Happy January, and thank goodness it’s over! I felt like this month lasted 12 years, but I guess I’m not complaining since I was able to get 10 books in, which was a great start to my reading challenges. All in all, I listened to 3 books and read 7 more in print, with 2 nonfiction, 2 written by POC authors, and 2 featuring LGBTQ+ characters. It was a great month!
Books are listed in the order they were read. For more mini-reviews, check out my What I Read tag.
Monthly Stats
- Total Books Read in October: 10 Books
- Total Authors Read in October: 10 Authors
- Total Pages Read: 2,361 Pages
- Total Hours Listened: 41.25 Hours
- Total Books Quit: 0 Books
- Average Days Per Book: 3 Days per Book
- Average Pages Per Day: 76.2 Pages per Day
Long Story Short…
- If you like good memoirs and tough topics, check out Know My Name by Chanel Miller.
- If you like spooky stories, read The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James.
- If you like court dramas, check out Miracle Creek by Angie Kim.
- If you love the Meghan Markle drama, read The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan.
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
Premise: When the Miracle Submarine explodes, killing two and injuring a number more, no one is sure exactly what happened. Fast forward one year to the trial of Elizabeth, the mother of one of the victims of the explosion. Everyone has secrets and the truth will have to come out… eventually.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: The first book of the year always has a lot to live up to, and this one totally fit the bill. While murder mysteries and courtroom dramas are not my typical genres, I picked this one up because it was on my shelf and fit a challenge prompt… and I’m really glad I read this one on a whim!
There were so many layers to this novel — much more than the normal courtroom drama. There were racial relations and isolation. There were lies and betrayal. There was questioning the duty of family and the responsibility parents have for their kids. There were twists and turns, and I had no idea who was really to blame for the explosion until the very end. The twists and turns make for a quick read, but the depth of the subject matter really hooked me.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes murder mysteries. Anyone looking for a contemporary Agatha Christie novel. Anyone who enjoys courtroom dramas.
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
Premise: When young Phillip finds out that his uncle Ambrose was married in Florence to a woman he had never met, he was surprised and shocked. Ambrose’s swift decline to death shortly after the wedding seems suspicious, but when Rachel comes to visit Phillip, he is swept away by her.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: It was a bold choice picking up one of my 40 Before 40 books so early in the year, but I thought my reading mojo was strongest now and I knew Daphne du Maurier (the author of Rebecca) wouldn’t disappoint me. And I was sort of right. School is busy and made it hard to read at night, but this book was a page turner… every time I picked it up, I seemed to read 50 pages before I resurfaced to the real world.
Where Rebecca was intriguing with her unnamed narrator, My Cousin Rachel had Phillip… who was pretty dislikable. I mean, 25-year-old know-it-all boys are generally insufferable, but this character was unreliable in the extreme, and there were many, many times that I just wanted to shake him. It took him WAY too long to see what was going on (and I’m not spoiling anything because anyone reading the book would catch on way before our young Phillip did). While I flew through the novel, I think the narrator was so annoying that I had to tamper my rating.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes gothic literature. Anyone looking for a quick classic novel.
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips
Premise: Joan and her son are playing in the forests of the zoo one afternoon when she realizes it’s almost closing time. When she makes her way to the front of the zoo, however, she sees a man with a gun and the fight for her (and her son’s) life begins.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: This book was so, so enthralling. From the very first chapter when we hear gunshots, these characters are in a fight for their lives, and my adrenaline was high the entire time I was reading this book. When I wasn’t reading it (due to being out of town at friend’s houses, where it’s generally frowned upon to read nonstop), I was thinking about this book and imagining what they were going through.
