There is nothing like a new book and a free schedule for the day. Here are some books that I finished in one sitting because, yeah, they were just that good.
By Jayne Turner – Staff Writer
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
This novel is not your typical murder mystery. It follows the life of one man, Ansel Packer, through the eyes of the women who have known him. Each chapter switches between his mother, the twin sister of his wife, the police investigator who figured him out, and his own wild thoughts. He fantasizes about escape and legacy before his execution.
Packer was shaped by a difficult childhood marked by poverty, instability, and limited guidance. These early struggles played a significant role in forming his character and behavior later in life. This raises an important question for historians and readers alike: was Packer truly a deliberate killer, or a troubled individual shaped by circumstances beyond his control?
Many people in modern society are fascinated by serial killers and often try to glorify their actions. This book takes a different approach. It presents the killer as a human being, but it does not excuse or justify his crimes.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This book follows Nora Seed, a woman who finds herself in a mysterious library between life and death after attempting suicide. Here, she has the opportunity to open books that contain alternate lives that she could have lived. She finds that none of them is perfect. No matter how much she wishes to escape the life that she is in, it is the one for her.
Heartfelt and emotional, this book will inspire you to examine your own life and choices. Every decision has an outcome; the ripple effect will change your whole life.
Read more about why we love this book here.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
This book is primarily a romance novel, with a hint of magic. Dannie Cohan is a driven Manhattan lawyer who has meticulously planned her life. All in one day, the pieces seem to fall into place: she is engaged, nails an interview for her dream job, and believes that her life is exactly where she wants it to be.
That night, when she goes to sleep, she wakes up five years in the future – she is in a different apartment, with a different man. When she wakes up, she dismisses it. However, four and a half actual years later, she meets the man from her dream. One problem: he is her best friend’s new boyfriend.
Once you find out this plot twist, you won’t be able to put down the book until you know what happens!
Find out how to make a reading habit that sticks here!
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
This 1995 dystopian novel is narrated by a young woman who has spent almost her entire life in captivity. A group of forty female prisoners is held in an underground cage. The narrator, just a child, had no memory beyond captivity. Though they are given the necessities, they are watched by male guards and never told why or how long they will be there.
One day, an alarm sounds, and the male guards flee. The women follow soon thereafter, only to find that they are in the middle of a barren plain with no other signs of life. Together, they attempt to build a new community and shelter. The narrator, free for the first time, grapples with her existence and searches for meaning.
Recently repopularized by BookTok, this book is a must-read.
