January was a great reading month for me! And I’m excited to dive into reviewing the books I read. This year, I’m taking a different approach to reading than I have in the past. For one, I’m doing a reading challenge. And for another, I’m being a little more analytical about detailing my reads. I’ve created a spreadsheet, which breaks down the books I’m reading and some details about them (such as how many pages in the book, what format it’s in, the genre, why I’m reading it, etc.) It is the ultimate in book nerdery and I. Love. It. It makes me giddy!

So, this year (and maybe going forward), I’ll be doing my reviews a bit differently. First, my books will be broken down into categories. The categories will most likely be: book club (1 book per month), Book Riot Read Harder Challenge books (2 per month, and I’ll let you know which category they fit into, for those also doing the challenge), TLC Book Tours (typically, 1 per month), and then, other. My “other” category is the books I’m reading for fun. (I have a monster TBR pile that I choose from. My book selection process is a bit… complicated. One of these days I may write a post explaining it.) Secondly, I’m going to include some reading stats at the bottom of each post, using the spreadsheet mentioned earlier.

So! With that long intro… let’s dive into my book reviews for January. (I’ll try to keep these short and sweet. Ish.)

Book club selection: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (4 stars)
I loved this book. It has a sad premise, but it’s not a sad story. It’s uplifting and hopeful. It was one of those books that just made me so happy that I am a reader. You know those kinds of books? They’re the best. This book switched between present day and the past. Present day involved Molly, a foster kid, who is helping elderly Vivian clean out her attic. The past involved Vivian’s story. She lost her family at a young age and was sent away on an orphan train to be adopted. Vivian’s story is sad and heartbreaking and filled with strife. But even so, I found her story compelling and she was such an easy character to root for.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book that was originally published in another language): Momo by Michael Ende (5 stars)
I lucked out, as this was the first book I received for the Postal Book Club that Kathleen is running. The book was originally written in German in 1973 and translated into English in 1984. I was so happy to find an easy match for this category for the Book Riot challenge! And this book was incredible! I was really nervous about it because I’d never heard of it and worried it would be long and boring. And it was neither – it was engaging and uplifting and had such a unique message. I really loved the fantasy and symbolism used in the book; it made me wish I was back in school and could discuss these themes with a class! It’s a quick read, a great read, and I would highly recommend it.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge (a book written by someone under the age of 25): The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (5 stars)
I loved this book! I was never assigned to read it during school, which is when it seemed most people my age read it. It’s written from the perspective of Ponyboy, a 14-year-old boy who is part of a gang called The Greasers. It’s a book that has been frequently challenged because it talks about many intense issues, such as underage smoking/drinking and gang violence, as well as having strong language, but it’s such a great read. I can’t believe the author was only 15 when she started writing it! (The stuff I was writing at 15? HA. So silly!)

TLC Book Tours read: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin (2 stars)
I reviewed this for TLC Book Tours, and while the concept was really interesting and I learned a lot, I felt that the writing was a little stilted and I didn’t get any sort of practical application that I was hoping for. It was one of those books I read just to finish it, rather than reading because I enjoyed it.

Other (read for fun!)

Too Hot to Touch by Louisa Edwards (4 stars) – Because sometimes you just need to read a sexy romance novel, right? I enjoyed this novel, and I’m looking forward to reading more by this author. It centered around a family restaurant that is trying to save its business by entering a national cooking contest. I found myself skimming the cooking parts (they got seriously in-depth in some parts), but it was still a fun little novel.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (5 stars) – Oh, goodness gracious, this book was so, so, so good. It was engaging from beginning to end, and I could barely put it down while I was reading it. It tells the story of a family reacting to their daughter’s death, and through the pages, you get to learn all about this family, where they came from, and how they got to where they are today. It’s sad and tragic, but it didn’t make me feel sad or hopeless. The way Ng writes is so beautiful and elegant and engaging… I just wanted to keep reading her writing forever.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler (4.5 stars) – So, I had been seeing some not-so-awesome reviews of this book from other people and it bummed me out because I have a mad girl crush on Amy Poehler and I wanted her book to be awesome. I went into the book with low expectations, I think, and I guess I’ll be in the minority of people who LOVED the book. I think you really have to be a fan of Amy and a fan of comedy and the whole Saturday Night Live crowd to appreciate this book. And if you aren’t, then you won’t really understand how special it is. Because it is a special book. It is filled with incredible stories about the comedy world, and how Amy got to where she is today. It’s filled with wisdom and heart and passion. Amy is just incredible. Her passion and work ethic and love for her work is just inspiring. I found the book to be engaging, easy to follow, and very fun to read.

book stats // january

# of books read: 7
# of pages read: 1,966
quickest read: The Outsiders (2 days)
longest read: Too Hot to Touch (8 days)
multicultural: 2 out of 7
formats: ebooks (3), physical books (4)

What was your favorite read in January? Mine was easily Everything I Never Told You!

