Last Christmas I got a Kindle Paperwhite after months of denying I would like it. I used to argue I like actually having the book in my hand, the feel of turning the page and physically being able to see how many pages I had left.

I was a little wary about starting to use the Kindle, but after two days of reading on it, I loved it. I am the type of person who likes to read before bed — it helps me fall asleep — although when I was reading paperbacks, it was annoying because I had to have a light on. Now with the Kindle Paperwhite, the digital screen allows me to read in the dark without straining my eyes.

Over the past year or so, I have read plenty of books, some great and some okay. I wanted to recommend some of the great books I’ve read to my fellow avid readers!

The Silent Patient
This psychological thriller written by Alex Michaelides follows Theo Faber, criminal psychotherapist who has been waiting a long time to work with the legendary Alicia Berenson. Alicia was a famous painter married to a popular fashion photographer. Their life seemed perfect until one night when Alicia shoots her husband and then never speaks another word. Alicia is taken into a mental hospital where she lives out her days in silence until Theo arrives to take over her therapy and is determined to get her to talk. As the days go on, the truth about the night of the shooting starts to unravel in a shocking twist.

The Lying Game
This novel by Ruth Ware is a slow-burning psychological thriller about four women whose lies as teenagers come back to haunt them in their adult lives. Although the women are not as close as they once were, they are still tied together by one secret. In high school, the group would play something called the lying game, where they would compete to convince people of outrageous stories. Now, years later, a secret has come to light, and the girls find their way back together to try to keep their secrets under wraps.

The Family Upstairs
This book was actually recommended by Kimberly Inlander, editor in chief. Written by Lisa Jewell, the suspenseful novel features multiple storylines and three different perspectives that all lead to a shocking ending. Twenty-five-year-old Libby finally finds out who her birth parents are but also discovers she is the heir to their abandoned mansion. As Libby deals with this knowledge and visits the mansion, she slowly starts to learn the truth about what happened to her birth family.

— Mary Melnick, social media and editorial coordinator