The Daughter's January Reads

Apologies for the late January 2022 reads post! Without further ado, here comes a deluge of new year reads!

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A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

This is my first read by this author and I am looking forward to reading her other works! This historical book begins in 1930s Spain during the Civil War, and is told from the viewpoint of Roser and Victor Dalmau, primarily. Their individual escapes from fascist Spain into France, the relationships they make along the way, and their ultimate refugee experience on a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda to Chile soon come to pass. But war doesn't leave them alone now that they have made it to Chile...

This book has an amazing amount of subplots and is unpredictable to the last page! I rated this 4.5 out of 5 stars!

11/22/63 by Stephen King

My first Stephen King read and I am ashamed it has taken me this long! Jake Epping is your standard high school English teach up until the day he gets a call from his favorite diner owner, Al. A rabbit hole into the year 1958 is inside of Al's diner, and Al requests that Jake helps him stop the assassination of president, JFK. King's balance of history, murder, gore, suspense, love and loss makes him an expert in his field. This was a great intro book for me to his work! I rated this 4.5 out of 5 stars!

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

I loved Beach Read by this author so I was looking forward to this read...and was severely let down! Poppy and Alex have taken an amazing, lengthy vacation every summer. They have been best friends for the past 12 years but could that friendship turn into something more? I really considered quitting this book on multiple occasions but so many of my friends like it so I kept on. I get that when it comes to the romance genre that beliefs has to be suspended for the most part but this whole story was far-fetched and honestly, quite dumb.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Another book this came highly recommended to me but did not live up to to the hype for me! Lily and Ryle are a perfect example of opposites attract. He is stubborn and aggressive, while she is sweet and resilient. Their love story is steamy and fast moving, but Lily cannot seem to shake her feelings for her first love, Atlas. Hoover's writing really sucks you into the story but there are trigger warnings all over the place with this book. Disturbing, brutal, and a story about a woman finding her strengths and courage.

4 out of 5 stars for me!

Beheld by Tarashea Nesbit

It has been 10 years since the Mayflower pilgrims landed and Plymouth holds unexpected soil, peoples, fights, and religions. A new ship arrives on the coast and the new residents of Plymouth are less than thrilled. The Plymouth residents are already at their boiling point.

This book is suspenseful and compelling and shocking. The author writes this story so beautifully about friendships, relationships, politics and power, exploration, and so much more! This story is riveting, deep and emotional. I am a strong proponent for historical fiction and this book was 5 stars for me!

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Olive is trying to get her best friend to date her ex-boyfriend (I know, I know) so to convince her that she is over her ex, she kisses Adam Carlsen in the lab. He is her boss and also a highly revered and feared professor. They form a pact to have a fake relationship, in turn each getting something out of their deal. Being a women in STEM, I found some of the material far-fetched. Additionally, Olive was pretty childish for being considered "a brilliant scientist" in her field...didn't really make sense to me. However, Hazelwood does a good job with the 'grumpy meets happy' book trope. 4 out of 5 stars for me!

A Single Thread of Moonlight by Laura Wood

You already know how I feel about Wood's book...I LOVE EVERYTHING! A Cinderella re-telling, Iris ran away from her home and evil stepmother seven years ago, but now works in London as a dressmaker. She cannot seem to escape her past, and as Nicolas Wynter unexpectedly arrives, it seems like Iris has her perfect opportunity to exact revenge.

You can always count on Wood for her swift writing and female heroines! This book came at the right time after a few heavier reads, and it fit the bill for my English countryside/romance novel! 5 out of 5 stars for me!

In the Woods by Tana French

I am now officially obsessed with French and am determined to read all of her books after finishing this one!

Three children are reported missing in a small neighborhood outside of Dublin in 1984. Twenty years later, Adam Ryan, the found boy of the three missing children, is working a s detective when a new case brings hime right back to his old neighborhood...

French's linguistic brilliance on the page does not disappoint. This reads like a thriller while still being very much a police procedural. We know our narrator craves truth but that he also lies...so where does that leave us as readers? Wish I could read this again for the first time! 5 out of 5 stars!