January: What I read

WOW did I read a ton of books in January.  I think after 2 years of beefing up my reading, I am really hitting my stride and am able to waste less time on the internet and more time reading.  I also have been reading more during days at home when I might have been more likely to clean the bathrooms again.  Time better spent, for sure.

22.  13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin:  I read this for a TLC blog tour.  My review is here.
21.  Where Have I Been All My Life? by Cheryl Rice:  Another Blog Tour book reviewed here.
20.  Close to Home by Lisa Jackson:  SO TRASHY.  But fun to read while I was sick.  A really bad use of a $2 because I rented it from the library, and it really was terrible.  I picked up another one of her books in the 14-day section, and that should have been a warning sign-- she is cranking them out so fast you can rent one AND get one in the new release area?!   I didn't even open the other one-- just took it straight back to the library, which I NEVER do.
19.  The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen: Trashy but so entertaining.  Even though it was not a thriller, it reminded me of that awesome Christopher Pike book about the friends who go away to the beach for the weekend.  I read it in an evening sitting in front of the TV watching crap shows, a time I would normally spend trolling the internet.
18.  In the Memorial Room by Janet Frame:  Hilarious and dense.  It was a slim book and kept me happy at a hockey practice.
17.  The Twits by Roald Dahl:  Read this to Cooper and Jack over 3 days.  They LOVED it.  Harry read it to himself while the three of us read Fantastic Mr. Fox.
16. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl: So weird and cute-- how did I not read this as a kid?  Jack and Cooper adored it, too.
15.  I Lost Everything in the Post Natal Depression by Erma Bombeck:  This was the last book in my Erma bender.  It was terrific, of course.
14.  After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid:  I LOVED the premise of this book-- long-time lovers who just aren't happy any more.  It was so sad and realistic sounding.  A really sweet and touching romance with an excellent narrator.
13.  The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon:  SO CREEPY.  I stayed up late finishing this book and then could not go to sleep.
12. Alena by Rachel Pastan:  An updated Rebecca.  But really it's Rebecca-light.  How could it NOT be?
11.  Yes, Please by Amy Poehler:  A little funnier than Mindy Kaling's book, but not quite as good as Bossy Pants.  Way better than Lena Dunham, though.
10.  The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion:  Delightful premise and a wonderful narrator.  Worth reading for his voice alone.  And there's a sequel that's 6 months newer!  Can't wait!
9.  Her by Harriet Lane:  GRIPPING.  Read it in a day and will be haunted by the ending for pretty much ever.
8.  This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper: Ha!  Loved it!  Probably would have loved it more if I read it BEFORE the movie, which is always the ideal way to do it.
7.  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes:  OH MY GOD IT'S GOING TO BE A MOVIE, and I CANNOT WAIT.
6.  Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healy:  This is really, really good.  A woman with dementia is losing touch with her current world and solving her sister's 70-year-old murder.
5.  Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell:  Best Scarpetta in YEARS.  I loved this book and tore through it.
4.  Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher:  Oh so funny.  If you are an academic, you need to read this book!!
3. Revival by Stephen King:  This might be my favorite Stephen King book ever, and that's really saying something.  His main character was so great, I didn't even need the terrifying stuff.  I actually cried at a really mundane chapter just because I was so happy for the guy for getting his shit together.  I loved this book.
2.  The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes:  This book was cheesy and predictable, and WONDERFUL.  I cried and cried and cried but felt GREAT at the end.  You should read it.
1.  The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin:  This book was a charming delight.  I loved the scope and the pacing-- pretty far zoomed out and clipping-- but still full of wonderful characters and details.

The top 10 books on my list this month are all terrific, and with the exception of Topper from 2010 and a Moyes book from 2013, they are all late 2014/early 2015 books.  You should probably put them on your list.