Ever been surprised by the book that caught your interest? I’ve been there! Once a die-hard fan of mystery and thriller novels, I, found myself unexpectedly charmed by the world of romance books. Tune in as I walk you through what I've been reading.
If you're looking for your next romance novel, I have some ideas. And for all my fellow mystery and thriller enthusiasts out there, I've got you covered with recommendations from authors like Riley Sager and Ruth Ware.
But not all books leave a lasting impression. I’ll be discussing a few titles that couldn't live up to the hype. However, I have some alternatives!
In the episode, I refer to The Icebreaker as The Heartbreaker and The Last to Vanish as The Last to Finish. Apologies to the authors for pronouncing their titles incorrectly.
Romance Recommendations:
Mystery and Thriller Recommendations:
Didn't Live up to the Hype:
Alternative Suggestions:
For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.
For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above.
For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
Ever been surprised by the book that caught your interest? I’ve been there! Once a die-hard fan of mystery and thriller novels, I, found myself unexpectedly charmed by the world of romance books. Tune in as I walk you through what I've been reading.
If you're looking for your next romance novel, I have some ideas. And for all my fellow mystery and thriller enthusiasts out there, I've got you covered with recommendations from authors like Riley Sager and Ruth Ware.
But not all books leave a lasting impression. I’ll be discussing a few titles that couldn't live up to the hype. However, I have some alternatives!
In the episode, I refer to The Icebreaker as The Heartbreaker and The Last to Vanish as The Last to Finish. Apologies to the authors for pronouncing their titles incorrectly.
Romance Recommendations:
Mystery and Thriller Recommendations:
Didn't Live up to the Hype:
Alternative Suggestions:
For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.
For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above.
For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
Welcome back. I'm Kristen Bahls and you're listening to the Overdressed Teachers podcast and I guess I have another life update for you, because why not? So since the last time I recorded this podcast, I am actually out of education all together. So I am now a corporate ID and, if you have not been following along, I was an audio video production teacher and then I transitioned to an administrator and I was a curriculum and instruction coordinator and now I am out of education altogether and I am a corporate instructional designer. So just kept switching. I found my place. I am finally where I need to be.
Kristen Bahls:I am so happy and I'm really loving getting to tackle being an ID. It's basically for me like a combination of being a teacher helping adult learners and then also the video editing, graphic design, animation portions that I really enjoy doing. So I get to do the creative side and the teaching side, put them together and I'm working remote and I really, really enjoy it. So I've definitely found my space as a corporate instructional designer. Of course, I have a master's degree. I had to upskill a lot. I did a whole certification program. That is literally another podcast. So I did not fall into instructional design. It was definitely intentional. I did a lot of upskilling to get here and I am so happy, and so I did want to say that now that I am out of education, I do not really plan on talking about teaching a whole lot, because I'm not in the classroom. I don't know what teachers are going through currently. I feel like I can give some tips, but I don't think that the Overdressed Teachers is going to continue the way that it is. So, basically all all that to say, I'm still trying to figure out which direction that I want this podcast to go. I'm definitely going to take you along for the ride with me and I'm really just going to try a few new things until I find that niche that I want to be in, and then I will rework my podcast name and decide on a new topic.
Kristen Bahls:Right now I'm kind of feeling it out and trying a few different things, which for me as a planner is hard to admit that I can't just switch my podcast and know instantly what I want it to be. I mean, I feel like I always listened to perfect podcasters who just know their topic and their genre right out of the gate and they never switch. And it's like true crime or teaching or books or whatever way they're going to go with it and they stick to it. But to be honest, just like my career, my life has been in transition and I do want to reflect that in this podcast. So just know I'm going to be trying a couple things out year, along with me for the ride. So if you're like, why is this podcast the overdressed teachers and you're not talking about teaching, well that that would be why.
Kristen Bahls:And to start off today's episode and really get into it, this episode is going to be about what I am currently reading and really how this came about was that, with all that free time that I have now that I don't have to work past my contract hours, grading and lesson planning, I've actually developed a stronger reading habit and I will say that I've always brought a book with me, like everywhere I go from in the dentist office, doctor's office, stuff like that. I'm always reading and I really enjoy getting lost in a good book. But you know, lately I've just had more time to really dig in and read a lot of books and it has been so relaxing and enjoyable.
