The rainy season is slowly kicking in here in the Philippines, and what better way is there to welcome a new season than to create a list of books that, for me, are perfect reads during this time of the year. So without further ado, grab your blankets and your favorite caffeinated beverage, and get ready to snuggle up with these reads:
Title: The Woman in Cabin 10
Author: Ruth Ware
Format: Trade Paperback
Publication Date: July 19, 2016
Number of Pages: 341
Publisher: Scout Press
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime
Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea.
At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard.
The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
I’ve been a Goodreads member since 2011 and through the years, it has been my #1 source of book recommendations and new releases. I also use it to track my annual reading goals and number of read books in my lifetime. Aside from that, I also use it to organize titles by genre, author, etc. I know Goodreads may sometimes feel like a “temptation” when it comes to adding new titles to our TBRs, but it has really been helpful when it comes to organizing my books, both virtually and physically.
I’ve been tagged by Angele and Rovie to do the ‘Goodreads Was Wrong’ book tag! It’s been a while since I did a tag on my blog and I’m so hyped to answer these questions. Click here to check Rovie’s post, here to check Angele’s post, and here to watch the video of the tag creator, GrabsAboutBooks. Continue reading
Title: Frankly in Love
Author: David Yoon
Format: Trade Paperback
Publication Date: September 10, 2019
Number of Pages: 406
Publisher: Putnam
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
Two friends. One fake dating scheme. What could possibly go wrong?
Frank Li has two names. There’s Frank Li, his American name. Then there’s Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents. Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California.
Even so, his parents still expect him to end up with a nice Korean girl–which is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit, who is funny and nerdy just like him. Brit, who makes him laugh like no one else. Brit . . . who is white.
As Frank falls in love for the very first time, he’s forced to confront the fact that while his parents sacrificed everything to raise him in the land of opportunity, their traditional expectations don’t leave a lot of room for him to be a regular American teen. Desperate to be with Brit without his parents finding out, Frank turns to family friend Joy Song, who is in a similar bind. Together, they come up with a plan to help each other and keep their parents off their backs. Frank thinks he’s found the solution to all his problems, but when life throws him a curveball, he’s left wondering whether he ever really knew anything about love—or himself—at all.
Title: The Bride Test
Author: Helen Hoang
Format: Trade Paperback
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Number of Pages: 296
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.
As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.
With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.
Title: The Kiss Quotient
Author: Helen Hoang
Format: Trade Paperback
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Number of Pages: 314
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, New Adult
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases–a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice–with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan–from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic.
Lenn of Spades ♠ 