January Book Review
Hey, friends! It’s Book Review Day, the first of 2020!
I read some really great books in January that I didn’t get to share, so I’m posting them now. February’s reads will have a special in the middle of the month appearance soon. January came with some really great books a few not so great books. Tis life. Let’s get to it!
![The Girls of Pearl Harbor by [Lane, Soraya M.]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fzXPwUGhL._SY346_.jpg?w=1290&ssl=1)
This was an unexpected read for me since I found it on Kindle Unlimited. However, I love all things historical fiction, especially WW2 themed. The Girls of Pearl Harbor did not disappoint! It was such a sweet inside story about what the women faced not only in Hawaii, but also those that traveled on to Japan and Africa. It captures your attention at the very beginning and keeps you guessing.
![Winter Garden by [Hannah, Kristin]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/411CcHaYMmL._SY346_.jpg?w=1290&ssl=1)
Okay, this book was simply beautiful. An easy 5 stars. Everything Kristin Hannah writes is amazing (I’m looking at you, Nightingale!) and this story is no different. Two sisters attempt to learn about their cold and detached mother and find out more than they bargained for. Winter Garden gives a heartbreaking account of the seige of Leningrad, Stalin, and the hopelessness of war.
![The Silent Patient by [Michaelides, Alex]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41bsvxNUSdL.jpg?resize=238%2C362&ssl=1)
I had heard so many things about The Silent Patient and wanted to experience it myself. If you like psychological thrillers (not the scary suspense but true mind-twisting), you will enjoy this one. I liked it, but after reading the two above, this one kinda underwhelmed me. Maybe it’s the genre? What are your thoughts on this book? It was a finalist for 2019 book of the year.
![Matchmaking for Beginners: A Novel by [Dawson, Maddie]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61TbLNxP6rL.jpg?resize=233%2C350&ssl=1)
I’m not gonna lie…I didn’t care for this book at all. The first chapter actually made me laugh out loud, but I guess the author used up all of her wit rather quickly. I honestly don’t know the point of this book to even review it. Have any of you read Matchmaking for Beginners? 2 stars is generous.
![Jinxed (A Down and Out in Beverly Heels Novel Book 2) by [Scott, Kathryn Leigh]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tfeer7MIL._SY346_.jpg?resize=224%2C344&ssl=1)
Jinxed is the sequel to Down and Out in Beverly Heels that I read last summer. It is so cute! You can definitely read this one as a stand alone. I love the chaos surrounding a former Hollywood starlet now in her fifties. She’s fun and funny and can solve a mystery like a modern Nancy Drew.
![Ninth House (Alex Stern Book 1) by [Bardugo, Leigh]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41cUxNtr5-L.jpg?resize=224%2C342&ssl=1)
I have no words. What in the world is this book about? I mean really. Such a weird book. Definitely a fantasy-secret society-meets occult-meets magic story. It was a popular Book of the Month Club pick, but I chose to listen to it on Audible. I’m still scratching my head…
![The Sun Down Motel by [St. James, Simone]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513hfhxyrML.jpg?resize=223%2C337&ssl=1)
Fortunately, the Sun Down Motel ended January on the upswing! I loved this one! If you like a slightly spooky suspense with no foul language or gore, give this one a read. But, make sure you’re reading it at home and not in a hotel somewhere!
For all of my past reads that I shared on the blog, you can find my master book list here.
*****
Okay! That’s 7 new books for you to add to your TBR (or maybe just 5). I heart books so much. I truly enjoy reading and sharing my finds with you each month. Be sure to leave your suggestions for must reads in the comments and stop by tomorrow for my first FAVORITES post of the year!