I will say that there’s very little character development here. We meet Joan and the whole book is peppered with facts about her past (absent father, depressed mother?), but it really doesn’t matter much. I never really came to care about Joan as a person, but I think that makes the story more impactful because it’s pretty easy to slide yourself into her character. The side characters were a bit more compelling, probably because I wasn’t expected to know them as well or care about their histories as much as their present. The plot of this story moves, though, and I found myself caring less about where the characters came from.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes a thriller. Anyone looking to get their hearts racing.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Premise: Chanel Miller was assaulted by Brock Turner when she was unconscious at a fraternity party. After three years of being anonymous throughout the court proceedings, she is finally revealing her name and her story to the world.
Rating: 5 Stars
Thoughts: I’ll preface this by saying that I don’t typically read these types of books. Memoirs, sure, but I’m not usually drawn to books that are concerning the hot topics in the news (I get enough news as is), and I’m not usually all about a tell-all book. But this book. I saw it on Libby available, and I figured I might as well pick it up… and it hooked me from the very beginning.
Chanel’s voice (actual narrating voice, but also written voice) is so strong and powerful and clear. She looks unflinchingly at her assault, her trial, the aftermath of all of this. The whole book was heart wrenching and terrifying and bleak, but she managed to pepper in positivity just when it was needed most. Evaluating it on it’s literary merit alone — this book is un-put-down-able, emotional, and gritty. But when you realize it’s real and you know how the story ends… well that makes it even more gutting. I loved and hated it, and I’m so grateful to have read it.
Side Note: If you’re a survivor of sexual assault, I’m not sure I can recommend this one. I can see how it would be incredibly triggering. That being said, in the last chapter of the book, Chanel reads her victim statement, and that is worth listening on audio because her reading is just profound.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes poignant memoirs. Anyone who is interested in the #MeToo movement. Anyone looking for an impactful story.
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Premise: After watching him murder her entire family, Bresis is given to Achilles’ as his slave and prize from the conquered city. Throughout the Trojan War, she must come to terms with the man she is forced to be with and what it means to be a slave.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: This was our book club pick for January, and I had read a couple negative reviews on Goodreads by my fellow book club members saying that they didn’t really like the book. That, coupled with it being set in ancient Greece, set my expectations pretty low for this one, and I definitely got off to a slow start. The writing felt a bit choppy and childish in the beginning, and I had a hard time connecting to the character.
Once I setting into the book, however, I found myself really enjoying it and tearing through the pages. Bresis is a dynamic character who struggles with identity and purpose after becoming a slave, and I enjoyed watching her come to terms with the life she was put into. Achilles’ character was also complex and intriguing, and I though the book presented a unique view on his story. There were definitely some elements of the author’s writing style that I struggled with (like the “We-ell”s and the occasionally answering fictitious reader questions), but I actually really enjoyed the plot and the characters, and it was such a fast read that I found I couldn’t put the book down (which is not always the case with award-winning novels).
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes stories of ancient gods and goddesses. Anyone who enjoyed Circe or The Song of Achilles.
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
Premise: It’s 1982 and Vivian is hitchhiking to New York City when she gets dropped at the Sun Down Motel. Once she’s there, she starts uncovering stories of girls who have gone missing or turned up murdered — a list she’s about to be added to. Thirty-five years later, her niece Carly is determined to find out what happened to Viv at that motel.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: I neglected EVERYTHING last night to finish the last 75 pages of this book. I let dinner burn, I stayed up way past my bedtime, I forgot about the laundry and dishes and walking the dog. I could not put this book down from start to finish, and I was constantly sneaking into the break room at work to get a few more pages in. I’m not usually a fan of ghost stories, but Simone St. James had me riveted with The Broken Girls, and this book was just as captivating.
I really enjoyed Vivian and Carly’s characters, and there were times where I had to check to see which timeline I was reading because their stories mirrored each other so closely. It wasn’t a bad thing though; I think the author kept the storylines close for a purpose. The way that their stories came together was masterful and just so, so good. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys books that get their heart racing.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes thrillers. Anyone looking for a good ghost story. Anyone who enjoys true crime.
