I read 14 books in January.
Yes. You heard that right. I read FOURTEEN BOOKS. I have literally never read that many books in one month (the closest I got was 11 in June of last year — when I was off all month and had nothing to do but read). To accomplish this many books in one month while also teaching each day and staying on top of my grading… I feel like freaking superwoman. I was so nervous about hitting 100 books this year, but I’m already 6 books ahead of where I need to be for my goal!
Monthly Stats:
- Total Books Read: 14
- Total Authors Read: 12
- Total Pages Read: 5,192
- Total Books Quit: 1
- Average Days Per Book: 2.21
- Average Pages Per Day: 167.5
Long Story Short…
- If you love psychological thrillers, check out The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- If you love well-written memoirs, check out Educated by Tara Westover
- If you love historical fiction and WWII, check out Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
- If you love examinations on parenting and LGBT characters, check out This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Books are listed in the order they were read. For more mini-reviews, check out my What I Read tag.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Premise: Florian, Joana, and Emilia are all fleeing from their homelands during the height of the Russian invasion in WWII. They are determined to work together, despite their differences and secrets.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: I seem to have started a new New Years Day tradition of laying around in my pajamas all day and binge reading a good book. Then giving it a rating of 4.5 because I can’t really be lucky enough to start the year with a 5 star book, right? But this book… blew me away! I was hesitant to pick up a WWII book because I just knew it would break my heart, but this one was worth the pain.
This story hit all of the things I want historical fiction to be… there was a budding romance, there was secrets held, there was an element of history that I had never heard about before (but I won’t spoil it for you). There was a little laughter, and a lot of heartbreak… It is WWII after all. The chapters of this one are short and the book reads quickly, but it is deep and the characters are nuanced and layered, and it’s hard to tell who is the good guy and who is the bad guy.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves historical fiction. Anyone who enjoys WWII novels. Anyone who is looking for a good story with some great characters.
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Premise: Dimple’s mother just can’t understand Dimple’s desire to attend Stanford for computer engineering without wearing makeup or dating boys. But when Dimple gets accepted to Insomnia Con, her parents hatch a plan with their friends… and Dimple gets a big surprise in the form of Rishi.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: Well this was adorable. An #ownvoices book, written by an Indian American about Indian American teenagers, this book felt very authentic and honest. Dimple was the wayward teen, of the new generation that is more American than Indian, and her mother can’t understand her drive for a career and independence. On the other hand, Rishi is traditional and wants to honor and support his parents.
The best part of this book was Dimple’s drive for independence, and Rishi’s unabashed support for her and truth of himself. He knew who he was, and he wasn’t afraid to be seen as dorky or unpopular, especially if he was defending Dimple (he also was very, very wealthy, which is where some of that confidence may have come from?). I also really enjoyed all of the side characters and I was rooting for all of them. This book was really just a cute book.
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking for a heartwarming love story. Anyone looking for a charming diverse book.
Educated by Tara Westover
Premise: Tara was born and raised in the Idaho mountains by two parents who were extremists of the Mormon faith. As a child, when she wasn’t helping her father scrap cars for parts to sell, she was helping her mother concoct herbal remedies. She never went to school, however. When she turned 17, she applied to BYU, and her education begun.
Rating: 5 Freaking Stars.
Thoughts: My thoughts are a big jumble at the moment, because I just finished this book a few minutes ago, and I cannot think clearly about this book. But holy cow. I’m not sure how a book will beat this one for the rest of the year. First, Tara Westover’s writing is absolutely captivating. It hooked me from the first page, and I never once felt like it was dry or stuffy or overly descriptive or not descriptive enough. Second, this story…
This book focuses on Tara’s relationship with her family and her growing up and away and back and away from them. Sure, it follows her through her education at BYU and Trinity College and Harvard, but the core of the story takes place in Buck’s Peak, Idaho, and even when Tara is away from it, her mind is always there. This wasn’t an easy book to digest, because whew, the abuse and brainwashing and nightmare of a life that she was raised in is just harrowing, but the author weaves the story so that it’s easy to understand the magnitude of the situations without being bogged down in them.
Who Should Read It: Everyone should read this book. I can’t think of anyone I know who wouldn’t like it.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Premise: Bod is just a toddler when his life goes awry — the man Jack breaks into his home and kills both of his parents and his older sister. Luckily, Bod toddles out of the house and into the graveyard, when he is taken in by the resident ghosts.
Rating: 3 Rating
Thoughts: Before I start, I just have to say that I am not a Neil Gaiman fan. I read American Gods in 2017, and I didn’t enjoy it at all (but I finished it!), and, in 2015, my book club chose Smoke and Mirrors as it’s monthly pick, and I didn’t really enjoy that one either. So… I had low expectations for this book. And it did manage to exceed my low expectations.
