I’ve always loved escaping into a book. At this stage in life, it’s a respite from worrying and working and teenage angst — one of my favorite things to do is run a hot bath and climb in with a book and a (plastic) glass of red wine. Heaven!

Most of the best books I’ve read lately have been recommended to me, so I thought maybe you’d like to see what I’ve enjoyed reading. You can read about more of my favorites in this post.

My top three books this year are The Stationery Shop, Hello Beautiful, and The Reading List. All three captured my imagination, and the characters and plots have stayed with me for months after I finished the books.

The Stationery Shop is a lifelong love story that begins in a stationery shop in Tehran during the political upheaval of the 1950s. I loved the peek into life at that time and place, and the love story was full of beauty and unexpected turns.

Hello Beautiful follows the lives of four sisters in Chicago. I don’t want to ruin the plot, so I’ll just say that they all learn and grow through the years, and there’s a lot of family drama. I was so inspired by the description of their neighborhood — Pilsen — that I tried to visit it when we were in Chicago this past fall. I think I got a little discombobulated because I never found the cute art galleries and murals they mention in the book. If you’ve ever been there, please let me know if it’s as fabulous as the book makes it sound.

The Reading List is a heartwarming story about a group of people whose lives intertwine through grief, love, family, tragedy, and the magic of books. Together, they create community and connection, and the result is inspiring.

Have you read anything by Stacy Willingham? I recently discovered her three books — sadly, she’s written only three! — and I wholeheartedly recommend them. All the Dangerous Things was fantastic but kind of unnerving for me as a mom, but her other two books made my list this year.

Both A Flicker in the Dark and Only if You’re Lucky are psychological thrillers. The first focuses on trauma and the connections between some recent murders and an old murder committed by the protagonist’s father. The second focuses on friendship, loyalty, and betrayal.

Finally, Jennifer Weiner’s new book, The Breakaway, had to make my list! I love the way Weiner writes, and her stories and characters really draw me in. This book, the most recent one she’s written, is no different. 100% recommend!

Your turn! What books do you recommend? Let me know in the comments.