January Reading Roundup

Here's what I read this month:

 I don't read a lot of literary fiction, and I don't remember why I picked this book out, but I'm glad I did. I wanted to keep reading because I was so engrossed in the characters and how their lives were affected by Lydia's death. And the ending surprised me, which is something I require from literary fiction.

 One of Jodi Picoult's sensitivity readers pointed out on Twitter that this is not a book teaching black people about their own experience--it's a book that will hopefully help white people wake up to some of their own privileges. It frequently made me uncomfortable, and I'm glad it did.

 Leandra recommended this series to me some time last year, and I've finally gotten around to it. I love the premise of ghost-hunting teenagers, but I guessed the big reveal long before it was actually revealed, which disappointed me. I can't tell if this book is supposed to be middle grade or young adult, but since I'm neither of those target audiences I decided to let it go and enjoy it regardless.

 Book 2 in the Birth of Saints series. I like that the fantasy world isn't your typical ripoff of medieval Europe, and I'm excited to see where the characters go next!

 My sister got this for me for Christmas. The design is gorgeous, both inside and out. I liked it, and just like with HP & the Cursed Child, I wished it was a complete book instead of just a screenplay. I liked Newt Scamander, but felt like the American characters were a caricature of what J.K. Rowling thinks Americans are like. It reminded me of the episode of Doctor Who with Martha and the tenth Doctor that's set in 1920s NYC.

I enjoyed Nicola Yoon's debut, but I LOVED this one. I loved the way the story was told just as much as the story itself. You should definitely recommend this one to the teens in your life.

Reading this after Carrie Fisher's death last month made it even more sad. I liked getting some behind the scenes detail about filming Star Wars, but it's mostly about her affair with Harrison Ford and how it made her feel like junk.

I thought this was a contemporary novel, and then about 20 chapters in it became paranormal. Nothing against paranormal, but the "bait and switch" feeling annoyed me. I enjoyed the book, but wish the description wasn't misleading.

 The thing about Historical Romance that I love is that the flooded market demands that each book have a unique premise or conceit. The conceit in this book is ridiculous, yet compelling. I will probably end up reading the whole series to find out what happens to all those silly Stud Club tokens.

See above.

In related news, I don't think I will ever read 3 historical romances in a row again, because by the third book I was skipping over the sex scenes because I could not handle another one.

I cried a lot while reading this book. It was a poignant reminder that you never know what people are struggling with, and you should always try to leave people better than you found them. It makes me want to read Strayed's memoir, WILD.











What books did you read and love this month?