January Mini-Reviews

I was inspired by Sarah Says Read‘s mini-review post to do my own.  Each month, many bloggers do a recap of what they read and blogged about.  But it never felt right to me.  The other day while reading Sarah’s blog, I found that the way she did it really seemed like something I liked and would do.

So, here it is: Mini-reviews of each book I read and some other notable January posts.

Push by Sapphire – Hard to read because of the content but this fictional story is a MUST-READ.  Precious is abused sexually by both parents, can’t read, and is destined to fail.  But she pushes through it all to make a better life for herself.

Zazen by Vanessa Veselka – Kind of confusing book but I enjoyed read it all the same.  You can read it free on the website which is pretty cool!

A-holes Finish First by Tucker Max – Ugh, he’s such a jerk but he’s also so funny!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – PAINFUL!  But it turned into my most controversial post ever (just check out the comments section!).

Y by Marjorie Celona – Shannon was abandoned as a baby at the YMCA, lived in a bunch of foster homes, and ultimately needed to find her birth family, but will she find the answers she wants?  LOVED!

Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay – Also loved!  Ellen is basically stuck with her lazy husband and mean “religious” in-laws and we get to find out if she’s strong enough to make a change.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – What can I say about this book?  My favorite book ever.  Dystopian society where the women are valued for something interesting: their wombs.

Also read. . . 

Missing the Mark by Keith Hoerner – A memoir of Keith’s life through abuse that focuses mainly on his working through it, not as much on the abuse itself.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway – You know, an old man who is a fisherman is having some bad luck and catches an amazingly large fish. . . but might not be able to bring it (or himself) back to shore.  Good, short classic!

A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne – More of a textbookish kind of book about how to deal with people in poverty.  Great for teachers or people who work with kids.

The Kill Order by James Dashner – Part of the awesome Maze Runner series, so start with the first if you’re a fan of good YA dystopian novels, like The Hunger Games but with a male main character.

Eighteen Months to Live by Rachele Baker – Midge’s diary of her experience with mesothelioma.  Not as much my kind of book.

Notable Posts: 

• Gotta Keep Reading – My absolute favorite YouTube video ever
• YoRWtFIW – It’s a lifestyle choice
• Started my 365 Project!
• Got my business cards and stamp!  Which are awesome BTW.
• A “Wheelie” good photo shoot – Allison @ The Book Wheel‘s dogs did a modelesque photo shoot for me

What was your best January read?

Thanks for reading,

Rebecca