Today’s post covers the second half of the books I read in January 2024. I shared what I read in the first half of the month here. I shared my five star reads here. 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: Who Rescued Who
Author: Victoria Schade
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 3/24/20
Source: Swap
Why I Read It: Backlist Book 24 in 24 Challenge
My Rating: 4 Stars
I finished my first 24 in ’24 backlist book – Who Rescued Who by Victoria Schade. I received this one in a swap back in 2020. It is about Elizabeth, a city girl who comes off a bit snobby when she goes to the UK to meet her uncle and aunt that she hadn’t known about previously.
“The plan was simple: Elizabeth would ignore the fact that she was unjustly fired from her dream job, fly across the pond to settle an unexpected inheritance in her father’s home country and quickly return to reclaim her position among the Silicon Valley elite. But when Elizabeth stumbles upon an abandoned puppy, she’s shocked to realize that her brief trip to England might turn into an extended stay. Her strict itinerary is upended completely by the pup’s dogged devotion, and soon the loveable puppy helps her to connect with a tight-knit community of new friends on two legs and four, from the aunt and uncle she didn’t know existed, to a grumpy coffee shop owner to two very opinionated sheep. Along the way Elizabeth is confronted by long-kept family secrets, hard truths about her former life and a new romance that might lead her to question everything she knows about love. Because sometimes rescue magic happens on both ends of the leash.”
Elizabeth seems somewhat clueless about herself and her goals. She has lost her parents and her job, but she still wants to get back to her city life. Instead, she finds family, friends, a love interest, and a puppy, who turns her into an animal person even though she never was into them before. This was a gentle and sweet read, although I’ve enjoyed this author’s more recent books more than I enjoyed this one. Strangely, most of the big decisions happened off the page!
Title: No One Can Know
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Flatiron Books, 1/23/24
Source: Book of the Month – December
Why I Read It: TBR
My Rating: 4 Stars
My BOTM pick in December was No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall. This was about three sisters who are estranged after their parents were murdered 14 years ago. Emma returns to the family home and questions about the murders begin again, reuniting the sisters and revealing secrets from the past.
“Fourteen years ago, the Palmer sisters―Emma, Juliette, and Daphne―left their home in Arden Hills and never returned. But when Emma discovers she’s pregnant and her husband loses his job, she has no option but to return to the house that she and her estranged sisters still own . . . and where their parents were murdered. Emma has never told anyone what she saw the night her parents died, even when she became the prime suspect. But her presence in the house threatens to uncover secrets that have stayed hidden for years, and the sisters are drawn together once again. As they face their memories of the past, rivalries restart, connections are forged, and, for the first time, Emma starts to ask questions about what really happened that night. The more Emma learns, the more riddles emerge. And Emma begins to wonder just what her siblings will do to keep the past buried, and whether she did the right thing staying quiet about what was whispered that night: ‘No one can know.'”
I really loved What Lies In The Woods when I read it recently, and while No One Can Know was also good, I didn’t love it quite as much. This one definitely kept me entertained though and I went back and forth on theories of what happened to the parents! This book contains child abuse, drugs, and infidelity. I will definitely read this author again!
Title: Wishtree
Author: Katherine Applegate
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, 9/26/17
Source: PJ Our Way
Why I Read It: PJ Our Way Goal
My Rating: 4 Stars
As is my new custom, I grabbed a middle grade PJ Library book after a few books I struggled with. It turns out that Wishtree by Katherine Applegate isn’t technically a Jewish book, but PJ Our Way chose it as a pick in honor of Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year for Trees, which was occurring the same week I read the book!
“Trees can’t tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood “wishtree”―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood. When a new family moves in, not everyone is welcoming, and Red’s experience as a wishtree is more important than ever. With a message of inclusion for dreamers and welcomers, this is a book for our lives and times.”
Wishtree is about Red, an oak tree that houses a whole neighborhood of animals and serves as a place where people leave wishes. A new family in the neighborhood isn’t welcomed due to their ethnicity, and Red, along with a crow called Bongo, tries to help. There is a chance Red will be cut down, which causes the animals and families to try to stop that from happening. I enjoyed the explanations on how animals get their names and the way the tree was important to everyone in the neighborhood.
Title: That Summer In Berlin
Author: Lecia Cornwall
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio / Berkley, 10/11/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / Waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
That Summer In Berlin has been on my read soon shelf for a year and I listened to it this month. Taking place in 1936, Viviane is a photographer from the UK who is recruited by Tom, a journalist, to take photographs at the Berlin Olympics and elsewhere in order to expose the Nazi preparations for another war.
