20 Best Books By Chris Bohjalian (2023 Update)

Chris Bohjalian is always a great read but I think he missed it on the ending. It seemed to me like he got tired of reading and while he stretched out a middle, perhaps a little too far, he ended too quickly without quite finishing the tie up. However, I would still recommend this book. It is a definite page turner.KATHLEEN

Colleen Hoover has a type. She writes a certain book with the exact template. This one is good EXCEPT the ending. I don’t want to put spoilers but there is one chapter of the book, with a movie that is dumb. There I said it. Unnecessary. And then it was over. I am often left with a feeling of getting hit by a truck when I finish Colleen’s books. She builds up and builds up then BAM!! Done: in one chapter. This is worth the read though. Hoping she writes a follow up.HearherB

Wow! Colleen Hoover is right up there with Kristen Hannah for me. Her writing is amazing and her characters are all very diverse. This story took you through the lives of a mother and daughter and the struggles they face to be their own selves. Loved every second.Cheshire1

Coming off a full Christmas season of Hallmark and Lifetime movies, this is the perfect book to help me re-enter the world. Regretting You by Colleen Hoover is a bit of a domestic drama, part romance, and much misunderstanding. Quick synopsis (no spoilers): Morgan Grant has been married for a bit over seventeen years, and her husband Chris has been who keeps the peace is involved in an unexpected accident. The schism in the mother-daughter relationship which had existed before opens wide as her daughter Clara deals with the aftermath, guilt, and growing pains. Into the mix is Morgan's old friend and future brother-in-law Morgan and Clara's friend Miller. Somehow Hoover is able to take these imperfect people in a terrible turmoil of emotions and blend it into a poignant picture of modern life. Hoover fills the book with memorable quotes that can hit your heart and mind, piercing your own emotions as you enter the story. 1) "It means people who make mistakes usually learn from them. That doesn't make them hypocrites. It makes them experienced." 2) "Heartbreak builds character." 3) "I think that should be this year's goal. You need to figure out what you're passionate about. Because it can't be being a housewife." 4) "I'm learning that sometimes you have to walk away from the fight in order to win it." 5) "I'm confident that I'll never spend a single second of my life regretting you." This book is perfect for a cozy winter read, a day in the sun, a night of quiet, or anytime you feel like reading about realistic characters going good through imperfect lives perfectly.Inpurplereader

Sometimes parents make hard choices based on circumstances, and such circumstances befall Anna Beth Atwood and her sister. Their parents move in search of a better life in Harlan, Kentucky, but lose everything along the way. As a result, they ask neighbors in Harlan to take in the sisters. This story chronicles the journey of Anna Beth. This story based on real-life family events drew me in and caused me to keep reading. Given the nickname "Dignity" by a preacher turned peddler, Anna Beth proves that sometimes a child shall lead. Her growth in faith shows incredible faith, courage, and resiliency. So if you enjoy reading books set in the past that center around faith, check out this book for yourself. I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.Patti P

I love reading historical fiction and thought this book was extremely well written. The story is set in the early 1900s when families were struggling to survive. Anna Beth is such a wonderful character. She seems so much older than twelve with her ability to help her mother with her younger sisters. I loved her deep compassion for her family and how hard she worked. It is never easy to move away from the place you grew up around but Anna Beth trusts her parents. Their decision to pack up their meager belongings and travel to Kentucky was hard on everyone. The author does a great job of giving us a glimpse of what it was like traveling in a wagon for a long period of time. The hope of a brighter future kept their spirits up. The heartbreaking decision Anna Beth’s parents make when they arrive in Harlan County, Kentucky shocked me. They thought it was the only way to have a chance to make a better life for everyone. I can see the tears stream down Anna Beth’s face as she and her baby sister were left at a strangers farm. She and her little sister are now all alone with people who promised her parents they would take care of them. The story is hard to read at times as Anna Beth begins to notice that Mr. Grainger isn’t very kind. He expects her to work from dawn to dusk doing hard labor. His attitude towards Anna Beth sent shivers down my spine. Through fights between Grace and her husband, it is clear he is not happy that Anna Beth and her sister are still there longer than expected. This brings Anna Beth to believe that no one wants her as she tries to understand why her parents have never come back for her. I was horrified at what happened to Anna Beth and was shocked that no one believed her. Why would an adult do such an unthinkable act on a child. I wanted to hug Anna Beth and tell her that God would vindicate her. I loved the elderly man who befriends Anna Beth and takes her to a place where she is safe. This special place is where we have a front row seat to see how a young girl finds freedom and unconditional love. She understands that she is important and wanted as God’s presence surrounds her. I have some unanswered questions as the story ended too soon for me. I love how we are exposed to the redemption of a character who has felt lost and alone. The question still lingers in my mind about her parents. Do they come back to reunite the family? How will they take the news of what their daughter has gone through? I appreciate the questions at the end of the book. It will make for a great discussion to use in a book club. As I finish my review I think about a young girl who was brave and lived her life with dignity. I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.Deana

