After years of spending my free time scrolling through social media or watching shows on Netflix, I have rediscovered a love for reading books. It’s so refreshing and relaxing to not look at a screen and escape real-life for a little while. I am not alone in my new love of books, as there is now even a whole community on TikTok, BookTok, where people share their book reviews and recommendations.

There are a handful of books that had me reading til the late hours of the night, because I could not sleep until I knew how the stories ended. I take that as a sign of a top-quality, five-star book. So here is a list of books that you will not be able to put down once you start.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid


This book has received a lot of hype but rightfully so. All of Taylor Jenkins Reed’s books do such a great job of transporting you to a different era, and this novel takes place in 1960s Hollywood. This book isn’t like anything else that I have ever read. A journalist is interviewing Evelyn for the untold story of her unconventional life, and they really make her feel like a real-life movie star. Netflix will be adapting this book into a movie, and I really hope they can do the justice it deserves.

 

Verity  by Colleen Hoover


Colleen Hoover is an insanely popular author amongst Gen-Z readers, and so far out of the couple books of hers that I have read, Verity was my favorite. Lowen Ashleigh is hired to be the ghost writer of the remaining books in Verity Crawford’s popular book series, because Verity has been in a terrible accident. Lowen is brought to their home to go through notes in Verity’s office and stumbles upon her unfinished autobiography which contains some very disturbing
information. This book is a twisted, page-turning thriller that will leave you wanting to discuss the book with others when you finish.

Also, a general warning if you’re an expecting mother, or even a mom in general, I would maybe not recommend this book.

 

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine


This book is my absolute favorite thriller that I have ever read. It follows the story of Amber who wants to step in and steal the life of Daphne who is the wife of a wealthy and successful man. Amber quickly becomes a close and personal friend of Daphne’s, but it’s all part of her calculated and manipulative plan. The first half of the book is a little slow, but the second half completely caught me off guard and made me want to not stop reading until I finished.

 

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren


Love and Other Words is easily my favorite romance novel! It’s not too cheesy and the plot will keep you engaged from the start. It follows the two love interests, going back and forth between the early stages of their relationship, bonding over their love of books, to reuniting as adults after not seeing each other for years. The characters young love is so wholesome and pure, and the tragic event that caused the two to lose contact brought me to tears.

 

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll


While people on Goodreads are not big fans of this book, I absolutely loved it. This is the book that got me back into reading, because it was such a crazy story. Maybe it’s because I hadn’t read a good book in so long, but I audibly gasped when the tragic event that completely altered the main character Ani’s life was finally revealed. This book is also being turned into a Netflix movie starring Mila Kunis, so you gotta read it before the movie is released.