“German power is rising again, threatening a war that will be even worse than the last one. The English aristocracy turns to an age-old institution to stave off war and strengthen political bonds—marriage. Debutantes flock to Germany, including Viviane Alden. On holiday with her sister during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Viviane’s true purpose is more clandestine. While many in England want to appease Hitler, others seek to prove Germany is rearming. But they need evidence, photographs to tell the tale, and Viviane is a genius with her trusty Leica. And who would suspect a pretty, young tourist taking holiday snaps of being a spy? Viviane expects to find hatred and injustice, but during the Olympics, with the world watching, Germany is on its best behavior, graciously welcoming tourists to a festival of peace and goodwill. But first impressions can be deceiving, and it’s up to Viviane and the journalist she’s paired with—a daring man with a guarded heart—to reveal the truth. But others have their own reasons for befriending Viviane, and her adventure takes a darker turn. Suddenly Viviane finds herself caught in a web of far more deadly games—and closer than she ever imagined to the brink of war.”
This was an interesting historical story with a bit of suspense and romance as well. The narrator was Hannah Curtis and I appreciated her accents for the characters.
Title: This Won’t End Well
Author: Camille Pagan
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Lake Union, 2/25/20
Source: PR For Author
Why I Read It: Backlist Book 24 in 24 Challenge
My Rating: 3 Stars
This Won’t End Well by Camille Pagan was a book I received in 2020 and is my second read from my Backlist 24 in 24 list. I found this to be a bit slow and I guess too character driven for me. This is about Annie, who loses her job after being sexually harassed and at the same time, her boyfriend goes to Paris without her. While she decides she shouldn’t form any new attachments, she finds herself becoming friendly with her new neighbor and the mysterious PI who appears to be spying on said neighbor.
“No new people: that’s Annie Mercer’s vow. It’s bad enough that her boss sabotaged her chemistry career and her best friend tried to cure her with crystals. But after her fiancé, Jon, asks for space while he’s gallivanting around Paris, Annie decides she needs space too―from everyone. Yet when Harper moves in next door, Annie can’t help but train a watchful eye on the glamorous but fragile young woman. And if keeping Harper safe requires teaming up with Mo, a maddeningly optimistic amateur detective, who is she to mind her own business? Soon Annie has let not one but two new people into her life. Then Jon reappears―and he wants her to join him in France. She’s pretty sure letting anyone get close won’t end well. So she must decide: Is another shot at happiness worth the risk?”
My favorite parts were the community list serv emails, which were funny. This book contains some references to Islamaphobia and a mention of a school shooting.
Title: Dreamland
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Random House Audio, 9/20/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / Waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
This was yet another book that I had on my read soon shelf and listened to this month. I hadn’t read a Nicholas Sparks book in a very long time. This one is about Colby, who is a farmer and singer playing a gig in Florida, where he meets Morgan, who is on vacation there. In another timeline, we meet Beverly, a woman fleeing an abusive marriage with her son.
“After fleeing an abusive husband with her six-year-old son, Tommie, Beverly is attempting to create a new life for them in a small town off the beaten track. Despite their newfound freedom, Beverly is constantly on guard: she creates a fake backstory, wears a disguise around town, and buries herself in DIY projects to stave off anxiety. But her stress only rises when Tommie insists he’d been hearing someone walking on the roof and calling his name late at night. With money running out and danger seemingly around every corner, she makes a desperate decision that will rewrite everything she knows to be true. . . .Meanwhile, Colby Mills is on a heart-pounding journey of another kind. A failed musician, he now heads a small family farm in North Carolina. Seeking a rare break from his duties at home, he spontaneously takes a gig playing in a bar in St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he meets Morgan Lee—and his whole life is turned upside-down. The daughter of affluent Chicago doctors, Morgan has graduated from a prestigious college music program with the ambition to move to Nashville and become a star. Romantically and musically, she and Colby complete each other in a way that neither has ever known. In the course of a single unforgettable week, two young people will navigate the exhilarating heights and heartbreak of first love. Hundreds of miles away, Beverly will put her love for her young son to the test. And fate will draw all three people together in a web of life-altering connections . . . forcing each to wonder whether the dream of a better life can ever survive the weight of the past.”
While I was interested in the story, this book had a few issues that I didn’t love, including insta love between Colby and Morgan, and the use of mental illness to provide a twist to the story. This book contains the description of suicide attempts as well. It was interesting that the audio version contained music, including bits of a song that Colby and Morgan wrote called Dreamland.
Title: The Other Mothers
Author: Katherine Faulkner
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Gallery Books, 12/5/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Tash is a journalist who is looking into a suspicious death of a local nanny. She joins a playgroup and gets caught up in the lives of a group of parents who have some secrets.
“When a young nanny is found dead in mysterious circumstances, new mom, Tash, is intrigued. She has been searching for a story to launch her career as a freelance journalist. But she has also been searching for something else—new friends to help her navigate motherhood. She sees them at her son’s new playgroup. The other mothers. A group of sleek, sophisticated women who live in a neighborhood of tree-lined avenues and stunning houses. The sort of mothers Tash herself would like to be. When the mothers welcome her into their circle, Tash discovers the kind of life she has always dreamt of—their elegant London townhouses a far cry from her cramped basement flat and endless bills. She is quickly swept up into their wealthy world via coffees, cocktails, and playdates. But when another young woman is found dead, it’s clear there’s much more to the community than meets the eye. The more Tash investigates, the more she’s led uncomfortably close to the other mothers. Are these women really her friends? Or is there another, more dangerous reason why she has been so quickly accepted into their exclusive world? Who, exactly, is investigating who?”