Twelve-year-old Anna Beth Atwood narrates When Dignity Came to Harlan by Rebecca Duvall Scott. This is a fictionalized account of Scott's own great-grandmother's coming-of-age. Gritty and straightforward, this was an emotionally difficult story to read. I would have liked to have had better warning ahead of time of some of the subject matter. The first-person narration is well-done, with excellent attention to local color and accent. Ben and Laura Atwood move their young family of four girls from Missouri to the coal mining town of Harlan, Kentucky. Out of both work and money, they farm the girls out to their new neighbors in exchange for the girls' room and board. And so, Anna Beth's story slowly builds in emotional intensity. I was spellbound while I was terrified for Annabeth and Grace. While life is difficult for Anna Beth, she determines to make the most of the life she's been handed. She is extremely brave beyond her years. I was so happy when she was able to make a few friends who sustained her through very tough times. Anna Beth realizes she needs the faith in God that she saw in her parents and now sees in Grace. True belief in God is equated with a wonderful emotional experience. Scott includes comprehension questions at the end (I wish she would have called them discussion questions: I felt like a jr. higher answering questions about a passage read at school). A fact vs. fiction chart is also included which is very interesting. Notable Quotables: Who would I become if I forgot my roots? Secrets have a life of their own; they scratch from the inside, clawing their way to the light. I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher through Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.Babbling Becky L

I read this book series first when I was about 12 years old and loved it. I am an avid fantasy and fiction reader and this was my first wonderful exposure to the genres. The series is perfect for a young person to start reading however I wouldn't recommend younger than 10-11 years old as the books do cover more mature subjects as you progress through the series. Reading the books again as a 23year old they are still as captivating and enchanting.Mill

The author, Chris d'Lacey, came into our Primary School a few years ago to promote his books but since then, I haven't actually experienced his work first hand. Recently, I began listening regularly to a child read in year 6 and he chose this book. The subject matter is not only clever, but unique plus the characters are strong, funny and addictive. Every week, we end up laughing as another unusual scenario presents itself. Incidentally, Mr Bacon is probably our favourite character due to his behaviour being the cause of the majority of our laughter! Consequently, I bought a copy purely because sharing this story with a pupil has inspired me to read it myself.superyid360

It had a good story line to it but took a long time to get going. It really picked up in the last quarter which kept you reading. All in all a worthwhile read.shan

My 33 year old son was beyond thrilled to get this book. He lost it as a child and it was like watching him open it all over againGish

I purchased these books for my two sons. What a wonderful piece of childrens literature! They now have a book that they can cherish every Christmas and revisit. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is great!Ctspaulding

The Polar Express is always a great story! My son loves it and schools always use it for activities in December. In our area, we also have real train rides that kids can take that revolve around this story. Grab some hot chocolate, put on the PJs, and enjoy this book!DEIRDRE

Dark Places Review This book lives up to being Dark. It was a real page turner. I read it in 2 sittings. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. I tried to be as vague as possible to not create any spoilers, but be warned, there could be spoilers! While written very concisely, like a Hemingway short story, there were two dream sequences that were out of place. They had nothing to do with the rest of the book and added nothing to the story. Then again, some of Hemingway's short stories have interludes like that. The ending, while a surprise, had most of its aspects inferred to earlier in the book. The Jolly Rancher incident with Ben and Krissi was cringe-worthy, so much so, that had I considered not finishing the book. By this point I was hooked though. What was the "Devil Rush" drug? PCP? bath salts? Of all the believable aspects of Dark Places, that was the most unbelievable. It verged on science fiction or magic, and didn't fit in with the rest of the book. Although the after effects of the Devils Rush and animal killing could explain Diondra's actions towards Michelle, but also, why would Diondra care about what Michelle knew? It wasn't like Michelle was going to tell Diondra's parents. Also, how did Diondra support herself and Crystal? It's not really believable that she could pullthat off alone. Diondra was an odd character. She was a bit of a stretch as well as her relationship to Trey. Plus the amount of drugs taken and alcohol consumed while in her condition. As far as the Satantic aspects involving Diondra, it was odd they actually existed, and as it turns out, they weren't just 1990's Satanic panic. Uh, and Slayer, not the most original "satanic music" band, and who has actually heard the band Venom before? Growing up listening to the headbangers ball in the 80's, I've never even heard of them. The final chapters, while you do find out what actually happened, kept go on and on and on. I'm not sure what the point was of all the follow up chapters was. I couldn't wait to get through them all. Some critics don't like the switching back and forth between time lines. I think this was done really well in this case. I've read other books that attempted this, even a Stephen King book comes to mind, and his was way harder to follow as far as jumping trough time goes. In spite of not sounding like a positive review, I did love this book. There were some unnecessary and implausible situations but it definitely was a pager turner. I had to keep reading to find out what happened that night.sweet_asylum

