Sunday Book Club: January 2019 Reading List

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6 years ago

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It’s a new month which means time for a new reading list! A few of these are carry overs from the holidays, but they’re still just as fun in January.

January 2019 Reading List

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

It took me forever to finish this book, but I’m glad I did. I just kept putting it down and then accidentally picking up a different book to read in the meantime. That’s nothing against the book though. The writing was really good and the main story was really interesting. The only thing that threw me (and made me put down the book) is that because it’s a multi-generational book, it focuses on a lot of different characters. It wasn’t hard to keep track of them, but there were a few times where I just wasn’t as interested in what was going on with different characters. However, I would still suggest reading Pachinko though. Overall, it was an amazing book with a fascinating story.

The Shimmering Road by Hester Young

After reading The Gates of Evangeline, I had to read the sequel. It had a completely different vibe, but I still enjoyed it. It really lets you go into the background of Charlie and learn more about her, while she tries to solve the mystery. There were a few parts I could have done without, but overall, I enjoyed the mystery and it made me excited for the third!

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

I don’t know if I would add this to my list of recommended thrillers. There were some parts that gave me intrigue, but overall meh.

Vox by Christina Dalcher

What if you could only say 100 words a day? And your total amount could be lowered by someone else’s whim? That’s the idea behind this book. The government has limited how many words women can say. Oh and that’s in addition to taking away their jobs and everything else they could previously do. One of the things that I loved about this book was that it takes place only a year after these changes happened. You get to really hear what it was like less than a year ago and how quickly things changed.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

This book had a slow start for me, but once it picked up, I really got into it. The premise? Less, an author, has just got invited to his ex’s wedding. Now, he could grapple with going. Or, he could accept every invitation he’s ever received to literary events around the world and turn it into an 18 month trip. So just to avoid his ex’s wedding, he decides to go on an around the world trip. It’s hilarious and wonderful to read. You’re welcome.

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

Every Note Played focuses around a divorced couple who hasn’t spoken in years. The husband is a musician who is diagnosed with ALS at the beginning of the book. His ex-wife is a music teacher stuck in her life. The follows them through the musician’s diagnosis of ALS and the following years as the disease quickly takes over. It’s definitely a five alarm snot bomb. But I also feel bad saying that it wasn’t really my favorite. I just didn’t connect with it as much as I wanted to. I was able to finish it because I was listening to it, but I don’t know if I would have if I had been reading it off of my kindle or a hardcover. It’s a tough book and I can see anyone going either way on it.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

A book club read that I listened to days before my book club met. This memoir has been out for a while, but I hadn’t really gotten around it until now. The story is fascinating, but I was a little frustrated with how removed the author was. Which, considering it was her memoir was a little surprising to me.

Holiday Reads

The holidays may be over, but that doesn’t mean that these books aren’t entertaining reads! Head over to my longer holiday post to see what I thought about these books and a few others.