In trying to figure out what I want to write about, what I’m reading has long been at the top of the list. Not because what I’m reading is earth shattering in any way, but because I do read quite a bit, and I enjoy sharing the good the bad and the ugly.
I set a reading goal for myself each year, and this year my goal is 50 books (roughly 4 books a month +/-). This includes actual books, books on my kindle as well as audio books. So far I’m off to a strong start but we will see how the year unfolds. I tend to read more in some months then in others. Without further ado- January’s reading list.
The Inheritance Games- I have wanted to read these books for a couple of years. I didn’t want to start a series that I knew had more books coming so I waited until the third book was released to even pick them up. Once I started the first book, I didn’t want to put them down. It was Knives Out (if you’re familiar with the movie) but for a Young Adult audience. The characters were fun and well-developed, the plot kept moving at a rapid but followable pace, and more then once I thought I knew what was going to happen but then it went in a completely different direction. I did see that there is another book due out later this year focusing on the Hawthorne brothers, so I am looking forward to that. If you want a fun, fast, and engaging read, this trilogy doesn’t disappoint.
Outwitting the Devil- I listened to this one on Audible, and I think that if I had tried to read it I would have failed to reach the end. Napoleon Hill wrote several books while he was alive, but this one wasn’t published until 2011. (The book was written in 1938, Hill died in 1970). Part of the reason for the delay in publishing was that his wife and estate were concerned about the backlash it would receive. Though the book was written in the 30’s everything that Hill talks about in his conversation with the Devil is relevant in today’s society. It’s uncanny how much has changed in our world, how far we have come, but also how much is still the same.
The Sporty One- I was 12 the first time I heard the Spice Girls, and I was ALL about the Girl Power. I haven’t read any biographies from any of the other members of the band, mostly because I didn’t realize they had written any. I saw this one at the library and decided to dive in. I enjoyed the story and learned new bits about the girl group that helped mold my adolescence. As an adult it’s fun to hear different perspectives and realize how little of the story we ever get to see when it comes to our favorite entertainers. Also, the paparazzi sucks and how they are allowed to treat people is deplorable. Particularly the press in England. I am still not sure why we give those leaches so much power in our country or theirs but regardless it’s disgusting.
I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet– I wrote more about this book here. I started it in December but didn’t finish it until January so it technically counted as a January read.
This month I’m diving into a book about Faith, some Taylor Jenkins Reid, and hopefully a re-read of one of my faves if my hard-copy book is out of backorder before month end. See you soon!
SG