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Hi sweet friends! In 2017 one of my goals is to do a reading recap at the end of every month. I will share what I read that month, my Book of the Month selection, and what I’m looking forward to reading.
I would LOVE if you’d join in and let me know your thoughts too, that’s what makes my blog so fun!
I read none books in January, here’s a list of them.
1. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi- This book is OUTSTANDING. Absolutely outstanding. This novel takes place on two continents over 300 years and it was astoundingly moving and beautiful. And horribly sad as well. It stunned me and I won’t forget it.
2. Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven- I loved All the Bright Places so I knew I had to read this one too. It’s a quirky YA novel and I fell in love with the characters. I rate books based on how they make me feel and this book made me feel so good. It was a great read.
3. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah- I covered this one in my 2016 roundup, even though I didn’t finish it until January 1. Read it now. No ifs,ands, or buts. For more info, you can read my post here.
4. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey- Oh was this story haunting and magical and beautiful. The setting is a character in the book and you fall in love with Alaska too. I thought this book was so unique and moving.
5. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance- This is NOT my typical type of book, but I’ve heard so much about it and I was very curious to read it. This book was eye opening, inspiring, and sad all at once. I learned a lot.
6. The Wonder by Emma Donoghue- This one was a little bit slow to start – but I was immersed in the surroundings,superstitions, and the time period almost immediately. Such a beautiful and haunting story told in such a vivid way. I really loved it.
7. Craft a Life You Love by Amy Tangerine- Oh I loved Amy’s book. Loved it. From my Amazon review:
An easy and intuitive read that really cemented my beliefs on self care. This book isn’t only for crafters and creators…it’s for all women who are so busy taking care of others that somehow they forgot about themselves along the way. I found myself nodding my head and saying “yes!!!” and “Amen!” throughout Amy’s book.
Part book part workbook, it’s the perfect combination of anecdote and insight. I adored it.
8. Happy Family by Tracy Barone- Ugh and blech. UGH. I grabbed this one at the library because it had great cover art and some highly favorable book jacket blurbs from authors I really respect. The ONLY reason I’m giving this book two stars is because I really enjoyed the character of Cici. Especially since I lived in Italy.
But.
I despised the rest of the characters. They were miserable, rude, self involved, and negative. I slogged through and endured until the main character remarked that she was “autistic before she had her morning coffee” and then I just stopped reading. Seriously. With only a few chapters left.
UGH.
9. The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman- This one was weird for me. It was an interesting premise and was pretty good read but I disliked miserable Rose (a main character) so much it almost ruined the entire book. I’d skip this one if I had a redo, I think.
Now on to my favorite part of every month: BOOK OF THE MONTH REVEAL DAY!!
This month was actually REALLY hard for me. For the first time I can remember, I wanted to read all five books.
But after a lot of thinking, I chose Behind Her Eyes and added the other five to my Goodreads queue.
And if you haven’t signed up for BOTM yet, I have some February promotions to share:
Okay! That’s it for this month. I look forward to hearing what’s on your list!
Happy Friday.
xoxo
S
