Reading with Carlie

When college freshman Greer Kadetsky meets feminist icon Faith Frank, she is sure that her life is going to take off. In Faith, she finds a mentor who understands her passion and ambition, so she follows her to New York, eager to join the ranks of powerful women setting out to make the world a better place. Do not be fooled by the title - this book is not another version of The Feminine Mystique . Sure, there are some underlying feminist themes but at its heart, the book is really just about people trying to live their lives as best they can - I wouldn't read it looking for a big, new takeaway or aha moment. With Faith, we have an imperfect hero, someone who made compromises along the way to achieve her goals. It's up to you to decide if she made the right choices. The book focuses not just on Greer but also on Zee, her best friend, and Cory, her high-school boyfriend, as they graduate from school and come to find that life doesn't always go as planned. The coming-of-age...

Mike Hayes, our narrator, is in love with the mysterious Verity. Sure, she isn't with him at the moment. Maybe, technically, she is engaged to another man. But Mike has played these games with Verity before. He knows to stay patient and wait for her signal - only then can they live happily ever after. This one is heavy on the psychological aspect of the psychological thriller. Rather than a sharp, sudden twist in the story, the novel features an incredibly satisfying slow burn. When you finally understand what is really going on, you won't be able to put the book down. It is dark and stays dark, so if you prefer your thrillers wrapped up in a neat little bow, this is not for you. 4/5