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1/1: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (library audiobook narrated by Aaliya Warbus and Jordan Waunch, 2023) - Boy, this not the book for me. 1.5/5 stars
1/2: Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne (library audiobook narrated by the author, 2024) - I regret spending time with this person. I don't actually think she has a personality disorder; I think she's a selfish asshole. 2/5 stars
1/5: Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart (library ebook, 2023) - Fine. I think I need a break from romance. A few years ago I would have raved about this, but all I could think about while reading it was that these two people are going to have to either make major changes to their personalities or they are not going to have a long-term successful relationship. Not all relationships have to be forever, but this just stressed me out. It's a good romance, but maybe it's not the genre for me right now. 3/5 stars
1/6: The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni (library, 2023) - Catherine on the podcast Sarah's Bookshelves recommended this book. It was pretty good! 4/5 stars
1/7: The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis (library audiobook, 2019) - Book club book for January. I was grumpy about this book until halfway through and then was really invested. 3.5/5 stars
1/11: Passions in Death (In Death #59) by J.D. Robb (library, 2024) - So many characters in this book! I love that they keep putting these out, even though it is clear that the author is out of ideas for interesting murders (this exact scene of death was used in the books before, as well as the manner of death), but seems to be focusing more on the character development of Eve (she and Roarke watched a movie while she was part of an active investigation!) and her growing network of friends. It's an interesting pivot for the series. 3.5/5 stars
1/15: The Mountains Sing by Nguyên Phan Quê Main (library audiobook, 2020) - Some people love this book, but I thought there were too many characters and too many timelines and I found it super confusing. I might have liked it better in a physical book where I would have taken notes. Some of the cultural stuff about Vietnam was interesting, but the juice wasn't worth the squeeze for me. 3/5 stars
1/18: Real Americans by Rachel Khong (library, 2024) - This was a good book about three generations of a family, but I wanted it to be better. 4/5 stars
1/23: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (library audiobook narrated by Linda Stephens, 1936) -Big Book #1 of the year. Brilliant. I can see why it has endured for all these years. 5/5 stars
1/26: Exile's Valor (Valdemar: Alberich's Tale #2) by Mercedes Lackey (library, 2003) - Not as strong an entry as the first one in Alberich's stories, but Lackey is really good at what she does. 3.5/5 stars
1/29: Mind Games by Nora Roberts (library ebook, 2024) - Why was this book more than 400 pages? I don't know. 3/5 stars
Average star rating: 3.32/5 stars
Did Not Finish:
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams - A thieving little girl thieves. That's what happened in the first 15% of this book. I kept saying "why isn't anything happening in this book?" and eventually just gave it up as a bad job.
The Girls by Emma Cline - I just never got the writing style with this one. DNF at 15%.
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Did you read anything amazing in January? I need an amazing book to read.
Engie, sometimes I think we are EXACT book opposites (and I did indeed enjoy The Dictionary of Lost Words and loved The Girls), but your reviews of Berrypickers and Sociopath reflect my views perfectly! I have chugging along with my Cormoran Strike reread; I still think Ink Black Heart is my fave, but I'm diving back into Running Grave so we'll see if that holds. I pre-ordered the next book -- out in September. (I do harbor considerable self-loathing for supporting the author. Separating art and artist -- I know you struggle with this too.) Best book I read in January was by far Margo's Got Money Troubles.
ReplyDeleteI am excited that I can use the new Cormoran Strike as one of my Big Reads for 2025. Surely it will be over 500 pages - I can't imagine it being shorter than that, can you?
DeleteI DNFed Margo's Got Money Troubles, so we are book opposites in many ways!
We'll always have Cormoran Strike and Kinsey Millhone.
DeleteYeah, you had a rough month of reading in January. Lots of 3 stars and below! I have two of your books on my TBR- Gone With the Wind and The Puzzle Master. I'm reading an amazing book right now but it's the third book in a trilogy, and you would have to wade through two long-ish, dense books that talk a lot about physics to get to this one. Is there a new Cormoran Strike book coming out??? That's what we need.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for Gone With the Wind. It was also super long, so it was ongoing as the month went by. My husband read the first book in your trilogy, The Three Body Problem, and he did not care for it ("the author things they are smarter than they are"), so I just decided it wasn't for me, but your reviews are making me think I should reexamine it.
DeleteThe very first book I read in January was Moon Road, and I think it was the best book I read in January. I don't know that I'd recommend it to you though. It is very sad. It is one of the saddest books I have ever read.
ReplyDeleteMoon Road sounds good, but I would definitely have to wait until there's more light in the day before I read something so sad!
DeleteOh, I really loved The Dictionary of Lost Words. So much. I'm sorry it didn't capture you. But we do heartily agree on The Berry Pickers. And, of course, GWTW.
ReplyDeleteJanuary was such a horrid month for me with migraine. I think all I read was The New Yorker magazines, which KEEP COMING SO FAST THAT I CANNOT KEEP UP.
Ha ha! My roommate in grad school had piles of The New Yorker and it always made me laugh. When did she think she was going to find time to read all those? I hope your migraine symptoms clear up ASAP!
