Hello Readers! Through a twist of library hold fate, I got to read two of my most anticipated backlist titles this weekend. They’ve each been out for a while but have been really difficult to get from my libraries.
First up, I read The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. This is a thriller that came out in 2019 and made tons of “best books” lists in the meantime. I went into it with very little knowledge of the plot, and I would recommend that you do the same. The basics are that you are reading about a woman who is currently residing in a mental health facility because she killed her husband several years ago and she hasn’t spoken or communicated with anyone since then. It’s an interesting thriller that was unlike anything I had ever read before, but ultimately it underwhelmed me a little. I gave this title 3 stars on Goodreads because the twist was pretty good, but the rest of the story just didn’t grip me. I also felt like it was lacking in tension-building. Obviously, this was a very well-loved book that a ton of people really enjoyed, but it’s not one that I’ll be picking up to reread. That being said, the author’s writing was clear and the twist was good enough that I will be reading his upcoming release, The Maidens. I think one of my favorite aspects of The Silent Patient involved a side plot with references to Greek tragedy, and I’ve heard that the next book leans more heavily into that theme.
The next book that I read this weekend was The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, which came out in the Fall of 2020. I would offer a trigger warning related to this book for suicidal ideation and other elements related to suicide. It is not what you would call a happy book, but I found myself wanting to underline and highlight quotes throughout the book (but I didn’t…because it’s a library book and we all know that you shouldn’t do that to library books. Right?). I will probably be purchasing a copy for myself so that I can go through and read it again while adding my own notes. The writing is lyrical and the concepts can get pretty deep into philosophy, but there wasn’t any point while I was reading this book where I felt lost. All of the events that the main character, Nora, goes through sparked empathy in me. She is a troubled young woman who has to come to grips with a lot of tough events in her life. Her regrets are numerous and overwhelming to her at times and the entire book is about her reckoning with that fact. This was a 5-star read for me and I already want to pick it back up for a re-read. If you’re a fan of sci-fi that deals with alternate timelines, I think this would be an interesting pick for you. I will be picking up Matt Haig’s backlist soon.
I hope you’ve had a productive reading weekend. Take care!
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