February was another great month of reading for me, not just because I read 12 books but because I ended up loving most of what I read. I gave nine out of the 12 books four or five stars.

Losing myself in my books, especially more light-hearted reads and romances, is what has helped me the most during my period of grief soon after losing Dutch. I spent a lot of time alone this month and being able to turn to my books and lose myself in a story was so very helpful.

Here are my reviews for the four and five-star reads:

Killing Time by Cindy Gerard (★★★★★) – Killing Time begins a new romantic suspense series by Gerard and I can tell I’m in for another sensational series from her. This one begins with the hero being drugged and kidnapped by the heroine, and from there, it’s a nonstop thrill ride from beginning to end. It had Gerard’s signature wit, excitement, and romance, and while at the beginning I was unsure if Mike and Eva were meant for each other, by the end, I was sold on their romance. Truly perfect!

The Trouble With Love by Lauren Layne (★★★★☆)- I think I read 60% of this book on the night before we put Dutch down because I couldn’t sleep and I needed something incredibly light-hearted to get me through the night. Enter a romance novel, especially a Lauren Layne romance novel. It was exactly what I needed and kept my mind off my grief for just a little while. It followed the trope of “former lovers turned enemies,” which might be one of my favorite romance tropes. Funny, smart, sassy, and sexy. It was perfect and exactly what I needed during this time in my life.

Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years by David Litt (★★★★☆) – Lemme tell you – I am here for all the memoirs being published lately from former Obama staffers. Here. For. It. I read Alyssa Mastromonaco’s book and this book couldn’t have been more different. First of all, Mastromonaco had a direct line to Obama while David Litt spent much of his time in the White House without ever seeing him. This book made me actually laugh out loud at moments and then cry when he talked about the Sandy Hook shooting and how it affected all of them in the White House. It made me fall even more in love with Obama and get even sicker to my stomach about this current administration. And it made me realize that it doesn’t matter how many times you screw up (even if the screw-up involves offending an entire nation!), you just get back up, try again, and hope for the best.

The Bastard’s Bargain by Katee Robert (★★★★★) – This book wraps up Katee Robert’s The O’Malleys series and it gives it the perfect ending! I was so excited to read this one that I actually preordered it because I didn’t want to want for my library to get it in stock. This novel finally redeems Dmitri, who has been a constant presence in all the books as he was originally set to marry one of the older O’Malley sisters. It also redeems Keira, who has been in a downward spiral since a tragedy happened a few books back (I won’t say what, so I don’t spoil the series for anyone who wants to read it from the beginning). For some reason, these two crazy kids make it work. Keira doesn’t take Dmitri’s shit and Dmitri needs Keira’s lightness and fun in his life. It’s a sweet yet honest novel, and I was sad to finish it because I didn’t want to leave The O’Malleys.

Sutphin Boulevard by Santino Hassell (★★★★★) – So, this is actually the first queer romance I’ve ever read, and guys, I have been missing out. At least missing out on Santino Hassell because this book was phenomenal. It follows the “best friends fall in love” romance trope, which is honestly one of my favorite tropes and it was everything I could have wanted. It was a bit darker and grittier than the typical romance novels I read, but that just added an extra element to the world that Hassell built. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. Woo!

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy (★★★★★) – I listened to this fun, heartwarming YA novel on audio and I really loved the narrator and her soft Southern accent. In this novel, Ramona, who came out as gay a few years ago and recently had a summer fling with a girl finds herself falling in love with a guy for the first time, which brings about all sorts of questions and mixed emotions. I know there has been criticism surrounding this book, but I thought Julie Murphy really did a great job exploring sexuality and its fluidity. And seriously, the book was just plain fun and I found myself really looking forward to longer drives where I could listen to the audiobook.

Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson (★★★★★) – I’ve longed loved Mara Wilson, both from her childhood acting and from the stuff I’ve seen from her as an adult, so it was time to finally read her book. This read less like a typical memoir and more like a series of vignettes, as each chapter had a specific theme, such as her journey to being diagnosed with OCD and losing her mother at a young age to cancer. It was beautifully written and poignant and I loved reading about her time on the set of Matilda and the impact Robin Williams had on her life. Completely worth a read!

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini (★★★★☆) – I straight-up adore Leah Remini and King of Queens was one of the first sitcoms I watched religiously, so I have wanted to read her memoir for a while now. I really didn’t even know about her Scientology background until this book came out (I guess I used to live under a rock?) I also knew nothing at all about Scientology itself before reading this book and it was truly eye-opening for me. I was incredulous at the things they put Leah through and sickened to learn about how much money she gave to Scientology over the years (millions of dollars). If you’re going to read this book, then you must listen to the audiobook because Leah reads it so well and her sarcastic New York accent is everything to me.

Other February reads: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (★★★★★), Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (★★★☆☆), Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (★★★☆☆), and Riding Temptation by Jaci Burton (★★★☆☆).