Kristen Bahls:And, just for some background, my typical genre slash preferences are more of the mystery or thriller genres and lately, as weird as it is, I've definitely had more romance mixed in, because, you know, sometimes you really just need a break from those creepy, intense thrillers. And I accidentally went over into the horror category on accident, based on a recommendation. I should have checked that it was not a thriller or mystery, that it was horror, and it really freaked me out. And so that actually sent me the complete opposite way and I've been reading like a string of romance books which I don't think my streak has ever lasted this long of just reading romance and I haven't gone back to too many mystery or thrillers. So that's why if my currently reading right now episode seems a little bit romance heavy, that's kind of why. But I do really enjoy a good mystery thriller. So throwing that out there so you can kind of get a sense of my preferences and what things I gear towards so that way, if that does match you, then you know. You kind of know what you would like or wouldn't like, because of course we all are so different and have our own preferences. But all that to say, I'm rounding up a list of some great reads that I've finished like somewhat recently and I'm also going to tell you a couple books that, for me, just did not live up to the hype and I want to help you choose your next read. So I'm going to give you some alternatives to those.
Kristen Bahls:And I will admit on this podcast that I've been pretty bad about buying too many books lately. I know that I shouldn't do it, but I have a really, really large pile of TBR books that I will get to eventually. But there are so many good things coming out and I just grab them and I know that that's really bad. But, to be honest, the reason that I have is that the traffic has been insane in my town and it takes me absolutely forever to get to my local library. But I would like to encourage you to look for some of these novels at your local library. I think that you will be surprised by their inventory. Or, don't forget about the Overdrive and Libby apps, whichever one is synced with your local library, and, if you didn't already know, you can find both E and audio books there too, so you can get physical books if you want to drive there, you can get ebooks and you can get audio books. Just don't forget about those.
Kristen Bahls:Each library is a little bit different on how they work it and how many credits you get a month or how long you have to wait for a specific title, but it's definitely something to check into. And I would also like to give you a little hack. If you have a couple local libraries, I would get a couple library cards. So I have one for our local library and that's where you know you're put on a waitlist and you can get an ear and audio book whenever it's ready to go, like the library buys so many digital copies and then those just cycle through. But I also have another local library that I got an online library card and I actually didn't even have to go in. All I did was go to their website and they let me like fill out this form and then they emailed me my online digital library card number. So with that one I have like so many credits a month that I can download and I can get access to every book they have instantly. So it's nice for selection and wait time. So that's just kind of a little hack. To get a couple library cards and sync up a couple of different libraries within the Libby or Overdrive app so that way you have more selection for free. So just throwing that out there if you do want to save a little bit of money, because books are ridiculously expensive and, like I said, I've been pretty bad at buying them. So I need to stop and follow my own advice now. So thank you for that. I'm going to have to follow my own advice now.
Kristen Bahls:Okay, so getting in to some of the books I'm loving. I'm starting with the romance category and before I officially start my list, I just wanted to preface this with, these are my opinions. So sometimes I feel like I enjoy a book for the season that I'm reading it. You know, if it's a really spooky atmosphere and it's in the fall, then of course I feel like I'm just going to like it a little bit more than if I'm reading it in the summer or vice versa. Or if it's more of a holiday themed book and I'm around the holidays, I'm just naturally going to already enjoy it a little bit more, just because of the you know atmosphere that it creates. And then also I really like whenever a book can create an overall mood with the setting, and so I'm basically saying that I read for enjoyment. So I'm not necessarily concerned with plot holes or writing style, unless they're glaring, unless they get in the way of the book. But really, if the book captures my attention, I'm going to recommend it. So it may not be, you know, the next best novel that has ever been written, but I enjoy it and I like it and it was a really good read for enjoyment.
Kristen Bahls:So I did want to put that out there, that sometimes I'm not super picky if I really enjoyed a book. So when you listen to this, my recommendations are not on you know, the next best book. I don't read nonfiction. Well, I do sometimes, but for the most part these, none of these are nonfiction. So it's not like I'm recommending a nonfiction book to you. Just know that these are my preferences. This is what I like. If you don't like it, that's okay. But if you feel like we're kind of on the same reading preference, then you'll probably like what I have to suggest.
Kristen Bahls:So, anyway, I feel like I just have to explain that and really kind of further in that I feel like it can also depend on like what tropes or plot lines we like, and especially in romance there are so many different types of tropes and I do like how a lot of like websites as you're trying to buy books, they will kind of tell you this is like an enemies to lovers or this is , you know, friends to lovers, or whatever it's going to be. They'll kind of clue you in so that way you can see if it's going to be that kind of trope or plot line that you tend to like, or fake dating. That's another one that you'll see a lot in romance. So, anyway, I feel like our preferences are just all so personal. So if it's a book that you absolutely hated, that I'm recommending, just skip it, just skip it. Or if it doesn't sound good to you, just skip it.
Kristen Bahls:Anyway, all that being said, I'm starting with romance, and because I'm starting with romance, I do need to talk about the spice level meter. So on Instagram and stuff, I've seen like the chili pepper spice meter and there was one book by Ali Hazelwood and it was Love Theoretically, and I did enjoy the novel, but it was somewhat explicit, and so I saw on Instagram that someone had put like three out of five chili peppers. It was just like what have you been reading? That you would only rate that three. So for me, the chili pepper doesn't really tell me a lot, because I have no idea what your preferences are, so I cannot tell what you think is explicit and worth five chili peppers versus something that's only worth one. That just I can't. I can't tell anything from that. But I do appreciate the rating system. So my spice level meter, my rating system, is going to be on the left.
