Attention fellow book lovers, I have a confession to make. I have been found guilty!
…of having a towering TBR (To Be Read) pile that seems to grow more and more every day. It is almost as if the list expands the moment I try to cross a book off of it. I seem to have a habit of buying books faster than I can read them… *insert evil laugh here.
However, I am determined to finish what I started, starting with the seven remining books on my TBR for 2023.
TBR #1: Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
I am actually currently working my way through this one right now, and so far, lovin every minute of it! (que music by Loverboy)
“An eerie thriller…Pinborough keeps us guessing about just who’s manipulating whom – until the ending reveals that we’ve been wholly complicit in this terrifying mind game.” ―The New York Times Book Review.
Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly.
When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar. The one who says the kiss was a terrible mistake, but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.
And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend. But she also just happens to be married to David. And if you think you know where this story is going, think again. Behind Her Eyes is like no other book you’ve read before.
David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife. But then why is David so controlling? And why is Adele so scared of him?
As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong. But Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.
In Behind Her Eyes, Sarah Pinborough has written a novel that takes the modern day love triangle and not only turns it on its head, but completely reinvents it in a way that will leave readers reeling.
(Via Amazon)
TBR #2: The Exchange by John Grisham
The next book on my list is “The Exchange” by John Grisham. I usually enjoy legal thrillers and have read a few of Grisham’s books in the past, so it was an easy decision to add this book to my ever-growing list. I bought the hardcover the moment it came out and swore that I would read it soon. But as it turns out, the book has been collecting dust… so many books… so little time.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • John Grisham delivers high-flying international suspense in a stunning new legal thriller that marks the return of Mitch McDeere, the brilliant hero of The Firm.
What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke and fled the country? The answer is in The Exchange, the riveting sequel to The Firm, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of America’s favorite storyteller. It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favor that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the center of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications—and once again endangers his colleagues, friends, and family. Mitch has become a master at staying one step ahead of his adversaries, but this time there’s nowhere to hide.
(Via Amazon)
TBR #3: Killing the Witches by Bill O’Reilly
Next up is “Killing The Witches” by Bill O’Reilly. This book had me from hello… okay, okay, so books can’t talk. But if they could, I’m pretty sure this one would have had me from “hello.” Or at least from “hey there.”
I’ve always been fascinated by the witch hunts that took place in the 17th century, and even though this book has sat on my list for a bit, I’m still super excited to dive into it.
The Instant New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller!
Killing the Witches revisits one of the most frightening and inexplicable episodes in American history: the events of 1692 and 1693 in Salem Village, Massachusetts. What began as a mysterious affliction of two young girls who suffered violent fits and exhibited strange behavior soon spread to other young women. Rumors of demonic possession and witchcraft consumed Salem. Soon three women were arrested under suspicion of being witches–but as the hysteria spread, more than 200 people were accused. Thirty were found guilty, twenty were executed, and others died in jail or their lives were ruined.
Killing the Witches tells the dramatic history of how the Puritan tradition and the power of early American ministers shaped the origins of the United States, influencing the founding fathers, the American Revolution, and even the Constitutional Convention. The repercussions of Salem continue to the present day, notably in the real-life story behind The Exorcist and in contemporary “witch hunts” driven by social media. The result is a compulsively readable book about good, evil, community panic, and how fear can overwhelm fact and reason.
(Via Amazon)
TBR #4: Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz
This is another book that I keep missing out on reading. It’s been sitting in my Kindle waiting for me for awhile now, but I just haven’t gotten there yet. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jayne Ann Krentz, she writes some pretty fun stuff. If you like Nora Roberts, she will be right up your alley.
Seven months ago, Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March, and Amelia Rivers were strangers, until their fateful stay at the Lucent Springs Hotel. An earthquake and a fire partially destroyed the hotel, but the women have no memory of their time there. Now close friends, the three women co-host a podcast called the Lost Night Files, where they investigate cold cases and hope to connect with others who may have had a similar experience to theirs—an experience that has somehow enhanced the psychic abilities already present in each woman.
After receiving a tip for their podcast, Pallas travels to the small college town of Carnelian, California, to explore an abandoned asylum. Shaken by the dark energy she feels in the building, she is rushing out when she’s stopped by a dark figure—who turns out to be the women’s mysterious tipster.
Ambrose Drake is certain he’s a witness to a murder, but without a body, everyone thinks he’s having delusions caused by extreme sleep deprivation. But Ambrose is positive something terrible happened at the Carnelian Sleep Institute the night he was there. Unable to find proof on his own, he approaches Pallas for help, only for her to realize that Ambrose, too, has a lost night that he can’t remember—one that may be connected to Pallas. Pallas and Ambrose conduct their investigation using the podcast as a cover, and while the townsfolk are eager to share what they know, it turns out there are others who are not so happy about their questions—and someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.
(Via Amazon)
TBR #5: What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
The fifth book that’s been on my TBR for a while now is “What Lies Between Us” by John Marrs. This book is a psychological thriller and it sounds right up my alley.
This one was an ITW Thriller Award Winner and and International Book Awards Winner.
Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.
They say every house has its secrets. The house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.
Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.
But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way―even if it kills her.
Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.
(Via Amazon)
TBR #6: The Woods by Harlan Coben
This one is also a Netflix original under the name of The Stranger. I love it when there is a movie or series version for me to nerd out on too!
Paul Copeland, a New Jersey county prosecutor, is still grieving the loss of his sister from twenty years ago—the night she walked into the woods, never to be seen again. But now, a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to the disappearance. The victim could be the boy who vanished along with Paul’s sister. And, as hope rises that his sister could still be alive, dangerous secrets from his family’s past threaten to tear apart everything Paul has been trying to hold together….
(Via Amazon)
And last, but not least, She Started It by Sian Gilbert
The last book on my list is “She Started It” by Sian Gilbert. This suspenseful thriller came with rave reviews and has been on my TBR for far too long.
A hot, twisty summer debut thriller about a Caribbean bachelorette party that takes a sinister turn. It’s Lord of the Flies meets And Then There Were None…but with Instagram and too much prosecco.
Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.
The party of a lifetime is nothing like what they expected…
None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?
The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected…even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.
Endlessly twisty, sharply observant, and deliciously catty, She Started It is sure to shock readers until the very end.
(Via Amazon)
My TBR pile might be a seemingly never-ending towering catastrophe, but I must confess that it has brought a lot to my reading life, from books that left me spellbound to those that taught me something new. I hope this post inspires you to pick up books that might have been on your TBR for too long, and I hope they bring you an enormous amount of joy. Afterall, tis the season! Happy reading!
You can get any of these books here on Amazon. Or get one for free when you sign up for a free trial from Audible. A couple of them are also available on Kindle Unlimited if you happen to have that subscription.
Until next time, keep it brash & bookish and stay true to you!
