspective of the parents. I would have been more interested to hear about the experiences that the family went through, through the voices of the teens. Nevertheless, this story was very powerful and moving.