Kristen Bahls:We have Sarah Adams. So if you didn't know or haven't read books by Sarah Adams, she writes what's called closed door romance. So with a closed door romance it basically just fades to black. So it's just like a movie. You're going to get a fade to black. She's on the left hand side of my spice level spectrum. She would be like a one chili pepper, i f that. On the right hand side is Ali Hazelwood, who does not fade to black at all. Her books are pretty explicit, so just be warned. So one side of the spice level meter is Sarah Adams. You have closed door romance, fade to black. And then on the right hand side you have Ali Hazelwood, who is not going to fade to black at all and you're going to get all the details. So just keep that in mind.
Kristen Bahls:I want to give you a rating so you know what you're in for. Whether you want a Sarah Adams level spice level or you want an Ali Hazelwood level, spice level. Doesn't matter to me. But I want you to know kind of what you're in for before you pick up the book, because some people have very strong preferences one way or another. So I want you to just kind of know what what you're going into. So I'm going to stop talking about the spice level meter and actually get into it.
Kristen Bahls:Here is my first book. It is the Cheat Sheet and it's by Sarah Adams, so we're not shocked that it has a Sarah Adams spice level, which not a lot, pretty low on the spice level spectrum. But the Cheat Sheet I really enjoyed and I'm not going to give you spoilers on any of these. I'm just going to kind of tell you like a general plot. I tried to write up and sum it all up into a very general plot without giving away any spoilers. So I went pretty vague on a lot of this and it's really just for you to see if this is something that you want to read and then in future episodes I can really break down a specific book and I can give you all the spoilers. So that way, once you finish reading it, you can come back and we can see if our opinions align, but for this, this is kind of what I wrote about the Cheat Sheet.
Kristen Bahls:So the main character, Bree she's this dancer who owns her own dance studio and she's been friends or, you know, secretly in love with Nathan, and Nathan is an NFL football player that she's known since high school. They met in high school. It's really cute. They do have a very cute meet cute, but I won't spoil it. She's convinced that he's put her in the friend zone, but has he? She basically gets drunk and spills all of her secrets to a reporter and this ultimately leads her and Nathan to fake dating. But it leaves her with the question is she still in the friend zone? I don't know, that's for you to find out if you read this book, but I really enjoyed it.
Kristen Bahls:Sarah Adams is one of my new favorite romance authors. I've actually read every book that she's written so far and I just enjoy them. It's like the pacing of it, her writing style. It feels like a movie. Every one of her books feels like it could be adapted into a romcom very easily. They're easy to read. They're easy to read kind of like in pieces. You know, if you don't read books all in one sitting, that's totally fine. With these you can really just pick it up and kind of find yourself transported right back into one of the worlds of her characters, and I do like how a lot of them are pretty different. They have different scenarios, different ages. Some some of her characters already have kids, some don't, you know. So there are a lot of different like kind of life stances for each one of her characters.
Kristen Bahls:But man, the Cheat Sheet was one of my favorites Sarah Adams books. I would highly recommend it. It was really really interesting throughout. I never found myself bored through any of the sections and I just felt like I was smiling and laughing while reading this book, which is really what you want from, honestly, any romance novel. So I would definitely recommend the Cheat Sheet. That's why I had to put it up first and then another one by Sarah Adams. If you could not sense a trend here we have Practice Makes Perfect and I honestly can't decide if I like the Cheat Sheet or Practice Makes Perfect better. I would say that these two are tied for my favorite Sarah Adams novels, so they are really really good. This one, even though it is by Sarah Adams, I felt like it had a slightly higher spice level than most of her others.
Kristen Bahls:So just know that going in and basically the whole deal is that she owns a flower shop and has a brother who's marrying a pop star and then, after some experiences with crazy fans, they have to call the bodyguard back in for the pop star. And then the bodyguard comes back into town and he's only supposed to be there for a few weeks until the wedding, but he spots the flower shop owner and of course they're both out on separate dates. But he is absolutely determined to stay away from her for fear that he's going to fall in love with her, because he can already tell that she is just his type and he does not want to find himself permanently in this small town. But somehow, through a little bit of magic and nosy supporting characters, he finds himself in her flower shop and eventually agrees to teach her how to date, because she is notoriously bad at first dates and over things, everything, and so ultimately some lines are blurred and it's hard to tell if he's just really the coach or if they are falling in love. So it is very, very cute.