Ahh… November reads. Only one more month to try and make those reading goals! (Well, 21 days now.) This month, I read six books, bringing my total up to 78 books. I surpassed my goal to read 75 books this month, so now I’m shooting for 85 books. I’m not sure I’ll make it, but I’m going to try! This month, my favorite book was Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour and my least favorite book was Goodnight Nobody.

1. Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann – 4 stars

Another fantastic novel from one of my favorite authors. This is actually the last full-length novel in her series and I’m sad this is the end! I just love the characters in this series; they feel so real and alive to me. This is my second read of this series (though I hadn’t read some of the later novels in the series), and I’m sure I’ll be returning to it again because I adore these characters so much. How are they not real? Sigh.

2. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson – 4 stars

This book was so, so cute. It’s YA lit and it was the November pick for my book club. And ugh! So cute. I never wanted this book to end because I enjoyed the characters so much. There are some sad moments (the main character’s father has just died), but it’s overall, an uplifting, happy, adorable novel. I want a sequel!

3. Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner – 2 stars

This book was such a struggle to get through. It had an interesting premise (a suburban mom tries to solve a murder in her neighborhood), but it just never really captured my attention. It was a book that was easy to put down and, more than once, I thought about abandoning it. But I pushed through, hoping it would get better. It didn’t. Just… meh.

4. The Department of Lost & Found by Allison Winn Scotch – 4 stars

Gosh, I love this author. This is the second book I’ve read of hers, and it’s her debut novel. And it is fantastic. I loved it so much! It seems like it would be a sad and heartbreaking book because the main character is battling breast cancer, but it’s not. It’s lighthearted, funny, uplifting, and hopeful. There are some sad moments, sure, but it all just flowed so well together. It all felt super authentic. I can’t wait to read more books of hers!

5. Vintage by Susan Gloss – 4 stars

This was a really sweet novel and I basically read through it pretty quickly because it was a hard one to put down. It follows the story of three very different women, all in different stages of life, as they navigate through tough situations. It’s a novel about friendship, about following your dreams, and about never giving up.

6. Too Good to Be True by Kristan Higgins – 4 stars

This novel was just plain fun! I always love the characters Kristan Higgins creates because they are just adorable. They are a bit quintessential “chick-lit” characters, but she writes them in a way that isn’t annoying or silly. They seem real, like someone you’d like to be friends with. I love how she focuses on family and what an important role they play in your life, even if they are overbearing and annoying at times. This was another fantastic novel by a fantastic author!

What was the best book you read in November? What did you set your reading goal at this year?

It’s November! This month is packed with fun things: Dutch’s third annual “Running of the Weiners” race, the Turkey Trot (I think this is my seventh or eighth year doing it!), Thanksgiving, my birthday, and a fun road trip to Savannah. Woo!

Today, I wanted to take the time to review the books I read in October. I finished six books this month, bringing my total books read to 72. Since I’m obviously going to blow past the goal I set in January to read 75 books this year, I decided to bump up my goal and set it at 90. I’m a little behind (two books) to make that goal, but we’ll see if I can somehow manage it!

This month, my favorite book was Ugly Love and my least favorite book was To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

1. How to Rope a Real Man by Melissa Cutler – 3 stars

This was a sweet romance novel and is the third novel in Cutler’s Catcher Creek series. As almost all romance novels are, it was fairly predictable, but I think Cutler does a good job of throwing some unique twists and turns to get to the ending. The romance aspect was steamy, but I think the overall plot of the novel was a little underdeveloped, which dropped my rating to three stars.

While I love Melissa Cutler’s writing, I think I prefer her romantic suspense novels more than her contemporary romance novels.

2. The Marine Next Door by Julie Miller – 3 stars

This was a fairly typical Harlequin suspense novel. There was an engaging mystery, a sweet romance, and a precocious kid who made my heart melt. The mystery was creepy enough to keep me on the edge of my seat the whole novel. I knew things would turn out fine, but it was quite nerve-wracking until I reached the conclusion! I would have liked a little more passion from the romance – it seemed understated – but all in all, a good read.

3. Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah – 3 stars

Usually, I love Kristin Hannah’s novels because I find they have so much depth and character development. She really makes me feel something for the characters, and become super invested in their stories. For some reason, this novel didn’t have the same flow. I found the romance in the novel to be lackluster and really unbelievable. It fell flat and rang false to me.

