It’s time for my first half of January book review post! I am sharing what I read in January so far, although I am skipping my 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: Front Country
Author: Sara St. Antoine
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 10/4/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / Waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
The first read I finished this year was a book I received in 2022 and randomly picked off my so-called read soon shelf. Yes I need to work on that shelf as well as on my older ones! This book is Front Country by Sara St Antoine. Front Country is a middle grade book about Ginny, who learns that her favorite animal, the pika, is in danger of extinction. Ginny hyperfixates on this and begins to feel that nothing else matters, including doing well in school and attending her extracurricular activities. Her parents sent her to a back country camping program in Montana. When she gets there, she discovers that the program is actually for kids who have gotten into trouble – and she’s the only girl!
“The world is not okay. Now what? Ginny Shepard is glad to be in Montana for a month of backcountry camping before she starts high school. The world is on fire. That’s the awful truth. And Ginny would much rather be hiking in the mountains than doing the summer college prep classes her parents think will help her future. Because, the future? Who even knows what that is anymore. But once Ginny gets to camp, things get complicated fast. She meets her tripmates: five challenging, rebellious, tech-addicted boys. And she finds out TrackFinders is designed for kids who need extra ‘support.’ Instead of feeling free as a bird, Ginny feels trapped . . . and betrayed. As her friendships with her fellow campers deepen on the trail, though, Ginny starts to see new sides of them—and of herself. Maybe out here in the backcountry she’ll actually find what she needs to face the front country again. Set in Montana’s sweeping alpine wilderness, this epic adventure captures the tremendous heartbreak of realizing the world isn’t okay at all and shows how that knowledge, and what we choose to do with it, shapes us into who we are.”
Ginny is a strong character who makes the situation work for her. Topics the book focuses on include climate change, diabetes, gender identity, and difficulties with parents. I thought this book was well done and would be enjoyed by young people who care about our climate.
Title: House Love
Author: Patric Richardson
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Harvest, 12/26/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
House Love is about the joy of cleaning and turning your house into a home. I thought this book was a good way to start off the year when many of us are planning resolutions and goals and I always want to get organized at home.
“Patric Richardson is known as ‘The Laundry Evangelist,’ but his genuine love for household chores extends far beyond the laundry room. His philosophy is simple: tidying up is a privilege and a task you do for those you love (including yourself), and there are a million ways to infuse joy into the everyday tasks behind maintaining a home. House Love is his sunny guide to freshening up every inch of the house—from the entryway to the attic, the backyard to the bedroom. Patric shares his best design inspiration, DIY projects, and, of course, cleaning tips, so you can fall in love with your home all over again—or for the very first time! This book also grants you permission to shake things up. Keep bath salts in a cookie jar? Sure. Display a surprising mishmash of pillows? You bet. Discover your personal design style? He helps you do that too. Plus, Patric’s cleaning genius will change your life, with expert advice like:
- Which three cleaning tools are worth splurging on
- How to create a powerful (and antibacterial) cleaning spray with lemon and thyme
- What exactly to clean when you only have 10 minutes to spare
Complete with fun-to-clean-to playlists, charming recipes, and even step-by-step instructions for cleaning every type of room,House Love brightens up life’s most common chores. With this book, you’ll learn new and novel ways to transform your home, and Patric’s entertaining stories, good humor, and genuine warmth will guide you every step of the way.”
This book gives ideas for your house room by room with easy to follow cleaning steps. It even includes one for kids to clean their own rooms. It includes good references and I only wished that it also included pictures.
Title: Kunstlers In Paradise
Author: Cathleen Schine
Genre: Historical / Literary Fiction
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co, Macmillan Audio, 3/14/23
Source: Publisher / Library Audio
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / Waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
Kunstlers in Paradise by Cathleen Schine came out last March and I decided to listen to it this month. This book was a mix of literary, character driven fiction, and historical fiction. Set during Covid, Julian is staying with his grandmother Mamie and her housekeeper Agatha in CA. Mamie tells Julian the stories of her life from the time her family escaped Vienna in 1939, through their resettlement in CA and including her interactions with famous people throughout her life.
“For years Mamie Künstler, ninety-three-years-old, as clever and glamorous as ever, has lived happily in her bungalow in Venice, California with her inscrutable housekeeper and her gigantic St. Bernard dog. Their tranquility is upended when Mamie’s grandson, Julian, arrives from New York City. Like many a twenty-something, he has come to seek his fortune in Hollywood. But it is 2020, the global pandemic sweeps in, and Julian’s short visit suddenly has no end in sight. Mamie was only eleven when the Künstlers escaped Vienna in 1939. They made their way, stunned and overwhelmed, to sunny, surreal Los Angeles where they joined a colony of distinguished Jewish musicians, writers and intellectuals also escaping Hitler. Now, faced with months of lockdown and a willing listener, Mamie begins to tell Julian the buried stories of her early years in Los Angeles: her escapades with eminent émigrés like Arnold Schoenberg, Christopher Isherwood, Thomas Mann. Oh, and Greta Garbo. While the pandemic cuts Julian off from the life he knows, Mamie’s tales open up a world of lives that came before him. They reveal to him just how much the past holds of the future.”
