Arts & Entertainment
10 Books To Read This February
From Alexis Schaitkin's thrilling debut to a new Kobe Bryant biography, these are books that everyone's talking about this month.
There's no time like the present to start a good book. This month's reading list — a mix of picks from Patch staffers and Amazon editors — has thrillers, romances, memoirs and much more.
There's something for everyone, so go ahead: Treat yourself to a new book (or 10). Happy reading!
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#1 "Thief River Falls" by Brian Freeman
After the loss of her entire family, Lisa Power is a tortured shell of her former self. She hides away in her secluded home, scared of the world around her. Then, one day, a runaway boy shows up at her door. He's witnessed a brutal murder, and the police are determined to keep it covered up. Lisa becomes obsessed with the boy's safety and resolves to solve the crime. But there are powerful men in Thief River Falls who are desperate to keep the boy from sharing his story, and now they want Lisa, too. In this gripping thriller, Lisa has to figure find a way to save herself and her young visitor. If she doesn't, they may well become the victims of the next unforeseeable tragedy.
#2 "Saint X'" by Alexis Schaitkin
Claire is only 7 years old when her college-aged sister, Alison, disappears during the family vacation at a resort on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Alison's body is found several days later, and two local men — both employees at the resort — are arrested. But there isn't enough evidence, so the men are released, and Alison's death remains an unsolved mystery. Years later, Claire is living in New York City when she has a brief encounter with Clive Richardson, one of the men once suspected of killing her sister. The encounter sets Claire on an obsessive quest for the truth about what happened to Alison all those years before. She follows Clive, hoping to gain his trust, and an unlikely bond forms between them. Claire is determined to find out if Clive was actually involved in Alison's death, but she's also faced with the reality of learning what kind of person her sister really was.
#3 "When I Was You: A Thriller" by Minka Kent
After being brutally attacked, Brienne Dougray suffers from debilitating headaches and memory loss. Barely able to leave her home, she's glad she can rely on her affable new tenant, Dr. Niall Emberlin. But just as Brienne is getting comfortable in her new routine, she discovers that someone is living as her. They haven't just stolen her identity — they've assumed her same haircut, same clothes, same car. This person has even friended her family on social media. Faced with this unsettling truth, Brienne has no choice but to leave the safety of her home to hunt down this person. What she finds is disturbing, but Brienne is prepared to do anything to get her life back — if it's not already too late.
#4 "Last Day" by Luanne Rice
When Beth Lathrop and her sister Kate were children, someone stole their mother and the famous "Moonlight" painting from their home in the night. Conor Reid, the detective assigned to the case, swore to protect the siblings and solve the case. Eventually, Beth grew up to work in the art world, running the family gallery and raising a beautiful daughter with her husband, Pete. Kate became a pilot, always on the go. When Beth is found strangled in her home and "Moonlight" goes missing once again, Detective Reid is hit with overwhelming déjà vu. He immediately suspects her husband, but Pete has an airtight alibi. Kate can't make sense of it, either, and she needs to know the significance of the "Moonlight" painting. Detective Reid failed to keep Beth and Kate safe as he promised 20 years before, but now he's determined to solve this crime.
#5 "A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America" by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig
Washington Post national investigative reporter Carol Leonnig and White House bureau chief Philip Rucker interviewed countless sources throughout Washington, D.C., to piece together a gripping narrative about President Donald Trump's time in the White House. New York Times critic Dwight Garner called it a "taut and terrifying book [that] is among the most closely observed accounts of Donald J. Trump's shambolic tenure in office to date." Regardless of your personal politics, it makes for a fascinating read.
#6 "The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Novel" by Abi Daré
Adunni is a 14-year-old girl in Nigeria who desperately wants to get an education. Her mother always tells her that in order to get what she wants, she has to get a "louding voice" and speak up for herself. Adunni's father doesn't see things this way, and he sells her to be the third wife of a local man. Adunni runs away to the city hoping for a better life, but she soon discovers her only option is servitude to a wealthy family. Feeling discouraged, Adunni's voice is muffled; but when she realizes she needs to stand up for herself and for other women, she starts to find her "louding voice." No matter how she speaks up — whether it be in whispers, songs or broken English —Adunni is determined to be heard.
#7 "In the Land of Men: A Memoir" by Adrienne Miller
In the mid-90s, 22-year-old Adrienne Miller was hired as an editorial assistant at GQ magazine. She quickly learned how to survive in a man's world, and within three years, she took on the role of the magazine's first female literary editor. She was met with resistance, but she saw it as a unique moment in history. As Adrienne was finding her voice, she developed a professional and personal relationship with David Foster Wallace, the most prominent male writer of the era. In this eye-opening memoir, Adrienne looks back what she learned as a young woman learning hard lessons in what was then a man's industry.
#8 "Eden Mine: A Novel" by S.M. Hulse
The Eden Mine, Montana, home that Jo and Samuel Faber's family has owned for generations has been seized by the state through eminent domain. Jo is packing up what she can when she hears on the radio about a bombing that took place in town. Initially, she doesn't know any details about it, but she suspects something isn't quite right. The arrival of Sheriff Hawkins, a family friend to the Fabers, confirms her worries. Her brother Samuel is missing after last being seen by a security camera near where the bombing took place. This isn't the first time the Faber family has dealt with unspeakable violence, but without Samuel to confide in, Jo is lost. From the author of "Black River," this book is a timely story that examines class, faith and the things we'll do for family when things get tough.
#9 "Inappropriate" by Vi Keeland
When Ireland Saint James is fired via form letter over a private vacation video, she's understandably upset. She fires off an angry letter to the "gazillionaire CEO," giving him a piece of her mind. Much to her surprise, Grant Lexington actually responds, and the two become unlikely pan pals. Grant gets Ireland her job back, but that's just the beginning. Against her better judgment, Ireland falls for the charming man who is her boss’s boss’s boss. It's wholly inappropriate, much like the video that got her fired to begin with. She knows two wrongs don't make a right, but sometimes they do make it twice as fun. This sexy, scandalous romance will keep you hooked until the very end.
#10 "ESPN Kobe Bryant" by The Editors of ESPN
This special edition paperback is filled with stunning photographs and stories about Kobe Bryant through the years both on and off the court. It looks at the life of the "Black Mamba" as an athlete, public figure, father and more. For much more from the late star, pick up Kobe's 2018 biography "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play."
Looking for more great reads? Check out Amazon's Best Books of 2019!
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