Smiling in Solidarity

I was going to post about all of my 5-star reads of 2024. I returned to my GoodReads only to find that I could barely remember half the books I had given five stars to. I have this issue about giving bad reviews and usually will only do so when something is truly awful.

I felt guilty about rating books as mediocre, so I didn’t. This year, I plan to keep a log of the books I read to help jog my memory when I review them here. In the meantime, I picked the most memorable books I read in 2024. Below are four books I wish I could read again for the first time. They are of varying genres and styles, but they all blew my mind in a good way. There are no spoilers, so read away!

 

A Flicker in the Dark

Stacy Willingham

Now and then, I like to palette-cleanse my reading with a good thriller. I initially hesitated about this book because I had not heard of it before, and some Goodreads reviews were a little daunting. However, this book had me enthralled from beginning to end. The story follows a young woman named Chloe whose father confessed to killing six girls when she was 12. 20 years later, she is engaged to Daniel, soon to be married, and working as a psychologist. She has a close relationship with her brother Cooper, who doesn’t support her engagement and questions Daniel’s character a few times. Their mother is in an assisted living facility after she attempted suicide, which caused medical complications, and she can no longer speak. Chloe and Cooper visit their mother often and are invested in her quality of life and care.

 

The book takes a surprising turn when two girls, a client and a girl she saw at her wedding venue, both go missing and turn up deceased. She goes on a quest to find the copycat killer, which reveals some scary truths about those she is close to. I won’t give away the ending of the book, but I will say that I was shocked to find out who murdered the two missing girls and how everything ties back to the murders her dad confessed to 12 years ago. Multiple times throughout the book, I’d have my mind set on a specific person being the new killer, but I only had it changed a chapter or two later. Usually, I’m pretty good at interpreting subtle clues in the text and figuring out who the killer is quickly, but I continue reading anyway to sort out the details. In this book, however, I was unsure until the climax when the killer is revealed and ultimately arrested.
 

 

Butcher & Blackbird

Brynne Weaver

I don’t even know how to categorize this book. Is it romance, thriller, horror? Honestly… I don’t care, this book was amazing! Blackbird and Butcher are both serial killers who “happen” to cross paths on purpose. They are more like vigilante killers who team up to remove some of the sick, twisted individuals plaguing the country. There is definitely gore and some dark themes, so steer clear if that is not your thing. I listened to a lot of this book, and the accent for the MMC was captivating. There is a lot of sexual tension, witty humor, thrill, angst, and, eventually, love. There are also some parts of the book that made it difficult to eat for a week, but it was 100% worth it.

 

The Women 

Kristin Hannah

 Kristin Hannah is known for her emotionally evocative stories, and this one did not disappoint. The Women follows a young nurse, Frankie, who serves in Vietnam. Frankie experiences the horrific reality of war firsthand as she works to heal those injured in combat. She also experiences love, friendship, heartbreak, and grief. When Frankie returns home, she exhibits symptoms of PTSD and depression. One of the most striking aspects of Frankie’s return home is her parent’s embarrassment regarding her service and how others discredit her, claiming no women served in Vietnam. I really liked how the book covered her life shortly before, during, and after the war. We got to experience all of Frankie’s raw emotions along with her, and no loose ends needed tying at the conclusion.

 

I’m Glad My Mom Died

Jenny McCartney

Jenny McCarthy discusses her upbringing and how her mother pressured her into stardom. Jenny’s mother was beautiful and believed she should have had it all, but she gave that up to be a wife and mother. Jenny’s mother resented her lifestyle, so she decided to live vicariously through Jenny. It turns out that while being a star was everything her mother ever wanted, it was actually something she abhorred. Jenny lived her life always trying to please her mother, no matter how miserable it made her. Although I’m no child star, I could relate to so many of Jenny’s struggles. I’ve dealt with a crippling need for approval and acceptance derived from the expectations of perfection I experienced in childhood. Jenny McCarthy is a well-known actress, but she is also just a person dealing with childhood trauma like the rest of us.