I liked Bod, I liked the cast and crew of the graveyard, and I thought the vignettes that we get to see of Bod’s life were entertaining and only slightly too far-fetched. The climatic chapter where Bod encounters the man Jack again was by far the best chapter of the book and really the only chapter that I wanted to keep reading, but the rest of the book was just ok. I thought that each chapter seemed random, until we get to Chapter 7, where every single chapter leading up to this part plays a role in the climax of the story. It was cute, it was fun, but it wasn’t one I look forward to rereading.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves Neil Gaiman. Anyone who likes the supernatural, the weird, the slightly creepy.
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
For a more in-depth review, see my thoughts here.
Premise: Rosie and Penn have 5 children — all boys! Except when their youngest has more fun playing princess than baseball and decides he wants to start wearing dresses to school, they aren’t quite sure what to do. This novel follows Claude becoming Poppy, and Rosie and Penn trying to figure out how to navigate their son becoming their daughter.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: I picked up this book to read in an effort to read more LGBT+ books this year, but I wasn’t expecting this. Last year, the LGBT+ books that I read were either YA or had characters whose gender and sexual orientation did not really impact the main plot. This book, though, presented a point of view that I have not read before: parents of a transgender child. Rosie and Penn have a rodeo with their boys, and all of them were quirky and unique, so they didn’t really suspect anything when Claude started drawing himself wearing dresses and playing with dolls. Over the course of the book, however, they discover that not making decisions is a decision, and not making a big deal out of it is still making a decision about it.
This book forced me out of my comfort zone to think about the lives of people who are transgender, and examine how I would confront that if my child was experiencing this. The author of the novel also has a transgender child, and the entire book felt real and honest and thoughtful of it’s examination of the issue. I really, really enjoyed this one, and, more than that, I learned from it. This type of book is why I read fiction novels.
Who Should Read It: Everyone. No, seriously. Reading this novel will make you more open-minded, more empathetic, and just a better human being.
The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Premise: The four Plumb siblings have banked their entire adulthood on getting The Nest — a “nest egg” trust fund that their father left behind years before he died. But after Leo gets in an ill-timed accident and The Nest gets drained, the siblings must figure out how to move past this and on with their lives.
Rating: 3 Stars
Thoughts: Meh. This book is real pretty, and it looks great on my shelf, but it just didn’t do it for me. I gave it three stars because I enjoyed the writing and I found myself keep coming back to the book, but… I just really kind of didn’t care about the characters. All of the Plumb adults (our main POVs) were just entitled and conniving and selfish and… I don’t mind hating a character, but I just didn’t care about these either way. The side characters (Stephanie, Paul, Tommy, the twins…) were much more appealing to me, and I was grateful when we got to see some of their point of view from time to time.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes family dramas. Anyone who likes ensemble books.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Premise: When a job at The Grove becomes available, Theo jumps on it. As a psychotherapist, he is eager to try and treat Alicia Berenson, famed artist who is infamously known for killing her husband then going silent for the following years. Through therapy, Theo tries to figure out why Alicia has stopped speaking, but he gets more than he bargained for.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: It is very hard to write about this book without giving away… everything. I wasn’t sure about all of the hype — Book of the Month Club said it “broke the mold” on psychological thrillers. And while I don’t know if it was that revolutionary, I do think it was unique and twisty and unexpected. The author did an amazing job keeping the reader in suspense and guessing, and I was honestly shocked by the outcome.
Putting all that aside, this was a well-crafted book. The characters were full of history and felt very real. The storyline was surprising but not far-fetched. The writing was excellent and moved quickly. I thought I was burnt out on psychological thrillers, but apparently I was only burnt out on the predictable ones. I just really, really enjoyed this book.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves a psychological thriller. Any fans of Gone Girl. Anyone who likes a mystery.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Premise: Orphan Jane is shipped from her terrible aunt’s house to boarding school, and, when she finishes there, she tries to find good employment as a governess. When she lands at Mr. Rochester’s house, she gets more than she bargained for.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: I’ll be honest — I don’t know what a classic novel would have to do to get 5 stars. Maybe it’s my weak and feeble mind, just looking for the highs and lows and emotions that only contemporary novels can give me. I cheered for Jane, I hoped for her, I worried for her, but I think the writing of the classics (or, at least, Victorian era novels) just don’t connect with me the way that contemporary novels do.
That being said, I LOVED Jane Eyre (the character). She was witty and intelligent and valued her independence in a time where everyone is like “well of course you will get married, you must have a man” and she’s like “no, I don’t want to lose my name or my independence” and I’m like “YES QUEEN”. She looks in the face of men who love her (or, at least, want to marry her) and she tells them no. She tells them that she refuses to compromise on her morals or her judgement or her beliefs, and she refuses to marry them, and it’s just a beautiful thing. I don’t really like (hold your tomatoes, please) Pride and Prejudice, but this has restored my faith in Victorian literature.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes Victorian literature. Anyone who likes a strong, independent female character. Anyone who loves a love story.
Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering
Premise: When Lucy moves across the country for college, she hopes that getting away from her parents and her upbringing will allow her to change her life. She meets some amazing friends, and she meets Stephen DeMarco, and her life is certainly changed.
