Books I Read in January
50 books.
That’s how many I want to read by the end of 2020.
It seems daunting, I’m not going to lie. I’m always up for a challenge and I love to read, so we’ll see how this goes.
I like accountability. One of the reasons I am transparent about my goals and resolutions on this blog is because I want to be honest and I want you to keep me accountable.
If I say something, I want to follow through with it. So if I say I’ll read 50 books, then you better expect to hear updates on how it’s going. Good or bad, you’ll know it. That’s just how we roll here.
This month, I’m off to a good start. We’re almost done January (whaaat?!) and I’m 6 books in. Huzzah! I think it’s important to note that I usually “start strong” during challenges and then slow down quite a bit in the middle, so I don’t expect this reading race to continue at this pace. But maybe it will, who knows.
I tend to read a lot more in the winter because it’s dark by 4:30pm and all I want to do is curl up and read for hours when it’s freezing outside. A nice book and a cup of coffee (or tea) is my favorite combo. So cozy, so nice.
Here are the books I’ve read in January, in case you’re curious. Follow along on my 50 Book Challenge by checking out my Bookshelf.
1. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher - 2/5 stars
Not going to lie, I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. I actually listened to the audio version and Carrie Fisher was the narrator. That was cool. I didn’t know this going into it, but her jokes and language are pretty dirty. It’s brutally honest, yes, but has more language than I feel comfortable with.
2. Dot Journaling: A Practical Guide by Rachel Wilkerson Miller — 4/5 stars
As you might know, I started Bullet Journaling in 2019. I quickly fell in love with it and although I’m far from being an avid bullet journaler, I’ve kept up with it for a year and love that the possibilities are pretty much endless. This book came with my bullet journal and I never took the chance to sit down and read it until this month. I really wish I read it sooner — there are so many great ideas for bullet journal spreads and how to use it practically for everyday life.
3. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah — 5+/5 stars
This may be one of my favorite books of all time. I’m not even joking. It’s that good. Right up there with Lilac Girls and The Nightingale. It’s a story of two friends and how they grow up through the years. I don’t want to spoil it but let’s just say, I’ve never cried while reading a book and this had me in tears. Legit. I was hooked from chapter one.
4. Good Morning, Good Life by Amy Landino — 5/5 stars
This book inspired a whole blog post from me about why morning routines are important. This book is not only super informative and helpful, it’s also encouraging and motivational. It made me appreciate mornings and understand the value and think about time in a way I hadn’t before. Plus the cover is so dang cute.
5. The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff — 4/5 stars
I love historical fiction especially set in World War 2. I’m not a huge fan of circus stories, but this one was an exception. I thought it was slow in some parts, but overall really interesting and entertaining to read. I didn’t really connect with the main characters as much as I’d have liked to so it was hard to care about their storyline, but overall, I’m glad I read it.
6. The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess — 1/5 stars
How this book got more than 1 star on Amazon is shocking to me. I was not a fan of this book at all. I kept thinking it would get better, and it kept getting worse. I’ve never felt so strongly about a book before, to be honest. I guess it goes to show that you win some and you lose some! I’m sure it won’t be the last bad book I read (but I really hope it is).