It was interesting how the author related the survivors guilt Mamie felt having escaped World War II to the way they felt being safe during Covid. I thought the narrator also did a good job differentiating the various character voices. It was narrated by Jesse Vilinsky.
Title: First Lie Wins
Author: Ashley Elston
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 1/2/24
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Everyone said it was good
My Rating: 4 Stars
First Lie Wins is a thriller about Evie, who takes on various identities in order to gain information for her mysterious boss. Her current mark is Ryan, who she is dating currently. While she is with him, she meets a woman claiming to be her original self.
“The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job. Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes–especially after what happened last time. Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher–but then, Evie has always liked a challenge…”
It was really smart and interesting how Evie managed to stay one step ahead of things, which is revealed through flashbacks to her previous jobs. I had a bit of trouble keeping it all straight via audio and wished I had the print of this one! Besides that, I enjoyed Evie as a character to root for and enjoyed getting to know her!
Title: Turn It, Turn It
Author: Meg Adler
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Alternadox Press, 9/3/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Turn It, Turn It by Meg Adler was a fun flashback for me to when I studied Torah and Judaism as a Jewish Studies major in college. Turn It, Turn It contains essays about the Torah as stories, laws, history, a calendar, etc. It provides an introduction to the Torah itself and then branches off into various essays.
“Turn It, Turn It is a fresh, daring approach to a text you thought you knew. Every page (re)introduces us to another face of the yes, stories and laws, but also fascinating historical documents, surprisingly modern religious manifesto, event calendar, and catalyst for relationships and community. More important than all of that, though, is what Meg Alder demonstrates through this very Turn It, Turn It is an invitation to creative interpretation. Everyone is invited to take their place in the unfolding of this vibrant tradition.”
My favorite section was the one of modern midrash – midrash tells stories that further explain what the Torah did not cover, and Meg Adler has written her own on many women in the Torah.
Title: Recipe For a Charmed Life
Author: Rachel Linden
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 1/9/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I loved The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie last year and was excited for a new book by Rachel Linden. Recipe For a Charmed Life is about Georgia, whose dream is to run a restaurant in Paris. After a bit of a disaster, she heads to an island of the coast of Washington State, to reunite with her estranged mother and try to regain the spark in her cooking – as well as her lost sense of taste.
“American chef Georgia May Jackson has one goal—to run her own restaurant in Paris. After a grueling decade working in Parisian kitchens, she is on the cusp of success. But in one disastrous night, Georgia loses her sous-chef position, her French boyfriend, and her sense of taste! Renowned for her refined palate and daring use of bold flavors to create remarkable dishes, Georgia is devastated to discover her culinary gift has simply…vanished. When she receives a surprising invitation from her estranged mother, Georgia flees to a small island near Seattle hoping the visit will help her regain her spark in the kitchen. As she tentatively reconnects with her mom, a free-spirited hippie eager to make up for her past mistakes, Georgia realizes there is something about the enigmatic island she just cannot piece together. Good luck charms start appearing in the oddest places. Her neighbor is a puzzlingly antagonistic (and annoyingly handsome) oyster farmer. And her mom keeps hinting at a mysterious family legacy. With the clock ticking and time running out to win her dream job in Paris, Georgia begins to unravel some astonishing secrets that make her wonder if the true recipe for a charmed life might look—and taste—very different than she ever imagined.”
I didn’t find this one as magical as The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, although it also contained magical elements. Georgia was also annoying, constantly either talking to herself or to Julia Childs, who was supposedly her guide. There were some difficult topics in this one including childhood abandonment, estranged family, drugs, and dementia.
Title: The Fury
Author: Alex Michaelides
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Celadon, 1/16/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I found The Fury by Alex Michaelides to be a very quick read, but when I finished I was a bit confused by what had occurred! I felt like it was not very well written and only served for a name drop of a previous Michaelides character in the epilogue. This is about Elliot, who is somewhat obsessed with his good friend, famous actress Lana Farrar. The book is written in 5 acts, each one pulling back to reveal more perspective.
“This is a tale of murder. Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it? Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island. I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder. We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered. But who am I? My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.”
Elliot is meant to be an unreliable narrator, speaking to his audience and admitting to this. At times I found him amusing in how pathetic he acted. The story was somewhat clever, and definitely kept me turning the pages to see it all play out.
Title: The Frozen River
Author: Ariel Lawhon
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio, 12/5/23
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Everyone said it was good
My Rating: 4 Stars
The Frozen River is a retelling of the story of a 1789 midwife, Martha Ballard. While she was a real person, the book is fiction based on her life. In the book, she is part of a murder investigation of a man who raped one of Martha’s clients and friends.
“Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.”
This book is quite long, and it goes into details about Martha, her family, and her neighbors, while also unraveling the murder mystery story. A lot of it was interesting and reminded me a bit of Call The Midwife. Martha’s husband was very devoted and supportive, and I kept thinking he was too good to be true! The content is difficult, covering child loss, miscarriage, rape, assault, and violence.
This post includes 8 of the books I read this month. 5 were print books and 3 were on audio. 7 were adult books and 1 was middle grade. Genres included contemporary, rom com, non fiction, thriller, and historical fiction.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?