Rating: 2.5 Stars (Rounded to 3…)
Thoughts: Forewarning: There is not one single likable character in this novel. Well, that might be exaggeration, because Lucy’s friends and family are actually really nice and supportive, but she’s basically like “Screw them! I want to be with the sociopath!” This novel gives us both Lucy and Stephen’s points of view, and I hated both of them. Equally and awfully. Stephen is legit a sociopath who has no feelings or remorse about anything ever, and Lucy seems to think that, despite therapy and a long history of him being a cheating asshole, he still deserves her. The whole story was a bit dramatic (Lucy’s childhood trauma seems more like… not a trauma?), and, in case I haven’t mentioned it, I hated the main points of view.
I’m rounding up on this half star because… at least it inspired some emotion in me? I hated it, but hate reading it is better than being bored through the whole thing. The writing was actually really good and the story line probably hit a bit too close to home for me, which I think is the point. The dedication, after all, is “…to everyone who’s ever had a Stephen DeMarco — this book is for you”, and I think most girls have encountered a Stephen DeMarco in one way or another.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes relationship drama. Anyone who enjoys flawed main characters. Anyone looking for a quick hate read.
The Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver
Premise: In a world where love is a disease that every 18 year old has cured, Lena is excited at the prospect of getting cured. The cure erases all pain and guilt and bad feelings from your past, and creates a society where everyone is complacent and fair to each other. Of course, this world has a dark underbelly, and, once Lena sees what’s there, it’s hard for her to look away.
Rating: 3.5 Stars for the Series
Thoughts: This series has been languishing on my To Read shelf for ages… honestly, since I first joined Goodreads back in 2013. I’m glad I finally picked it up though! I love Lauren Oliver’s writing style, and, although the world building felt a bit flat, her characters were great at growing and changing and adapting, and I loved that.
The first book in this series is a bit ho-hum for the first half, when Lena is very innocent and in denial about the life she is committing to living. Once she makes her choice, though, it really takes off, and the second book in the series was actually my favorite. The third book was a bit meh and the ending was not great, but I still think it’s worth the read for those YA dystopian lovers out there.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes YA dystopian trilogies. Anyone looking for a good, Shakespearean-esque love story.
Genuine Fraud by e. lockhart
Premise: When we begin our journey with Jule, she is on the run and obviously a con artist. As the novel progresses (or, actually regresses), we go back in time and see all of the events that led to this point in Jule’s life.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: e. lockhart is an author that you either love or you hate. I LOVED We Were Liars, and, after seeing Lockhart speak at our local library, I was determined to read Genuine Fraud. It is nothing like We Were Liars, but that’s ok. I really enjoyed this one too. (However, the few friends that I have that hated We Were Liars also hated Genuine Fraud, so be warned.) I think I really click with Lockhart’s weird formatting and time-lining, and her characters are always super intriguing to me.
It did take me a few chapters to get into this book because it’s stop and go… you progress through the story, then the next chapter backs you up a week or a month or several months. But I’m the rare person who likes to know where they are going before they get there, and watching Jule’s descent into a life of crime was actually really interesting for me. There were some surprising parts, but most of it was foreshadowed, just through the way the book was written.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes books with funky timelines. Anyone who loves characters you love to hate.
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Premise: Ruth is a good labor and delivery nurse and has been for 20 years. But when she encounters Turk and Brittany Bauer, she realizes that the color of her skin may matter more than her years experience, and that comes into sharp focus when their baby dies unexpectedly.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: At first, I had a lot of opinions on this book, and most of them weren’t good. Lately, I’ve been really struggling when I read white authors write about black characters, especially when race is a major topic of the novel. I’ve been trying to read more own voices, and this one isn’t one of them. However, after reading the author’s note, I came to appreciate the amount of effort Picoult put in to making sure this book felt authentic, and some of the stuff I was angry about was purposeful — meant to make me angry and make me think.
I listened to the audiobook for the majority of this novel, but the one part I always read (rather than listened to) was Turk’s point of view. Turk’s white supremacy was blatant and obvious, and those sections of the book were difficult to listen to. But also, Kennedy’s point of view was difficult to hear. There was so much of the White Savior Complex, where Kennedy felt that she was the sole person responsible for saving Ruth, and shouldn’t she get a pat on the back for it? Instead of listening to what Ruth wanted, she bulldozed and gaslighted her, and it wasn’t pretty. It was subtle enough that I thought Picoult didn’t even realize what she was doing with this character, until the end, when Ruth points it out to Kennedy obviously. I’m glad that Picoult had the characters give these monologues — I think the point of the book would have been lost otherwise.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes Jodi Picoult. Anyone looking for intriguing legal and medical fiction (lots of labor and delivery stuff, as well as courtroom stuff).
What do you think? Am I way off on anything? Should I revisit any of these? Do you have any recommendations? Leave a comment below!
