Falling in Love with Fiction

Last year, I rekindled my love of reading. As a gifted kid who burnt out in the 11th grade, I was well-used to reading above my grade level. In college, I was met with required readings and textbooks that broke both the bank and my back. I found it hard to get into books that weren’t the feel-good, motivational type — shout out to Bob Goff, I love you! After 23 years of life, and a friend group that constantly bullied me for not understanding their references, I decided it was time to hop into the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter. After finishing the series in a month or so, I had a new appreciation of reading and where it could take me. I found my niche in a few weeks — fiction, thriller, suspense, mystery mash-ups. So, dear reader, I thought I’d share with you my top four books from last year that kept me engaged, sweating, in shock and most importantly, back into the swing of loving reading.

We Are All the Same in the Dark: A Novel

Book by Julia Heaberlin

Best described as a twisty psychological thriller, this book left me speechless. The atmosphere of this novel is dark and nostalgic. Set in a small Texas town, We Are All the Same in the Dark will keep you on the edge of your seat, questioning everything you know about the characters and your own biases. The female narrator exhibits strength and grace in the midst of a decades-long mystery that left her little town in shock. With a twist that literally made me scream, this book was one of the first that convinced me I’d never love another genre as much as I Iove mystery and contemporary fiction.

The First Day of Spring: A Novel

Book by Nancy Tucker

I’m not going to lie. This book made my stomach hurt. Have you ever read something and immediately wished you hadn't? Have you ever asked yourself how someone could even come up with something so dark? If those questions excite you, this is your next read. This addictive and unforgettable book is dramatic and dark in all the right ways. Nature Vs. Nurture is a huge topic of discussion in this novel as we jump back and forth between the neglectful and horrific life of a little girl who made unspeakable mistakes and her present life where she wakes each day rehabilitated but still horrified.

The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek

Novel by Link Neal and Rhett James McLaughlin

I’ve been a huge fan of Rhett and Link for YEARS. The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek is an absolute home run for me. Rhett and Link draw from their own childhood experiences, lore and imaginations to create a small town in North Carolina where things are going terribly south (pun intended.) This thrilling, coming of age mystery has heart and humor. The cultural references, chilling suspense, paranormal themes and humor combine to create a gripping novel.

A Flicker in the Dark

Book by Stacy Willingham

We love an anti-hero. With a pill-popping, paranoid female narrator, this book challenges your understanding of innocence, trauma and empathy. This psychological thriller revolves around a serial killer, his daughter and the family that surrounds her. We never really know what the narrator will do next — she’s entirely unhinged, making her both unreliable and compelling. When she believes history is starting to repeat itself, she falls into an intense spiral — one that self-medicating hardly helps. The ending honestly shocked me. Isn’t it funny how we never expect a twist in a mystery/thriller book?

Let me know if you check any of these books out! I'd love to hear if you dive into any of these.