Monthly Wrap Up | January 2020


WHAT HAPPENED IN JANUARY
  • So is it just me or did January feel like an entire year unto itself? I thought it would never end. I guess it wasn't a bad month but it sure felt never-ending.
  • January was a month of change/adjustment at the office. Welcoming a new CEO/Board member has been interesting. As the executive assistant, I work side by side with the Board of Directors and we're a tight knit group. There are only the four of us in the executive suite so we know each other well and there's a level of familiarity there. A new personality in the mix has been interesting. 
  • Other happenings in the month were my niece turning twelve (how did that happen so fast?) and a little travel when The Husband and I took my mom to Beaufort, South Carolina for a weekend getaway.  


WHAT I READ IN JANUARY


January was the month that I started coming out of my months-long reading slump. *throws confetti and does a happy dance* Seven books may not sound like a lot but it was far better than December, which was positively dismal (I listened to three audio books - two of which were re-reads - and the only two books I tried to read were both DNF's). No five star reads in January but I was just so happy to actually be reading that it didn't even matter. 

What He Never Knew* by Kandi Steiner | 4 stars
The One For You by Roni Loren | 4 stars
Only Ever You* by C.D. Reiss | 3.5 stars
We Own Tonight* by Corinne Michaels | 4.5 stars
Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry | 4 stars
Heartland by Sarina Bowen | 4 stars
The Family Upstairs* by Lisa Jewell | 4.5 stars
(* denotes an audio book)

FORMATS
Total Read: 7
1 physical book
4 audiobooks
2 e-books
(3 ARCs: The One For You, Echoes Between Us, Heartland)

TOP OF THE HEAP
We Own Tonight and The Family Upstairs
I discovered a new author in January, one I'd been meaning to try for a long time. We Own Tonight was my first by Corinne Michaels and I loved it. The story checked all my boxes and I found myself listening at every possible opportunity. I loved the characters, I loved the narration, I loved Corinne's ability to evoke emotion (because, yes I shed some tears). Loved it start to finish and I've already read another by Corinne since then. The other standout of the month was The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. This atmospheric mystery/suspense was stellar. The story was intricate and layered and Jewell doled out bits and pieces of information that slowly painted a picture that grew more and more disturbing. There were twists that shocked me and just when I thought it was over she managed to shock me again. I couldn't stop thinking about this one for days after I finished it.

THE ONE THAT ENDED WELL
The One For You
Roni Loren wrapped up a four-book companion series with The One For You and it was so satisfying. Main character Kincaid had long been the backbone and cheerleader for the friend group and I loved seeing the focus turn to her. And the epilogue truly brought it all home.

THE ONE THAT MADE ME WANT TO HUG A CHARACTER
Echoes Between Us
Both main characters were dealing with a lot in Echoes Between Us but it was Sawyer who made my heart hurt. The pressure he was under was crushing and he was buckling under it. Forced to take on the role as parent/responsible adult, he took dangerous risks as a relief from the stress he dealt with. I just wanted to step in, hug this young man, and promise things would get better. 

THE ONE THAT MADE ME LAUGH
Heartland
There were plenty of serious moments in Heartland - Dylan is still grieving his father, Chastity escaped from a cult only two years ago - but there was also plenty of Sarina Bowen's signature humor. Some of my favorite moments were Dylan's conversations with his two goats.
You have to do a better job of staying inside the fence, or Griffin is going to make me sell you. Nobody wants that. You might end up down the road at the Mittson place. And I heard there are trolls under their bridge. 

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOG
I had 17 blog posts in January and shared four reviews: 
I shared some of my most anticipated releases, my favorite new-to-me authors in 2019, and got salty about my least favorite book covers. I also took part in the January Of Books giveaway and was happy to gift Susan her choice of book. 

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING



WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ IN JANUARY?

26 comments

  1. Yeah for getting out of a book slump, and hey, it's not quantity, it's quality. Finding a new author to love is a thing of beauty, and Michaels has quite a catalog for you to explore.

