January’s Reading Wrap Up: The Roanoke Girls, Kill The Father and more
So I’ve started 2017 as I mean to go on: forgetting all other responsibilities and burying my head inside the pages of a book.
This month I have managed to complete a total of 27 books, which may just be my personal best:
- 12 by a male author
- 15 by a female author
- 2 thriller
- 2 science fiction
- 13 fantasy
- 3 contemporary
- 1 historical fiction
- 3 non-fiction
- 1 short story collection
- 2 poetry collections
- 19 are a pre-2016 release
- 2 are a 2016 release
- 6 are 2017 release advanced reader’s copy
- 10 are ebooks
- 8 are paperbacks
- 9 are hardbacks
- 0 one star
- 0 two stars
- 6 three stars
- 14 four stars
- 7 five stars
Let Them Eat Chaos by Kate Tempest
5/5 stars. Read 2nd January
Read my full review here.
Starting the year by not fulfilling one of my reading resolutions to read more poetry but with a 5/5 stars book! Tempest’s newest work is one elongated poem focusing on a freeze-frame of time in eight individuals lives. Linked my nothing more than their geographical location, this details their inner-turmoil and the unhappiness that plagues each of their lives.
Falling Awake by Alice Oswald
3/5 stars. Read 2nd January
Read my full review here.
This short poetry collection was a little hit-or-miss for me. With a focus on nature and the idea of mutability – a sense that all matter is unstable in the face of mortality – this promised to be awe-inspiring and deeply moving. Some poems succeeded in this, but the collection as a whole failed to leave any lasting impression.
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert 
5/5 stars. Read December 2nd
Read my full review here.
Penned by the best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love, this has become my new Bible! Using stories from her own life to elucidate her teachings, Gilbert takes the reader on a journey of self-improvement. Ever wanted to complete that manuscript, finish that sculptor or become a spoken-word poet? This book won’t show you how, but it will make you believe you can.
Blogging for Writers: How Authors & Writers Build Successful Blogs by Robin Houghton
3/5 stars. Read January 3rd
Read my full review here.
Reading a book about how to blog when your already blogging and then blogging about reading a book about how to blog on your blog = blogception!
The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel 
4/5 stars. Read January 3rd
Read my full review here.
This gripping psychological thriller follows the mysterious past and present of the Roanoke family. When the beautiful, young girls of the infamous small town family start disappearing, it is up to youngest Roanoke, Lane, to unravel her family’s troubled past. This delivers a series jaw-dropping shocks that promise to make this a one-sitting book.
Graceling, Fire and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Average series rating 4/5 stars. Read between January 4th – 18th.
Read my full review here, here and here.
This beloved young adult fantasy has certainly pushed the boundaries of its genre’s confines! Set in a mystical land where those with powers are both loathed and revered, full of political intrigue, and with gory elongated battle scenes, this book has something for everyone! I tore through these lengthy books and am now regretting my decision, as it means saying goodbye to these unforgettable characters and this spell-binding world!
The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Mosley 
4/5 stars. Read January 15th
Read my full review here.
This does exactly as the title says, delivered in easy to understand sections and with a conversational tone. Whilst I did take a lot out of this the 800 calorie diet they promote shocked me. And I just ain’t about that life!
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 
Average series rating 4.5/5 stars. Read between January 7th – 31st.
I somehow missed out on reading this classic fantasy series as a child but that did in no way hinder my enjoyment of them as an adult. Narnia is my new favourite fantastical world!
TThe Calling and Sky Key by James Frey
Average series rating 4.5/5 stars. Read between January 16th – 31st
Read my full review here and here.
I have never a book quite like these before! This series focuses on the impending end of the world and the puzzle twelve individuals must compete to solve and save the rest of their family line. Full of riddles and clues for the reader to interpret, as well as a real-world puzzle, this multi-faceted novel makes for unique and compelling reading!
The Witch of Duva and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Average series rating 4/5 stars. Read between January 17th 30th.
Read my full review here and here.
The Grisha trilogy is one that appears on every list of YA greatest reads and I thought it was about time I discovered what the hype was about. The prequel novella surpassed all my expectations but the first book, Shadow and Bone, fell a little flat for me. I disliked just about every character and found the plot rather generic. I am currently just under half way through the second book, Siege and Storm, and it has completely transformed my opinions. I’m excited to complete this series in February!
All About Mia by Lisa Williamson
4/5 stars. Read January 18th.
Read my full review here.
This YA contemporary is due for release on February 2nd 2017. Mia Campell-Richardson is the average middle child in an anything-but-average family. This was a fun and adorable read that also managed to be educational and eye-opening.
Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard
4/5 stars. Read January 21st.
Read my full review here.
YA Contemporary WITHOUT a focus on teen romance. This is an emotional read that left me in tears for a good 3/4 of it but one I already can’t wait to reread!
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
4/5 stars. Read January 22nd.
Read my full review here.
This historical fiction is based on Russian fairytale and folk lore and manages to combine realism with fantasy in a seamless and compelling blend. Definitely one of this year’s most exciting releases and fully living up to its early hype.
Shadow of a Storm by Anthony Lavisher 
5/5 stars. Read January 24th
Read my reviews here.
After reading the first book in this series, Whispers of a Storm, in early December last year it became my favourite book of the month and one of my top ten reads of the year. This was the book I was probably most excited about reading, this month and I am so pleased it lived up (and surpassed!) my expectations.
The Strangler Fig: Stories by Jennifer D. Munro
3.5 stars. Read January 27th.
Read my full review here.
As short story collections go, this wasn’t the worst, but I have a difficult time with anthologies of this nature and rarely rate them anything over the average, due to the mixed reception to what is inside.
A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard 
4/5 stars. Read January 29th
Read my full review here.
Adorable, emotional and impactful. This features a marginalised set of characters in such a powerful, positive and informative light. This is far more than the fluffy romantic story that it appears!
Kill The Father by Sandrone Dazieri
4/5 stars. Read January 28th
Read my full review here.
This psychologically complex and emotionally moving story is set in alternating past and present sections, that chronicles two separate but converging narratives. A past crime bears a startling resemblance to a present one. The only problem? The former criminal is presumed deceased.
So, with my tbr that little bit lighter and my shelves that little bit clearer, I can now feel that little bit less guilty about all the book shopping I plan on doing in February…
