This year started out so promising and hopeful and then January 6th hit and I was knocked off my rocker! I’m trying to get myself back together after grieving the events of January 6 and celebrating the Inauguration of a new president.
I am feeling hopeful again for the new year.
January was a good reading month for me. I didn’t read any audio or e-books, but I read five really great physical books!
Here are the books I read in January…
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
I wasn’t sure about reading a beach book in January, but I received this for Christmas and thought I would give it a shot and I am so happy I did. Reading a book set on the beach was exactly what I needed during the dreary, cold month of January!
I can always count on Elin Hilderbrand’s books to be a good solid enjoyable read for me and 28 Summers was just that! In fact, this earned a 4-star rating for me and is my favorite of the books I’ve read by this author. There was a little more depth to it than I expect from a light romance and I am always here for a bit more depth.
The New Wilderness by Diane Cook
I picked this book up with plans to participate in a book club with my local indie bookstore, Old Town Books. Unfortunately, the book club meeting (virtual) ended up being canceled, but I did enjoy reading this book that I probably would not have chosen otherwise.
The New Wilderness explores a mother-daughter relationship in a world devastated by climate change and overpopulation. It was both captivating and heavy.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
There was so much buzz around this book at the end of last year that it was definitely on my radar. Then, as a Book of the Month Club member I was able to choose one of their Book of the Year finalist books for FREE and this is the only one I hadn’t read already.
I loved this story that explores what it means to be loved and known. It had a slower pace that I enjoyed and was atmospheric and character-driven. Two things I love in my books!!
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
Fiona Davis is another very reliable author for me. The Masterpiece is another book I received for Christmas last year and was excited to read as this one was on my wish list for quite a while.
I love how Fiona Davis centers all of her books around historical landmarks. The Masterpiece is centered around Grand Central Terminal in New York City. There are two different timelines (1930’s and 1970’s) and two female protagonists whose parallel stories intersect in a surprising way.
The Survivors by Jane Harper
The Survivors was my Book of the Month pick for January. I read Jane Harper’s first novel, The Dry, on audio and wanted to experience reading her writing in print.
I read this book in two days because it was gripping and I was invested in the characters and knowing how the mystery here would all come together.
I have a goal this year of reviewing the books I read, so full reviews of these will be coming soon.