It’s been a little while since we’ve done a bookish update here at WTS so I thought it would be fun to share a little bit of what I’ve been reading lately and what’s on my TBR list for early 2020. Today’s post is all about What To Read This Month.
As a reader, I absolutely LOVE to hear what other readers are diving into. Getting good recommendations (and hearing what books might not be for me!) from other book lovers just can’t be beat. Since I love to hear what others are reading, I thought I would share 5 recent reads and what I’m hoping to read this month for all you readers out there.
The Memoir I Can’t Stop Talking About
2019 was a very heavy memoir year for me. I started out with Michelle Obama’s Becoming (amazing!) and finished it up with the incredible Know My Name. You might not be immediately familiar with the name Chanel Miller, but I guarantee you have heard part of her story. Know My Name is the stunning story of a young woman whose life was forever altered when she was sexually assaulted by a Stanford swimmer in January 2015. In telling her story and demanding that her voice (and the voice of other survivors) be heard, she has altered the landscape for victims of sexual violence. The book is beautifully written and unbelievably moving. A must read for women of all ages.
An Unexpected 5 Star Read
I had absolutely no expectations when I picked up this book by Alix Harrow at the beginning of the month. It popped up on my library queue and I’m so glad it did. The 10,000 Doors of January was such an unexpected delight. The book tells the story of January Scaller and her incredible journey of self discovery in the early 1900s and beyond. Fans of beautiful writing, a page turning plot, and beautifully developed characters will love absolutely this novel. It’s a work of fiction that is, at its core, a love letter to books and the transformative power of stories. I loved it and hope you will, too.
A Historical Fiction Gem
If you follow the publishing world at all, it’s very like you’ve heard of this blockbuster novel from Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert. A departure from her typical nonfiction work, City of Girls is a delightful romp through the world of Vivian Morris. A Vassar dropout who lands among a group of flamboyant theater folk in 1940s New York, Vivian takes readers along for the ride as she explores love, sexuality, life in the city, and what it means to finally find ones true self after a lifetime of being told who you should be. Gilbert said she wanted to “write a book that would go down like a champagne cocktail” and she certainly did. Cheers!
A Smart Thriller
I will fully admit that I don’t read much in the mystery/thriller category, but I’m really happy I picked up Julia Phillips novel Disappearing Earth. Set the remote Kamchatka peninsula of Russia, the novel begins with the disappearance of two young girls. The book is a total page turner and I loved learning about an area of the world I, admittedly, know very little about. Phillips moves the story at a perfect pace and her writing is absolutely wonderful. This is her debut novel and I will definitely pick up whatever she writes next. If you are a fan of mystery/thriller books, you should absolutely add Disappearing Earth to your TBR.
The Novel of Big, Wild Ideas
I’m really hoping that a few of you have read The Starless Sea because I really need to discuss it with someone! The book is the long awaited follow up from Erin Morgenstern, author of the beloved book The Night Circus. The Starless Sea is the story of Zachary Ezra Rawlins, a young graduate student, who discovers an unusual book in the library one night that changes the course of his entire life. Like The Night Circus, this novel is full of incredibly developed worlds and stunning prose. It is lengthy (512 pages in Hardcover!) and at times I felt a little lost in all of the detail but I find myself still thinking about it a week after finishing the epic tale. Have you read it? What did you think? I’m still jury out on this one but if you love fantasy, incredible world building, and a complicated mystery, this one might be for you.
What I’m Reading Now
I’m starting off the rest of this month with a really wide range of books. Currently I’m reading the 70s rock themed fictional memoir Daisy Jones and the Six. I’m also tackling the much heavier After The End and Normal People. I’m liking all of them so far!
What’s on my TBR
Next up? Here’s what I’m planning to read next. Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano. This book is getting tons of buzz (thanks to a Read with Jenna selection!) and I’m excited to check it out. I’m also anxiously awaiting American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. Finally, I’m hoping to finally read Jojo Moyes’ newest book, The Giver of Stars. It’s shaping up to be a great, bookish start to 2020.
What are YOU now? Any books you just have to share? We’d love to hear from you!
Want to read more of our bookish posts? Check out this blast from the past for some great books we read in 2019.
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