I meant to post this earlier and the next thing I knew we’re over a week into February. I do think I started off the year with a bang though– different genres of books and some great reads! I think everyone will be able to find something from this list to read!
THE GODDESS OF WARSAW by Lisa Barr
5/5 Stars
I went through a phase where I was reading a lot of WWII books and I had to step back just because I felt like I wasn’t able to fully appreciate all the stories when I was reading them back to back. I decided to read The Goddess of Warsaw and thought it was fantastic. Whether you read a ton of WWII books or have never picked one up before, this is a great choice. I thought the perspective was just different enough to really make the storyline stand out. It’s a dark novel with an imperfect, but insanely brave heroine taking center stage. I could not put it down.
ALL FOURS by Miranda July
3/5 Stars
The buzz about All Fours was impossible to ignore. I needed to know what everyone was raving about. I will say, I could not put this down but I also think it was one of the strangest books I’ve ever read and I am probably not the target demographic for it. It’s a bit of a coming of age novel but that of a middle aged writer facing a sexual (re)awakening, menopause, and career woes. The main character embarks a cross country road trip only to stop a few minutes away from home where she makes herself at home in a motel, has it redecorated, and starts up a torrid affair while her family believes her to be traveling to NYC for work. It’s fascinating and gripping and utterly weird.
THE LET THEM THEORY by Mel Robbins
5/5 Stars
Another book with a lot of buzz! I’ve been seeing clips of Mel Robbins everywhere on social media and couldn’t wait to read her self-improvement book The Let Them Theory. I listened to it– she narrates it– but I loved it so much I intend on buying a physical copy so I can highlight and refer back to it in the future. I LOVED the theory and how she talked about applying it to different aspects of your life. Whether you’re working on personal relationships or bettering yourself, I think you’d appreciate what she has to say. I have more work to do implementing this into my life, but I’ve been working on it and imagine it’ll have lasting effects on my life!
BYE, BABY by Carola Lovering
4.5/5 Stars
This was an easy, light, and quick read. A good palate cleanser. I think if you’re in your late twenties/early thirties and in a friend group where some girls are starting to get married and having babies and some aren’t, you’ll appreciate the narrative. While generally a “light read,” the novel goes into some more complex topics still like childhood friendships evolving over time and the choice to have children (or not).
4/5 Stars
I saw this recommendation on Instagram I think and found it available through my library so I decided to go into it blind. It’s a story told retroactively through an interview style narrative, which makes for a good audiobook listen! It’s an interesting examination of sex work with the main character becoming the reluctant “face” of sex work after moving from rural New Zealand to start working at an iconic American brothel (think: the Playboy Mansion). It was slightly disjointed in the middle, but I immediately got into the story and couldn’t put it down by the end!
Leave a Reply