Today’s post covers the second half of the books I read in January 2022. I shared the first half of the books I read here. My top books of the month can be found here. I will be linking up this post with the Show Us Your Books Link Up, and 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: A History of Wild Places
Author: Shea Ernshaw
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Atria, 12/7/21
Source: Book Sparks
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
This was an atmospheric read that I wish I’d liked more. It begins with a missing person and becomes a mystery of missing people. While I’ve classified it as a thriller, it also gave off mystery, fantasy, and horror vibes.
“Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating missing people. Hired by families as a last resort, he requires only a single object to find the person who has vanished. When he takes on the case of Maggie St. James—a well-known author of dark, macabre children’s books—he’s led to a place many believed to be only a legend. Called Pastoral, this reclusive community was founded in the 1970s by like-minded people searching for a simpler way of life. By all accounts, the commune shouldn’t exist anymore and soon after Travis stumbles upon it…he disappears. Just like Maggie St. James. Years later, Theo, a lifelong member of Pastoral, discovers Travis’s abandoned truck beyond the border of the community. No one is allowed in or out, not when there’s a risk of bringing a disease—rot—into Pastoral. Unraveling the mystery of what happened reveals secrets that Theo, his wife, Calla, and her sister, Bee, keep from one another. Secrets that prove their perfect, isolated world isn’t as safe as they believed—and that darkness takes many forms.”
I wasn’t happy with the resolution of what happened to the missing people and I found some of the book slow and annoying. The main characters Theo and Calla seemed very young, maybe because this author is used to writing YA. This was probably my least favorite book this month.
Title: Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead
Author: Elle Cosimano
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur, 2/1/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Finlay Donovan is back and just as unbelievable as ever! This second book in the series picks up where book one ended with Finlay trying to figure out who wants her ex husband dead. Her next novel’s deadline is coming and Finlay is juggling two men while dealing with her kids and everything else – Finlay’s life is getting even more hard to control! Of course, her best friend / employee (does it make anyone else uncomfortable that Vero works for her?) remains loyal and helps her get into trouble.
“Finlay Donovan is―once again―struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she’s dealt with lately is that of her daughter’s pet goldfish. On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Steven may be, he’s a good father, but saving him will send her down a rabbit hole of hit-women disguised as soccer moms, and a little bit more involvement with the Russian mob than she’d like. Meanwhile, Vero’s keeping secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony seems determined to get back into her life. He may be a hot cop, but Finlay’s first priority is preventing her family from sleeping with the fishes… and if that means bending a few laws then so be it. With her next book’s deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn’t a noose at the end of it…”
If you’re looking for something realistic, this probably isn’t it, but this series is a lot of fun and will definitely keep you entertained.
Title: Respect The Mic
Author: Hanif Abdurraqib, Peter Kahn, Dan “Sully” Sullivan, Fanny Choi (eds)
Genre: YA Poetry
Publisher: Penguin Workshop, 2/1/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Respect The Mic is a poetry anthology that celebrates 20 years of the spoken word club at Oak Park River Forest High School. It is made up of poems by alumni and current students in the club. It reminded me of my creative writing classes. Each section contains intros from the editors and the sections include Notes From Here, Coming of Age, Monsters At Home, Welcomes, Farewells, and Odes, and Survival Tactics.
“For Chicago’s Oak Park and River Forest High School’s Spoken Word Club, there is one phrase that reigns supreme: Respect the Mic. It’s been the club’s call to arms since its inception in 1999. As its founder Peter Kahn says, ‘It’s a call of pride and history and tradition and hope.’ This vivid new collection of poetry and prose — curated by award-winning and bestselling poets Hanif Abdurraqib, Franny Choi, Peter Kahn, and Dan ‘Sully’ Sullivan — illuminates just that, uplifting the incredible legacy this community has cultivated. Among the dozens of current students and alumni, Respect the Mic features work by NBA champion Iman Shumpert, National Youth Poet Laureate Kara Jackson, National Youth Poet Laureate Kara Jackson, National Student Poet Natalie Richardson, comedian Langston Kerman, and more. In its pages, you hear the sprawling echoes of students, siblings, lovers, new parents, athletes, entertainers, scientists, and more –all sharing a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling. A celebration of the past, a balm for the present, and a blueprint for the future, Respect the Mic offers a tender, intimate portrait of American life, and conveys how in a world increasingly defined by separation, poetry has the capacity to bind us together.”
