January Reads

I’m still in the reading slump that I started the year with. I was hoping that finishing the book I started in December would help, but it hasn’t. My priorities are just elsewhere right now, and though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it does make me a little nervous about reaching my reading goals. More about those on Thursday. Here’s the few I got through last month. 

My True Love Gave To Me: 12 Holiday Stories- Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt de La Peña, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, Stephanie Perkins, Laini Tayler and Kiersten White: 4 Stars
library hardback

This one took me some time to get in to after my novella consumption at the end of December. However it's YA, and I really enjoy that genre. Of course, I favored some (way) more than others, and I'll admit that I hadn't read most of these authors besides Rainbow Rowell and David Levithan, but now I definitely want to! Here were my favorites: 

Midnights- Rainbow Rowell

A boy and a girl meet every NYE at a party/girl likes boy and boy hardly notices her until *this one NYE*  Swoon. Perfect intro for this collection. 

It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown- Stephanie Perkins

I really liked the snarky banter between Marigold and North. 

Welcome to Christmas, CA- Kiersten White

I liked Maria's angst and her visible softening as the story progressed. There seemed to be a bit of magic realism with the food but in this case, I didn't mind it. I wanted to know more about Ben and where he came from, but that mystery also added to the story. 

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus- Myra McEntire

Bad boy falls for the pastor's daughter and tries to be better after nearly ruining the Christmas play. Super cute. 

What Alice Forgot- Liane Moriarty: 4.5 Stars
own, hardback

My third book by this author and possibly my favorite. Loved the originality, how the story unfolded, and how it kept me thinking about it long after I turned the last page. The unfolding of Alice's memory, the snippets that come in short-circuit shocks or the feelings that she gets when passing certain places or a particular smell... that's what sold the story for me. 

It Started With Paris- Cathy Kelly: 3 Stars
Netgalley

This is the first novel I've read by this author, but I have another I also received from Netgalley waiting for me in my queue and I'm not really looking forward to it. I liked the synopsis of this one, especially the Love-Actually-esque many characters connected/intertwined, but there seemed to be two very distinctive stories in this book, with no connection at all (well, the one lady was hired to make the wedding cake for one of the main characters, but that hardly seems like a "relationship" especially since they only meet/interact with each other once). The secondary story delved into much deeper issues overall and should have been separate. But overall, if I need to make a chart to keep track of all the characters, there are too many characters! See evidence: 

Currently reading: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter- Erika L. Sanchez

What are you reading? 

How do you get out of a reading slump?

Linking up with Steph and Jana!