Which books are worth the read and which should you skip? Find out what books I’ve been reading lately and whether I recommend them.
Welcome to my monthly reading roundup. Each month, I write up short reviews of books I read that month. Find out which books I recommend and which to skip. Plus, take a sneak peek at the February 2020 book releases and what I’m hoping to read next month.
Since I’ve been slacking and haven’t covered my reading list recently, this month I’m showcasing my reads from January and December.
I know the month isn’t exactly over, but let’s take a look at my January reading by the numbers before moving on to my reviews.
- Books Read: 14
- 2020 Releases: 4 (all Advance Review Copies)
- Genre: 9 Nonfiction, 5 Fiction
- Authors: 10 Female Authors, 6 Male (1 Male/Female Team, and 1 Female/Female Team)
- Format: 1 Audiobook, 2 E-books, 11 Print Copies
- Total Page Count: 4,918 pages
If you pay attention, I only highlight 5 of my 14 January reads. The rest fall into three categories. One: advance copies that I won’t review until the months they release. Two: books I read for last week’s post on minimalism books. Three: a random children’s book my son wanted me to read.
January Reads
The ONly Plane in the Sky
Garrett M. Graff
The Starless Sea
Erin Morgenstern
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life
Jane Sherron De Hart
The Point of It All
Charles Krauthammer
Good Leaders Ask Great Questions
John C. Maxwell
December Reads
Such a Fun Age
Kiley Reid
I received a complimentary copy of this book from G. P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Library Book
Susan Orlean
Children of Virtue and Vengeance
Tomi Adeyemi
I’d Rather Be Reading
Anne Bogel
Southern Lady Code
Helen Ellis
The Queen of Nothing
Holly Black
The Shadow of the Wind
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Upcoming Releases
One of the best perks of being a book blogger is receiving advance review copies (ARCs) of upcoming book releases from publishers.
At the beginning of each month, I cover all the new book releases coming out, and the February 2020 book releases are right around the corner. Here’s a peek at the February releases I’ve already read.
My To-Read List
What’s up next for me? Before I let you go, here are a few of the titles I’m hoping to get through this upcoming month.
Be sure to come back in February to see which ones I read.
What books did you read in January?
January for me ….
1. Book Becoming a Movie in 2020 – “Without Remorse” by Tom Clancy (yes – super big/long book but so full of action – it’s going to be a good movie!)
2. Goodreads Winner in 2019 – “Daisy Jones and the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid (loved it!)
3. Less Than 200 Pages – “Color For Life” by Charles Phillips…. (Just one I had on the shelf that have never been read)
4. Published in 1920s – “Mrs Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf (almost done)
31. Audiobook – “The Goldfinch” Donna Tartt (almost 1/2 done)
Wow, you picked two long ones! I loved Without Remorse; I’ve read the whole Jack Ryan trilogy. I’ll be curious to hear what you think about The Goldfinch. It gets such mixed reviews. (I really liked it.)
I finally finished the Goldfinch audiobook today….
URGH!!! lol…. I did like it! I found it poetic and beaufifully written .. (and some parts really make you think)… . I have my favorite characters (Hobie & Pipa) .. and the beginning in New York was probably my favorite … (Vegas with Dad was my least favorite)…. but it was difficult to read for sure (im really sad about the drug use)… and you weren’t kidding about it being really long!!.. Holy! what a book!
Yes! You about summed it up. I have such a hard time recommending to people because it’s so long and so hit and miss on whether you will like it.
You read so much nonfiction this month! I know that’s stating the obvious but I’m super impressed. I read two nonfiction and that’s a huge deal haha. I’m almost done listening to The Starless Sea and feel the same way as you. Listening is amazing with a full cast, but I still think I want to go back and read the actual book too.
Yes, I’ve been on quite the nonfiction kick. I have another 10 sitting on my nightstand right now, so February might be similar.
How have you not read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo yet?? I am shocked. I think you’ll love it — I can’t imagine anyone NOT loving it. But, as always, I’m eager to read your review.
A friend was telling me about The Library Book as something I might enjoy, but I think I might skip it now. I was worried it might be a bit dull, and it seems it is, haha. Thanks!
I need to read I’d Rather Be Reading. I follow her blog, too, and all book lovers love this book. And, that Southern book sounds pretty entertaining. 🙂
I know! When I first started book blogging, everyone was talking about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. But I just didn’t get around to reading it. And you should read both I’d Rather Be Reading and The Southern Lady Code. I think you’d like both of them. They are both quick reads, and I love that the authors’ read the audiobooks themselves.
This month, I’ve read several books that I’ve had on my shelves for years! Quite a variety and I enjoyed them all.
“Elizabeth is Missing” by Emma Healey
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy
“Death on the Nile” by Agatha Christie (Book into film in 2020)
“How to Stay Sane” by Philippa Perry (Under 200 pages/ Non-fiction)
“The Bridge of San Luis Rey” by Thornton Wilder (Published in 1920s)
“The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul” by Deborah Rodriguez
Way to go! I have a goal of reading my last few unread books from my bookshelves this year. One down, only 6 more to go!
I’m not very good at following reading challenges because I’m mostly a mood reader. But I’ve read The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn ( which I loved) as a book becoming a movie in 2020; and I read Recursion by Blake Crouch (all I can say is WOW!) as Goodreads winner in 2019. Then my mood won and I read The Stranger Beside Me: the Ted Bundy Story by Ann Rule (a fascinating book!), and A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting (first book I read for this author, and I loved her writing). And finally I’m reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (because I love classics) and hope to finish it by the end of the month. That’s it!
With 52 categories, there’s a good chance all your mood reads will fit into a category. Though that gets a lot harder as the months go on.
My challenge books were:
Book becoming a movie – “the Rhythm Section”. Mark Burnell
Best Read 2019 – um, I lost track of which of my reads this was- It’s been a 24 book month t hi s taught me I need to record my challenge books better to share with others – I am used to reading being a solitary pursuit.
Under 200 pages. “Every heart a doorway” Seanan McGuire
1920s -‘Nadja’ André Breton.
The challenge is already teaching me to be more mindful about my book selection and to have some much needed self recognition for areas I am already covering well instinctively. Looking ahead to February I am most excited about the history book. I have realised how this area has been lacking in my reading for many years.
I am so grateful to the introduction to this challenge.
I’m so glad you are enjoying the challenge! With 24 books in the month, I can imagine it would be hard to remember them all. I compulsively track all my reading on Goodreads (and now on the blog), so that’s one thing to look at. Or you could try a reading journal.
Ooooh, what an interesting and varied month you’ve had! I loved Such A Fun Age and The Library Book, I’ve read them both recently too, and I’d love to get my hands on a copy of The Only Plane in The Sky – I feel like we’ve finally maybe got enough distance from the events of 9/11 to address it in new and interesting ways in literature. And I’ve just picked up a copy of The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, so I’ll be jumping in to that one soon, too!
Oh, I’m so excited we’ll be reading the same book! It’ll be interesting to see how our opinions compare.