January 2020 Book Review

Hey there! If you follow me on Instagram you may already know that this year I have challenged myself to read 52 books. Yep. One book a week.

Let me give you a little background.

I have always been an avid reader. It is something that I truly enjoy. But after having Olivia I let it fall to the wayside. I would maybe read 1-2 books a year. But this past year I discovered reading again. I remembered how much I loved it and it became something that I do for myself. In 2019, I read 32 books without even trying, so I figured 52 was a logical next step.

I also thought it would be fun to share the books I read with you all. I read 6 books in January and I’m sharing a brief synopsis and review of them all for you and my star rating (5 stars- amazing, 1 star- not so good)

1. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch – A man is kidnapped and knocked unconscious, but when he wakes up his life doesn’t seem like his own. This was a super fast-paced sci-fi thriller and I loved it. Even a non sci-fi reader will be into this book. The fact that it’s based on actual scientific theory just blows my mind. I am so glad I started the year off with this book! 5 Stars
2. The Couple Next Door – A baby is kidnapped while the parents are next door and you are taken on a wild goose chase. Okay, I can see why people liked this book but it just didn’t do it for me. The whole plot was just too far-fetched and ridiculous to take seriously. 3 Stars
3. After the Flood – A dystopian novel that takes place after the world is overtaken by flood waters. A mother (and her daughter) is searching for her older daughter and must face a dangerous world to find her. This book was SO GOOD. It had some great action that kept me on the edge of my seat and also pulled at my motherly heartstrings. 5 Stars
4. City of Girls – Set in the 1940s about a good girl turned fun-loving and sexually adventurous young woman and her life’s story. Has some great humor and I even found myself laughing out loud at times. My only complaint was that it was a bit longer than necessary. 4 Stars
5. The Kitchen House – An orphaned white girl comes to live and work on a plantation and considers the slaves her family. As she grows up, she begins to realize the difference between their races. It’s also about love and family and so much more. It was heart wrenching and powerful. I couldn’t put it down, I loved it so much. 5 Stars
6. Angela’s Ashes – I may be one of the only people who didn’t love this book. Like at all. It’s terribly depressing memoir about a young boy growing up in poverty in Ireland. The book was interesting in the beginning but then went downhill for me. And what I disliked the most was the style of writing– it was like reading the transcript of a Donald Trump speech, no quotation marks or punctuation. 3 Stars

Can’t wait to share February’s books with you! If you read any of these, let me know what you think!

XO,
L