January Books 2023
January Books 2023: 8 Books I Read this Month
By: Brittany Shields
I crossed off 5 books for my various reading challenges this month!
I only had one 5 star book this month— A Gentleman in Moscow— but that’s okay. I tend to be a bit stingy with those.
I’m really looking forward to my year of reading. I’ve got a lot of books on my TBR that I’m excited about. If you want to make sure you stay updated with all my book reviews, follow me on my Facebook page where I post links to every book I read plus some other bonuses!
Here are my January reads:
1. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
[This was on my list of Most Anticipated Books of 2023]
“She hadn’t thought that perhaps houses hold on to the bad with the good, just as people do.”
This one reminded me of the Netflix movie, The Weekend Away— two friends get away together in a foreign country, one is responsible and going through a rough patch in marriage, the other is an unreliable free spirit with love problems. Something bad happens and the main protagonist (the responsible one) has to figure out what’s going on.
It’s not quite the same, and this book has the added element of ‘the villa’ being the scene of a murder years before.
With alternating past and present timelines, the truth will begin to reveal itself and another crime may be committed there.
Read my full review for my 5 comments/problems with this highly anticipated book.
2. The Madness of the Faithful by R.H. Williams
Genre: Fiction
Good books explore good ‘what if?’ questions. This book started with one- What if a cataclysmic event caused everyone to lose their faith and everyone was suddenly an atheist?
That’s what originally drew me to this book. I was curious where he would go with that question. Especially because the summary indicated some ‘External Force’ that caused the event and the followers that gathered to hurt people who still showed remnants of any religion.
But honestly, the author took a good question and then went nowhere with it.
If you want to know how and why, read my full review as I lay it all out for ya!
3. The Lucky One by Jessica Payne
Genre: Psychological Thriller
“No matter who Hansel is, if I ever encounter him again, I’ll have a fighting chance. And if it’s a copycat, I have no doubt I’ll win. It’s what I do.”
Wow, this was a really gripping psychological thriller!
I had a hard time putting it down. I always told myself one more chapter, but they’re so short I ended up reading several more every time.
The first chapter reads: “According to my former therapist, the chance of falling victim to a serial killer is .00039 percent. The chance of being the victim of a serial killer twice is so small as to be… nearly impossible.”
Well Norah is the ‘lucky’ one.
Read my review for my biggest criticism, two stupid things, and a recommendation for a series with a similar protagonist.
4. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Genre: Historical Fiction
[Fulfilled ‘Book with chapter titles’ for Shelf Reflection’s 2023 Reading Challenge]
“At one time I had all the conveniences. But in the end, it has been the inconveniences that have mattered to me most.”
I’m late getting to this gem. It came out in 2016 and I was missing out.
This was a surprisingly excellent book considering it’s about a man who is under house arrest in a hotel in Moscow and almost the entire book takes place there.
It was wise; it was mischievous, endearing, engaging; and it was meaningful.
I think it would make a great book club book. My full review has a list of book club discussion questions, the things I love, and some bonus comments!
5. The Great Christ Comet: Revealing the True Star of Bethlehem by Colin R. Nicholl
Genre: Non-fiction/Science
“The Bethlehem star is, without doubt, the most famous and celebrated astronomical entity in history. No other celestial object captures the attention of the world like it.”
The star that led the Magi to worship Jesus.
How did it happen? Can it be explained?
Before I read this book I think I would have fallen into the camp of- I guess it was just a miracle star that God put in the sky. I hadn’t really thought about it much. It wasn’t something that necessarily mattered to me.
But now that I’ve read this detailed and compelling book, I have changed my belief about the star.
Full Disclosure: it’s not a light read. It sometimes feels like a textbook and is a bit repetitive. But it’s fascinating stuff. I’m hoping he puts out a condensed version for those who don’t want to commit that much time to it.
If that is you, check out my full review and you’ll get all the main points of the book and some links to the author explaining things in video clips.
6. Excuse Me While I Disappear: Tales of Midlife Mayhem by Laurie Notaro
Genre: Memoir
[Nominee for ‘Humor’ category of the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards Reading Challenge]
[Fulfilled ‘Memoir by a non-celebrity’ for Shelf Reflection’s 2023 Reading Challenge]
“I am old, but I am alive.”
I have never read anything by Laurie Notaro before but she’s written several books, so you may be a fan.
This book is about life after 50 which I have not yet achieved. There were definitely still things I could relate to— because apparently having had 4 kids turns your body into a middle-aged woman— but in a lot of ways this book felt like a little bit TMI.
If you are a male, I’d probably pass on this one.
It’s a bit of a niche book. If you’re not sure if it’s for you, read my full review as I comment on the relatable things and share some other funnies.
7. The Happy Rant: Wandering To and Fro Through Some Things That Don’t Matter All That Much (and a Few That Really Do) by Ted Kluck, Ronnie Martin, Barnabas Piper
Genre: Nonfiction/Humor
[On my list of Most Anticipated Books of 2022]
[Fulfilled ‘Book with chapter titles’ for Shelf Reflection’s 2023 Reading Challenge]
The authors (yes Barnabas is Johnny P’s son) have been part of a podcast of the same name for the last several years. They are friends who enjoy giving hot takes on Christian sub-culture and poking fun at the arguably ridiculous things the Christian community does or says. (Think Babylon Bee)
But it’s not entirely satirical and they do offer some thoughtful insights and opinions on a variety of topics. They tackle (because Kluck and football) manliness, movies, fashion, sports, holiday trends, the Enneagram, Christian fiction books, conferences, Reformed stuff and more.
Their goal in all of their writing/podcasts is: “Take Jesus seriously, take our faith seriously, laugh at ourselves, and laugh at the absurdity in so much of Christian (and broader) culture.”
So is it funny? Read my full review to find out what’s funny, whether I was offended or not, and things I decided to be judgy about.
8. The Golden Enclaves (The Scholomance #3) by Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy/YA
[Nominee for ‘Best Fantasy’ category of the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards Reading Challenge]
[Fulfilled ‘Book with a school’ for Shelf Reflection’s 2023 Reading Challenge]
This is the final book in the trilogy so if you haven’t read any of that series, this review will probably be overwhelming to you or make zero sense. If that’s you, start with my review of book one.
I almost don’t want to post anything about the summary of this book here so I don’t ruin it for anyone.
If you want to know more, check out my full review. I get you up to speed with where we’re at at this point and where they take it. You’ll also find out why this was my least favorite book of the series, some spoilers I want to comment on, and my ultimate recommendation.
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