wrap up: January 2019

 

 

 

• The Quiet American by Graham Greene ★★★★☆ | review
• Cherry by Nico Walker ★★★★☆ | review
• Heavy by Kiese Laymon ★★★★☆ | review
• The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells ★★★★☆ | review
• The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict ★★☆☆☆ | review
• My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite ★★★★☆ | mini review
• Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh ★★☆☆☆ | review
• The Trick is to Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway ★★★★☆ | review
• Paradise by Edna O’Brien ★★★★☆ | review
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ★★★☆☆ | review
• This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps ★★★☆☆ | review
• Daughters of Passion by Julia O’Faolain ★★★☆☆ | review
• The Hiding Place by CJ Tudor ★★☆☆☆ | review
• Mother Winter by Sophia Shalmiyev ★★★★☆ | review
• Census by Jesse Ball ★★☆☆☆ | mini review

Favorite: The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells
Honorable Mentions: Mother Winter by Sophia Shalmiyev, Paradise by Edna O’Brien
Least favorite: The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict

JANUARY TOTAL: 15
YEARLY TOTAL: 15

I’m pretty sure 15 is a personal record for most books read in a single month (and, technically I read 16 since I also read a friend’s MS).  I mean, obviously there were a couple of short stories thrown in there, and also January is like eighteen billion years long, so it’s probably not as impressive of a number as it seems, but still.  Also, I do still have to finish Census but I’m pretty sure I’ll manage that by the end of the day, so it’s going on the list.

Currently reading: The Power by Naomi Alderman, Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (which I started yesterday at Hannah’s encouragement after making this post).

 

Also, I never do monthly TBRs but I’m going to make an exception right now because there is a lot going on this month and I need to keep track of it all somewhere.

ARCs:

1. The Cassandra by Sharma Shields (2/12)
2. The Heavens by Sandra Newman (2/22)
3. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (3/5)
4. When All Is Said by Anne Griffith (3/5)
5. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (3/5)

Buddy reads:

6. Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb (with Chelsea)

2019 reading goals:

7. The Color Purple by Alice Walker (from my backlist TBR)
8. Glass, Irony, and God by Anne Carson (from my goal to read 2 books of poetry/short stories/plays/nonfiction each month)

Library holds:

9. The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
10. Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
11. Becoming by Michelle Obama, audiobook: I actually don’t think I’m going to listen to this after all.  I just can’t do a 19 hour audiobook.  My usual limit is around 8 hours and I thought I could make an exception for Michelle Obama, but now that the audiobook is in my possession it is stressing me out too much, so I think I shall just have to read the physical copy, which luckily I have access to.  I may try to read this in February but I guess it isn’t a necessity.

I may not get to all of these – namely, I could save 2 of those ARCs for the first week of March – and I may add a couple of others, but you get the general idea.  Wish me luck.

What was the best book you read in January?  Comment and let me know!

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