Kristen Bahls:Both the Cheat Sheet and Practice Makes Perfect are just very sweet. They're very, very sweet and cute. So that is definitely more what you were getting with those. If you're wanting something that's just kind of light and sweet and cute and you could see it being adapted into a romcom, that's what you're really going to get from Sarah Adams and I would highly recommend them. They are really quick reads. I don't think I've spent more than two days reading any one of her books. So they are pretty quick because you really get into them. So I would highly recommend either one of those of course. Next on my list,
Kristen Bahls:so this one is a little bit more I'm trying to think of the right word it's just a little bit more intense. It's a little bit more literary than the other two are. So this one is called the Seven Year Slip and it's by Ashley Poston and this I would say it's like a low to mid spice level, so closer to Sarah Adams. But I mean I think I remember them going into like a smidge of detail, but it's not. It's really not that much.
Kristen Bahls:So I would say that this is definitely on the lower level, closer to Sarah Adams, nowhere near Allie Hazelwood at all, and basically what's happening is she's grieving the loss of her aunt and she inherits this apartment and basically her aunt used to talk about this apartment and all the magic that's in it, but she always thought that it was fake. And the whole rumor is that the apartment has time travel abilities and it can put you seven years in the future, or in the past and of course it doesn't happen to her anytime she visits her aunt's house. So she's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll see if that actually happens. And doesn't believe it. But then when her aunt passes away, it does happen to her and she ends up falling in love with the tenant from seven years ago, as she's in her current state, but he is seven years younger, so they're really the same age. It's just in the past. And so anyway they connect and she's afraid to try to find him in her time because she's like, why has he not already tried to find me? But fate has other plans because they do meet again unexpectedly and they really have to figure out what their relationship looks like when she's stuck in the past and he's in the now, because it's really confusing how that all works.
Kristen Bahls:And, oh my gosh, the author does a fantastic job of explaining this and it's a really unique novel and I was really gripped by it and even though the plot sounds a little bit different, of course, I was really easily able to follow it and I still found myself hooked on this book. So it was very good and it was a decently quick read and I really enjoyed it. I don't want to spoil anything by talking about any more of the major plot points, but I would highly recommend this. Like I said, it's a little bit more literary it's it's just a little bit more than the Super Sweet Sarah Adams book. So it just depends on what you're looking for when you want a romance. And then the last in the romance category that I am going to recommend today. I really enjoyed this book and I did. I read this and I also read Practice Makes Perfect on a beach in Hawaii. So they were the perfect vacation beach palette, cleanser romance reads.
Kristen Bahls:And this one is called You With a View by Jessica Joyce. And it's actually Jessica's debut novel and this one definitely has a mid to higher spice level. I would say it's closer to how the Ali Hazelwood not quite, but you do get some detail. So just kind of keep keep that in mind. But basically what happens is the main character, she's grieving the loss of her grandmother and she finds this old photo of her and an unidentified man that is not her grandfather, and so she uses social media. Basically their off-brand, equivalent to Tik-Tok and she finds the identity of the mystery man. And when she goes to meet him in person, because they schedule a meeting time so she can find out more about him and just hear more stories about her grandmother she discovers that his grandson is none other than her high school nemesis and all chaos ensues. And this was a really fun read. Just the banter between them is worth it alone and I really enjoyed this book. It will pull at your heart strings. There's a lot of witty banter in there. I also think that this one could be adapted into a rom-com. I really enjoyed it and it's just very quick wit. So for her debut novel, Jessica Joyce really knocked this one out of the park and I really enjoyed
Kristen Bahls:You With a View. I would say I don't know. I've read a lot of good books this year, so I hate to make a sweeping statement like this, but I really think that I don't know. I'm kind of torn between Practice Makes Perfect, You With a View and the Cheat Sheet for, like my top three romance novels of the year. I mean, I really enjoyed them and the plot was great, the writing was great, they just really had a good flow. So I cannot recommend those enough. But if you were tired of hearing me talk about romance books which that's fair, very fair. Then I'm going to move on to some mystery slash thrillers.
Kristen Bahls:And the first one that I'm going to start with and this one actually had pretty iffy reviews. People either loved it or they did not very, very mixed reviews. And I honestly almost didn't pick it up because I just wasn't sure if I was going to like it. But this is one of the few that I did grab from the library, and this was The Only One Left by Riley Sager. And with Riley Sager's books I do like a lot of his books, but I don't know, sometimes I feel like they can kind of be a hit or a miss for me, and maybe that's just because he does tell a lot of different types of plots. It's either something I'm interested in or maybe something that I'm not. So I do really like his books most of the time, but you know, sometimes there can be kind of ehh, I walk away going. Hmm, did I love this as some others? I don't know. So anyway, between that and the mixed reviews, I really almost was not going to pick up this book at all. But I am so glad that I decided to, because I really enjoyed this book and and I haven't read a lot of mystery thrillers this year. So again, this is kind of a sweeping statement, but I would say that this is probably one of my favorite thrillers that I've read this year keyword this year, but still really really good.