I enjoyed this collection of poetry although the layout wasn’t great on my kindle screen. I imagine it would be great to listen to!
Title: Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions
Author: Navdeep Singh Dhillon
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Dial Books, 2/8/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (rounded down to 3)
Sunny has shaved and stopped wearing his turban, wanting to be fearless and make a new start. He heads out to prom night, where he connects with Mindii and they end up spending the rest of the evening together.
“Sunny G’s brother left him one thing when he died: His notebook, which Sunny is determined to fill up with a series of rash decisions. Decision number one was a big one: He stopped wearing his turban, cut off his hair, and shaved his beard. He doesn’t look like a Sikh anymore. He doesn’t look like himself anymore. Even his cosplay doesn’t look right without his beard. Sunny debuts his new look at prom, which he’s stuck going to alone. He’s skipping the big fandom party—the one where he’d normally be in full cosplay, up on stage playing bass with his band and his best friend, Ngozi—in favor of the Very Important Prom Experience. An experience that’s starting to look like a bust. Enter Mindii Vang, a girl with a penchant for making rash decisions of her own, starting with stealing Sunny’s notebook. When Sunny chases after her, prom turns into an all-night adventure—a night full of rash, wonderful, romantic, stupid, life-changing decisions.”
The best part of this book was the cultural representation – Sunny is Punjabi Sikh and Mindii is Hmong. Sunny is also mourning the loss of his older brother due to alcoholism and has a stutter. What I didn’t love about the book was the cosplay and fandom references, which I found hard to understand and relate to. Teens who are in these sort of communities will likely enjoy this one more than I did.
Title: The River Between Hearts
Author: Heather Mateus Sappenfield
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Fitzroy Books, 2/1/22
Source: PR for the author
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Rill is coming to terms with her dad being missing, as she feels he still may come back after being lost to the river. Her family runs an adventure business on this same river, so it is difficult for Rill to accept that her father is gone. When her cat leads her to their tree fort and she finds a classmate hiding out there, Rill embarks on a new type of adventure – helping Perla, whose family has been deported, leaving Perla behind.
“On an ordinary Monday, Rill Kruse left for third grade with a dad, but when she came home, he’d been stolen. By a river. One year and thirteen days later—on the first morning of summer vacation—Rill still insists he’s trudging home. Her mom has become a practical woman. Her older brother, Eddy, now calls her baby and dork. Gus, second-in-command at Kruse Whitewater Adventures, Rill’s family’s rafting company, has gone from being her dad’s “risk bro” to her mom’s guardian angel. Joyce, company secretary, arm-wrestler, and mechanic, still calls Rill a fingerling, but, after learning what a cheater water is, Rill wishes she’d stop. When Rill’s cat, Clifford, leads her to the family tree fort on the mountainside behind home, she discovers a stowaway, Perla. To help Perla, Rill embarks on an adventure that tests her understanding of the world, of loss, and of what it means to be a friend. In the end, what Rill discovers will nudge her—and all those she loves—toward healing.”
The author writes that “moments when we meet people who are different from us – in nationality, in ethnicity, in spiritual belief, in social strata – define us.” I think this book did a wonderful job of describing two young girls who unite due to each of them coping with loss and showing the ways that they helped each other.
Title: Full Flight
Author: Ashleigh Schumacher
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Wednesday Books, 2/22/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
Is it possible that I’m getting burnt out on YA insta love romances? I found myself eye rolling a lot at the characters in this book. I also wasn’t sure I understood some of the angst involved.
“Everyone else in the tiny town of Enfield, Texas, calls fall football season, but for the forty-three members of the Fighting Bearcat Marching Band, it’s contest season. And for new saxophonist Anna James, it’s her first chance to prove herself as the great musician she’s trying hard to be. When she’s assigned a duet with mellophone player Weston Ryan, the boy her small-minded town thinks of as nothing but trouble, she’s equal parts thrilled and intimidated. But as he helps her with the duet, and she sees the smile he seems to save just for her, she can’t help but feel like she’s helping him with something too. When her strict parents find out she’s been secretly seeing him and keep them apart, Anna and Weston learn what it truly means to fight for something they love. With the marching contest nearing and the two falling hard for one another, the unthinkable happens, and Anna is left grappling for a way forward without Weston.”
