Learn from the greats part 4: reading recommendations

As mentioned over the past few weeks, books are, no surprise, my favorite things to talk about, and I get asked for recommendations all of the time. I've started a reading section on the Turn the Page website but I will continue sharing some of those recommendations here!

This week, let's talk about BOOKS WITH GREAT ATMOSPHERE:

These books have great stories and characters, but the vibe of each book – the way they make the reader feel – is where they really shine.

 

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

When her grandfather calls, delivering the news that her cousin Allegra has gone missing, Lane Roanoke returns home to rural Kansas. As a teen, Lane lived on the farm, but ran away – is that what Allegra did, or did something more sinister occur? Even though the story is twisted and horrifying in so many ways, there is so much heart and innocence and love that shine through. Some of the scenes between Lane and Cooper in particular made me cry from their bittersweetness. This is a beautifully-written book.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9781101906682

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IwH5tu

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Yes, yes, she wrote the amazing Gone Girl, but this is another stellar book by the author. Reporter Camille Preaker returns to her small-town home (everyone is always returning home in books, I guess!) to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Having avoided speaking to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother, and a half-sister she barely knows, she is forced to get to know them once more. As she delves further into her investigation, she begins finding herself identifying too strongly with the victims, and the demons of her past come back to haunt her.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/89876/9780307341556

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XbIhXt

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