FEBRUARY BOOK STATS

Number of books read: 12
Number of pages: 3,894
Genre breakdown: romance (6), nonfiction (3), fiction (1), YA (2)
Number of diverse reads: 5 (42%)
Where I sourced my books: library/Overdrive (9), Amazon (2), Thriftbooks (1)
Money spent on reading this month: $9.52

I’m doing something different with my book reviews this year (it seems like every year, I revamp the way I write my monthly book recap – keeps things interesting at least). This year, I’m only going to write reviews of the books I give 4 or 5 stars. Obviously, these are the books that really spoke to me and the ones I recommend. And this is what this monthly feature is all about, right? Talking about the books I read and why I think other people should read them. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite reads of January:

Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin (★★★★★) –  What I love most about this novel was how uniquely written it was. It follows the story of a girl, Aviva, who has an affair with a married congressman and what happens in the aftermath once their affair becomes a news item. Of course, as it always seems to be, the congressman keeps his job and his dignity, but Aviva is scorned and slut shamed and dragged through the media. And so, she flees to another state and builds a new life for herself – new name, new job, and all. This novel gives you a glimpse into how her affair affects everyone involved: Aviva herself, her mom, the wife whose husband she had an affair with, and even Aviva’s young daughter. It’s a fascinating look at motherhood, ambition, and love.

My Kind of Wonderful by Jill Shalvis (★★★★☆) – This is your typical, formulaic romance novel, but there was something so sweet and charming about it. In this story, Bailey is recovering from spending her late teens, early twenties fighting cancer and is finally in remission and ready to start living. She is commissioned to paint a mural at a ski resort and while there, she meets Hud who is everything she wants – sexy, kind, and funny. But Bailey has big dreams of seeing the world and she’s only going to be at the ski resort for a short time, so what’s the point in starting something new with Hud? I loved that Bailey wasn’t your “typical” romance heroine and that she was so darn easy to love and root for. And Hud had his own hangups that he needed to figure out. The plot was so well-drawn and thoughtful, but the romance was still sizzling that it made me remember why Jill Shalvis is always my go-to romance author recommendation.

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker (★★★★★) – The Animators is a story about female friendship. It’s the story of Sharon and Mel, two female animators who have just released their first full-length feature and are high on life. Sharon and Mel couldn’t be more different – where Sharon is shy, Mel is brash – but they have a fierce love for each other and an undeniable attraction to the art of drawing and animation. Through this story, we see these friends go through the gauntlet of tragedy together but one thing that’s always certain is their love for each other. I listened to this on audio and I really recommend it (even if it’s a long audiobook at nearly 16 hours) because the narrator is so great. (I don’t typically love when narrators make up crazy voices for the characters, but in this instance, it really worked for the story.) I was super impressed by this debut by Kayla Rae Whitaker and I dearly hope she blesses us with more writing.

Undercover Attraction by Katee Robert (★★★★☆) – I never, ever thought I would fall in love with a mob family, but Katee Robert has proven me wrong with this series. In this novel, we get Aiden’s story with former cop, Charlotte. I have no love for Aiden because he was a straight-up jerk in the previous novels, but with this story, I started to realize why he did what he did and there’s a sense of respect for how he protects his siblings, even at his detriment. The chemistry between Aiden and Charlotte in this novel was hot, hot, hot, but there was also plenty of story beyond the bedroom scenes (nothing bothers me more than a romance that seems to be one sex scene after another… give me some story, authors!) Anyway, this is a series I highly recommend. I haven’t loved some of Robert’s other series, but this is her latest one and it seems like she’s truly coming into her own as an author with The O’Malleys.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (★★★★☆) – I had high hopes for this thriller because it had the most intriguing premise I’ve seen in a while. Thankfully, it fairly lived up to them and the novel definitely took some twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. The kind of twists and turns that have you gasping when you realize what’s happening and flipping back through the pages to see if you missed something critical. I really don’t want to say anything about the plot because I think it unfolds nicely in a way where you don’t necessarily need to know the plot beforehand.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena (★★★★★) – I finished this thriller in less than 24 hours – it was that good. The novel starts off with a bang, Anne and Marco are spending the evening at their next-door neighbor’s house. They have a six-month-old, but their babysitter canceled at the last minute and their next-door neighbor explicitly stated this was a “baby-free” kind of party. They don’t want to cancel on their friends, so they leave their baby sleeping in her crib (checking on her every half hour) and proceed to spend the evening with their neighbors. And then the unthinkable happens when they come back home around midnight: their baby is gone. What follows is a twisty-turny thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t know who to trust or believe, and I was thoroughly shocked by the ending.

Other January reads: Friends Without Benefits by Penny Reid (★★☆☆☆), All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (★★☆☆☆), Foolproof Love by Katee Robert (★★☆☆☆), Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins (★★☆☆☆), Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (★★★☆☆), Stealing Home by Jennifer Seasons (★☆☆☆☆), and Yes, My Accent is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You by Kunal Nayyar (★★★☆☆).

