What I Read - January

January was a great month for me on the reading front.  I read several great books.  I love when I get in a groove like that!

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The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

I must confess that I read all of the Oprah recommended books.  Truly, as soon as she announces a book, I'm on Amazon ordering it.  Not sure why, but I just do!  I also must confess that I usually like the books that she picks, including this one.

Since we are confessing, I ordered this book before Christmas (the day it was announced).  When it arrived, I felt bad buying myself something so close to the holiday, so I gave it to Mark to give to me.  Especially since I really couldn't come up with any ideas for gifts for myself.  I threw the poor guy a bone.

This book chronicles the life of a woman and the profound effect she has on her children.  It was amazing how different of an effect she had on each of her children, primarily based on where she was in her life at the various impressionable stages of each child.  It was a very different insight into the importance of that mother figure in a child's life.

Even more than the story line itself though, I loved this book because of the writing.  It was written so beautifully and with such wonderful descriptions.  I do not appreciate poetry and do not enjoy reading it, but to me Ms. Mathis' writing felt poetic.

My Goodreads rating was 5 stars (out of 5).

City of Thieves by David Benioff

The next book on my pile was given to me by a good friend who simply said that I "just had to read it".  Boy, was she right!

This story is set in WWII Russia and involves a young man who is arrested for looting.  He will be pardoned for his crime if he procures a dozen eggs, with the help of a fellow jail mate, for the wedding cake of the Colonel's daughter.  Of course, the task sounds a lot easier than it is, given it is wartime Russia.

This was a humorously disturbing historical fiction.  I found it to be a very interesting story that highlights the integrity of the human experience in very inhumane times.

More importantly, it drove home to me how fortunate I am as an American, not to have experienced war on our soil during my lifetime.

My Goodreads rating was 5 stars.

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

The last book I read in January was a much lighter read.  It is the story of Alice, who becomes Wife 22 in a study of marriage in the 21st century.

Alice is a 40-something year old wife and mother of two who has reached that too comfortable point in her life and marriage.  She begins to question her relationship with her husband, and then she really begins to critically look at it, while responding to the study questions.  Naturally she begins to feel a camaraderie develop with the researcher assigned to her case.  Twenty years of marriage angst can easily make one look for virtual "viral" comfort.

This was a very easy and compelling read.  The book was presented in an unique format of texts, tweets and facebook posts, making it very modern and true to today's life.  I found it to be a very readable story.

My Goodreads rating was 4 stars.


I have some great books on the docket for next month, including two book club books.  I hope that this may have given you some good books to put on your night stand!

Any good book recommendations for me?  Have you read anything that you just can't put down?
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