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    1. That's always such a great feeling, isn't it? Not just finding a new author to love, but one that has a hefty backlist. :)

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  2. Hooray for the end of the reading slump! Hope you have some great reads in February.

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  3. I hope *interesting* is a positive thing lol

    I know everyone though January dragged but it felt normal to me - probably because I was sleep deprived (because of a sick Fonzi) for most of it and no concept of time. ha!

    I think I'm out of my slump too. I read 8 books last month. Not great for me but better than 1-2 that I've been reading.

    Karen @ For What It's worth

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    1. Ha! So far it's been okay. But I feel like we're all still tiptoeing around the new guy. LOL

      Hooray for both of us beating the slump!

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  4. Oh, change of office staff can be interesting, and maybe a little unsettling. Hope it all works out well.

    I've enjoyed Lisa Jewell stories in the past, but I always feel a little off/disturbed after because it's usually not a happy ending. They were pretty riveting, though. I still want to give Echoes Between us a shot. I've recommended it to my library. We'll see what happens.

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    1. Yeah, sometimes with her endings you have to be satisfied with happy(ish). LOL
      I hope your library gets Echoes Between Us! It's definitely worth reading.

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  5. OMG I cannot wait to read Heartland! I adore that series so much.

    I feel ya on January. It always seems to feel long, but this one? A Doozy! And yay for post reading slumps. Aren't they the worst?

    Here's hoping February kicks ass!

    Tonyalee @ http://vivaciousbibliophile.com/

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    1. I hope you'll love Heartland, Tonyalee! I was so happy to get Dylan's story.

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  6. I've had a hard time convincing myself that it's not January anymore. My favorite read was Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating.

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    1. I have so much love for Josh + Hazel. They were so perfect together! :)

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  7. You did good for books. I hope February is a better month for you!

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  8. I completely agree, that was the longest January ever! Here's hoping February goes along a little better ♥. And yes, Sawyer made my heart hurt so much too. I just wanted to reach into the book and give him the hugest hug ever!
    Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog

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    1. Katie McGarry writes such great characters! And she always makes me love them. :)

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  9. January was definitely a long month, I have to agree. Kinda dragged. Glad we're into February now and yay for a short month! It'll be spring before we know it. Anyway love the sound of the Lisa Jewell book! I've become something of a fan of her anyway with her last few I've read- with a recommendation like that I'll definitely be adding this one!

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    1. I can't wait to see what you think of The Family Upstairs when you get to it, Greg!

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  10. "So is it just me or did January feel like an entire year unto itself?" <- This! a million times this! I'm so glad it's over.

    I'm glad you seem to have broken out of the reading slump! I'm liking the sound of Heartland.

    How's Great and Precious Things going? I anticipate that one will break me so I'm going to avoid it until I have some emotional resilience, lol. At the moment, I'm feeling to fragile for Yarros' brand of beautiful pain!

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    1. Great and Precious Things had a bit of a slow start for me but then it picked up. And there were some sad bits but overall I was fine. Then last night Camden was sharing the details of what happened with his brother and I lost it. Tears everywhere!

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  11. January didn't feel too long for me. I think that the month that my daughter was home from college felt like a whirlwind so I was ready for some quiet weeks which I was able to have. Plus, we got to come in late and leave early a few days due to the weather and I do love my at-home time :) I am so glad that you worked your way out of your reading slump. I hope you have a wonderful February!

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    1. Sounds like January was a time for you to settle back into your routine. Nice.
      And good riddance to that reading slump! :)

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  12. Changes at the office always make for interesting, sometimes difficult, times tanya! And my favorites where Daisy Jones, Cilka and King of Scars!

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    1. I loved Daisy Jones! And Cilka's Journey was such a powerful story.

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  13. Woo Hoo for the end of the reading slump! That has to be a relief. I so completely agree about January feeling like it was about a year long. I thought it would never end, lol.

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    1. From a month that felt like a year, to the shortest month... this one will probably fly by!

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