Books Read in January

I set a goal for myself of 25 books read in 2018. Two a month plus one. We shall see how I do, but January, I rocked my goal! Here's what I read:

Gretchen Rubin's book, Better than Before, has been on my to-read list for awhile.  I loved it!  I am really into goal setting and habits these days and her book is inspiring and energizing.  I decided to give up dessert in the middle of reading this book.  I decided dessert abstaining was easier for me than moderation and so far, 4 days in, I am dessert-free! Here's to 4 more dessert-free days! 

I read this over Christmas break and into the very first day of January. So technically its more of a December book, but I am counting it in my 2018 goals!  I get afraid to read books that wreck my heart and so I was worried this would.  Instead, it's forages into the human soul of intercultural experience which made my heart sing and ache with the beauty and terribleness of life. It did not wreck me, it was not hard to read.  It was a gift of what it means to be human.

 I am a Rae Carson fan and listened to her whole series of Fire & Thorns which I loved. This is book 2 in the Gold Seer Triology. I enjoyed this creative YA novel of a young woman with the gift of finding gold and an evil uncle after her gift.  I am not sure if I will finish the triology, however.  I liked it, but now I feel like I know enough about this story.  The BEST thing about this book was listening to the amazing southern accent of the narrator.  That was worth it's weight in gold (see what I did there?).

      This was a library bookshelf grab which NEVER works for me--and yet it did this time. This may be my favorite of January.  The memoir of Britain's longest serving nanny, Brenda Ashford.  She nannied for 62 years through WWII and into the homes of the rich and the not-so-rich.  Beautifully written, compelling and joyful even in the hardest times Nanny Brenda experienced.  I was taken with her voice and experience.  I want to meet this amazing woman!

  Our January book club read.  I have not seen the movie yet, but will.  Everyone loves Wonder--the story is full of it--Wonder, that is.  For some reason, I was not super interested to pick this up, but so glad I did.  Told from the perspective of several characters, it grows empathy in the reader for all the characters (almost!). 


What did you read in January or recently?