recent reads (thrillers, mystery, and more)

In a perfect world, it would be possible to read all the time. It is one of my favourite things to do, but sometimes, it can be difficult to make time for this passion. (Or as much time as I would like.) Reading is something that I have been prioritizing a lot more this year. Instead of winding down at the end of the day with a television show or movie, it is an evening curled up with a good book that feels right. I have been re-reading a beloved series from my younger years, but also have been reading an assortment of other books. Some of my recent reads include mysteries, thrillers, and so much more. Take a look...

Thrillers and Mysteries. For whatever reason, I have been re-reading a lot of books on my shelf lately. Maybe with the way the world is, there is something extra appealing about familiarity, but for whatever reason, the books in this recent reads post are well loved. With my Summerween celebration underway, it seems that thrillers and mysteries have been a focus. Recently, I re-read Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson, which is about a budding songwriter who is trying to leave her past behind. One Of Us Is Lying is a mystery and suspense novel about five high school students who get detention...and the death of one of those students. (There was also a really excellent television show that was sadly cancelled.) The last book in this category was a Murder, She Wrote book called Three Strikes and You're Dead. I love reading Murder, She Wrote books and often collect different ones from thrift stores. After a decent amount of time has passed, it is nice to re-read the books once I have forgotten whodunnit! This book is about Jessica Fletcher solving the death of the son of a baseball team owner. 

Positivity and Personal Development. It has been a long time since I last read Quickie Chick's Cheat Sheet to Life, Love, Food, Fitness, Fashion, and Finance - On a Less Than Fabulous Budget by Laurel House. I have been following Laurel's career for many years now (check out this post from 2013 as an example) and have her books, follow her on social media, and am always pleased to see a new video or post from this incredible author, television personality, and relationship coach. For whatever reason, it seemed like a good time to re-read her Quickie Chick book. Though a lot of the advice was better suited to my life when it was initially released (it was largely focused on the transitional time after university)...there is still a lot that is relevant to me now. It was also really interesting to read what I had written inside the book way back when! The second book shown here is a new one to me, though the work of Louise Hay is not. Heart Thoughts has positive affirmations and words of wisdom. 

What have you been reading lately? Have you re-read any good books this summer?