I had such an incredible month of reading!! I think the extra time off from school and other obligations really helped me to spend more time reading. Oh, I also took the last two weeks off of social media and I’m sure that had something to do with the increased reading as well.
I was surprised when I pulled up my monthly reading on Goodreads to see that I read a total of twelve books this month!
Here’s a short summary of the books I read along with the star rating I gave them on Goodreads.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty was a highly anticipated book for me! I ordered it from Book of the Month and couldn’t wait for it to arrive!! (since moving to Germany my BOTM box is almost always a month late in arriving)
Liane Moriarty is has become a must-read author for me…her books are always an enthralling journey that I can count on!
Apples Never Fall centers around the missing mother in the well known Delaney family. Joy and Stan Delaney, former tennis stars turned coaches, have recently retired and have been struggling to find a new normal for themselves when a stranger named Savannah shows up at their door needing help and gives Joy a new purpose.
Their four children were also tennis stars in their youth, but never went all the way. They are each struggling with their own personal issues.
When Joy goes missing and Savannah is nowhere to be found the police begin to suspect the one person who remains and seems to have a lot to hide, Stan. As the story develops, the Delaneys begin to examine their shared family history in a new light.
This novel had lots of surprises and was a compelling read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
I read this book on my Kindle Paperwhite and I can’t remember where it was recommended, except I have been wanting to read something by Joshilyn Jackson and it sounded interesting.
This is an addictive domestic suspense novel in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves. This is a thrilling story of power, privilege, lies, revenge, and coming to terms with the choices we make. It also has a lot to say about motherhood.
Mother May I was thrilling, compelling, thought provoking and action packed. I loved it!!
The Perishing by Natasha Deon
I received The Perishing from Book of the Month as an add-on. While I enjoyed it overall, I thought it could have benefited from some editing and needed a bit more work. The first part was very confusing and it was hard to get a handle on exactly what was going on, so it was hard to get into.
In this novel, Lou, a young black woman wakes up in an alley in 1930s Los Angeles, with no memory of how she got there or who she is. She is taken in by a loving foster family and she goes on to become the first black female journalist at the Los Angeles Times. When the befriends a firefighter she is shocked to realize that she has no memory of ever meeting him, but she has been drawing his face for years.
Lou begins to believe that she may be an immortal sent to this place and time for an important reason. She sets out to investigate the mystery of her existence and make sense of the jumble of lifetimes calling out to her.
The Perishing tackles hard themes such as racism and poverty and has a strong sense of place. I ended up enjoying this book once I was able to wrap my mind around what exactly was going on.
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Lilac Girls was a re-read for me since it is my book club’s pick for January. I enjoyed it just as much with this reading as I did the first time. This is such a powerful story of resilience and strength in the face of devastation inspired by the life of a read World War II heroine.
This novel tells the story of three women during the second World War. Caroline Ferriday is a young socialite who works for the French consulate and falls in love with a French actor who returns home to his wife just before France is occupied by the Germans. Kasia Kuzmerick is a polish teenager who ends up in the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp after being caught working for the Polish underground. Herta Oberheuser is a young German doctor who has just taken a job at a new all female concentration camp–the same one that Kasia is at.
The stories of these three women cross continents as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
Wintering was an interesting read that I took away some things from, but it wasn’t completely revelatory or inspiring. It is a personal narrative with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world.
The author, Kathreine May, had medical issues that forced her to leave her demanding job. In Wintering she explores how she endured this painful time and embraced the opportunities it offered. It should be acknowledged that May was able to experience these opportunities because of her own privilege that not everyone has.
Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
I downloaded this on my Kindle when I was out of books and in need of something to read. I saw that it is one of the selections for the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club in January and wanted to read it. I absolutely loved this beautifully told story!
Before We Visit the Goddess tells of three generations of mothers and daughters who must discover their greatest source of strength in one another. This is the story of a family both united and torn apart by ambition and love.
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
After reading and loving her last two novels, I ordered These Precious Days from Amazon, something I rarely do. I was a little hesitant because I have never read an essay collection before, but it is a form of reading I have wanted to challenge myself with.
I am so glad that I did!!! I loved this essay collection so much! In fact, this is probably my favorite book of the year. In These Precious Days Ann Patchett reflects on home, family, friendships and writing. The title essay, These Precious Days, captivated my attention and captured my heart. It is a moving meditation on an unexpected friendship during the pandemic.
This is a book that I just wanted to hold close and hug after I finished reading it. That to me is a strong indication of a book that has staying power and emotional resonance.
Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee
I also chose to read Joyful because it was a pick for the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club. It started strong, but became monotonous and fell flat in the end.
It did inspire me to choose JOY as my word of the year for 2022, though. I am also excited to incorporate some of the things I did glean from Joyful into my life in the coming year.
In Joyful, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with everyday have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. She draws on insights from neuroscience and psychology to explain why one setting may make us feel anxious while another fosters delight. Lee also reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier and joyful lives.
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
I initially ordered this in a Book of the Month box with my husband in mind. He read it and enjoyed it earlier this month, so I picked it up to enjoy for myself as well.
The Sun Down Motel is an ghost story set around a run down motel in a small town that no one ever seems to leave. The secrets lurking in this motel ensnare a young woman looking to find out what happened to her aunt thirty-five years before.
This book was a really fun read! It was suspenseful and intriguing and kept me reading to find out the mystery of this motel.
The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis
The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis was my Christmas Eve “book flood” book from my husband. Davis is another must-read author for me. I’ve read all of her other books and I am looking forward to her newest release in 2022!
The Chelsea Girls is centered around the iconic Chelsea Hotel in 1950s New York. This hotel has long been New York City’s creative oasis for the many artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers and poets who have called it home. Female playwright and her actress friend Maxine Mead soon discover that the greatest obstacle to putting a show on Broadway has nothing to do with their art and everything to do with politics. The Red Scare is sweeping across America and there is a witch hunt for communists with the entertainment industry in the crosshairs. As the pressure builds to name names, Hazel and Maxine’s Broadway dreams suffer as they grapple with terrible consequences that reach even to their livelihood and friendship.
This novel pulls back the curtain on the political pressures of McCarthyism and the complicated bonds of female friendship.
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
The Christmas Bookshop is a really sweet Christmas story that was the perfect read for the holiday season. I listed to this book on audio while I worked on a Christmas cross stitch and it was so delightful to do so!
Carmen moves in with her sister who seemingly has the perfect life after the department store she works for closes. She is there to help rescue a dying bookstore and the gentleman who owns it.
Throughout the book, Carmen finds a purpose, a love for her family and maybe even a romantic love of her own. It was a light-hearted read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows
I was thrilled to receive The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society from my mom after it has been on my radar for years!! The funny thing is that I gave it to my daughter for Christmas as well, so we got to read it at the same time. We’re planning to watch the Netflix adaption soon.
This is an incredibly delightful story told through a series of letters. It centers around a group of friends on the island of Guernsey who formed a literary society during the German occupation.
The correspondence began when one member of this group discovers the name of an author, Juliet, in one of his books by the poet Charles Lamb. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for the island and what she finds there changes her life forever.
This was just an amazing book that captured my heart. I loved every one of the characters and could not be more pleased with the ending! I highly recommend it to everyone who loves books and sweet stories of friendship filled with interesting characters.
Until next month, happy reading, friends!!