Kristen Bahls:So basically, what happens in this book, plot synopsis for you. Is that this in-home care worker, she's fired after the death of a patient who she is suspected of murdering and and according according to the detectives who think that she's guilty, but she was not arrested because, of course, there was not enough evidence. So she was fired and basically she's forced to move in with her dad, move back home and they have a rocky relationship for sure. But basically she has to pretty much take any job that she can because she doesn't have a lot of options right now because obviously, after an in-home caregiver is suspected of murdering, suspected, accused of murdering their own patient, that's not going to go very well for them for future job prospects. So, basically, even her dad seems to think that she was involved with this murder. So no one trusts her and she's living at home. So basically, when this job at a creepy house with a murderous past is available, she's pretty much forced to take it. Her boss is like you're, yeah, you're gonna have to take that. And she is actually forced to take care of an alleged murderer in this murder house who she ends up bonding with and she's trying to figure out what really happened.
Kristen Bahls:And I will say this book is full of twists. Like there was one twist, I went, okay, that's, that's the twist of the novel. And then, nope, one more twist. I'm like, okay, okay, those are the two twists of the novel. Nope, there was another twist. So there are a lot of like. I think the whole deal honestly with Riley Sager's books, whenever I've read some of his, is that he does include, like, some big twist, but then he'll also include some little twists, and so some things you can kind of see happening. But because he has multiple twists, there's always going to be something that surprises you. And I really enjoyed this book and I also read it pretty quickly. It was one that I could not put down. So I appreciate Riley Sager for helping me get out of my thriller slump that I was in. This book I would highly recommend if you're looking for a good mystery thriller and especially if it is kind of, you know, like closer to Halloween, fall, cold, colder season, I think that this would fit really well.
Kristen Bahls:The next book it's been a bit since I've read this, which also, side note, that makes it kind of hard whenever I'm trying to rank books. You know you read it a while ago so you feel like it's not maybe as fresh in your memory. So anyway, with this one, this was one of my favorites when I read it. But to be fair, I read this in a hotel when I was by myself and there was like I was on a work trip and there was just like nothing on TV and I really needed a good book to read and thank goodness I brought this in my suitcase and I was enthralled and read it in a couple days. But I do feel like that could possibly affect how much I loved it because it was my only form of entertainment. But, all that aside, I would highly recommend The It Girl by Ruth Ware and, for reference, I do really enjoy Ruth Ware novels and I just think that with her it's just the overall atmosphere that she creates in her books. I have not read her latest book. It's called zero, something I'm kind of blanking on the title right now, but I haven't read that one. But this one, The It Girl, I would highly, highly, highly recommend.
Kristen Bahls:This one also has pretty mixed reviews. I feel like thrillers and mystery novels they just tend to have more of a mixed review because of course some people are gonna like it or not, or some people are gonna guess the twist at the end or not, and I feel like all that just kind of decides on whether you like it or not. But for this one I really, really loved it and I will say that she just creates an atmosphere that is fallish. It's dark, it's dark academia and that's what this book really creates.
Kristen Bahls:It all takes place at Oxford University and she really leans into that. So basically, the main character her name is Hannah, so she had this roommate, April, at Oxford when she was there for college who actually was murdered when they were in college and she thought that they knew who committed the murder. But basically what happens is when he dies in prison, there's this reporter that has evidence that maybe he was innocent and it starts to make her question everything. And Hannah, at this point, is pregnant. She, I think she's engaged. I'm pretty sure she's not married yet. I think it's like right before her wedding, or maybe she's married now, I can't remember. But anyway she has her whole life ahead of her. You know she's definitely moved on. But she ends up deciding to go back to the college to try to see if she can just figure out anything. And figure what she saw. Because basically she was the witness that saw the man that was ultimately convicted. So the guilt is getting to her that it's her fault that he was in prison, you know, falsely accused, and spent his life and died in prison. So there's just a lot of stakes with that. So she's just not really sure. And there are also some twisty turns, of course, cuz you know it's a thriller, and she starts stirring everything up and finding out new facts about the case and the night that April died, and so you get to kind of follow along with her and find out all these different things.
Kristen Bahls:And I'm really trying not to spoil anything. So I can't tell you more, but I would say read this book, read it. And Something about me that you should know is that I really do not reread books. I I don't want to reread something. If I've already read it, I've read it. Like if I've read it, I'm okay with getting rid of it. I mean I don't even really have a bookshelf, because if I get a book and I'm done with it, I just have no desire to put it back on the shelf or keep it. I do not read to need to reread a book. So I would like to say that I would consider rereading this book, which is huge for me. So I really enjoyed The It Girl and I highly highly recommend it.