I let this book collect dust for 9 years before finally reading it. I bought it quickly after devouring Gone Girl, and wanted to read this before watching the movie (I haven’t seen the movie yet, either.) I will say there’s a bunch of filler but the story line itself held my interest. I would say some of the descriptions were difficult to read based on how detailed they were. I enjoyed it overall, though.kerry.b

Rarely has a title been more fitting than this one. This novel is so dark; it often feels as if light is being absorbed. Ms. Flynn's writing is so crisp accurate and emotional that the darkness she describes is by turn; suffocating exhilarating filled with horror and is ever present. Were this book written by someone with lesser talent (and/or one whose psychotherapy is not being worked out by writing stories that give breath to their nightmares) this book would have been a common thriller. This novel is anything but common yet its plot arises from common fears shaped into a story that may appear on tomorrow's newsfeed. When Libby Day was seven-years-old her mother and two sisters were murdered in their farmhouse in the early hours of 3 January 1985. She escaped by climbing out of a window and spending the night hiding in a nearby field. She testified against her fifteen-year-old brother Ben who was convicted of the crime based largely upon her testimony. Twenty-Five years later Libby has become aware that the 'air-tight' case against her brother was anything but and she sets out to learn the truth about 'That Night.' The more she learns the more her world's axis shift. In course of this discovery the reader meets most of those involved in the lives of the Day family in the last 24-hours before their deaths. Everyone met is shown to be deformed horribly wounded incapable of telling the truth vengeful evil or down-right mean. The chapters alternate from 'Now' to the last hours before the brutality. This technique serves to highlight how perception is formed by context and how fear to create a context where all perceptions can be incorrect. The murders occurred during a time when Devil Worship was thought to be pandemic. As part of that 'group-think ' any particularly unusual or gruesome event (child abduction sexual abuse animal cruelty etc.) was routinely thought to be 'ritualistic' in nature. Having been taught by their mistakes Psychotherapists learned how easily suggestions and unwise questioning could cause 'implanted memories' of events that never happened. In such a culture: well thought-out gifts were interpreted by thoughtful people to be evidence of evil youthful vandalism was seen as part of 'Satanic worship' and innocent furtive touches were sexual abuse. The farm crisis high interest rate and low employment compounded the paranoia and anxiety during this time period. This was the time period and society Ms. Flynn used to build such a story of failure betrayal fear and ultimate liberation. The liberation part did not occur until the final ten pages of the book ñ that is a long night before the first glimpse of dawn. Libby Day is a study in conflict. She has been deeply wounded by the events that caused her to be alone; her actions in response to that injury only harm her further. She does not know how to be connected to others while increasingly finding she to be in deepening relationship with people who 'might' be trustworthy. She possesses incredible strength but cannot sleep without the lights on. She is one of the best drawn characters I have met in my recent readings. This is not an easy read. Neither is it a book for children (graphic violence drug use and sexuality). Its difficulty is in its ability to connect the humanity of the characters with humanness of the reader. To sit with the details and aftermath of such horrible atrocities needs to be done in the day light where the darkness has less power. Ultimately the light of truth does shine in Dark Places after which healing can begin. One of the last things we hear of Libby after she has learned the truth about That Night is her pondering 'how much of (the harm) could be fixed if anyone could be healed or even comforted' (p.345). Here as in life all anyone can do is walk in what is true and seek to be worthy of such light.Thomas in Kentucky

Cravings and Cravings 2 are such great cookbooks! Honestly some of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received! I definitely have to plan out a bit and make sure I have everything for certain dishes but omg everything is delicious! I’m such a chicken lover and the chicken recipes are amazing, and my mother and I got such a kick out of the cream cheese blueberry pancakes in the second book. I made brunch on Mother’s Day and we loved those so damn much, I can’t tell you how delicious they were, you have to try them for yourself! The booos are beautifully shot and put together as well, nothing is too crazy for us regular folks, and of course you’ll find a dash of Chrissy’s humor throughout the books. It’s great too because you have breakfast, lunch and dinner breakdowns as well as desserts, and then a few other extra tidbits thrown in for good measure. I bought a few new kitchen utensils just to use with these recipes, I was that excited. Overall highly recommend!britt.w

