Hey y'all! I'm Morgan, your resident book lover, and I'm back with more recommendations for you! My TBR (To Be Read) list grows every week, and I want yours to do the same.
Morgan Murrell
I love to read a mix of physical books and audiobooks, ranging from recently released novels to the ones I told myself I was going to read multiple times and finally bit the bullet on.
Here are some good reads that would make a great addition to your bookshelves:
1. Thieves' Gambit series by Kayvion Lewis
Genres: YA Mystery, Romance
Synopsis: Ross Quest comes from a family of thieves and con artists. At just 17, she's conspired a plan to run away from home and start new. But her plans for the future take an unexpected turn when her mom gets kidnapped. This prompts Ross to sign up for the Thieves' Gambit, a series of dangerous international heists. The ultimate prize: a granted wish for literally anything in the world.
When Ross discovers her biggest competition is her childhood nemesis and her smooth-talking crush, she realizes winning the Gambit will take more than a good lie. The stakes are high, and nothing is what it seems.
*The second book in the series, Heist Royale , was released this year and was equally as good.
Nancy Paulsen Books / Penguin Random House More 2. The Undercurrent by Sarah Sawyer
Genres: Mystery, Psychological Thriller
Synopsis: Bee is a new mom living with postpartum depression in Portland, Maine. The life she once knew in Austin, Texas has become a distant memory, until her childhood crush, Leo, and her estranged twin Gus’s best friend resurfaces, bringing back a troubled past she thought was behind her. She's pushed to return to her hometown to piece together a tragedy that shattered a community.
It's 2011 and Deecie Jeffries’ missing person's case still hasn't been solved. Bee becomes obsessed with solving the crime that rocked her world in Austin years ago and exploring the buried secrets of the families involved.
Zibby Books More 3. We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
Genres: YA, LGBTQ
Synopsis: Openly gay Avery Anderson, 17, is uprooted from the life she knows in DC when her family moves to her mother's hometown of Bardell, Georgia to take care of Avery's terminally-ill grandmother, Mama Letty. Avery's mom and Mama Letty have never had the best relationship, so the home is filled with tension when they arrive. To make matters worse, whenever Avery attempts to look deeper into what drove them apart, she's turned away.
Looking for a sense of normalcy after leaving her friends back in DC, Avery soon forms a friendship with Mama Letty's next-door neighbor Simone Cole and Jade Oliver, the daughter of a prominent family in town. As the girls grow closer, they soon learn deep secrets about their past and the way it shaped their present-day lives.
Macmillan Publishers More 4. Dirty Diana by Jen Besser and Shana Feste
Genres: Contemporary Literature, Romance
Synopsis: Diana Wood is a married mother of one living in Dallas, Texas. She and her husband, Oliver, are what you call in "married love," which is different from being in love love. Despite how much time they spend together, Diana and Oliver haven't been intimate in months. She was becoming restless...eager to feel something...anything.
A trip to Santa Fe to visit an old friend is just the change of scenery Diana needs to clear her head. She soon remembers the creative, spontaneous, and sensual woman she used to be, especially when she had a passionate love affair with a photographer named Jasper. When Diana returns to Dallas feeling refreshed and invigorated, she begins interviewing women about their secret desires as she captures their essence on an easel. Will learning about these women's fantasies encourage her to explore her own? And will they impact the safe life she's already built?
Dial Press Trade / Penguin Random House More 5. Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby
Genres: Thriller, Noir
Synopsis: To most, Beauregard "Bug" Montage is known as a doting husband, father, and honest car mechanic. But to those who really know him, Bug was regarded as one of the best getaway drivers on the East Coast...just like his father, who disappeared years ago. After running into financial troubles, Bug re-enters the world he promised to leave behind by offering to be the getaway driver in an elaborate diamond heist. But when the job goes horribly wrong, everything and everyone he's worked so hard to protect is in jeopardy. He'll stop at nothing to make things right.
