Wow. I had quite the reading adventure this January. Here is what I read and a little snippet on what I thought about each book. To view more of my reviews (not on all books but on some) check out my Goodreads page here.
Three Little Words by Melissa Tagg
Adorable! I love anything that Melissa writes and this cute little novella was certainly in line with that! Perfect, quick read!My rating: 5*
(P.S. This one is FREE!!!)
My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodie Ashton, & Jodi Meadows*
Ah! I finally got to this! I read My Lady Jane and absolutely loved it so I knew I had to get to this one and finally did! I loved both of these so much I purchased the hardcover copies of them - if that tells you anything! Think funny, historical, a touch of the supernatural, and just plain awesome! ;)My rating: 5*
Immortal Girl5 by Griffin Stark
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one. I actually DNF'd it at about 30 pages because it was very disjointed, unbelievable, then moved into the realm of unnecessary violence. I can't really recommend this one.Clean readers: There is language and voice in this one.
God Is In The Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
This sweet book for advent was gifted to me and my boyfriend by his mother. I have read a few books by Bonhoeffer and really enjoyed them. This was no different! I'd recommend it to those who enjoy a deeply thoughtful type of book and are willing to take time to mull over the passages!My rating:
5*
Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco*
Ah, yet another lovely book by Kerri Maniscalco! I have loved this series so far! Unfortunately, I didn't love this one quite as much as the other two books, but it was still good. As a rule, I don't care for the love triangle trope and this pushed the line a little too much for me...but it was still well written and excited very well!My rating: 4*
Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse
An intriguing fantasy novel of gifted yet divided houses. The main character carries a terrible burden with her extraordinary gift and meets her match in a rival house. I enjoyed this book though it was a little slow for me in the middle. It really picked up at the end though!My rating: 4*
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green*
Wow. What a complex, intriguing, painful, beautiful story. See my full review here.Clean readers: There is language in this one.
My rating: 4*
We Told Six Lies by Victoria Scott
I worked with Entangled Teen who gifted me with a copy of this book. I read a good majority of this book - about 40% or more, but found that it wasn't really for me. There is a lot of language, some drug use, and sex in it and that's just not something I prefer to read. Aside from that, the writing was good and the plot itself was intriguing.While I technically DNF'd this book, I read a bit of the end to see how it ended as well and felt that I read enough to classify this book as "read" on my shelf.
Clean readers: There is language and adult content.
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland*
*Sigh* I had really high hopes for this one and I think it started off fulfilling them. Honestly, it fulfilled them in many areas...until it didn't. I liked that it was a different take on your typical zombie book. And hey, I even like zombies so don't think it was because of that. For me, where it broke down was the intensity and cruelty of some of the "retribution". I just don't enjoy someone reveling in violence even if that violence is "deserved". To me, there is something to be said of mercy and I just didn't see that in the main character. I won't be continuing with the series because of this.Clean readers: There is language in this one.
My rating: 3*
Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin*
I really enjoyed this book! Honestly - it's a tough one for me to characterize. Like...is it romance, contemporary, suspense? It's not fully any of those, but it does tell a beautifully woven tale of loss, love, sacrifice, and secrets held among many other things. It's my first book by this author but leaves me wanting to read more. One suggestion I'd have is to push to at least chapter 5...I was confused by the beginning but it does finally settle down around there and started to gel more for me there.My rating: 5*
Living in a Gray World: A Christian Teen's Guide to Understanding Homosexuality by Preston Sprinkle
In my opinion, this book is an excellent, loving approach to looking at homosexuality and the questions teens (ok, and let's be honest--adults) have. As a youth worker I read it to see if it would be a good resource for the teens I work with and I think that it is. You can read more about my thoughts in my review here.My rating: 5*
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown*
This was a fast one for me. Like, I read/listened to it in a DAY! But I thought Brene had some really interesting things to say here. I wouldn't say that I agreed with all of them, but I think I learned something and have more information with which to make personal decisions. Something I appreciate about books in general. I'd recommend this as a way to think about ones own 'place' in this world and to challenge some tightly held concepts such as "your way or my way" as the "only" options to things.
Clean readers: There is language in this one.
My rating: 4*
Well, that's it folks! And quite enough, don't you think? What was the best book you read this month? Let me know in the comments below!
*These were audiobook reads for me.
Also, note that some links in this post are affiliate links. This just means that, should you use a link to purchase something, I may get a small percentage back. It in no way affects your purchase :)
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