While the novel starts off slow, it picks up about 60% of the way in, and then Hannah throws in a crazy plot twist that turned the book on its head. It was heartbreaking, in a sense, but also uplifting and I think if the romance had been better developed, it would have brought my rating up to four stars. I did like the development between the two sisters, even if I didn’t find either of them super likable. Not that characters always have to be likable, but in character-driven, heartfelt books like this, I think they do need to have redeeming qualities that make you root for them. In the end, though, I did find myself rooting for these sisters, which speaks to their personal development throughout the novel and Hannah’s writing.

All in all, a good novel but not Hannah’s best.

4. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner – 3 stars

I’ve been listening to the Freakonomics podcast for 6+ months now, and I finally downloaded this book from my library to read. I liked it but didn’t love it. The writing style felt a bit jumbled at times, and I had to read many paragraphs two or three times to comprehend what point the author was trying to make. (Which made me feel kinda dumb – ha!) I thought the different topics that were posed were unique and something I would never have thought to ponder myself. Some topics: why do drug dealers still live with their mothers? Did legalizing abortion have anything to do with the decrease in crime in the 90s? Was The Weakest Link racist? How important is naming your child for their future success in life?

It’s not a page-turner, but it was a fairly quick read (I think it’s less than 200 pages) that made me sit up and go, Hmm.

5. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover – 5 stars

I am quickly becoming a Colleen Hoover fan. She writes new adult romance and I’m just in love. With her writing, her characters, the depth of the emotions. She’s top-notch, and this novel wasn’t any different. Was it predictable? Absolutely. But when I read romance novels, I’m not concerned with something being “too predictable.” All romance novels follow the same formula and when a romance novel does not follow that formula, readers feel cheated.

It was a hard story to read at times because one of the characters has gone through a life-changing event that forever alters his world. But there was also humor, steamy sex scenes (and I do mean steamy!), and a beautiful love story. I was rooting for these characters throughout the whole novel. It took me 24 hours to read the entire book because I couldn’t put it down for anything. I know Colleen Hoover isn’t for everyone, but she’s definitely becoming one of my favorites.

6. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han – 2 stars

I was really let down by this book. I had seen some good reviews, so I was expecting a fairly lighthearted YA love story. Was it lighthearted? Yes. But I really have so, so, so many issues with this book. My biggest issue was the main character and her voice. She was not a believable 16-year-old. If I had to guess, I would have put her around 12 or 13. This read more like a middle-grade novel than YA. The characters were so lackluster and underdeveloped, there was really no plot at all, and the ending was super dissatisfying.

This is not a book I would recommend.

How many books did you read in October? When was the last time you were let down by a book?

It’s time to review the books I read in September! This was a lower-than-average reading month for me, as I only finished six books. This is mainly due to one book I read (Daring: My Passages), which was close to 500 pages and very verbose, so it took me a while to get through it. But I’m still way ahead of my reading goal, with 66 books read this year so far. This month, my favorite book was The Five People You Meet in Heaven and my least favorite book was Ballroom.

1. All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey – 2.5 stars

I usually enjoy Shannon Stacey’s books, but this one didn’t do it for me. The writing felt contrived and cheesy, and I didn’t fully believe in the romance between the two characters. It was a bit of a letdown, and I’m on the fence if I want to continue reading more of this series.

2. The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison – 3 stars

This was the pick for September’s book club. It was touted as the “next Gone Girl,” but it didn’t come close to matching that book for me (as one of the few that loved the book). I found this novel very predictable and the ending was anticlimactic. I was expecting an edge-of-my-seat thrill ride, but it was the opposite for me. It was one of those books that’s easy to forget once you finish it.

3. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom – 5 stars

So, this is a book on my Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge list and I was really excited to read it because it just seems like one of those iconic books that every book lover should read. My verdict? I adored this book. It was just so poignant and special and well-written. I had chills when I finished reading it. It’s definitely one of those books everyone should read.

4. Arranged by Catherine McKenzie – 3.5 stars

This was a really cute read! It was a unique idea – a woman who signs up for an arranged marriage service – and I loved how it all played out. Was it predictable? Yep. Did I care? Nope. I will say that I thought the writing was a bit cheesy (cheesier than I expect from chick-lit) and I wished for a little more chemistry between the two main characters. But! Still a very engaging read.

5. Daring: My Passages by Gail Sheehy – 4 stars

I wrote a review for this book, which you can read here. It’s a really long read and took me about two weeks to get through it. But it was well worth it because it was such an interesting read. Gail Sheehy has lived an incredible life, and she takes you through the ups and downs of her life, from beginning her career in journalism and taking big risks to losing the love of her life. I felt so privileged to read this book.

6. Ballroom by Alice Simpson – 2 stars

And I wrote my review for this book already, too, which you can read here. This one I didn’t love as much, mainly due to a lack of plot and unlikable characters.