The Perpetual Page-Turner's Best of 2019

“When Theo Faber starts his new job at the Grove, a forensic psychiatric hospital, he is determined to work with the famous painter Alicia Berenson, who allegedly murdered her husband. What follows is a tale that will grip you and keep you guessing. With the incredible voice talent of Jack Hawkins, the audiobook elicits the feeling of something very slowly creeping up your spine, and will have you gripping your seat with anxiety throughout. An expansive cast of characters populates this novel, all with intricate connections and relationships, all with dark secrets of their own, making anyone and everyone a suspect. The ending twist was so intense and so unexpected, I had to pause the narration for a moment to scream and gather myself before I could move on. I highly recommend this audiobook for anyone who wants to explore the dark and twisted corners of the human psyche.”

“Highly recommend the audiobook. It’s like being in a room with the characters telling you what it was like being in a 70’s Rock ‘n Roll band. (The books’s format is like reading a documentary script.)”

“I adore our former president and I miss him. Yet I cannot help but be ecstatic that Michelle is coming out with a book about her own life so that I can learn more about this powerful, intelligent, and singularly awesome woman. Barack would be the first to say that his wife is a superstar, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Becoming to read about her in her own words.”

“My heart ached as the teenaged protagonist Claudia struggled to make sense of why her best friend Monday is simply gone. As Claudia reaches out to peers and adults again and again, you can feel her frustration with things out of her control. The actor on the audio book was a perfect choice to narrate. The book serves as an important reminder that some adolescents are dealing with chronic or extreme circumstances that have lasting impact.”

“Does Ruth Ware keep getting better and better? Yes, she does. A down-on-her-luck protagonist, a too-good-to-be-true inheritance, and a creepy old mansion combine for a deliciously suspenseful tale. The plucky heroine, Hal, believes she’s mistakenly been identified as an heir to a great estate, but she decides to play along in the hopes of scamming a couple thousand pounds out of the situation. Once she’s arrived at the reading of the will, she quickly realizes that she is in way over her head. This is a deceptive and suspense-riddled thrill ride!”

“City of Girls is a champagne cocktail, a tonic for anything that ails you, and the summer read you can’t miss! Vivian Morris, an upper-class, 19-year-old college dropout, finds herself in the chaotic New York City theater world of the 1940s. What ensues is a story full of sex, glamour, and witty one-liners that spans decades. All those who led a heedless youth or wish they had will fall for this book about growing into the person you’ve always wanted to be. Gilbert has written a glittering piece of fiction that subtly delivers wisdom about the nature of human connection and leaves the reader braver, freer, and, at least for the moment, happier.”

“The Grace Year is a brutal, feminist gut-punch of a book that grips you tight and never lets go. Ugly crying will happen and readers are likely to get some serious lockjaw from gritting their teeth in suspense. Narrator Emily Shaffer nuanced performance of main character Tierney James is unforgettable, as she captures each little passive aggressive snipe, every accidental slip of the tongue, and all the fraught emotions that come with being a teenage girl. The comparisons to tense-reading favorites, The Handmaid's Tale and Lord of the Flies, are accurate and certainly well-earned.”