Macmillan Publishers More 6. Bluebird Day by Megan Tady
Genres: Contemporary, Chick-Lit
Synopsis: Mother-daughter skiing champs Claudine and Wylie Potts have their gold medal dreams cut short when a fall forces Claudine to retire. Wylie's debilitating anxiety sends her off the slopes. They have a falling out, causing them to lose contact with each other for years. Claudine moved to Oregon, got married, and became a star CycleTron instructor with a prominent following of cyclists, while Wylie is training on the East Coast for a fitness competition in Berlin with her boyfriend. But when he unexpectedly drops out, Wylie is forced to ask her mom to fill in for him. She agrees, but under one condition: They stop in Switzerland to catch up and take care of some family business. Unfortunately, deep secrets might mess up their happy reunion.
Zibby Books More 7. Exposure by Ava Dellaira
Genres: Contemporary Literature, Romance
Synopsis: "One night, two people, four sides of a story."
In 2004, a white college freshman named Juliette Marker, and Noah King, a Black high school senior, meet for a night out after learning they were once in class together. The night leads to them sharing a night together in bed.
Twelve years later, Noah has finally made his dreams come true by getting one of his screenplays adapted into a Hollywood movie. Things were starting to look up for him and his family. His beloved wife Jesse, a successful writer herself, just welcomed a baby. But that dream is quickly cut short as Juliette's best friend, Annie, in the throes of grief, threatens to blow up the life Noah worked so hard to leave behind.
Told from the POV of Juliette, Noah, Annie, and Jesse, spanning decades, the book explores complicated relationships and the various ways we perceive the same situation.
Zibby Books More 8. Spells to Forget Us by Aislinn Brophy
Genres: YA Fantasy, LGBTQ
Synopsis: "Fate brought them together. Magic made them strangers."
Luna is a powerful witch known for her skills and hot temper. She's set to take over her family's legacy as the head of the Boston Witch Council — a position she doesn't want.
Aoife is a non-magical girl who's grown up in the public eye due to the success of her influencer family. What she craves more than anything is privacy, but with her family's reputation, she doubts she'll ever get it.
Both struggling to stray away from their family's preconceived notions about their futures, Luna and Aoife find each other and begin dating. As decreed by law, Luna casts a spell to ensure Aoife will forget any memories of them together if they ever break up. But when their relationship ends, they both end up forgetting. Well, until they meet each other again, and fall for each other once more, recovering the memories of their last relationship. Despite the universe trying to pull them apart, will they find their way back time and time again?
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers / Penguin Random House More 9. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Genres: Domestic Thriller, Romance
Synopsis: Richard and Vanessa seemed like a fairytale married couple. They initially bonded over their traumatic childhoods, feeling a deep connection with each other. But after years of relentlessly trying to conceive, their picture-perfect relationship took a turn for the worst, with constant arguments and disputes to follow. They eventually divorce, but Vanessa is still healing from the heartbreak. Trying to find ways to pass the time, she begins stalking Richard's new, much younger love interest. Is Vanessa being excessive, or is Richard more at fault than we realize? Assume nothing.
St. Martin's Press / Macmillian Publishers More 10. Pictures of You by Emmy Grey
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis: When Evie wakes up, she finds herself in an unfamiliar hospital room, thinking she must've had a little too much fun at a teenage party with her best friend, Bree. The reality is, high school was years ago and Bree isn't around anymore. She had survived a car crash that killed her husband Oliver, who she also doesn't remember. Suffering from a traumatic brain injury and memory loss, Evie must find a way to put the pieces of her life back together.
Drew, a budding young photographer, meets Evie and soon unravels the elusive details of her marriage and her husband's death. Secrets soon come to light, which could ultimately destroy both of their lives. Will this second-chance romance be what Evie needs or just another thing she'll forget?
