As a child, my father read chapter after chapter of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boy mysteries. He'd stay up late after I begged him for one more page, ignoring the fact he had to rise before sunrise for work the next morning. Later, in high school, I breezed through John Grisham novels, leaving them on my dad's bed for him to read when he had the chance. We had a penchant for suspense.

A couple weeks ago, I picked up Gone Girl and I reverted back to my Nancy Drew book days…ahem, daze. I'd find myself reading into the wee hours of the morning because I needed to know what was going to happen. The bags under my eyes? Worth it for such a nail-biting read.

I'm always giddy when I make my way through great books, so here's a few of my Good Reads lately…

Gone Girl by Jillian Flynn. I'd seen a lot of buzz about this book, but it wasn't until a friend insisted I pick it up that I did. The dark story centers around solving the mystery of Amy's disappearance. Unsure if she was kidnapped or murdered, Amy's sudden disappearance leaves her husband as the prime suspect. There was so many twists and turns I didn't know what to expect next…it was one of those books I couldn't put down. To be honest, I found myself asking a ton of questions about relationships, marriage, and husband/wife misconceptions…it was kinda creepy, but that's part of its appeal. 4/5

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. This read was a by-product of late night shopping on Amazon.com…oh, yes, I also buy those little do-dads at the cash register because impulse shopping is my jam. I enjoyed this light and funny read, but I don't think it's a book a recommend because it felt like I was reading a stranger's diary with a look back at her I Love Lucy-esque life. You know, the plot, the dilemma (oh no, I almost burned down the house when I baked cookies!), and the husband-shaking-his-head resolution. Cute, but not really my thing. 3/5

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. All I could think when I read this book was, this was mandatory reading in high school?! I shifted english classes when I was a freshman, so I somehow missed this book requirement, but seeing how the movie adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio is releasing in December, I thought it'd be good to brush up on my literary/cinema love. And, whoa. Infidelity, deceit, and drama…if it wasn't so well written, I'd be offended 😉 It's hailed as a great American novel and if I had 1/1000th of Fitzgerald's ability to write, I'd die happy. 4/5

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz. Remember when I said I like short stories? Well, this book ranks on up with Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies (an awesome read), and a lovely follow up Diaz's The Incredible Life of Oscar Wao (which won a Pulitzer). I'm a huge fan of Diaz's poetic writing and his ability to access a rawness that leaves a reader numb. This was another book I stayed up late reading and it delivered in a way Diaz only can. 4/5

Happy Tuesday!