January 2020 Book Reviews

My 2020 reading list is off to a great start!

This month I read five books (four physical and one on my Kindle). Genres are all across the board – from romcom to courtroom drama to self-help – but I enjoyed them all!

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Olive’s sister and her new husband both get too sick to go on their non-refundable honeymoon so they offer the trip to Olive instead. There’s only one problem: the best man and Olive’s enemy, Ethan, is also going.

This fun romantic comedy reads a lot like The Hating Game so it felt a little cliche at first with the will-the-enemies-turn-to-lovers story line but this one had some extra swerves in the plot that made it less predictable. The themes of trust and honesty came up at several points throughout the story and I feel like it had a good amount of depth for a romcom. I  really enjoyed it and feel like it’s a perfect vacation beach read (although I read it in the Midwest in January so…I guess it’s enjoyable anytime ha!)

Fair Play by Eve Rodsky

I wasn’t entirely sure what this book was going to be about, but I knew it was going to address the unequal labor division between men and women regarding all the tasks that go into home and family life and I was very intrigued. The author goes into details of how she came to realize that she (and many other women that she talked to) were becoming the default parent in charge of almost all of the household tasks. She came up with a card system to divy up household responsibilities more fairly.

Many aspects of this book resonated with me, and made me realize how much of the “invisible” work falls to me. I like that her emphasis was not on divying up things equally into a true 50/50 split, because I feel like that is rarely realistic, but instead on finding a good balance where both partners contribute in ways that maintain their shared home. I also really loved the focus on finding “unicorn space” – things that give each partner passion and purpose beyond their career and role as a spouse and parent. Justin and I did talk through her “cards” and realized a few tasks are split between us and it does lead to things slipping through the cracks. For example, we both do things with our pets (he’ll pick up food, I’ll schedule vet appointments) but then vacation comes and neither of us remember to schedule a dog sitter. This game helped us to realize we need to have one point person to be in charge with this task. I think even if you don’t play the “game” (we aren’t really), it is a helpful way to look at the division of labor and find a balance that feels good to both partners.

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

“Good things and bad – every friendship and romance formed, every accident, every illness – resulted from the conspiracy of hundreds of little things, in and of themselves inconsequential.”

A hyperbaric oxygen chamber explodes while administering treatment, leaving multiple people injured and two people dead. A murder trial ensues. Secrets and lies are exposed. (Can you hear the “Law and Order” gavel bang?)

I cannot believe this is a debut novel. The author did an absolutely incredible job writing this highly addictive courtroom drama. Throughout the trial the story unfolds through the varying perspectives of each person involved with the explosion of the “miracle submarine.” There are so many layers to the characters and their stories: the struggles of an immigrant family, the toll of infertility on a marriage, the complex emotions involved with parenting a child with special needs. It took me a little while to get into the story and figure out the characters, but once I did, I was hooked. It made me think so much about perspective – how two people can view the exact same scenario in completely different lights – and how our perceptions of people influence how we react to them. It also made me think about how many little decisions we make throughout our life and how we may never know the full ripple effect that our actions cause. I think this would be a great choice for a book club! I found myself wanting to immediately discuss it once I finished. Highly recommend!

To Have and to Hold: Motherhood, Marriage, & the Modern Dilemma by Molly Millwood

This book is an intimate look at many of the challenges women face as they become mothers. This book is often recommended by one of my favorite bloggers and I’ve had it checked out since AUGUST 2. I finally reached my maximum amount of renewals so this month I  made time to sit down and read it. I think I put it off because I thought it would be dense, but honestly, it’s not at all. It could read quickly, but personally I had to stop frequently to process or reread something that struck me as profound. I have so many thoughts on this book that I’m likely going to devote an entire blog post to it (I also plan on buying the book so I have my own copy to highlight and underline) so I’ll just say this: I think this book applies to women in all stages of motherhood. I felt like it was written specifically for me, but I have a feeling many women would feel the exact same way. One line that especially struck me: “Other mothers, despite the smiles on their faces, are not free of the occasional thought that a life without children sounds much more appealing.” (p. 57) I can relate so much to that and I’m not sure I’ve ever said it out loud before. This book felt like a giant permission slip to talk about many topics that often seem taboo – that motherhood is beautiful and amazing but can also include some really complicated feelings like boredom, loss of identity, struggling with how this time is so short but also so dang long. It’s such an important read and I highly recommend it!

Season of Wonder by RaeAnne Thayne

I checked this book out from the library using my Kindle – it’s book 9 of the Haven Point Series (that I started in December and loved) and I have to say, it was probably my least favorite of the books so far. The characters were fine, the plot line was fine, it was all just fine. I think one issue for me was that the main characters had only each gotten one quick mention in previous stories so going into the book I wasn’t very invested in them. Then there were hardly any cameos from other Haven Point residents I’ve grown to love through the series. It just felt a little disconnected from the rest of the series and wasn’t my favorite. It was fine, and I’m glad I read it, but it’s not going to be one I go back and reread.

And lastly, it’s worth a mention that I started reading American Royals this month too. I got about 40 pages in and was really enjoying it, but then I discovered that this book is going to be part of a series. Book two is currently in the works and will be released in the fall, and just by reading 40 pages I could tell that the book was going to be binge-worthy and would likely leave me hanging at the end. I took a poll on Instagram and got some feedback from others who have read it, and ultimately decided to put off reading the rest until closer to book two’s release so I can read them back to back.

When it comes to books in a series, do you prefer to read them back-to-back or do you read other books in between?