It’s time for my first half of January book review post! I am sharing what I read in January so far, which hasn’t been very many, although I am skipping a few 5 star reads to share later in the month. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: Thistlefoot
Author: GennaRose Nethercott
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Anchor Books, 9/13/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I meant to read this book in December but didn’t get to so it was the first book I picked up when I got back home on January 1. I am not a fantasy reader and I would say this was not high fantasy, but it still confused me in parts and felt strange in some parts!
“The Yaga siblings—Bellatine, a young woodworker, and Isaac, a wayfaring street performer and con artist—have been estranged since childhood, separated both by resentment and by wide miles of American highway. But when they learn that they are to receive an inheritance, the siblings agree to meet—only to discover that their bequest isn’t land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs. Thistlefoot, as the house is called, has arrived from the Yagas’ ancestral home outside Kyiv—but not alone. A sinister figure known only as the Longshadow Man has tracked it to American shores, bearing with him violent secrets from the past: fiery memories that have hidden in Isaac and Bellatine’s blood for generations. As the Yaga siblings embark with Thistlefoot on a final cross-country tour of their family’s traveling theater show, the Longshadow Man follows in relentless pursuit, seeding destruction in his wake. Ultimately, time, magic, and legacy must collide—erupting in a powerful conflagration to determine who gets to remember the past and craft a new future.”
Both Isaac and Bellatine have magical powers of sorts and the house itself is magical. I thought it was very interesting how the author encapsulated generational trauma and the power of memories. This book includes a lot of Jewish references, which I enjoyed. It also includes descriptions of pogroms, which can be difficult to read.
Title: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
Author: Talia Hibbert
Genre: YA Rom Com
Publisher: Joy Revolution, 1/3/23
Source: Get Underlined
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Talia Hibbert’s YA debut was cute but a bit angsty with a good deal of back and forth between the main characters. Both Bradley and Celine deal with forms of anxiety and employ various ways of coping with their anxiety.
“Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine. Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.) These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her. Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?”
I really wanted more about the survival course itself, though the story tended to focus on the relationships between the teens rather than the action. I also wanted more about Celine’s interest in conspiracy theories! Overall, I liked Celine and Bradley’s relationship that went from former friends to enemies to more than friends!
Title: The Bandit Queens
Author: Parini Shroff
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1/3/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
Taking place in a small Indian village, this book is about women banding together against their abusive husbands. It addresses the caste system as well as sexism in Indian culture and did not paint the culture in a good light.
“Five years ago, Geeta lost her no-good husband. As in, she actually lost him—he walked out on her and she has no idea where he is. But in her remote village in India, rumor has it that Geeta killed him. And it’s a rumor that just won’t die. It turns out that being known as a ‘self-made’ widow comes with some perks. No one messes with her, harasses her, or tries to control (ahem, marry) her. It’s even been good for business; no one dares to not buy her jewelry. Freedom must look good on Geeta, because now other women are asking for her ‘expertise,’ making her an unwitting consultant for husband disposal. And not all of them are asking nicely. With Geeta’s dangerous reputation becoming a double-edged sword, she has to find a way to protect the life she’s built—but even the best-laid plans of would-be widows tend to go awry. What happens next sets in motion a chain of events that will change everything, not just for Geeta, but for all the women in their village.”
While I think this made for an interesting story, it did contain a lot of difficult topics including attempted rape, child molestation, and animal abuse, which were not easy to read. I did enjoy some of the characters and was routing for Geeta but overall I had wished to have a better reading experience with this one.
And that’s it – 3 of the books I read this month. (This is a small amount for ME). Of these books, all 3 were print as I haven’t yet finished an audio book this month. 2 were adult books and 1 was YA. Genres included fantasy, rom com, and contemporary.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?