I know - I know - it's literally almost March! I'm telling you; I feel like I am playing catch-up and man, did I get some serious reading done in the month of January! So let me get right down to all the books I read in the month of January... before February is done and March arrives!
The Fury by Alex Michaelides: This is a tale of murder. Or maybe that's not quite true. At its heart, it's a love story, isn't it? Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex-movie star & one of the most famous women in the world. Every year she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather & spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.
I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time - it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind... and a murder. We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our friendships concealed hatred & a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat & mouse - a battle of wits, full of twists & turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence & death, as one of us was found murdered.
Who am I? My name is Elliot Chase & I'm going to tell you a story unlike any you've ever heard.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐of 5 - I read this book in two days; it was a great book and a good read; however, I didn't really find any of the characters likable. *shrugs*
The Lady's Mine by Francine Rivers: 1875. When Kathryn Walsh arrives in tiny Calvada, a mining town nestled in the Sierra Nevadas, falling in love is the farthest thing from her mind. Banished from Boston by her wealthy stepfather, she has come to claim an inheritance from the uncle she never knew & a defunct newspaper office on a main street overflowing with brothels, saloons & a seemingly worthless mine. Moved by the oppression of the local miners & their families, Kathryn decides to relaunch her uncle's newspaper - & then finds herself in the middle of a maelstrom, pitted against Calvada's most powerful men. But Kathryn intends to continue to say - & publish - whatever she pleases, especially when she knows she's right.
Matthias Beck, owner of a local saloon & hotel, has a special interest in the new lady in town. He instantly recognizes C. T. Walsh's same tenacity in the beautiful & outspoken redhead - & knows all too well how dangerous that family trait can be. While Kathryn may be right about Calvada's problems, her righteousness could get her killed. But when the handsome hotelier keeps finding himself on the same side of the issues as the opinionated Miss Walsh, Matthias's restless search for purpose becomes all about answering the call of his heart.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐of 5. This book was fine. It took me a little longer to read because I honestly struggled to get into it at first. This was a book club choice, so I pushed through but I can't say it was my favorite.
Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer: Worry, doubt, confusion, depression, anger & feelings of condemnation: all these are attacks on the mind. If readers suffer from negative thoughts, they can take heart! Joyce Meyer has helped millions win these all-important battles. In her most popular bestseller ever, the beloved author & minister shows readers how to change their lives by changing their minds.
She teaches how to deal with the thousands of thoughts that people think every day & how to focus the mind the way God thinks. And she shares the trials, tragedies & ultimate victories from her own marriage, family & ministry that led her to wonderous, life-transforming truth - & she reveals her thoughts & feelings every step of the way.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐of 5. This book was the perfect read at the perfect time; it was so helpful to me while dealing with pretty intense anxiety throughout the month of January. I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you are someone who (like me) deals with anxiety or depression!
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns: It's 1990 & seventeen-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone's table & a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop. Their silhouettes blot out the sun.
The Joseph brothers become Marley's whole world before she can blink. Soon, she is young wife to one, The One Who Got Away to another, & adopted mother to them all. As their own mother fades away & their roofing business crumbles under the weight of their unwieldy father's inflated ego, Marley steps in to shepherd these unruly men. Years later, an eerie discovery in the church attic causes old wounds to resurface & suddenly the family's survival hangs in the balance. With Marley as their light, the Joseph brothers must decide whether they can save the family they've always known - or whether together they can build something stronger in its place.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐of 5. I devoured this book in 24 hours! It was an easy read and the story drew me in almost immediately. This book was a great read and I am so glad I grabbed it up as my Book of the Month for January!
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods: On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found... For too long, Opaline, Martha & Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.
But when a vanishing bookshop cast its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder... where nothing is as it seems.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐of 5. I loved this book so much! It was a Christmas gift from a friend and it kept me company while I sat in the ER for almost six hours one day! It's such a great read; a wonderful story with some magic and mystery thrown in! Completely unique!
A Court of Wings & Ruin by Sarah J. Maas: Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's actions & learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to it's knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything - and everyone - she holds dear.
As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers - both magical & political - and her love for her court & family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre & Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning & lethal High Lords, & hunt for allies in unexpected places.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of 5. This is book three in the series and I am absolutely enjoying these books! I have been devouring them; this one was over 700 pages and I blazed through it in four days! I still think the second book in the series (A Court of Mist & Fury) is my favorite!
A Court of Frost & Starlight by Sarah J. Maas: Feyre, Rhysand & their friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court & the vastly altered world beyond, recovering from the war that changed everything. But Winter Solstice is finally approaching & with it, the joy of a hard-earned reprieve.
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concerns for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated - scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐of 5. This was a very short interlude style book in the series and while I enjoyed reading it; I guess it didn't have much plot beyond "it's the holidays - let's celebrate!" It was a peaceful interlude but just didn't rivet me as much as the other books have.
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Seven books in one month might be a record for me (in recent years). Certainly all the time off was helpful with my crushing some reading goals but I doubt that I'll manage to get through seven books in any other month this year! I guess we shall see!
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