Luckily for all of us, Chrissy Teigen released her very first cookbook on Tuesday. I can tell you in 100% honesty that this is my all-time favorite cookbook. I will be cooking and trying every single recipe. There is everything. With sections like breakfast all-day, soupmaster, vegetable things, party time, things that intimidate people but shouldn't, (and even more) you know you're in for something special! Chrissy has this way of making cooking not too complicated. I've always felt that she lays the recipe out in simple terms, while also making it fun and even relatable. There is incredible photography throughout..of every single recipe (this is how I like my cookbooks so I can look at the food going "nom nom nom") and obviously of supermodel Chrissy Teigen and her husband John Legend. Seeing them lounging in bed eating breakfast only made me want to do the same. All of the food looks incredible. Of what I've tried so far, they all taste phenomenal. There's so much to munch on here. Girlfriend clearly knows that king's hawaiian rolls make a sandwich that much better and her cheesy jalapeño tuna casserole has potato chip topping! I mean..when they named her cookbook Cravings, they weren't kidding. The introductions for each recipe, as well as the intro to the book, all have a way of making me laugh and enjoy every word I'm reading. Usually in cookbooks, these kinds of things feel like fluff and I avoid reading them. But Chrissy's…I devoured every single word. She talks about everything from life and fast food battles to how her husband John Legend makes the best mac&cheese to how she made recipe x while watching Real Housewives. Yes, the girl loves Bravo and I love her for it. She even calls out Taco Bell for copying a recipe based off an instagram pic she posted. I dig it..I love Chrissy's spunk, sass, wit, whatever you want to call it. She sort of has it all. I truly cannot recommend this cookbook enough.booklovers.

The description says that you are getting a special edition with drink recipes but that’s not what I got. I got the regular edition without them. I think the cookbook is very nice. I made the lettuce wrap recipe today and it was so good and easy to make. But I hope Target changes the description of the cookbook because it’s very misleading to make you feel like you are getting a special edition. I almost returned it just on principle alone because of this.clc

it is facts of history that had been hiden or coverd up and i belive there are more facts still hiden or coverd up; this book opens un knowen doors for facts.vahigv

Little is known about the middle eastern genocide of the early 1900's. This compelling story combines fact and a good story line to let us know what happened about 1915.bbfreeland

Very enlightening story about the Korean experience in Japan. A must read if you are interested on Korean and Japanese history. The only flaw is the time line, sometimes the author goes ahead into the future and we misses the oportunity to draw the evolution of the characters. As a reader you are left to fill the blanks. Overall, I would give it a B – but I will still recomend you to read it.acs389

A beautifully written generational novel about strong women. The setting the book takes place in just adds to the whole experience of reading this novel. If you aren't from Korea already you are transported there via this book.Books-A-Million

Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko is memorable and full of heart and life’s struggles, ups and downs, challenges, survivals and kindness portrayed in lives of many characters of this unforgettable novel. The author shined a light over Korean people who lived in Japan for many generations, their longing for their unreachable motherland and being forever “outsiders” in Japan. From the start to finish the author told a long but compulsively readable story, and described the harsh life of poor Koreans living in Japan. It also showed how hard work to provide for their family pushed them to work harder, and some of them were successful climbing out of the pit of poverty, and many were not so lucky. Pachinko is a well researched novel and is a pleasure to read.chipen.c

Very enlightening story about the Korean experience in Japan. A must read if you are interested on Korean and Japanese history. The only flaw is the time line, sometimes the author goes ahead into the future and we misses the oportunity to draw the evolution of the characters. As a reader you are left to fill the blanks. Overall, I would give it a B – but I will still recomend you to read it.acs389

A beautifully written generational novel about strong women. The setting the book takes place in just adds to the whole experience of reading this novel. If you aren't from Korea already you are transported there via this book.Books-A-Million

Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko is memorable and full of heart and life’s struggles, ups and downs, challenges, survivals and kindness portrayed in lives of many characters of this unforgettable novel. The author shined a light over Korean people who lived in Japan for many generations, their longing for their unreachable motherland and being forever “outsiders” in Japan. From the start to finish the author told a long but compulsively readable story, and described the harsh life of poor Koreans living in Japan. It also showed how hard work to provide for their family pushed them to work harder, and some of them were successful climbing out of the pit of poverty, and many were not so lucky. Pachinko is a well researched novel and is a pleasure to read.chipen.c