January Book Stats

Number of books: 13
Number of pages: 4,524
Genre breakdown: fiction (3), romance (6), historical fiction (1), thriller (2), nonfiction (1)
Number of diverse reads: 4 (31%)
Where I sourced my books: library/Overdrive (11), Book of the Month (1), gift from a friend (1)
Money spent on reading this month: $14.99

I rounded out 2017 with a solid month of reading in December. I know December can typically be a crazy month for people with all the shopping and the parties, but I try to keep my December sacred. I know I don’t function well when my social life is all over the place, so I said no to some parties (most notably, my work Christmas party) and did just about all of my shopping online the weekend after Thanksgiving, allowing myself to slowly wrap the gifts as the month progressed. All of this also allowed for plenty of reading time as I finished nine books, one of which ended up on my top 10 list for the year. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Top Read of the Month

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay (★★★★★) – I was determined to read this book in December because I was pretty sure it was going to easily make my “Best of 2017” list and I was not disappointed. I wasn’t a fan of Gay’s book, Bad Feminist, but she completely sold me with this novel that is all about what it means to live as a fat person in today’s fat-phobic society. I could relate to so much of what she wrote in this book. I’ve had many of the same experiences, the same thoughts, the same feeling of wishing I could be that rah-rah-body-positive-all-bodies-are-beautiful person, but not exactly being there. And I think that’s what I appreciated most: this was not a book about body positivity, it was not a weight loss book. It is simply a book about what it means to be fat. And it’s the best nonfiction book I read in 2017 – a book I want all of my friends who struggle with their weight to read. (And I think it’s a book that those who don’t struggle with their weight could do well to read to gain a new perspective.)

Top Romance of the Month

Neanderthal Marries Human by Penny Reid (★★★★☆) – This novel is the continuation of Janie and Quinn’s story, who I met for the first time a few months ago when I read Neanderthal Meets Human and fell completely head over heels for these two. I was both excited and not excited to read this book because a) hooray for more Janie and Quinn and b) ugh, do I really want to waste precious reading time on a romance sequel? The good news is, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and it was totally worth diving back into their world, as there was some unfinished business that needed to get resolved, such as Quinn’s strained relationship with his parents. This novel follows Janie and Quinn after they are engaged and planning a wedding, and it is as delightful as the first novel. Penny Reid really knows how to write quirky characters that are so darn lovable.

Other Notable Reads

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (★★★★☆) – All of the girls in book club raved about this book, and after reading it, you can add me to the list of someone who absolutely loved this novel. It’s a tough novel to read because it deals with a very difficult subject matter (I can’t be any more specific than that as it’s a spoiler, but sensitive readers who have to be aware of trigger warnings should probably stay away from this one), but Colleen Hoover writes it beautifully. There’s humanity to it. One of my favorite things about the novel is the letters the main character writes to Ellen DeGeneres. These are basically diary entries, but she frames them as letters to Ellen because it’s easier for her that way. These letters are simple in their language, but complex in their content, and it was such a unique way to tell the backstory. Anyway – It Ends With Us is a story that really needs to be read, in my opinion, and I encourage anyone to pick it up.

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (★★★★☆) – This is the second book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series and I loved it so, so much. There’s something so comforting and cozy about these novels. I’m already beginning to feel like the people of Three Pines are near and dear to me, and there’s no getting around the fact that Gamache is a truly sensational character. This novel follows the investigation of the death of a newcomer to town – someone nobody truly liked because, well, she was wholly unlikable. So there’s the question: who wanted her dead? The townspeople because she was such an awful human being, her husband for the insurance money, or someone else entirely? I guessed the “whodunit” pretty quickly, but it was fun how Penny unraveled it all at the end.

The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean (★★★★☆) – Another fantastic Regency romance from Sarah MacLean and I’m getting very worried that I’ve almost read all of her novels. What am I going to do with myself when I don’t have a MacLean romance in my queue? This novel begins a new series of hers, although the main character was referenced in a previous novel, so it felt more like a continuation. This novel follows Sophie right after she’s publicly shamed her brother-in-law after she caught him kissing a woman who is not her sister. Sophie becomes scorned by society and flees in the night, masquerading herself as a boy and riding on the back of a carriage. Turns out, the carriage she’s on belongs to the infamous rogue, Marquess of Eversley, and thus begins their story. A story that has the most perfect enemies-to-lovers trope, a feisty heroine that I just adored, and a grumpy marquess who cannot help but be charmed by Sophie. It was perfection.

Other December reads: Accidentally on Purpose by Jill Shalvis (★★★☆☆), Rising Strong by Brene Brown (★★★☆☆), New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan (★★★☆☆), Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (★★☆☆☆), and Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis (★★★☆☆).

What was the best book you read in December?