I found it a little hard to keep track of the characters and how they were involved in the story and I felt that there were some plot holes, but this was a fun read. I also appreciated that we got Sophie’s point of view leading up to her death. This book contains infidelity and post partum depression.
Title: The Blood Years
Author: Elana K. Arnold
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Publisher: Balzar + Bray, 10/10/23
Source: Epic Reads
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This historical fiction is based on the life of the author’s grandmother leading up to and during World War II in Romania. I had not previously read about this specific country, and I found this book to be quite immersive and transporting.
“Frederieke Teitler and her older sister, Astra, live in a house, in a city, in a world divided. Their father ran out on them when Rieke was only six, leaving their mother a wreck and their grandfather as their only stable family. He’s done his best to provide for them and shield them from antisemitism, but now, seven years later, being a Jew has become increasingly dangerous, even in their beloved home of Czernowitz, long considered a safe haven for Jewish people. And when Astra falls in love and starts pulling away from her, Rieke wonders if there’s anything in her life she can count on—and, if so, if she has the power to hold on to it. Then—war breaks out in Europe. First the Russians, then the Germans, invade Czernowitz. Almost overnight, Rieke and Astra’s world changes, and every day becomes a struggle: to keep their grandfather’s business, to keep their home, to keep their lives. Rieke has long known that she exists in a world defined by those who have power and those who do not, and as those powers close in around her, she must decide whether holding on to her life might mean letting go of everything that has ever mattered to her—and if that’s a choice she will even have the chance to make.”
The story is about Rieke’s life with her mother, sister, and grandfather. Rieke remembers a trip to the country as a child and how idyllic life seemed in that setting. Later, she describes the ghetto where the family is forced to live. This book contains descriptions of rape, murder, and disease. It is a recent winner of the National Jewish Book Award.
Title: Isha, Unscripted
Author: Sajni Patel
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin Audio / Berkley, 2/14/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / Waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was yet another book I had placed on my read soon shelf and listened to this month. It is about Isha, who wants to be a script writer despite her parents disapproval of her goals. Her cousin Rohan convinces her that she should get her script to her former professor, Matthew McConaughey.
“Isha Patel is the black sheep of the family. She doesn’t have a “prestigious” degree or a “real” career, and her parents never fail to remind her. But that’s okay because she commiserates with her cousin, best friend, and fellow outcast, Rohan. When Isha has a breakthrough getting her script in front of producers, it doesn’t go according to plan. Instead of letting her dreams fall through the cracks, Rohan convinces her to snag a pitch session with an Austinite high-profile celeb: the one and only Matthew McConaughey, who also happened to be her professor at the University of Texas years ago—he has to remember her, right? Chasing Matthew McConaughey isn’t easy. Isha needs a drink or two to muster up courage, and she gets a little help from the cutest bartender she’s ever encountered. But when the search for the esteemed actor turns into a night of hijinks and unexpected—albeit fun—chaos, everything falls apart. Isha’s dreams seem farther than ever, but she soon realizes who she really needs to face and that her future may just be alright, alright, alright.”
The search for Matthew McConaughey was funny, but Isha seemed pretty immature overall. I also found some repetitive phrases used to be annoying. Isha meets a bartender in the story and there is a bit of romance, but this was mainly a book about Isha’s personal journey to career success and away from her parents’ goals for her.
Title: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
Author: Janice Hallett
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Atria Books, 1/23/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded up to 4)
Janice Hallett is known for books written in messages, emails, interview transcripts, etc. It was interesting to read a book in this style, however I found the overall result to be confusing, especially with how many characters were mentioned. This is about Amanda, a true crime writer who is looking into a mysterious cult called the Alperton Angels. She is competing with Oliver, another writer, to get the info and find a baby who was saved from the cult after being deemed the antichrist.
“Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl into believing her baby was the anti-Christ. When the girl came to her senses and called the police, the Angels committed suicide and mother and baby disappeared. Now, true crime author Amanda Bailey is looking to revive her career by writing a book on the case. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen; finding them will be the scoop of the year. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and also on the baby’s trail. As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realize that the truth about the Angels is much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined, and in pursuit of the story they risk becoming part of it.”
Aside from being confused by who was who in the story, I also thought the answers were revealed suddenly towards the end of the story. There were twists and the ending was a bit of a surprise, but this definitely wasn’t a favorite overall.
There you have it, the rest of my January reading! This post included 10 of the books I read in January. 7 of these books were in print and 3 were audio. Genres included rom com, thriller, contemporary, historical fiction, and mystery. 1 was YA, 1 was middle grade, and 8 were adult reads.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?