January is a hit or miss reading month for me. This January was definitely a hit. I completed six books and didn't hate them. Mostly I enjoyed myself, but I'm currently working my way through the last bit in my TBR pile. To be fair, I only completed two from that pile this month and they were fairly good! I went a little wild at the Goodwill book section one day and kind of just randomly picked up books. I will be a little more particular from now on.
I set my reading goal for 52 books this year. I will most likely read more than that, but I'm really trying to not push myself too much. I want to read better books this year. Last year, I felt like I read a bunch of weird stuff that I wasn't that into. And I haven't had that just one more chapter feeling in quite awhile. I want to be sucked into a story. I recently made a stop at The Whispering Shelf in Downtown Indy and bought quite a few books that are on my reading list that I'm really excited about. My goal is to really stick to my list this year and not randomly buy a bunch of books that aren't on it (unless it's something I would definitely add to my list). I also would like to shop more local bookstores or used book stores. I admit that I am a heavy Amazon book shopper. I'm on a budget and sometimes can't justify the prices for smaller stores.
You can find me on Goodreads and StoryGraph this year. I'm being a weirdo and updating both. Eventually I'll make my way completely to StoryGraph.
Here's what I read:
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Thirteenth Tale is a bit of a love letter to reading. I received this as a Christmas gift two years ago and just hadn't gotten around to it, but I'm kind of sad I waited this long. It was a little bit of a thriller, honestly. A prolific author on her deathbed seeks out a biographer to tell her true life story, bringing the ghosts of her past to the present.
The Small and The Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I read this for my Virtual Book Club. I'm not entirely sure I would have picked it up on my own, but I really enjoyed this. Some of these people I knew about, but a lot I didn't. These are the people our government don't want children to learn about in school because it reflects poorly on white people. It's important to keep learning and reading about the people who actually helped shape this country into something good - even while others are working to tear it all down.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May ⭐⭐⭐
I have feelings about Wintering. A friend gifted this to me as she knows I'm very into hygge. I really enjoyed Katherine's descriptions of Wintering and learning to like hunkering down in the winter or when you're going through something hard. She is a beautiful writer. This book is coming from a high place of privilege though. Part of it is because she lives in the UK where things are just a bit more possible, but it is unrealistic to most people. I thought it was going to be more self help, but it was more memoir. Not a bad thing, but seemed a bit out of touch.
From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've always had a bit of a fascination with Elvis Presley (I mean who hasn't). This memoir was a bit heartbreaking. I didn't realize Riley Keough was his granddaughter until Daisy Jones came out. I listened to this book and I'm really glad I did. Getting to listen to Riley and sometimes Lisa made it feel very real. This family has gone through so much. A great look at a woman doing the best she could with what she was given.
What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Can we all just agree that Stanley Tucci is probably the perfect man? Like, when women talk about wanting a man... they mean someone like Stanley Tucci. Nearly every single day, he recorded what he ate and what he was doing while he ate it. There are recipes sprinkled in as well. The way he loves food and cooking food is just really fun. I listened to this one as well. I laughed my way through this while craving pasta.
The Last Girls by Lee Smith ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Last Girls was one of those random Goodwill books I picked up. Looking at the reviews, I was not very excited going into it. I actually quite enjoyed reading it though. There's no real point to the book, if you ask me. It's also a bit privileged (even though it's fiction). But it kind of just feels like real life. College girlfriends go off to live their own lives, lose touch throughout the years of families and work, and come together for a trip after one of them passes. It's a take it or leave it book. You're not missing out on anything, but it might be a nice escape.
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