What I Read In January 2023.

Hiiii it’s my favorite post of the month. It was a great reading month!

I had my biggest reading month in probably a year.

A few weeks ago I listened to the lazy genius podcast episode on how to read more books. I don’t really have a problem with finding time to read – I am always reading no matter what because it’s such a big part of my life. But some of her tips – like reading at certain times or choosing it over something else really stuck with me. I read SO much this month thanks to this. I read a ton in the car line at school, in the mornings, before bed, while waiting at kids’ activities, in the evenings when the kids and I take some downtime before dinner. And I should mention – reading is also a really big stress relief for me and helps with anxiety. I love getting lost in a story.

Hoping I can keep up this momentum for the rest of the year. Let me know what you read below.

You can find my reading lists here and previous What I Read posts here.

And you can follow me on goodreads here!

What I Read In January 2023

Nora Goes Off Script – 5 stars

This was my favorite of the month! Oh it was so cute. Lacy had been telling me to read this for months. The story follows a writer who sells a movie and the movie comes to film at her house. The star of the film is super famous and also very tormented and they become close… it’s so good! So cute. Really very heartwarming and made me so happy. I loved all the characters and especially the kids in this.

The BackUp Plan – 3 stars

I read this over the last weekend when our family had a stomach bug – fun. It was a recommendation on my kindle and I really liked it, it was very cute. The story follows three estranged friends who are reunited when a (famous) woman they know and love leaves them her estate. They must figure out what to do, how to do it, how to get along, etc. It was light and easy and enjoyable.

The Dead Romantics – 4 stars

Okay, I was so skeptical about this one. I do not like stories with ghosts. Not because I’m scared, but because I want them to be more realistic. Anyway, a few of you recommended this and I ended up loving it. The story follows a ghostwriter who loses her father, and their family owns a funeral home. Her editor also ends up being a ghost that only she can see. I loved this story, the writing is wonderful, the characters are charming. The ending is perfect.

The Villa – 2.5 stars

Okay, so I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I didn’t love this one. Which killed me, because I loved everything else by Rachel Hawkins and had really been looking forward to this. It was SO difficult for me to get into this book. The story follows two friends who go on a vacation/writing trip to a villa in Italy which holds a lot of famous drama. The chapters alternate between past and present. I felt like the storylines were all over the place, they jumped back and forth so much and I was just incredibly uninterested in almost all of the characters. There also wasn’t that much suspense for me! It could have been because I read this after This Time Tomorrow (which I loved)??

In a Jam – 3.5 stars

This was cute!! It was another recommendation on my kindle. I loved it instantly – got hooked and through it was so fun. Then it turned very surprisingly steamy (this was my first book by this author) and I was like whoa. I liked the story though. This follows a girl who returns to her hometown (well, one of them) when her step grandmother dies and leaves her a farm. She can only keep the farm under certain circumstances. And her neighbor poses a lot of issues. I liked this and it was a fast read.

This Time Tomorrow – 4.75 stars

Oh this one was so, so good. I love Emma Straub so much! This story follows a girl who is transported back in time to relive her 16th birthday, and everything she feels about her father who is currently sick. It is so heartwarming and wonderful to read. It’s about small moments in life and things you maybe would change if you could. It’s delightful.

Forever Never – 4.25 stars

I just finished this one last night and ended up loving it so much. So, this was recommended to me on my kindle after reading one of Lucy Score’s books last year, but what really sold me was that it’s set on Mackinac Island! My dad’s family is from northern Michigan and we go every year, so I was obsessed. I’ve been to Mackinac many times. The story follows an artist who returns to the island under mysterious circumstances and the guy she left behind, who happens to be a cop. Tons of tension between them. This is steamy, and I could have done without the 50 shades/dominance stuff, but I really liked it. It’s also LONG! I was hooked instantly, wanting to know the backstory. It was really good.

Spare

I started listening to Price Harry’s book the day it came out – it took me through multiple full recipe testing days. I didn’t mind listening because his voice is soothing (I almost always listen when it’s a celeb memoir who narrates!). I found some of the his younger years interesting – I just wanted to know more about that. I really liked the podcast on the book from the celebrity memoir book club, which I think dissected it perfectly.