The Daughter's January Reads

Welcome to a new year of reads and teas, friends! Hope you had an absolutely lovely start to your new year, and I hope it was filled with lots of reads and teas of course! I spent an exorbitant amount of time cozied up in bed on the chilly January nights reading away! It was deeply idyllic.

All books mentioned below can be purchased through our affiliate links listed at the end!

Please read on below for a peak into each of my monthly reads and teas!

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Open Book by Jessica Simpson

Some of you may be eye rolling at this post but I am here to tell you...killer book! I am not deeply interested in Jessica Simpson but I do indulge in gossip-tainment (if you will) - so of course I needed to lean into this obsession of mine! I learned sooooooooo much from this book! I actually really enjoyed this book's change of pace from my usual reading repertoire, as well as tons of juicy stories about Jessica and her life! She is incredibly successful, runs tons of outreach via the military and orphanages, has overcome some SERIOUS obstacles, and is very open about her struggles. Really liked this read and would recommend to people who like autobiographies and/or celebrity news!

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

Hmmmm...I was initially intrigued by the secretive, complex characters introduced in this story but unfortunately, the story development did not keep me interested. There is a lot of hate towards social media (specifically Instagram) in this book but the characters remained shallow and surface level in their conversations. I just kept wanting more out of the characters, the setting, the lies, etc. I really struggled to finish this one and considered DNFing quite a few times. The ending was a big let down as well. Not recommending this one, sorry!

Verity by Colleen Hoover

This book came crazy highly recommended to me and was pitched as "the best twisted ending ever" so I had high hopes! Lowen is recruited by famous author, Verity Crawford's husband, to finish her book series because she has been incapacitated after a car accident. When Lowen moves into Verity's home to write her books, that's when the problems begin. Although I did enjoy the dark, twisty storyline, I was super let down with the ending! I was making up some insane theories in my mind as I read and I came up with better endings than the book did...sorry not sorry. However, if you're looking for a thriller/creepy/crime/weirdo read, look no further!

One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London

To summarize this book, I would say it is basically "The Bachelorette" but in book form! I immediately had to text my Bachelor franchise friends to put this on their must-read list! The book revolves around Bea, a famous fashion blogger, who is heartbroken yet again by her best friend/crush, Ray. Her fame lands her the role as next leading lady on "Main Squeeze" (essentially "The Bachelorette") where she falls in love with a bunch of men. Will she find her one true love, or will she continue to be infatuated with Ray after everything? Super quick, easy, light reading and I really enjoyed a non-stressful read this week!

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

This came hugely recommended by my best friend/avid reader like me...and this book was grim and serious but strikes a cord in your heart, no doubt! The book primarily revolves around a group of Palestinian women living in New York, and the pressures and struggles they live with each day. Topics covered include arranged marriages, deep family ties, raising and having children, refugee camps, overbearing mother-in-laws, abusive relationships, and much more. This is a book about women in society, and I've always loved exploring that topic. Even typing this is weighing on me because this book runs SO deep. Definitely check it out!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I know, I know! I am incredibly late in jumping on this band wagon but boy am I sure happy that I did! This book is literally everything that is promised - magic, love, circus, animals, wild parties, vivid imagery, artistry, relationships in all shapes and forms, and so much more! I chose this book as my BOTM for January so head over to that specific blogpost for a deeper dive into this unbelievable, dreamy read. Also, I learned that there is a movie adaptation of this book in the works - so read it if you haven't already!

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Another doozy of a read to start off this year - a very, very heavy read! I am making it a point to be more knowledgable and read up on POC and Black lives, and this book really made me sit in my white privilege like no other book before. I could not stop sobbing. Bryan Stevenson is doing heroic work by fighting for the poor, the oppressed, the vulnerable, and doing so with beautiful storytelling. I learned so much about the prejudices in our legal system, and just how awful human beings can be to each other. It was an extremely upsetting read, but it also brought me some hope for the future. One of the best books I've read in a while! Would recommend.

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Teas this month have been loose leaf, local tea store purchases! I have a whole blog post on what I have been drinking from local shops so please check that out for my teas this month.

Happy reading and tea drinking, friends!

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If you are wanting to purchase any of the books mentioned here, please use our Amazon affiliate links listed below here:

Open Book - https://amzn.to/2PNNtUu

Pretty Little Things - https://amzn.to/3d70gKs

Verity - https://amzn.to/2RiL8ky

One To Watch - https://amzn.to/2PYk7CF

A Woman Is No Man - https://amzn.to/3dTaUUd

The Night Circus - https://amzn.to/3fWLKqu

Just Mercy - https://amzn.to/3d6TEvp