Kristen Bahls:Next up on my mystery and thriller list is The Child Finder by Renee Denfield. And I don't know that this has quite the same popularity, as you know, like a Riley Sager or a Ruth Ware book would. But I really enjoyed this book. But I would like to say it is very dark. This book is very dark and a child's missing. So I would like to give you a trigger warning that basically it's really dark as she's trying to solve the mystery and the detective she's trying to figure out, like what happened to the child. So she's kind of thinking through all these different scenarios of what could have happened and so there is a lot of talk about like children and murder kind of together. So just keep that in mind. That is a trigger warning. This book does get pretty dark, but it's really good.
Kristen Bahls:So for my plot synopsis, Chloe is a private investigator I said detective. She's a private investigator and she's known for her ability to find missing children, and she was actually a missing child when she was younger, so she can definitely relate to them on a completely different level. This family hires her to find their daughter who's been missing for three years, and as she starts working on this case, her own past starts to really catch up with her and you know. She, it brings back a lot of memories and it really could unveil some traumatic events from her own kidnapping when she was a missing girl that still to this day had not been solved. So there you go. I would highly recommend this book. Definitely go and try it. Seriously it's. It's a really good one. But just keep in mind it is pretty dark. So this is definitely more of a dark, dark thriller.
Kristen Bahls:Up next is from a series. So this one is called The Echo Killing and it's by Christi Daugherty and it is so good. So this is the first book in the Harper McClain series and I don't know that the Harper McClain series is all that popular, so I just want to explain it a little bit. Harper is a reporter and so far there are three books in this series and I'm really really hoping that Christi is writing another book, but I'm kind of slightly devastated that I don't think she is based on my Google search, it did not seem like she's working on another book actively. But I'm really hoping that I'm wrong and then she is working on another one in this series because, oh my gosh, I just am in love with these characters and they are really great.
Kristen Bahls:This book is just really unique and it's really really different. It just grabbed me right away and I'll tell you a little bit more about it and you'll see. It's just like the atmosphere, the plot, her career I really love it all. But of course you know I am a little bit biased because she is a reporter who's on a crime beat and I was instantly hooked by that because, if you didn't know, my degree is in broadcast journalism and so I love being able to relate to anything or someone trying to capture the latest story, and it is very, an accurate portrayal of a reporter. And she is a, yeah, she's a television reporter. For a second there, wait now. Now I'm blanking. Is she a television reporter? I'm pretty sure it's television. Yeah, I'm almost positive, it's television on the crime beat. Wait a minute. Hmm, oh no, now I'm trying to think. And actually she may be. She may be a print journalist and she just interacts with a lot of TV reporters, can you tell? It's been a while since I've read these books and I was just talking about how I don't reread books and, honestly, maybe that is a sign that I need to reread this one, but anyway.
Kristen Bahls:So this is off track, off topic. Here's the actual plot synopsis of what happens in The Echo Killing. So basically, Harper is reporting on a case and this case has some eerie similarities to her own mother's murder when she was 12. So again, I clearly, like whenever something traumatic has happened to the private investigator, reporter, detective that has to try to figure it out. I think it does add another layer of depth in the novel which I do really appreciate. And basically it's this whole whirlwind ride as she's reporting, as Harper's reporting on the case and trying to help the detectives.
Kristen Bahls:And did I mention that this entire book, the entire series, actually takes place in Savannah, Georgia, and Daugherty's beautiful writing just really had me picturing this atmosphere. It's very moody and dark and pretty and southern and I love it. I think this was probably my favorite in the series of hers, but I can't recommend the entire series enough. I think the second book was the only one that lulled a little bit for me. But I would highly recommend, if you want a new series to latch on to, Harper McClain, The Echo Killing, start with that. It is really really good. So I can't recommend that enough. And then the last book in my mystery or thriller genre section is The Last to Finish, by Megan Miranda, and I will also say that I tend to like Megan Miranda's books. I just like her style of writing and I find most of them pretty interesting. So normally if I see something is from you know, like Riley Sager, Megan Miranda, Ruth Ware, I am more likely to pick up those books. So I've read a lot of that. Or Lisa Jewell I also like Lisa Jewell. Those are kind of the authors that I really tend to and this one I really enjoyed.
