Did you set a reading goal for yourself this year? Are you trying to squeeze in a few more books by the end of the month? Well, look no further! Here are five 2019 releases that I absolutely loved. Each of these books embodies what I love most about reading. These books are fast paced and suck you in from the first page.

The Passengers by John Marrs

Description

You’re riding in your self-driving car when suddenly the doors lock, the route changes and you have lost all control. Then, a mysterious voice tells you, “You are going to die.” 

Just as self-driving cars become the trusted, safer norm, eight people find themselves in this terrifying situation, including a faded TV star, a pregnant young woman, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife, and a suicidal man.

From cameras hidden in their cars, their panic is broadcast to millions of people around the world. But the public will show their true colors when they are asked, “Which of these people should we save?…And who should we kill first?”

My Review:

This book blew my mind. From the first sentence to the very last word, I was completely enthralled.

The Passenger has so much going on genre wise. It’s a thriller with some sci-fi aspects thrown in. And, It’s a commentary on politics and on our dependency of technology. All of these elements come together to make a crazy, addictive, compulsive read.

In addition to the plot, the characters are amazing. I love a book with complex characters who have secrets and dirty laundry. I also liked that my opinion of each character changed throughout the book. I went from liking a character, to hating them, to feeling empathy towards them, then back to hating them.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. If you like a good thriller, you will for sure like this book. Some similar stories are: Black Mirror, The Hunger Games, and the movie Speed.

A Nearly Normal Family By M.T. Edvardsson

A Nearly Normal Family is a domestic thriller about the trial of 18 year old Stella who stands accused of murdering Christopher, a 32 year old man she develops a relationship with. This book is unique in that it is broken up into three parts, each part told from a different character’s point of view: the father, the daughter (Stella) and the mother. The book centers around the questions: How far would you go to protect your family, and how well do you really know your own family?

This book is the definition of a compulsive read, I stayed up all night reading it! I was captivated by and completely engrossed in the story. What I love about the structure of A Nearly Normal Family is you get a glimpse not only of the family dynamic, but you also get a peek into each character’s mind. And these characters are not all at what they seem. The image they present to the world and the people they actually are are way different.

If you like psychological thrillers, police procedurals, and character driven stories then you will definitely enjoy A Nearly Normal Family.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

I loved this book! It’s one of those books you just can’t put down.

The book is about Rowan, a nanny, who answers an ad for a live in nanny position. It seems perfect; generous pay, a luxurious house, and a beautiful family. Once Rowan moves into the house though, odd things start happening. She hears the sound of footsteps above her room every night, the kids start to act strange, and she house just has a creepy vibe. On top of all that, the house is wired with cameras in every room.

This is my favorite Ruth Ware book so far. The writing is clever, the characters are well developed, and the plot is suspenseful. When I first read the description I was worried that it would be too similar to Lock Every Door by Riley Sager, but it was actually a lot different.

If you’re a fan of thrillers, you have to read this one!

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

After losing her job, boyfriend, and apartment all in the same day, Jules accepts the job of apartment sitter at a famous New York City Apartment. The job is three months long and pays $12,000. Seems perfect, but the job comes with strange rules and strange people. And then there’s the apartment building. The famous Bartholomew. The building itself is super creepy; there are Gothic style gargoyles, an old-fashioned elevator, and strange wallpaper that looks like faces staring back at you. The history of the building and its residents are even creepier. But go read the book to find out the history, because I don’t want to give too much away!

I loved the format of this book. It is written as a countdown. The first chapter starts with Jules waking up in a hospital. Clearly something horrible has happened at The Bartholomew. Then the remainder of the book is the five days leading up to when she awakes in the hospital. I love a good countdown. It’s actually one of my favorite formats in thrillers, it really builds anticipation. It also gives the reader more information than the characters- you know that in “x” amount of days something will happen. I like that. I like knowing something the characters don’t.

If you like thrillers, “who-done-it’s”, books with twists, or books that are centered around the venue of the story (in this case, a historic apt. building), then you will definitely like Lock Every Door!