January is a great month for reading. It's cold. It's depressing. You might as well stay home and read.
I read 12 books this month. Some were excellent. Some were awful. Here is what they were and what I think about them.
Too Wild to Tame by Tessa Bailey. The thing about Tessa Bailey is her books are either really good or awful. They are short, so I finish them either way. This book takes place in Iowa, the state where I live. The entire book takes place within 20 miles of where I live. There are no mountains here. There are no bears in central Iowa. Until a few years ago there were no bears in all of Iowa, but there has been bear activity in far north eastern Iowa recently. This book takes place in the mountains around Des Moines where there are bears. Also the main characters don't communicate. If you want to learn false information about geography read this book. If you want to hate the main character read this book. If you don't want to do those things step away from the book. I give this book zero stars.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. This is a middle grade novel. Audrey read it then brought it to me because she thought I would like it. That is the fastest way to get me to read a book. This book is a retelling of the life of a gorilla who lived in a mall in Washington. The gorilla paints to express his desire to be free. This book is adorable and full of love. I'm not trying to convince Audrey to watch the movie with me. I give this book five out of five stars.
Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao. This book follows the lives of two best friends from rural India as the tragic thing after tragic things happen to them. It was difficult to read. It was heartbreak after heartbreak. Am I glad I read it? Yes. Will I ever stop thinking about it? Doubtful. Do I think you should read it? Honestly, I wouldn't do that to you. I give this book four out of five stars.
Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan. This book is by Jenny Colgan. You know how it will end. This book is a fast read, as there is so much flowery language you can skim most of it. It was solidly fine. I give this book two out of five stars.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Little Women by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo. Are you aware that there is a series of graphic novels of classic books updated to the modern world? They are wonderful. This is my least favorite of the series, but I still enjoyed it a lot. I give this book three out of five stars.
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. I picked this book at the Banned Book Fair last year. I am usually a fan of coming of age memoirs, but I didn't love this one. That's OK though, I'm not the right audience for it. I hope it remains accessible to all who would benefit from reading it. I give this book three out of five stars.
Heartstopper Vol 5 by Alice Oseman. Am I completely head over heels in love with this graphic novel series about two boys named Nick and Charlie falling in love? Yes. I love seeing the characters develop and grow. I give this book four out of five stars.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. I read this for my first meeting with my new book club. It is about two estranged siblings coming together after the death of their mother. They discover their mom was full of secrets. I do feel like an editor could have cut entire chapters of this book, but I did enjoy it. I give this book four out of five stars.
Ladyparts by Deborah Copaken. A memoir about health and relationships. I loved this book. I hate our healthcare system. I hate how we don't talk about women's specific health issues. I think you should read this if you are not offended by swearing. I give this book four out of five stars.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree. I was on hold for this book for about 10 weeks. I loved Legands and Lattes, so I was very excited to read the newest book in the series. I think I spent 10 weeks thinking this book would be amazing and ended up over hyping it in my brain. The book under-delivered on my high hopes. I give this book two out of five stars.
Chase Me by Tessa Bailey. Not a good one. I give this book one out of five stars and I'm thinking I need to remove the Tessa Bailey books on my hold list.
Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey. Why yes, all of my holds came in at once. This one was an OK Tessa Bailey book, but I'm still going to cancel my holds. This is a romance book about a married couple going through a rough patch. I give it three out of five stars.
Have you read anything good lately? If you have, please tell me about it.
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