Top books of January

I can’t believe that it is already the end of the month! I still have a great deal of ARCs to get to, and many of them are January releases that I will only get to in February (oops) …. but they will definitely be done!

There have been so many amazing novels that I’ve read this month and I really wanted to highlight some of these great reads! Here is my list of my top books from this month:

1. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekannen: I have a very high standard when it comes to thrillers but this novel was actually really good. It had me guessing the entire time, and I loved the intensity and tension that was pervasive in this novel.
2. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: This was one of my favourite YA fantasy books of the month. It had an interesting story and, more importantly, unique characters. This is not the same old story rehashed. I loved the immersion into the world of the fae as well as all the treachery and planning and twists that were thrown in! I am definitely keeping my eye out for the sequel!!
3. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: While I know that this wasn’t a book that came out in January, I only got around to it this month. It is so beautiful and heartbreaking and wonderful. It is a very complex story that looks at what it means to be a mother. I was riveted from page one and emotionally exhausted by the end – and I mean this in the best way possible.
4. Only Child by Rhiannon Navin: I loved that this story was told entirely from the perspective of a young boy. This story is all about how tragedy can change a family and a community. It was poignant and I was bawling my eyes out by the time the story was done. It’s worth the ugly crying!
5. The Perfect Nanny/Lullaby by Leila Slimani: This was a short read but it was eerie and unputdownable. This book was all about ramping up the tension that eventually led to a complete breakdown and the ultimate death of two innocents. I was blown away by the writing style and the story.
6. A Killer Harvest by Paul Cleave: A very interesting book that deals with a lot of heavy subject matter like cellular memory and vigilante behaviour. It was fast-paced and intriguing, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me occupied!
7. Rage Against the Dying by Becky Masterman: This is not a new book by any standards but it featured one of the most unique protagonists ever. Brigid Quinn is a 59-year-old woman who was once a great FBI agent, but has seen sought early retirement. She is quirky and dark and fierce in the best way possible. I loved this novel and cannot wait to start on this amazing series.
8. Himself by Jess Kidd: Another novel that I waited way too long to read, this one was not at all I expected. I love magical realism, and this novel did it right, with plenty of interesting characters and events.
9. In Case I Go by Angie Abdou: This book was a cross between a ghost story, historical fiction, and had some magical realism in it. It worked beautifully. The story was haunting, the writing was captivating, and I just couldn’t put this book down!
10. The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne: Not only did this novel have a unique premise, it also had a believable protagonist. This is a character-study novel that explores how the protagonist’s childhood shaped her into the person she becomes later on – and how it makes her the best person to kill the most dangerous man she knows: her father.

That’s a wrap for January … can’t wait for the books that February is going to bring!

Happy reading ~

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