I didn’t understand why Anna was assigned to a duet in the band when she was a new musician and was obviously struggling. I also didn’t understand why Weston was so despised in the town – he wore a leather jacket? Oh no? I didn’t like the way the twist (which is hinted to in the description) came out of nowhere. I did like the references to the Kauii-0-0 bird.
Title: A Brush With Love
Author: Mazey Eddings
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin, 3/1/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was my first Net Galley audio book and I made sure to listen to it soon after I acquired it! This book features characters who meet in dental school, and I always appreciate a story of women in STEM. I would say this romance was an insta-attraction but slow burn friends to lovers story.
“Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable. A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does. Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules. So with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be ‘just friends.’ But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can’t risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is.”
Harper is Jewish and has anxiety and panic attacks. She must deal with sexism in the school and work environments. She is goal focused and less inclined to start a relationship and is reluctant to get help with her struggles. Dan is dealing with family pressure to take over his family’s dental practice after the loss of his controlling father. This book features lots of dental related puns! Overall, I enjoyed it!
Title: Jewish Pride
Author: Ben M. Freeman
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: No Pasaran Media, 2/15/21
Source: Gift
Why I Read It: Heard it was good.
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was an illuminating read at a time when antisemitism continues to appear in daily life in America. In Jewish Pride, Ben M. Freeman suggests that the Jewish reaction to antisemitism should not be to try to change ourselves to fit in with how others see us or want us to be, but instead to have pride in who we are.
“In Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People, Ben M. Freeman, inspired by his experiences with LGBTQ+ pride, aims to educate, inspire and empower Jewish people to reject the shame of antisemitism imposed on Jews by the non-Jewish world as well as non-Jewish perceptions of what it means to be a Jew. Enabling them to begin the process of defining their own identities as proud Jews through Jewish experience, Jewish history and Jewish values. Jewish Pride is an urgent and essential read.”
This book goes over the basis of antisemitism from its beginnings and shows how although the targets may have changed, the roots all fall into the categories of blood libel, conspiracy fallacy, economic libel, and racial libel. I marked so many interesting points in this book that I could probably write a paper on it! While it covers a lot of antisemitism in history, it moves into the idea of pride as a reaction, and features interviews with 7 Jewish people from a variety of backgrounds and parts of the community. This book will continue to resonate for a long time.
Title: Hang The Moon
Author: Alexandria Bellefleur
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Avon, 5/25/21
Source: Gift
Why I Read It: TBR
My Rating: 4 Stars
Since I am expecting to read and review the third book in this series soon, I wanted to make sure to read Hang The Moon first. While this is a series with interconnected characters, you don’t necessarily need to read them in order.
“Brendon Lowell loves love. It’s why he created a dating app to help people find their one true pairing and why he’s convinced “the one” is out there, even if he hasn’t met her yet. Or… has he? When his sister’s best friend turns up in Seattle unexpectedly, Brendon jumps at the chance to hang out with her. He’s crushed on Annie since they were kids, and the stars have finally aligned, putting them in the same city at the same time. Annie booked a spur-of-the-moment trip to Seattle to spend time with friends before moving across the globe. She’s not looking for love, especially with her best friend’s brother. Annie remembers Brendon as a sweet, dorky kid. Except, the 6-foot-4 man who shows up at her door is a certified Hot Nerd and Annie… wants him? Oh yes. Getting involved would be a terrible idea—her stay is temporary and he wants forever—but when Brendon learns Annie has given up on dating, he’s determined to prove that romance is real. Taking cues from his favorite rom-coms, Brendon plans to woo her with elaborate dates straight out of Nora Ephron’s playbook. The clock is ticking on Annie’s time in Seattle, and Brendon’s starting to realize romance isn’t just flowers and chocolate. But maybe real love doesn’t need to be as perfect as the movies… as long as you think your partner hung the moon.”
Brendon had a crush on Annie when they were younger and wants to prove to her that romance isn’t dead. While their romance seemed like a slow burn, they were only together for 2 weeks before Annie had to make her choice! I enjoy this author’s writing and look forward to Margot’s story next.
There you have it, the rest of my January reading! This post included 9 of the books I read this month. Of these books, 4 were print, 1 was an audio book, and 4 were ebooks. Genres included thriller, rom com, non fiction, and contemporary.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?