Kristen Bahls:It's been a while since I read it so I don't have character names for you, but in this book, basically, a journalist goes missing as he is reporting on a case, on a string of kidnapping cases that have happened in the area over the last couple of years. Have you since the journalism theme yet? I really do gravitate towards books with any kind of journalism, broadcast, print theme or podcast. I would take a podcaster, anyway. So the main character, Abby, she works at the local inn. Oh, I do have a character name. See, my research is better than I thought. So, anyway, Abby works at the local inn and she and some of the others. Sorry, she works at the local inn where the journalist that went missing and some of the others who are missing were last seen. So they were all kind of last seen in like similar places and this is all. Either they were staying at the inn or it's around the inn. And so, basically, the journalist's brother he comes back, his name's Trey, he shows up to try to figure out what happened to his brother and he actually stays in the room that the journalist was in before he disappeared. So basically, he and Abby uncover some things and there are a bunch of twists that ensue as they try to solve this mystery and figure out, not only what happened to his brother, but also what happened to all of the other kidnapped victims.
Kristen Bahls:And I will say that this is just one of my favorite Megan Miranda books I've read so far. I haven't read every book from her, but I really appreciated it. It was just the plot kept going, going, going and it was always kind of leaving you little seeds of doubt, to where you couldn't really yell if you could trust any of the characters. And I really appreciated it because it was just a very unique setting and it was. Was at this kind of creepy inn. So I appreciated that and I think it had a lot of like snowy atmospheres. So it definitely would be a good winter read, and I will say that sometimes her books can start a little bit slow. So I feel like it's either she writes something that's a huge hit to me or it kind of flops, but I would say that this one is definitely a hit. If you're looking for a good winter thriller read. The Last to Finish by Megan Miranda is great. If you've already read One by One by Ruth Ware, then this is a really good follow-up if you're still looking for, like a creepy winter thriller, for sure.
Kristen Bahls:And now I am going to tell you some books that for me, did not live up to the hype. But I don't want to, just you know, throw a book under the bus, say it's not good and then not give you an alternative. So I did provide an alternative, and most of these are actually authors that I have read a lot of books by before. If that makes sense grammatically, I don't know, but anyway. So I did give you some alternatives by the same author, and this is not to say that I dislike any of these authors at all. I have read good books by almost almost all of them. So I'm just giving you an alternative of what I think would be a better book by that author. So if you're looking on that Overdrive or Libby app, or if you're in a bookstore, you know which book that I would possibly say to skip, and I'm even giving you an alternative of one that I think you should pick up.
Kristen Bahls:So one that was slightly disappointing for me was One Of Us Is Back by Karen McManus. I would recommend The Cousins by Karen McManus. That book is fantastic. So if you're looking for a Karen McManus novel. I would stick with something like The Cousins instead of One Of Us Is Back. This book just really didn't grip me. It felt like it had a really slow start. And keep in mind, this is the third novel in the One Of Us Is Lying series. I liked One Of Us Is Lying and I liked the second book, I think the best. But this one, One Of Us Was Back. It felt like she was kind of just writing a novel for the sake of writing a novel to continue these characters arcs. And I mean again, I did read it all the way through. I finished it, I enjoyed it when I got closer to the end. So I'm not gonna say I hated it by any means, it just really was pretty slow and it was okay. So this is one that I would almost consider like getting from the library and not spending your own money on. So that way, if you don't love it or you don't want to finish it, then you can just put it down because it was. It was pretty so so for me. So not recommending One Of Us Is Back. Just just read The Cousins instead. That one was way better. I liked it a lot.
Kristen Bahls:Next up this pains me because it is by one of my favorite authors and I don't know. This one, I'm probably the least sure about saying it didn't live up to the hype, because I did really enjoy it. It's just it took me about halfway through to get to that place and normally with her books I am hooked almost instantaneously. So for me I just felt like it wasn't quite as strong as her other novels. But I am in no way saying that this is a bad book, and if I were to rate all of Katherine Center's books I would not put this that low on the list.
Kristen Bahls:So all that to say is that I do kind of feel like Hello Stranger by Katherine Center did not fully live up to the hype. I would say an alternative that's better is The Bodyguard, which is incredible, or Things You Save in a Fire, which is also incredible, and in Things You Save in Fire, both are by Katherine Center, but in the fire one it's actually a female firefighter and I do really like that plotline and of course The Bodyguard is fantastic as well. So really I would suggest those over Hello Stranger. But I'm not saying don't give Hello Stranger a chance, it's just it started pretty slow and it really just took a bit to get going, like I said, by kind of the middle/end I would say I enjoyed it. But I just felt like I was reading it because it was a Katherine Center novel and and not because I loved it and maybe there's just something about the kind of storyline that didn't grip me, and also it could be because it was slightly depressing in the beginning because of the storyline. She gets in this accident and has this injury and so she kind of loses hope for a little bit and it felt like that went on a little bit long and it was just kind of hard to get into and I felt so bad for her that I almost didn't enjoy reading the first half. If that makes sense, until she kind of got a little bit more hope. So just throwing that one out there, yeah, I felt like the plot description when I was reading, like the back jacket cover made it sound more interesting than what it actually was. It just felt like it took a while to get there for me. So not my favorite book by Katherine Center, but I really enjoy her writing in general. So I would say if you're looking for an absolute knockout I would say Bodyguard or Things You Save in a Fire, but Hello, Stranger may be there for you too. Okay, another thriller mystery writer that I really enjoy is Rachel Hawkins. I do tend to like her books.
