January reads
One of my favorite things about winter is the down time to read more books. I try to take the time to read backlist books before all the 2024 new releases come out. There are so many I’m looking forward to in the spring/summer! Here are my January reads:
LIKED
The perfect kick off to New Year! A second chance romance about Frankie and Ezra, a couple who broke up a decade ago, are reunited at a college friend’s wedding. It was very bingeable read and I enjoyed the banter between Frankie and Ezra. I might be biased as a New Englander, but I also loved how this took place in The Berkshires region of Massachusetts. There were many nostalgia memories from 2000. I remember being so nervous about Y2K! This was a fun New Years read.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
This was a heartbreaking read but so well written. Adam, a teacher living in the Warsaw ghetto during WWII started collecting stories from others. This is inspired by the real Oneg Shabbat archives. Despite the brutal conditions of living in the ghetto, the resilience amazed me. I was absorbed into this book and wanted to read more of those stories. A must read.
FAVORITE
It was a bingeable read, hooked me from the beginning to end. That twist in the end was NOT what I expected so I definitely was caught by surprise. I watched the Netflix series after reading the book. Usually book-to-screen adaptions make me nervous, but this series was AMAZINGLY GOOD. It was as thrilling as reading the book. I highly recommend both! Coben has several more books that were adapted to Netflix so off to binge-read and binge-watch more of them!
LIKED
A couple, Oliver and Ciara meets in the supermarket right before the pandemic lockdown. They decided to move in together to see where their relationship goes. Only Oliver is keeping a secret from her. It was weird to read this book as it took place during the lockdown. CRH does excellent job of writing crime/mystery books. I enjoyed the unraveling of information over the 56 days in this book making it a captivating read. There were plenty of twists that I didn’t predict. I enjoyed this read!
FAVORITE
I ABSOUTELY loved this book. A young woman was caught making out with the rabbi’s son and was shipped to her aunt’s house on the Jersey Shore. She helps her aunt who is a matchmaker to find matches. This was such an adorable romance/fiction read. I laughed at the banter. I loved the Jersey Shore setting - it brought up a lot of memories of my own. I loved everything about this book. It is one of my 2024 favorites!
LIKED
Wow. WHAT THE HECK? This had an intense ending that I never would’ve guessed. it was a bingeable read about a missing girl who returns home after 12 years. The pacing is quick and very compelling. A solid thriller read!
NO RATING
Whew. Not an easy read. I didn’t expected it to be anyways. Unfortunately Nazi Germany adopted the sterilization law from the United States and named it T4 program. There aren’t many books or documented stories about T4/Deaf survivors. I only learned about this deaf history a few years ago. This book left me speechless and very sad. It may read very academic (dry) but it is important to learn about this history.
DNF
I loved her debut, TRESPASSES. This book is a collection of short stories of women in Ireland. I read the first story but wasn’t interested in continue reading.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Wow, this was a CRAZY read. A nonfiction read about the drug ring within fraternities in South Carolina. The middle section talked a LOT about drugs. I felt like the author slowed down to explain things, but I was well versed from many years in criminal justice field so this particular part dragged on for me. Other than that, it was very intriguing but it also left me feeling disgusted at the end.
How are the books rated:
Favorite — LOVED the book / Couldn’t put it down!
Highly Recommend — Great book / Enjoyed.
Liked — Good book / Liked it while reading, but will not remember.
DNF — Did Not Finish / Do not recommend.