The eighth spot goes to a domestic thriller where having a birthday twin can be the worst gift anyone can ever receive. This is None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell.

What is it about? Josie and Alix have a chance encounter. While they are both out celebrating their forty-fifth birthday, their lives could not be more different. Josie has an older husband who she seems to have no connectiong with, a grown daughter who barely leaves her room, and an unfulfilling career. Alix is a popular host of a podcast focusing on successful women, is married to a wonderful husband, and has two amazing children. Despite their differences, the “birthday twins” hit it off. As they grew closer, Josie asks Alix to share her story on Alix’s podcast. What starts off as a simple favor snowballs into a dizzying tale of lies, deceit, and one person’s word against another.

Why did I love it? In ways, None of This Is True seems like your typical suburban housewife thriller. But that’s what makes the story so brilliant. The reader may go into the story with tempered expectations but when the story takes off everything they were expecting is blown up and discarded. Just when I thought I was catching on to what was happening another twist occurs and I’m left back at square one. Even until the last page you are left questioning what is and isn’t true. As a result, None of This Is True was one of my standout books of the year.