January Books

I liked doing these monthly recaps last year, so I am doing them again this year. I have a goal of 75 books in 2024, after doing so well on my book goal last year! We will see how it goes. This month I read 5 books which may not be on track for my goal, but that is okay! I was off to a rocky start for the year with my first two books receiving three stars from me, but gratefully the books got better as the months went on.

Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley

Five Stars: I listened to the audiobook version of this (read by Justin himself) and also purchased a copy to keep and reference during my listening. I am so glad I did it that way. I can often feel overwhelmed by these types of books, wanting to process and digest every bit, but in listening, it was more like a conversation. I listened to these ideas and liturgies as I rocked my baby to sleep, did the dishes, folded laundry, ran errands, and walked the rows of COSTCO blissfully alone. Some things stood out to me deeply and I immediately brought it up in conversation with my husband. Others we seamlessly added to our daily routines without much hubbub. Some ideas we already practiced and were inspired to continue doing with our family. And even more we will no doubt come back to again when our kids continue to age. What I really love and appreciate about this book is that it is not presented in a cocky, do this for a good family way. But instead it is filled with encouraging thoughts and the hope to build your own family culture. I found it fit in so well with many of the things we have been thinking about / wanting for our family and it also provided a good amount of conviction to really live into these roles and this moment of parenthood. “The normal is what shapes us the most though we notice it the least” – what will your family’s normal be? Don’t overwhelm yourself with changes, but do one thing at a time. I’ll be back for this book (maybe next year?) to catch a new wave of inspiration as our family is again (and always) in a new season! This is a must read for every Christian parent!

PS: Is his Shep actually my Thorin? I think so! 😉

The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel

Five Stars: I picked this one up on a display shelf at my library and it did not disappoint. It is a simply charming and immersive Cinderella story set in 1930’s Ireland. I loved the mystery, the romance, the time period, and the heartfelt / authentic characters. The lovely voice of the audiobook narrator was also a plus. The pacing, writing, and storyline came together wonderfully and I’m eager to read more of this author!

The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz

Four Stars: I’ve never read a historical fiction book about the Acadians in the 1750’s and the history with the French and Indian war in this region was fascinating and heartbreaking. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about a new-to-me historical event brought to life with convincing characters (loved the whole Galant family.) However, the beginning was pretty slow and when the story does start to pick up, it flies by. I couldn’t keep track of all the names after Acadia and I thought the last big reveal/ twist toward the end was weird and didn’t really fit. On the plus side, I really loved Will and Sylvie. Good story idea, not the best execution at times.

PS: I think I would have benefited from the audiobook. There were a lot of French words and phrases woven in that I didn’t always know how to pronounce.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

3.5 Stars: I have mixed feelings on this one – I enjoyed it in parts but I also think it tried to do too much and be too much without having a solid footing. I read a lot of historical fiction and I’m typically pretty generous with reviews as long as I enjoyed it and it is well researched. I think I may have been more critical with this book as I read it because of all hype and raving reviews- including countless people who have said this was their favorite book of all time (REALLY!?!?!) I am going to attempt to be as vague as possible while sharing my thoughts to not include spoilers… but here goes. This book was very moving and emotional. The WW2 history of women living in and through occupied France is a great subject to explore and I honestly enjoyed both Vianne & Isabelle’s perspectives (as flawed/frustrating as they were at times.) What took away from the story is the great disconnect between the “modern” time and the “historical” timeline. Simple things that don’t add up – like how did she have an up-to-date passport to take a same day flight to Paris when the book makes it clear she never travels or ever thought of going back OR why is there not any hint or explanation of her being an American/ when she came/ what she is doing in Oregon? But deeper issues like how the war brings Vianne, Isabelle, and their father together despite the deep hurts and brokenness in their relationships but apparently it all means nothing because she never tells her friends or family what her father and sister died for?!?! She never tells their stories or mentions their sacrifices? I thought she learned to love them but apparently not because she refuses to pass on their legacy to her own children?!?! I get that she has secrets she wants to keep and things she wants to forget, but this is how atrocities repeat themselves – when we refuse to tell our stories! She could have kept plenty of things from her son while still telling him the truth about most of it. I find it unbelievable that neither she, her husband, or daughter ever mention the war or their Jewish best friends who were murdered or their family that died? What a disservice to Rachel and Sarah and then many others who were murdered by the Nazis. We see so much growth in Vianne’s character for her to loose it all when you realize she wasted her life being afraid and hiding and never sharing the stories of those she loved with the people she loves. It’s honestly heartbreaking (not inspiring!!!). And yes, finally she is sharing “some” things with her son when she is 85 and dying of cancer and he is a 60 year old surgeon (who we literally know nothing else about.) I would have rated higher if this part was cut out all together or reworked to make more sense and not to make Vianne so pathetic. Also Vianne complains several times throughout the whole book that people only think of the men in the war and no one knows (or cares) about the stories of women in the war, specifically complaining about her son at one point and blaming it on him being a man, but it is literally because SHE NEVER TOLD ANYONE INCLUDING HER SON! Stop being mad at people/ blaming men for things you did!!

But that is not my only issue with the book. I am not a fan of the Gaetan/ Isabelle love story. It is unneeded fluff with more inconsistencies (how did they sleep together for years never getting pregnant, etc). Other inconsistencies in the storyline (like how the snow was feet deep but Isabelle was able to steal a bike and ride it no problem straight to the resistance doors where apparently there were no snow tracks or path?!?), historical inaccuracies like Germans putting up signs about concentration camps (they were not advertising those) or wanting to get antibiotics (when they were not common for the public until the 1950s), and several times where the text said the same thing over and over (like her son watching her with surgeon eyes, people tenting their eyes with their hands, etc) also are disappointing.

My complaints aside, I didn’t rate this book too poorly because there were good parts. The Nightingale offers mostly historically accurate details, moments of intrigue, and a different perspective of women in the war in occupied France. It simply lacked a good overall storyline and consistency.

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin

3 Stars: Unfortunately, this was a bit of a miss for me. I really enjoyed the first book and was looking forward to another one in the series which really piles on the disappointment. None of the characters transfer over into this book so it stands alone (making it easy to skip if you read the first book!) I’m not a huge fan of the main character, she came across as a very selfish girl who pretends to be selfless. I could look past that a bit because she had a hard life, but then the love triangle and cheating elements really just did the book in for me. Eliza’s character really just tanked at that point, and a love story without a likable lead is pretty meh. I was also surprised by how “obsessed” the whole book (including the main character) was with scandal yet when two of the main characters come out as lesbian it is totally normal and Eliza has no hesitancy accepting it. It feels out of character and very much out of place for the time period. In my opinion, it felt like checking a box for diversity instead of good storytelling – like the only possible explanation for a single woman in her early thirties is that she is gay. On a positive note, I really liked Melville.

And that is my January Reads! 4/5 stars are added to my Amazon lists here where you can look for even more recommendations. Follow me on Goodreads to see what I am reading, what I want to read, some of my favorite books, and every review I write! Any other books I should add to my list? Leave a comment and let me know!