The Books I Read In January

Truth be told I didn't read ALL these books in January.  I spent a lot of time in bed and on the couch the very last week of December and read the first three of them during that week! I found quite a few good books this month too.



1.  Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Emma London grew up with her Grandmother Genevieve (whom she dubbed "the Gorgon" and always thought of as impossible to please) until her grandmother turned her out of the house at 18 when Emma told Genevieve she was pregnant and keeping the baby.  Now many years later her grandmother calls out of the blue, tells her she is dying and would like Emma and her now teenage daughter Riley to come and live with her for the summer.  The book weaves a wonderful story of love, loss, betrayal, and growth told from many viewpoints.



2.  Vendetta in Death by JD Robb-- The 49th book in this Eve Dallas series was wonderfully gripping.  Eve must track down a serial killer known only as Lady Justice.  This avenging "superhero" tracks down and targets men who have done women wrong before torturing them and killing them.  The list of suspects is huge and with an array of disguises used Lady Justice is not easy to pin down.



3.  About that Kiss by Jill Shalvis-- My mother in law bought this book for me for Christmas and it was a rather cute story.  A somewhat predictable chick lit with a fun little mystery twist.  Kylie tries to fight her attraction to Joe, especially after their explosive kiss, but when her beloved penguin carving goes missing she hires him to find it.


4.  The Perfect Dress by Carolyn Brown-- Mitzi and her two best friends own a bridal shop making specialty dresses for plus sized brides and their friends.  When Mitzi's high school crush moves back to town with his two teenaged daughters Mitzi is surprised to learn that he now has a little crush on her but she's not sure if she should get involved.  A cute love story with lots of other little side stories going on that kept it interesting.



5.  Twisted Twenty- Six by Janet Evanovich--  Stephanie Plum's grandmother marries a retired gangster.. who dies less than an hour after the wedding.  Now Stephanie is trying to keep her grandmother out of harms way as many of his cronies think that the widow is keeping the keys to a huge financial windfall all to herself. I have been a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum series for years and this book did not disappoint.



6.  The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty-- Ellen is a hypnotherapist and has met a wonderful man, Patrick. Ellen isn't worried when she learns that Patrick has an old girlfriend stalking him but what Ellen doesn't know is that the stalker is one of her patients.  An enjoyable story told in multiple voices with lots and lots of drama.


7.  Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, And Love by Dani Shapiro-- When the author sends in some of her DNA to Ancestry.com she is unprepared to learn that her father is not actually her father.  What entails is a fast passed story about how she tracked down her biological father and all the angst, feelings, and questions associated with learning that your past isn't necessary set in stone.


8.  Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane-- I heard such wonderful praise about this book and I must say I too really enjoyed it.  Francis and Brian work together, are next door neighbors, and while their kids Kate and Peter become friends the families aren't.  Then one day something happens that tears these two families apart for good and leave their kids reeling.  Kate ad Peter are ripped apart from one another so suddenly that both are left wondering for years how the other is coping, what they're doing, and how to best move on with their lives.


Linking Up With: Show us Your Books,






Bookworms Monthly

Comments

  1. I love Janet Evanovich. I read almost all of the Stephanie Plum series.

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  2. I have Ask Again, Yes sitting on my nightstand, but I haven't started it yet. Inheritance looks interesting also...another add to my very long TBR list! Thanks for the good reviews.

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  3. Seems like you read some nice light books this month. I can't believe how long some of these series are!

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    1. I know! It can be intimidating to start a series that is so long.

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  4. I have Ask again, yes on my TBR pile. hope it was good

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  5. I wondered about Janet E’s newest. She is my mom’s favorite author. Glad you got some good books in.

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    1. She has such a relaxed and easy writing style; her books are so fun.

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  6. Thanks for all the recommendations. I'm glad you liked Ask, Again Yes too.

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  7. I can always count on you for a good list of what's out there!

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  8. You read a lot of books. I am interested in the Hypnotists Wife.

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    1. It was a really cute and interesting story.

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  9. Is the Dani Shapiro book fiction? It sounds really interesting. Which was your favorite from the month?

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    1. It is non-fiction; she wrote the book as she was processing what was actually happening in her life. Sadly with both of her parents having already passed away she was left to try and piece much of the story together. I'm not sure I could pick just one favorite!

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  10. I'm always looking for interesting book recommendations! You are a prolific reader --what is your hints for reading more?

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    1. I read a lot and I read pretty fast too but I think one of my keys to reading so much is that I always have a book on me. When I'm stuck waiting in the doctor's office or anywhere else I tend to pull out my book and read a little.

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  11. Oh my goodness, it looks like I just added a ton of books to my "to-read" list! Thanks so much for sharing!

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    1. You're welcome! Glad you found some new book suggestions.

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  12. I enjoyed Vendetta in Death. I think I'm a bit behind on the Stephanie Plum series. I'll have to remember where I am!

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  13. I do love that you can pick right up in the series even if you haven't read them all.

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  14. I love reading Liane Moriarty's books so this one is being added to my TBR list right now!

    The Perfect Dress sounds like a good read.

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  15. Replies
    1. Ask Again, Yes was great.

      The first book sounds like something I've read but not quite. I might check that out.

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  16. Ooh The Hypnotist's Love Story sounds fascinating!!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  17. I really enjoyed Inheritance. Ask Again Yes is one I must get to soon!

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    1. It was such an interesting perspective; we have something sort of similar playing out in real life with one of our family members.

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  18. I hadn't heard of the Hypnotist's Love Story! I'll have to look into that one, I enjoyed Big Little Lies before it got super popular so I've kinda stayed away from her other books after that one blew up

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    1. I thought it was cute. I've been reading her books much longer than before Big Little Lies got so popular.

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  19. fabulous selection of books and always good to find book to add to my TBR list. Thanks for linking up to #Bookwormsmonthly

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  20. The 50th JD Robb just came out last week. I bought it for my mom. She's read and owns all of them.

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  21. Ah, another J.D. Robb fan.YAY! I've read every single one of them and they are (obviously) a huge favorite of mine! Ask Again, Yes is on my TBR. I really wanted to love Hypnotist's Love Story but did not. I've tried a couple of Moriarty's other books and have sadly concluded she and I aren't meant to be. :D

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    1. Have you read the newest J.D. Robb?? She just came out with a new one!

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  22. Ask Again Yes what a good read! I just added The Hypnotist's Love Story to my to read list. I didn't realize this was an older Moriarty book. I haven't been a fan of her newer stuff, but have really enjoyed her older books.

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    1. Yeah, I'm finding I like her older stuff better too.

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  23. I have Ask Again Yes waiting for me on my shelf- just need the chance to get to it

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  24. Life and Other Inconveniences sounds really good. I like intergenerational stories. Several of the other books sounded good too.

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    1. It was really good; I love stories that weave generations together too.

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  25. I really need to give Janet Evanovich another try. Or maybe read 2 books from a series before I give up. 26 books is definitely a long term committment!

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    1. It sure is; though I do tend to read the Stephanie Plum books in under 24 hours.

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  26. I need to get caught up on Stephanie Plum - I know I'm in the 20s but can't remember where I left off. I love Liane Moriarty but haven't read The Hypnotist's Love Story yet - must add that. And I was delighted to find that The Perfect Dress is free with Kindle Unlimited!

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    1. That's perfect! I love Kindle Unlimited for things like that.

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