The Royal We by Heather Cocks
Premise: Bex leaves her twin sister Lacey behind to study abroad in England, and the first person she meets upon arriving at Oxford is none other than the heir to the throne, Prince Nicholas. Their love story follows in five parts, told from their first meeting to their wedding day.
Rating: 4 Stars
Thoughts: This book was a party in an 18 hour audiobook. After listening to Know My Name, I knew I had to find a book that would lift me out of that darkness and bring some light to this dreary January. This book was the perfect distraction, and I ended up driving around the block more than once to listen just a little bit longer.
This story was everything I wanted in a light (but not too light) book. It had a swoony romance. It had conflicted main characters. It had drama and intrigue without being too petty. It had heartbreak and redemption. It had a killer British accent. I really enjoyed this one, and I’m going to miss riding around with Bex in my car.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes the royals. Anyone looking for a lighter read. Anyone who wants a fun distraction.
The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker
Premise: Sharon and Mel were fast friends in college, which led to them being inseparable partners-in-crime, both in the animation studio and out of it. But when things about their past get revealed, they start to unravel.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: I was 70 pages in and really debating about quitting this book. I wasn’t completely convinced that I wanted to be reading it, and the characters in this book are really, really messed up. Their pasts are dark, they aren’t coping well, and I am not really interested in animation as an art form. However, I kept going… it was a quick read and I felt like I should stick with it and see where it went.
Cut to three hours later when I come out of the book for oxygen. Sharon suffers from some medical stuff, and the story really picks up and gets intriguing from there. I honestly could not look away from the train wreck that is Sharon’s family, Mel’s destructive behavior, and the relationship that felt doomed from the start. The whole book was DARK and twisted and angry and it felt like watching a train wreck, but I couldn’t look away.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes deep character sketches. Anyone interested in the arts. Anyone looking for a deep dive of a story.
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
Premise: Melinda Gates discusses her foundation’s philanthropic efforts around the globe and why she chose to focus on women’s issues.
Rating: 2 Stars
Thoughts: I am very, very much in the minority with this one. The book has a 4.31 rating on Goodreads! That’s really high! But I just really can’t see why it’s getting such rave reviews. Maybe I’m not the target audience for the book?
I felt like a lot of what Melinda spent her time talking about were issues facing women in impoverished countries, which is great! I just really wanted to see more of the way that these issues connect to my life and what I could do personally to help. I found myself sifting through the information, looking for a way that I can make a change or impact the world with these issues, but… there wasn’t much of that connection there. Melinda runs a billion dollar foundation, and she didn’t do a great job of connecting these issues back to the normal people and how we could make an impact. I just thought it was… lacking. I really hoped for more from such a praised book.
Who Should Read It: Anyone interested in learning more about global issues. Anyone who has their political beliefs challenged by their faith.
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
Premise: When the old water tower falls down, a girl is found inside. No one knows where Miel came from, but the roses that grow from her wrist marks her as different from the people in her town. Her only friend is Sam, a boy who paints the moon.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: I was not sure about this book when I started reading it. Like… thought I might quit it a couple times. I love magical realism, but this one was really heavy on the magic, and the people in the town were skeptics, which made me skeptical as well. I could have gotten past Miel’s roses and Aracely’s cures for lovesickness and the weird Bonner sisters… if they were all in isolation. But at the beginning of the book, all of these components together were just a touch too much for me.
But I carried on reading, and I’m really glad I did. Once the secrets started spilling from the characters, I became a lot more invested in their stories and where the book would take them. I felt like I was on a journey of sorts, and I was happy to follow these characters around for a while. At one point, I’m pretty sure I said, “Just tell her the truth already!” out loud. In public. The ending of the story is perfection, and the author’s note really drove home the LGBTQ+ aspect for me in a way I wasn’t expecting. Overall, I’m glad I picked this one up, even if it was a bit hard to digest in the start.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes magical realism. Anyone looking for a book about the transgender experience. Anyone who likes quirky books.