Kristen Bahls:The Villa was not a favorite of mine. You know, I forget that I can like put a book down. But at a certain point, when I'm at page like 150 or 200, I feel like I'm just gonna see it through, and that's kind of what I did with the Villa. I could have, I could have put it down, but I just didn't because I wanted to see how it ended. But it really wasn't that great. So for Rachel Hawkins I would recommend Reckless Girls. Reckless Girls was fantastic. Or the Wife Upstairs I enjoyed that one too. Both of those are by Rachel.
Kristen Bahls:I would pick those over The Villa, and I think it might just be the plot line. I don't know. I really just couldn't get into this book and I really think it's the plot. I mean, there are some decent twists, so I will give it that and basically what would happen in this is it would switch narratives right as it was getting good. So right as one was even semi-interesting and made me want to actually turn the page. Then she would switch and I get the whole purpose of that. You know you have to keep it going, but I really wasn't that interested at all, honestly, in any of the past sections, like the past part of the house before the murder even actually happened. That just wasn't very interesting to me. It felt like that went on way too long and it was just kind of bland. And I get that you do need that to like ultimately understand. You know the history of the house and the backstory of the Villa which the whole story is about, but I just really I don't know. I feel like I almost could have done without any of the flashbacks, maybe just keeping it in the present and I don't know. Like she found a diary that she was reading from, so maybe if it was just something that was less detailed than the diary or the diary entries were shorter, because that's what just really lost it for me. So I would not recommend The Villa but check out Reckless Girls or The Wife Upstairs. Those were better Rachel Hawkins books for me personally. And then the last book,
Kristen Bahls:this is the first time I've actually read this author, so I do not have any other suggestions by her specifically, but I was not impressed with The Heartbreaker by Hannah Grace, and it's a pretty popular book. I feel like it has gotten a lot of hype. But this is the only book that I actually DNF'd and if you don't know what that means, it's do not finish. Or I did not finish. I did not finish this one, I closed it. Did I even get halfway? I don't know that I could and I just I couldn't do it anymore. I put it down. But that's not to say that you won't like it. And I'm sure if I read other books by Hannah Grace I would like her other books, but this one, I don't know. I just was not a fan. So my alternatives are Alli Hazelwood and I would say the Love Hypothesis or Love Theoretically would be my two that I would suggest instead of The Heartbreaker. And basically the reason that I did not finish this, I mean, there were a lot of reasons, but I would say that this is really like I would say that this is past Alli Hazelwood on the spice scale.
Kristen Bahls:It was just plain explicit, constantly. And that's not the only reason I didn't finish it, because honestly, I just did not like any of the characters. So it was explicit, I didn't like any of the characters and they were just so immature and it's fair, their college kids, but I don't know, I just didn't like any of them and I just could not get into this book. And I really kept trying because I knew it had been so hyped up and I thought that I could get into it, but I couldn't. The characters are all so immature and the storyline was eh, and it was just not worth it for me. So I did not finish this one, I put it down and I couldn't take it anymore. But again, we're all so different. Our preferences are so different.
Kristen Bahls:This may be exactly what you're looking for in a book, and it just wasn't for me. So if you love all the things that I just said that I didn't like about it, then this might be for you. If the idea of reading a book about college kids sounds really interesting and you like a lot of spice, then I would definitely recommend it for you. If it's not your thing, then, eh, or you could give it a try. These are the kind of books. Really,
Kristen Bahls:all of these books on my didn't live up to the hype list. I would suggest those are the ones that you want to get from the library. So that way, you know, you're not spending your own money on books. Because I had this whole like curse going on where basically every time I would buy a book, I would not like it, and even if it was like highly recommended, or I poured over the ratings before I spent my own money on it it was like as soon as I spent my own money on it I did not like the book. And so that's why I really started getting into the library before the traffic got bad and I couldn't drive there easily.
Kristen Bahls:So all that to say. So these are the kind of books that you would just really want to get from the library, not spend your own money on. Maybe borrow from a friend if they already have it. And yeah, just pick, pick one of the better alternatives if you're looking for a novel that's really going to pack a punch. And I gave you quite a list. So you can definitely look at the show notes below and I will have all of the books listed and linked so that way you can see which ones you actually want to add to your TBR list and let me know if you pick up any of them and what you think. Your opinions may be the same as mine. We may be totally different, but that's okay. We all have our own book preferences and tune in next time when I'm going to talk about a specific author and kind of give them an author spotlight. So that's it for today on The Overdressed Teachers podcast. I'll see you next time.