DeleteWhy yes I did read something amazing in January. Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom is an inspired-by-true-events story of a young Native American woman who marries an older white trader and travels with him to build a trading post. I don't want to do spoilers, so I'll keep it vague but she encounters a situation where the smart thing to do is stay out of it and the human thing to do is to take care of business. She takes care of business.
ReplyDeleteSounds great! I placed a hold for it at the library and it looks like there are 4 available copies in the system, so fingers crossed I get it soon.
DeleteWow, "the juice wasn't worth the squeeze for me" is such a great way of putting it! I spent January racing through book after book like a bag of potato chips--escapism, much, ccr?
ReplyDeleteI get the escapism tendency. I am going to put another Mercedes Lackey book on hold because I just want to be in a world that is not OUR world right now.
DeleteI am reading a book that is hard to put down right now. Maybe you've already read it. 'Go As a River' by Shelley Read. I'm halfway thru and I'm loving it. I'm blown away that you work a full time job, care for pets, and can read that many books in a month. Whoa Nelly.
ReplyDeleteI don't think she has a personality disorder, I think she's an ass hole. That made me laugh.
I hope the author of that Sociopath book reads this and comes at me. I have issues with her!
DeleteRe: sociopath: "I regret spending time with this person. I don't actually think she has a personality disorder; I think she's a selfish asshole. 2/5 stars" Yes! This is my thinking, too. I am pretty sure she is NOT a sociopath. Which makes me sad for people reading it who either struggle with sociopathy or are caring for someone that truly does have sociopathy...
ReplyDeleteI loved The Berry Pickers. I'm going to order in The Puzzle Master.
Yeah, I didn't really love Sociopath. I listened to the audiobook (read by the author) and I just kept screaming "you didn't fit the checklists for a psychopath because you aren't one!!" She just thinks she's smarter than everyone else (hey, I'm not casting stones), but if you can't listen to experts, you are preventing yourself from getting the help that will make your life better.
DeleteIn January I finally read The Ghosts of Eden Park by Karen Abbott. It's a true crime story about bootleggers, murder, and fabulously wealthy lifestyles during the jazz age. It hooked me in from page one.
ReplyDeleteFun stuff! I love escapism into fun times in history, although maybe murder isn't fun...
DeleteYou've sold me on Gone with the Wind! I've never read it. 50 hours is a commitment! I see it's free in my Audible subscription, so I'm going to go for it!
ReplyDeleteOh, boy! Strap yourself in. I could not stop listening to it.
DeleteI just finished Listen for the Lie by Amy Tinterra - I really enjoyed it. But since I have read two books since then, I can't remember enough about it to tell you why I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteListen for the Lie was one of my top books of last year! I just loved how it sounded like a podcast. I just fell right into it.
DeleteGigi - her snarky voice was what really nailed the book as a fave for me. I loved how being an accused murderer didn't slow her roll in any way.
DeleteEngie! How can we agree on so many things and not agree on books? I loved _The Berry Pickers_ and _The Girls_! Even A loved _The Girls_--in fact, he thinks Cline's other novel _The Guest_ is one of the best.
ReplyDeleteBooks are so individual, I guess. I feel like maybe we just want different things out of our books! I'm not actually looking for great writing, but just something to distract me from the events of the day.
DeleteI like this frame...
DeleteCurious about whether you actually enjoy the JD Robb books or is it just a completist thing at this point?
ReplyDeleteI do like the JD Robb books, but I LOATHE Roarke. I sort of hoped she would kill him off, but that hasn't happened yet, so I persevere. I adore Peabody, McNab, Feeney, Mavis, and Trina. Even Nadine. And I guess I like that the series shows that you can have a long-term happy marriage, but the dynamic of a bazillionaire saving the day all the time irritates me. Plus he's always shoving medication down her throat and I get very pissy about him. Also, they're an easy read.
DeleteI think it's smart to take a break from romance right now. I just don't think those books are landing for you and that's okay! Here's to more books that don't annoy you! <3
ReplyDeleteYeah, I got another romance novel that was on my Libby holds before I took my break and I am SO ANNOYED by it. *sigh* I should DNF it, but I'm 50% through and it will fulfill a Pop Sugar prompt I'm not excited about doing, so I've been reluctant to stop. We'll see.
DeleteI have heard such mixed reviews about Sociopath so have stayed away and have not been tempted to check it out!
ReplyDeleteI read some really good books in Jan but I don't know that I would recommend any of them to you! You might like Sipsworth and would know pretty quickly if it is for you.
Ha ha. I love that I have a reputation as someone who cannot handle emotional books. I think I'm good with that!
DeleteThank goodness for Gone With The Wind! I love reading your reviews. The Dictionary Of Lost Words, was one that stood out for me as I've been seeing rave reviews for that one. Hmmmm...
ReplyDeleteThe Wedding People was prob my fave book last month.
Yeah, some people loved The Dictionary of Lost Words. It did not grab my attention and I was annoyed with the thieving little girl. I really struggle with books where the main character is a child, to be honest, so maybe that had something to do with it.
DeleteHm. Definitely drop the romance for now. What's working for you? Anything? (Book-wise, I mean...)
ReplyDelete