What I Read in January

 

This year I am trying to find a balance in my reading. The year I read 100 books, I was doing it for escapism and that's how I read so much. I would say I'm a quick reader, but I also don't always just sit and read (even when I want to). Last year, I felt like I wasn't reading enough. I still read 50 books, which is always a soft goal, but I was doing a lot of other things. You may or may not know, my biggest fear/regret/sadness is not being able to read all the books I want to read in my lifetime (there are so many!). 

January felt slower to me, especially when two of these books I listened on Audible. I am trying to not let it get to me, but it is. I also read some longer books and those do take me more time. This year, I'm going to try to read the longer books in my TBR pile. I've been finding myself gravitating toward shorter books to reach my goals which is ridiculous. Anyway, I felt rather meh about most of these. I liked them, but didn't necessarily love them. I haven't read a can't-put-down book in awhile, so I'm really hoping to pick one up soon!

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones - 3 stars/5

This was an interesting thriller. It was fairly short and I thought could have been longer to dig into the characters just a little more. By the middle, I was fairly certain I knew "who done it", but it was a nice, quicker read.

Wildflower by Drew Barrymore - 3 stars/5

I didn't really know that much about Drew's life or businesses and this kind of put her into perspective for me. I don't think it's a must read, but it was interesting to see the trajectory of her life and how she was able to turn things around.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick - 4 stars/5 (changed from 5 stars/5)

This was my favorite book I read this month. I read it for my virtual book club and I definitely think it's great for book clubs. It offers a lot of great discussion. I think it could have been longer, again, to flush out the characters more. I got really excited about it after I read it (made me cry), but sitting with it for a bit, definitely not a 5 star read. 

Spare by Prince Harry - 3 stars/5

I felt like I had to read Spare. Just to see what it was all about. I did enjoy the first half (before Meghan). I feel like we see so much of the royals lives not told by them, so it was interesting to see how he felt about things and what he remembered (or didn't remember). I do believe what they went through/are currently going through is awful and I can't imagine having a family that is also a business. I feel like Harry shows a lot of ignorance about his privilege, but he has also had a lot of trauma. I don't know. You won't be missing anything by not reading this.

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas - 4 stars/5

This was a great follow up to the first novel. And oh so long! I love a good fantasy romance novel and this provided a lot of both - definitely more adult than the first one which was enjoyable. The ending made me entirely too excited and I honestly cannot wait for the next installment! 

Sweater: J. Crew Factory (similar here), Skirt: Loft (similar here)