Books Read in January: 19
Books Read for the Year:  19/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Song of the Forever Rains, by E.J. Mellow (TBR): I ended up binge-reading this, and really enjoyed the characters. Looking forward to the next one.
Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn (TBR): I’m still enjoying this series, but Julia got on my nerves a little bit in this one.
Champagne, Misfits, and Other Shady Magic, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR):
The City of Zirdai, by Maria V. Snyder (TBR):
Praying Upside Down, by Kelly O’Dell Stanley (spiritual, TBR): I really enjoyed this!
Leaders Eat Last, by Simon Sinek (TBR): This had some interesting stuff in it.
The Dryad Storm, by Laurie Forest (TBR): I’ve been waiting for this to come out for like a year and a half. Maybe that break gave me time to see it with fresh eyes, because WHY IS EVERYTHING HYPHENATED?! I feel like the author just flung random words together, sticking them together with a little dash, and it felt like lazy writing, honestly. This ended up being a disappointing read, especially considering the delayed release.

For Review:

Capitana, by Cassandra James (review forthcoming). Ximenia wasn’t my favorite character ever, but I enjoyed this read a lot.

All Better Now, by Neal Shusterman (review forthcoming).. This was not a light and fluffy read. It really showed how truly terrible some human beings can be.

Last Twilight in Paris, by Pam Jenoff (review forthcoming). I enjoyed both characters/timelines in this story–and was so relieved at the ending.

See How They Hide, by Allison Brennan. Reading about cults creeps me out, and this book did, too. I’ve enjoyed all the Quinn & Costa books, and this one was good, too.

A Better Nightmare, by Megan Freeman (review forthcoming). This was an okay read, but there weren’t really any surprises in it.The MC felt very passive throughout, and I wouldn’t read more.l

Get Lost with You, by Sophie Sullivan (review forthcoming). This was another okay read. I liked the setting and the secondary characters, but it felt like there was no conflict for the MCs to overcome to end up together.

The Queens of Crime, by Marie Benedict (review forthcoming). Feeling a bit like a broken record, but this was an okay read. The POV felt a little distant, but it was neat to see the famous women writers as characters in this murder mystery.

The Perfect Rom-Com, by Melissa Ferguson (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this read a lot, but it’s not a rom-com. I wouldn’t even classify it as a romance. Great storyline, though.

The Dressmakers of London, by Julia Kelly (review forthcoming). I love Kelly’s historical fiction, and I really enjoyed this one! Loved both sisters and their journeys and found it difficult to put this down.

Never Planned on You, by Lindsay Hameroff (review forthcoming). I liked this, except for the part where the MC thought it was okay to date a guy with a fiance (even if it turned out to be a marriage of convenience). Not okay with that.

I Am the Cage, by Allison Sweet Grant (review forthcoming). Excellent writing here, especially the poetry, but I enjoyed it far more once the MC stopped being passive about her past and life.

Just Because:

This is the Way (Gateway Publishing). My church’s January devotional.

Left Unfinished:

This Will Be Fun, by E.B. Asher. This felt like a terrible farce and it gave me a headache.

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