Zibby Books More 11. The Trap by Ava Glass
Genres: Suspense, Thriller
Synopsis: Emma Makepeace is trying to do just that: make peace. She works as a British spy, and her most recent job has her racing against time to stop Russian criminals from carrying out a high-profile assassination. The only issue is she has no idea who the target is. With just a week to stop the killers, will she save the mystery victim(s) in time?
Bantam / Penguin Random House More 12. Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
Genres: LGBTQ, Contemporary
Synopsis: Greta spends her days transcribing therapy sessions for a sex coach who refers to himself as Om. She quickly becomes infatuated with one of Om's new clients — a repressed married woman who she elusively calls Big Swiss. Greta randomly runs into Big Swiss in town, and the two quickly strike up a friendship. Big Swiss is unaware that Greta has been listening to some of her deepest and darkest secrets, but that doesn't stop their relationship from blossoming. Greta has never felt more herself with another person, and she'll do anything to keep that bond alive.
Scribner More 13. A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
Genres: Romance, Magical Realism
Synopsis: " Leap years are a strange, enchanted time. And for some, even a single February can be life-changing."
Ricki Wilde has always felt like an outcast in her family. She's outspoken, artistic, and impulsive...the complete opposite of her famous socialite sisters. While their family has built a funeral home dynasty in Atlanta, Ricki has big dreams of opening a flower shop far away from Georgia.
So, when an older woman named Ms. Della offers her the opportunity to rent the bottom floor of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the idea of turning her dreams into a reality. Ricki's world is turned upside down when she runs into a stranger who completely alters her brain chemistry in the most unexpected way.
Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Book Group More 14. Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
Genres: YA Mystery, Thriller
Synopsis: The latest from the author of One of Us Is Lying , McManus is now giving fans a tale of a mother-daughter duo ready to take on their final con-job. For the majority of Kat's life, it's always been just her and her mother Jamie...well, except for the two days she was married and Kat had a stepbrother named Liam. Kat hasn't seen or spoken to Liam since the nasty divorce.
For their final job, Jamie, who has a knack for swiping jewels, has her eyes set on conducting a heist at billionaire Ross Sutherland's compound for his birthday weekend. Well, it turns out that two other people were looking to swindle the man that weekend as well. Jamie's scammer ex-husband and his son Liam want in, too. But when Ross is unexpectedly killed, Kat and Liam become the killer's new target. Kat and Liam soon learn they can't trust anyone and they'll have to do what they do best — lie.
Delacorte Press / Penguin Random House More 15. Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh
Genres: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
Synopsis: Set in New York City, two strangers, Amanda and Wendy, meet by chance one night and decide to have drinks. They soon realize they have more in common with each other than they could've ever realized, particularly an urge to seek revenge for the men who destroyed their families. By the end of the night, they come up with a plan: If you kill for me, I'll kill for you.
In a different part of the city, Ruth is the victim of a home invasion in the brownstone she shares with her husband Scott. All she can remember about the robber is his piercing blue eyes.
See how the various storylines intertwine.
Atria Books / Simon & Schuster More 16. The Puzzle Box by Danielle Trussoni
Genres: Thriller, Historical Fiction
Synopsis: Every 12 years, in the Year of the Dragon, the Imperial family holds a contest to open the legendary Dragon Box. Emperor Meiji locked a secret in the Dragon Box, and only two people knew how to open it — Meiji and the box's sadistic constructor — and both of them died before telling anyone what was inside or how to open it. It's extremely difficult, filled with traps, tricks, poisons, and mind-bending twists. In fact, every puzzle master who has tried to open it has died.
Well, Mike Brink has been invited to Tokyo to participate in the contest. Although he's not really into puzzles, he is clever, and he might be the only person in the world capable of completing the mission. His biggest challenge: his competition — two sisters, descendants of a samurai clan, who will do anything to claim the treasure.
Penguin Random House More 17. Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal
Genres: YA, Contemporary (This novel discusses eating disorders and mental health)
Synopsis: Although she hasn't fully accepted the fact that she has an eating disorder, Evie has been admitted into an inpatient treatment facility. Looking to gain control of her life, her days were now filled with scheduled therapy sessions and monitored meals. But with the help of caregivers and peers, who were suffering from their own disordered eating battles, she learned to love herself again.
