As you may know if you’ve read my blog before, I LOVE to read!!! And, I love sharing what I’ve read. SO I’ve decided that I want to start a series where, once a month, in a blogpost, I recap what I read the month before. This is the first of that series, so welcome to “What I Read in January 2021”!!!
Let me preface this by saying I generally read a lot, but it ebbs and flows. One month, I may read 10 books, and the next month, I may read 2. I go through phases where I read constantly, and then I take a break for a few weeks. This January was one of those months where I read like crazy- I read 11 books, which is a lot (even for me).
SO HERE WE GO!
Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
TRIGGER WARNING: Searching for Sylvie Lee deals with suicide.
This book delves into a Chinese-American family living in New York. The oldest daughter, Sylvie, travels to the Netherlands to spend her Grandma’s last days with her and goes missing. This novel is told from 3 different perspectives (Syvlie’s, her mom’s, and her little sister’s), which I loved because it was enjoyable to get to know each character through their individual voices. This book combines suspense and family drama- I loved it!
Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman
In this novel, Judy begins to wear her dog in a baby sling to help deal with her anxieties surrounding her marriage, her job, her best friend dying, and just basic life. She becomes dependent on her dog-wearing, and can’t go anywhere without her sling. The book details her journey of learning how to cope, how to ignore what other people think, and becoming comfortable with where she is in life. I enjoyed how this book found humor in the uncomfortable/weirdness that life can often have. Definitely a quirky read. Wasn’t my favorite, but it was still good!
The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan
TRIGGER WARNING: The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes deals with mental health issues and suicide.
Gloss was the early 2000’s girlband that everyone was talking about. They had fans all over the world, tons of publicity, loads of money- what else could they want? But, somehow, it all started to fall apart. This book opens up years after Gloss disbanded with the news of one band member’s suicide. This novel is told in different timelines and from the perspectives of each of the band members. The other Gloss members each revisit the past as they wonder and speculate on what could have gone wrong. I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it!!
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
If you like suspense/ thriller novels… this one is for you!!!! A wedding on an isolated island? What could go wrong!?!?! (The answer is everything- everything could go wrong lol). This book was funny, captivating, and a quick read. AND the ending was a surprise (at least for me haha)!!
The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff
WWII historical fiction.. my favorite genre! In this WWII novel, Jewish Emma’s husband goes off to join the resistance while Emma takes on a new identity as Catholic Anna. She begins working as the secretary for a Commandant and starts doing small things for the resistance- until they ask her to play a bigger part. Should Emma betray her husband in order to help the cause?
I LOVED this book!! This was one that I could NOT put down. There is also a sequel, which I definitely need to read!
The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli
This novel switches between Italy in the 1400’s and Germany during WWII. Judith, a German art restorer, is forced to help the Nazis research and locate famous works of art, including Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting, “Lady with an Ermine”. She is horrified at the atrocities the Germans are committing, and she tries to do her own small part to help the resistance by keeping track of the paintings she finds. She is enthralled by the “Lady with an Ermine,” and tries her best to keep it safe. In the 1400’s, we see the history behind the Lady and hear from the woman who inspired it. I loved the way the author weaved in and out of the 1400’s and the 1900’s, and I enjoyed learning about what happened with a lot of the art during WWII. I have read a lot of WWII historical fiction, but I don’t think I have ever read anything quite like this!!
Girl With No Job: The Crazy Beautiful Life of an Instagram Thirst Monster by Claudia Oshry
If you’re a fan of the podcast, The Morning Toast, then you have to read this! This memoir is 100% Claudia- I could hear her voice in my head as I read it lol. The book is vulnerable, real, and relatable! It made me laugh, and it made me cry. If you’re a toaster- READ IT!
Bridgertons by Julia Quinn
I, like the rest of the world lol, fell in love with Bridgerton on Netflix. And as soon as I heard the show was based off of a book series, I knew I HAD to read it! There are 8 books in the series- one for each sibling. So far, I have read the first 4 books: The Duke and I (focuses on Daphne), The Viscount Who Loved Me (focuses on Anthony), An Offer From a Gentleman (focuses on Benedict), and Romancing Mr. Bridgerton (focuses on Colin).
I have LOVED each book!! I will say, though, the books are not the same as the TV show. The TV show has more content in it that doesn’t necessarily occur in the books. BUT, I still truly enjoyed the books, and if you like cheesy, sometimes cringy books (haha), then I think you’ll like them too!! If you’re reading for historical accuracy though, you should probably find something else to read. I can’t wait to finish reading this series!
Well, that wraps up all the books I read this January!! If you read or have read any of these books, I would love to know your thoughts. And, if you have any book recs for me, please let me know!! Feel free to comment below or DM me on Instagram.
XX, Danielle
