January Reads

(searching for)

1.  You Killed Me First (Marrs) ~ 4/5 (very good), Book, Thriller

What a whirlwind!  There was a trio of crazies with a lot going on, but I was able to keep it all straight.  Love the short chapters and was always wanting to pick it up.  All his books have been very different from one another, and they are always a pleasant surprise!  1-2-26

DNF - Mary Jane (Blau) @ 44%, Audiobook, Historical Fiction

There was nothing wrong with this book.  It's a historical fiction, coming-of-age story that I was not enjoying.  In general, I'm not a big fan of coming-of-age stories in the first place.  1-4-26

2.  The House of My Mother (Franke) ~ 4.25/5 (very good +), Audiobook, Memoir

Shari did a great job sharing her presence in the Ruby Franke story.  I felt like she was respectful and told her truth.  So nice to know that the 7 remain together.  1-7-26

DNF - The Storm (Hawkins) @ 24%, eBook, Thriller, NetGalley

This was heading towards a low rating, so I decided to stop - even in the middle of a chapter!  I couldn't stay engaged.  I have enjoyed other books by Hawkins, sadly not this one.

1-12-26

3.  The Graduation of a LifeTime (Lavigne) ~ 3.75/5 (good +), Book, YA Sci-Fi

This was a unique read for me.  I hadn't read any sci-fi like this before.  It kept my interest throughout, and it didn't feel too YA.  I, also, liked the integrated mystery.  1-12-26

4.  First-Time Caller (Borison) ~ 3.5/5 (good), Audiobook, Romance

Whoa.  This had a heavy dose of spice that did not suit my reading taste.  However, I enjoyed the dialogue and actual story.  1-14-26

5.  More or Less Maddy (Genova) ~ 4/5 (very good), Audiobook, Fiction

Another winner by Genova.  This one focused on a female in her late teens who has bipolar disorder.  1-18-26

6.  A Family Matter (Lynch) ~ 3/5 (just okay), Audiobook, Historical Fiction

I happened to see this audiobook available, so I picked it up.  While it tells a story of the recent past, that is thankfully the past, I thought it was a bit boring.  1-18-26

DNF - Warning Signs (Sierra) @ 16%, eBook, Thriller, NetGalley

I could not get into it.  It was incredibly slow.  Nothing was happening, so I didn't want to pick it up; hence, DNF.  1-22-26

7.  The Boyfriend (McFadden) ~ 3.5/5 (good), Audiobook, Thriller

I enjoyed this, but it wasn't anything special.  1-23-26

8.  The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 1 (Brower) ~ 3/5 (just okay), Audiobook, Historical Fiction

Picked this up due to the hype.  It was very slow, but I'm interested to hear more.  1-24-26

9.  The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 2 (Brower) ~ 3.5/5 (good), Audiobook, Historical Fiction

This one had more depth and the variety of characters were entertaining.  1-25-26

10.  Love, Mom (Xander) ~ 3.5/5 (good), Audiobook, Thriller

I picked this up while waiting for something else and was pleasantly surprised.  It was a good thriller, although I guessed some of the twists.  1-28-26

11.  The Compound (Rawle) ~ 3.5/5 (good), Book, Dystopian

While I didn't care for several scenes for different reasons, I was invested and was curious as to where the story was going to go.  Ultimately, I had highs and lows, so landed at 3.5/5.  1-28-26

  

Not that I'm trying to collect them, but I had 3 DNFs this month.  I am so thankful that after decades of reading, I am finally embracing the importance of DNFing books.  No shade towards the authors; the books just don't fit me.