Books I Read in January!!
2020 started off really great. I was able to read 8 books in January. All of them were pretty good and I would recommend them all. My favorite of the month was A Love Hate Thing by Whitney Grandison and my least favorite was The 13-Minute Murder by James Patterson. Here is my take on all of the books I read in January. Click on the book covers below to order the book and the title, to read my full review. Please share with me your favorite books of January.
Husband Material by Emily Belden
4 Stars
For the past five years Charlotte Rosen has been living her life, trying to develop a dating app and living with a roommate. When her dead husband's ashes show up on her front door step, she's not sure what to do with them or her life. As she tries to make decisions about the ashes as well as her life, secrets come to the surface that she would never expect. Did she know her husband as well as she thought she did? Will she be able to move on with her life with the ashes or will it bring everything to a screeching halt?
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
4 Stars
The city of Crystal, Colorado is an affluent community in the state of Colorado. When a new public school for gifted students is slated to open just in time for the upcoming school year, close friends will put everything on the line to ensure that their children make the cut. Because out of the 100,000 students who are eligible to apply, only 1000 will gain entrance to the school. Who is smart enough to make the cut and what lengths will the parents and guardians go through to make sure their child is part of the elite who make it into the school.
A Love Hate Thing by Whitney Grandison
5 Stars
When Tyson Trice reappears in Nandy Smith's life 10 years after she had last seen him, she knew right away, he wasn't that same seven year old boy she used to play with. Trice is coming to live with the Smith's after the tragic death of his parents. He is angry and hurting and this is the last place he wants to be. But will he be able to come out of his funk and find the friendship he once had with Nandy? Will he be able to step away from his old life and try to build a new one with these people who are nothing like him?
The 13-Minute Murder by James Patterson
3 Stars
This book was actually three different stories in one.
The first is
Dead Man Running:
This book featured Dr. Randall Beck who is a psychiatrist who is also dying of brain cancer. Most of his patients are dealing with some type of traumatic event that he is helping them work through. When a new client shows up at his office and then is gunned down right after the appointment, Dr. Beck has lots of questions, but he's not getting the answers. In order to get the answers, he will have to risk his own life and the life of others in order to find out what is going on.
Next Was
113 Minutes:
When Molly Rourke gets the call that her son has had an overdose at school, the first thing she does is call her brothers because she knows she can't handle this news on her own. They spend the next few months trying to figure out who was behind his death and getting their revenge. There are a lot of surprises in this story.
Finally
13-Minute Murder:
Michael Ryan is given a job to kill a coed in the middle of Harvard. When the job is done, he is determined to find out who ordered the hit. His partner doesn't want to say, but when Ryan uncovers the truth, it's almost too good to be true. He can execute the perfect murder in 13 minutes, but it may take more than that to bring down all the players involved in this.
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
4 Stars
It's Pepper and Jack's senior year. Pepper is trying to stay on top of her grades and be captain of the swim team. Jack is living in the shadows of his twin brother, Ethan, while helping his family with their deli. Each of their families owns a restaurant, but Pepper's family has gone national. The Twitter battle between the two restaurants will fall into the hands of these young adults. But even though they know each other from school, they don't know that the other is on the other side of the battle. What will happen when it's all laid out on the table?
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
4 Stars
Juliet Ashton has just published her first book in 1946 and her publisher is eager for her to start on the next one. Her book was a great relief during war time. But she's having trouble coming up with a subject that is interesting to her and will keep her readers entertained. When she receives a letter from a man name Dawsey who found her in a book he had by Charles Lamb, they begin a correspondence. When Dawsey tells her about his book club, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Juliet is intrigued and wants to learn more about the group. Each member writes her a letter to explain how they became a part of the group. Juliet is so enthralled by their stories, she feels she has to go to Guernsey so she can write a book about this group. Told through a series of letters, telegrams, and packages we learn about Juliet's journey from London to Guernsey.
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3 Stars
Hiram Walker was born into slavery. He doesn't remember much about his mother except that she was taken from him at a very young age. Hiram was born with special gifts, that he discovers when his life is in danger. Will he have to continue to live a life of slavery, or will he find a way out of his situation and find out what happened to his mother.
The Guilty by David Baldacci
4 Stars
Will Robie has just completed a mission when he finds out that his father has been arrested for murder. Instead of stopping his work then and there, he decides to go on the next mission available, but he is is not successful. Is it because of the details of the previous mission or because of the news that he received that he is unable to complete the mission. Ordered to take some time off, he heads back to Cantrell, Mississippi to find out what is really going on with his father. But when you haven't been back to a place without any word in nearly 20 years, it's not so easy to find the answers you're looking for. Is Will able to find out who is really to blame for the murder and will he be able to mend the relationship with his father.
So there you have it. Here's what I'm looking forward to in February:
When Abby takes a DNA test to be supportive of her best friend, Leo, she is shocked by the results. She has a full-blooded sister out there that she knew nothing about. With the help of her friends, she finds her sister, Savannah, and makes plans for them to get together over the summer. They are determined to find out what happened since they are so close in age. Will they be able to find out the secrets of the past? Will they be able to be friends and sisters in the future?
