Book Tasting in Preparation for December!

Hi Guys!  In preparation for December's reading ambitions, my BFF @springjoy and I decided to do a little Book Tasting adventure where we choose a number of new books, read the synopses and decide if we're interested in adding them to the TBR pile.  I was originally going to only do twelve books, but I ended up doing twenty because I wanted my Book Tasting journal page to look a certain way.  👀

Without further ado, here's my personal Book Tasting journal page.  (I do not claim ownership of any of the individual images used to decorate it.)  Below,  I will go into a bit more detail about what each book is about and why I did or did not add it to my TBR.

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Yes.   I chose to add this to my TBR because it is classic fiction and I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read it yet.  Have I enjoyed every classic I've ever read?  No.  Will I enjoy this one,  maybe?  I love Pride & Prejudice.  I guess we will find out.  I will keep you posted.
2. The Love of my Life by Rosie Walsh. No.  In a nutshell, the female protagonist has a mysterious past which catches up to her.  I chose not to prioritize this title, because it didn't sound very interesting.  It made me think of the movie Safe Haven, and although I did enjoy that movie, I am not sure I'm ready for yet another book of this particular flavor.  Maybe some other time.
3. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. Maybe.  I'm intrigued by the premise of this book, and possibly swayed by the fact it's so overwhelmingly popular on social media, but I'm not entirely sold, probably because it's not a genre I'm used to reading.  Still, the premise of a mysterious girl working for a wealthy family in a situation where we can't quite tell immediately who is keeping secrets from who... is a bit intriguing.
4. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. No.  An older married woman has an affair with her childhood sweetheart and then gets to figure out what she's going to do next.  I'm sure this book is interesting, but it's so far outside my usual reading choices that I'm not that interested right now.
5. The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea.  Maybe.  Two girls get kidnapped and one escapes, but what has happened to the second girl?  Not going to lie, I really want to find out. 
6. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. No. Historical fiction about two young girls who are stolen from their poor family and sold to rich people who want children.  I'm sure this is a good book, but I've got other things I'm more interested in reading right now.
7. Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. No.  I read the synopsis and it sounds like this book is basically a historical fiction slash murder mystery that is possibly touching on topics like racism and inequality.  I honestly wasn't sure.  If you've read it, let me know what you thought of it in the comments.  What is it about?  Worth reading?
8. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. No.  A podcaster gets way too close to her subject and finds out lots of lies are being told and she isn't who she seems to be.  Just doesn't sound all that interesting to me right now.
9. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. Yes.  She's a housewife.  I'm a housewife.  She seemingly has the perfect life but does she?  Things aren't what they seem.  I'm intrigued.
10. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods.  Yes.  This could be a terrible book, but it literally does not matter because it's about a bookshop.  Plus there's tantalizing hints at some sort of Alice in Wonderland scenario.  I am into that.  I'll let you know if it lives up to all my hopes and dreams.
11. Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover.  No.  Crushed dreams lead to a stay with mystery dad and a fling with one of dad's neighbors.  I am just not that into it.
12. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister.  Yes.  A young man's mom has some sort of vision and knows he's going to commit a murder and she is able to rifle back through time to sort out what went wrong in his childhood that leads up to this moment.  Sounds interesting to me.
13. Forever Never by Lucy Score.  Maybe.  From what I read, this is a enemies to lovers slash forbidden love romance.  I don't read this genre often.  I'll consider it.
14. Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea.  Maybe.  I just realized this is the second book by this author in this list.  This story is about an investigative reporter attempting to solve a twenty year old murder in efforts to clear her dead sister's name.  Could be interesting.  
15. Trust by Hernan Diaz. No. 1920s. Wealthy people problems.  That's all I got out of the synopsis.  Feel free to comment below if you can do better.  It didn't sound interesting to me, but I'm open to persuasion.
16. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell.  Maybe.  This is the second Lisa Jewell book in this list.  This one is a missing teenage girl mystery.  Might give it a go at some point.
17. The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose.  Maybe.  An attorney defends her cheating husband who is accused of murdering his mistress.  I am not entirely certain this is my cup of tea but I am lightly intrigued with the plot premise.  I want to know if she killed the mistress.
18. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. No.  Don't hate me.  It just sounds utterly boring to me.  You can't make me read this.
19. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. Yes.  Woman is living a perfect life and then shoots her husband in the face and goes quiet.  I want to know more.
20. Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah. Maybe.  A mystery kid shows up and brings people together while seeming way too mature for their age?  Could be fun.  I'll think about it.

 

That's it guys!  I hope this list was interesting and informative.  I'll let you know how the reading road goes.  xx