Here are all the books I read in January! A real mixture of memoirs, thrillers, a children’s classic and one fantasy. Only one that I didn’t finish (not listed). What was your favorite read this month? Let me know in the comments!
Who I Am by Melanie C
A very personal memoir from Sporty Spice, Mel C. I knew nothing about her life, so it was interesting to read not only about her time in the band, but the years before and after she joined the group. Definitely left me longing for a Spice Girls reunion!
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I hadn’t read “Little House on the Prairie” since I was in elementary school and decided to pick it up for a re-read now that I’m older. Even as an adult, the story holds up and keeps you engaged with their life as the Ingalls family travel from Wisconsin to the Kansas prairie.
I also didn’t pick up on the racism as a child, but it’s extremely apparent when reading it as an adult. While disappointing to realize those things about a beloved series from childhood, I’m a firm believer in talking about why it’s wrong, looking at the book through the context of the time period the book was written in, and how we can change to do better going forward.
All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter
Miren’s family forged a deal with mermaids – in exchange for safe passage of their ships, a child will be sacrificed every generation. She’s determined to change her fate and the fate of her family, even when the odds are stacked against her.
I wanted to love this one, but ended up barely being able to finish it. Something about the story just failed to grab me.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
An island wedding off the coast of Ireland goes terribly wrong when a body is found.
Who did it? And why are these characters so dang awful? I really, really disliked this book. Every character had some kind of baggage that weighed the story down and the writing was not good at all.
It’s a popular title, so I must be missing something, but it certainly wasn’t for me. Also to note, I tried and DNF Lucy Foley’s “The Hunting Party” this month too. I think I’ll steer clear of her books from now on.
The Villa by Rachael Hawkins
Emily and Chess were childhood best friends. Now, both are successful authors in a writing slump so they decide that a girls trip to Italy is just what their friendship and writing need.
While not as twisty as I would have liked, this was a decent thriller that kept my interest and a pretty quick read.
The Stories We Tell by Joanna Gaines
Marketed as her first solo memoir, Joanna Gaines tell stories from her life.
I found this to be extremely boring, repetitive and the only interesting parts were when she talked about being bullied growing because of her heritage.
Skip unless you are a super fan of the Magnolia empire.