In January I was on track with my reading! This year I am aiming to read 60 books (up from my normal 52 goal) and reading 5 books this month has me on my way. I often find myself reading historical fiction books, many WWII related, and I actually read two of them this month. My favorite book from this month was actually an audio book. I used one of my Audible credits for Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell and it was fascinating for me!
All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio
4.5/5 Stars
This book was great read! Set in Paris, you in follow the lives of two females across time. Past and present collide in this heartbreaking yet beautiful book about friendship, romance and the human condition. I highly recommend this one…I knocked it out in a weekend 🙂
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
5/5 Stars
I loved this book!! While it was lacking in some areas and I struggled to understand how the chapters would weave together and make a cohesive story until the very end of the book I found this book to be great. I felt like the connection between the chapters was glossed over and could have used development, however I found the body of the book to be fascinating…this may be because I am a history nerd, but for me it was truly so interesting. I found myself making notes of people and events that I wanted to further research. The audiobook was excellent! Whenever there is an interview or a speech the original audio is used if it is available.
Virgin River by Robyn Carr
4/5 Stars
I had to read this after watching the show on Netflix. For me it is always hard to read a book after watching the show or movie version because I find myself comparing the two and picturing the visuals I have already seen. That being said I did enjoy the book, but it didn’t blow me away. Robyn Carr has a ton of books that take place in Virgin River so this one is great if you want additional books to read in a series.
Fly Away by Kristin Hannah
3.5/5 Stars
Fly Away is the follow-up novel to Firefly Lane. I loved Firefly Lane and enjoyed this book as well, but not nearly as much. Fly Away was a lot darker and depressing than Firefly Lane. It also felt like it dragged on a bit. I loved the characters and was glad to keep reading about them, plus it was good to tie up the story, but again was not nearly as good.
Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris
4.5/5 Stars
Cilka’s Journey is the follow-up novel to the Tattooist of Auschwitz and it was a great read. This was another one I read in one weekend….I was hooked! This is a historical fiction novel based on a true story set in post WWII Europe. Cilka is released from Auschwitz-Birkenau to then be sent to Siberia after being charged as a Nazi collaborator. This is a story of survival and resilience through the most challenging of times. This novel shows that in the toughest of times there is still a need for human connection and building relationships to lean on and survive.
2021 Book Progress: 5/60