Rocky Pond Books / Penguin Random House More 18. The Better Sister by Alafair Burke
Genres: Domestic Thriller, Mystery
Synopsis: Sisters Chloe and Nicky Taylor were always so different from each other. Chloe was ambitious, hardworking, and responsible, while Nicky was spontaneous, carefree, and reckless. After high school, Chloe landed a scholarship to an Ivy League school and moved to NYC, where she landed a lucrative job in publishing. Party girl Nicky married a promising young attorney named Adam Macintosh, and they later had a son named Ethan.
Fifteen years later, the sisters are still estranged, but their lives have totally changed. Chloe is now married to Adam, but when he gets murdered by an intruder in their beach house, Chloe reluctantly reaches out to Nicky to get some answers. When the police begin to look at Ethan as a suspect, Chloe and Nicky are forced to join forces while confronting the truth behind their family secrets.
Harper Collins More 19. Maame by Jessica George
Genres: Contemporary, Coming of Age
Synopsis: Maddie just wants something to go right in her life. She's the primary caregiver for her father, who suffers from an advanced stage of Parkinson's. But this is only because her overbearing mother always seems to be away in Ghana, while her brother barely comes around to help. On top of that, her love life is laughable and her career seems to be at a standstill. Well, Maddie is desperately seeking a change, so she begins to go on a journey of "firsts." Considering herself a late bloomer, she finally decides to move out of their family home and into an apartment with roommates that she doesn't know, say "yes" to more outings, take chances in her career, and enter the world of online dating as a virgin.
But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to reconcile with all of the things in her life she was attempting to move on from.
St. Martin's Press / MacMillan Publishers More 20. Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler
Genres: Romance, Contemporary Fiction
Synopsis: This story explores love, loss, and mental health themes. Adelaide Williams, 26, is living life in London, and it feels like she has just met her dream guy, a charming Englishman named Rory. As they become closer and closer and their relationship grows deeper, Adelaide is convinced that they're falling madly in love with each other. But when a devastating tragedy rocks Rory's world, Adelaide will stop at nothing to ensure he feels supported...even if she ultimately pays the cost.
St. Martin's Press / Macmillian Publishers More 21. The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
Genres: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
Synopsis: "She's looking for the perfect man. He's looking for the perfect victim."
Unlucky in love, Sydney Shaw hasn't given up on dating yet. Although she's had her fair share of men who leave her with the bill at restaurants or ones who seem to be a little too close with their mothers, Sydney finally feels like she's found the perfect match with her new boyfriend. He's a charming doctor who's been everything she's ever wanted, but there's something she can't shake.
A woman was brutally murdered — the latest in a string of deaths happening in the area by a man who dates his victims before killing them. Sydney grows more and more suspicious that the man of her dreams might be a living nightmare.
Poisoned Pen Books More 22. All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
Genres: Domestic Thriller, Suspense
Synopsis: Margot Davies was just 6 years old when her next-door neighbor and best friend January Jacobs was found dead in a ditch in their hometown of Wakarusa, Indiana. Twenty years later, Margot moved away and became a big-city journalist, but no matter how much time has passed, Margot has remained haunted by her murder. What's worse, January's killer was never caught.
When Margot returns to Wakarusa to care for her sick uncle, she discovers sometimes you have to reopen old wounds to get the answers you need. When news breaks about a 5-year-old Natalie Clark going missing in the next town over, Margot vows to solve her disappearance and seek justice for January. Are the cases connected? Could the same person be behind them? Margot goes above and beyond to find out.
Bantam / Penguin Random House More Have you read any of these books or are you interested in reading them? Let me know in the comments!
And while you're at it, tell me which books I should add to my TBR list. It's neverending and I want to keep it that way, LOL!