January was equal parts the LONGEST. MONTH. EVER. And also it kind of flew by... time is weird like that. I will say I was basically in hibernation mode all month, which I don't really mind at all. Early bedtimes, lots of lounging and lots and lots of reading. What else is there to do in January?
I read a lot of really good books this month... I almost don't know how February can compare!
The Paris Architect - I was in a book lull and decided to check out my (overflowing) bookshelf to see if there were any gems I had passed over and I grabbed this one! I bought it used and it's been sitting on my shelves forever, such a shame! It was an amazing read. I just can't quit the WWII era historical fiction and this book is now an instant favorite in that genre. When a Parisian architect gets a lucrative offer to design hiding places for Jews in German occupied Paris, he can't resist the offer. But the offer comes with strings attached and he will have to decide what is most important to him, where his loyalties lie and come to terms with the contradictions of war. This book was a suspenseful page turner with characters that I won't soon forget.
Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng's second book deals with the intricacies of family life much like her first book. She expertly gives all sides of the story and the reader is left to decide their opinions - I love that one minute she can make you love a character and the next see their worst flaws. The book takes place in the "perfect" suburb with seemingly perfect characters until the story unfolds. Lies, half truths, and difficult family dynamics lead the reader to ask themselves what is right and wrong here? Or is right and wrong simply not attainable? This was a quick and fast paced read that I highly recommend. Or if you haven't already - you must check out her first book Everything I Never Told You.
The Last Mrs. Parrish - Sigh, I don't even know where to begin with this book. Yes it was a page turner. Yes I stayed up super late twice to finish it. But no, no I didn't care for this book at all. Take my review with a grain of salt because I am just so OVER the Gone Girl-esque genre that is so wildly popular right now. Made to shock and disgust with scenes that are almost impossible to read due to their perverted, twisted and abusive nature this book was just not my favorite. The story line was pretty predictable - I guessed the arc of the entire book about 1/4 through the book. There were just too many predictable eye roll moments for me. No judgment if you liked it, I know A LOT of people did. I'm just going to take a break from the thriller/contemporary fiction genre for a while. Or forever.
The Dry - I don't often go for murder mysteries but this book kept popping up in reviews and everyone was raving about it. This book takes place in the dry Australian countryside that has been plagued by drought. This small town has more secrets than you can imagine and when and entire family ends up dead it takes some major unraveling to figure out why and how it happened. While at times this book is a little gory it was quite the page turner. I didn't guess the ending at all - which is rare for me - and read the second half of the book especially quickly. Apparently there is a follow up with some overlapping characters called The Force of Nature that I can't wait to check that out!
This is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are - I always like to grab a non-fiction from the library from time to time and this one looked so interesting. The book is written by a self proclaimed serial "mover" who explores the stats behind what makes Americans move and what makes them stay. I personally find this topic fascinating since for the last 4 years my husband and I are constantly asking ourselves where we would move if we could and why. For us, that place would be somewhere warm since we are SO over winter. I would have liked more on the psychology of moving or the desire to move (selfishly) but her tips on how to love the city you live in were really great and even reminded me why I love Michigan (winter and all).