This story is about the unrelenting effort that many,many people put into solving the case of the golden state murders that occurred in California in the 1970s/1980s. People were terrified that the killer would break into their homes and kill them. He was creepy, terrifying, skilled and always eluded capture. Police retired, people forgot and the case went cold. However thousands of everyday people became sleuths and continued to search for justice on public notice boards and all sorts of places to bring this murderer to justice. The author Michelle was one of those sleuths. She tracked down leads and worked with ex police to gain information. Together they worked with forensic scientists always keeping the case in people's minds and keeping up to date with any new technological develops such as DNA improvements. Then one day it happened, technology such as DNA and websites such as ancestry came together and put the puzzle together. Unfortunately, the author died before she found out the killers identity. However her husband finished the book for her. This is the story of the killer and all the crimes he committed and it is very detailed. You can feel the tension and fear that the communities felt during the times of the killer's crime wave. You also feel sad that many of the victim's families and friends may not be still around to know that the killer will finally be brought to justice. This is a thorough,methodical and concise book with a clear timeline of events with all the information there is to know. Wonderfully written. This also became a tv show on Netflix which was excellent. Terrifying.Avid crime reader

This book is so well written! Watching the HBO mini-series was compelling and reading the book, I can Michelle's voice in words. My only regret, all the victims and victims families who went through these horrific crimes. I only wish Michelle could have realized the success her investigation. The end page gives me chills. There he was free in suburbia, undetected. That is until the cars pulls up and cuts off the engine……..Open the door.mylilmaggie

I absolutely loved this book! I bought it for a book club I'm in (Hey Peter Monn of YouTube!). Michelle's ability to humanize and make real the victims, was exceptional. Too many times we know more about the killer than we do the victims. Michelle weaved in the personal accounts of the victims and the family members into the cold facts making it an easier to read account of what could have been a boring story to tell with so many facts and numbers. The chapter at the end read by her husband, Patton Oswalt, was bittersweet. What brought me to tears was Michelle's own letter in the epilogue called "Letter To An Old Man". I can only pray that one day DeAngelo – the now known and caught killer – will read this while he rots in a jail cell. I hope even more that Michelle can somehow witness it. RIP Michelle. You've left us all with a treasure.REGINA

This story is about the unrelenting effort that many,many people put into solving the case of the golden state murders that occurred in California in the 1970s/1980s. People were terrified that the killer would break into their homes and kill them. He was creepy, terrifying, skilled and always eluded capture. Police retired, people forgot and the case went cold. However thousands of everyday people became sleuths and continued to search for justice on public notice boards and all sorts of places to bring this murderer to justice. The author Michelle was one of those sleuths. She tracked down leads and worked with ex police to gain information. Together they worked with forensic scientists always keeping the case in people's minds and keeping up to date with any new technological develops such as DNA improvements. Then one day it happened, technology such as DNA and websites such as ancestry came together and put the puzzle together. Unfortunately, the author died before she found out the killers identity. However her husband finished the book for her. This is the story of the killer and all the crimes he committed and it is very detailed. You can feel the tension and fear that the communities felt during the times of the killer's crime wave. You also feel sad that many of the victim's families and friends may not be still around to know that the killer will finally be brought to justice. This is a thorough,methodical and concise book with a clear timeline of events with all the information there is to know. Wonderfully written. This also became a tv show on Netflix which was excellent. Terrifying.Avid crime reader

This book is so well written! Watching the HBO mini-series was compelling and reading the book, I can Michelle's voice in words. My only regret, all the victims and victims families who went through these horrific crimes. I only wish Michelle could have realized the success her investigation. The end page gives me chills. There he was free in suburbia, undetected. That is until the cars pulls up and cuts off the engine……..Open the door.mylilmaggie

I absolutely loved this book! I bought it for a book club I'm in (Hey Peter Monn of YouTube!). Michelle's ability to humanize and make real the victims, was exceptional. Too many times we know more about the killer than we do the victims. Michelle weaved in the personal accounts of the victims and the family members into the cold facts making it an easier to read account of what could have been a boring story to tell with so many facts and numbers. The chapter at the end read by her husband, Patton Oswalt, was bittersweet. What brought me to tears was Michelle's own letter in the epilogue called "Letter To An Old Man". I can only pray that one day DeAngelo – the now known and caught killer – will read this while he rots in a jail cell. I hope even more that Michelle can somehow witness it. RIP Michelle. You've left us all with a treasure.REGINA