January Reads

It's 2019! Time for my first reads post of the year! I am so excited to dive into the pages in 2019! Are you ready?!
I read 5 books this month.

1. An Anoymous Girl by Greer Henkdricks and Sarah Pekkanen: Ya'll know how much I loved The Wife Between Us by these gals so when this one popped up as a Book of the Month club choice, I just had to get it. I really liked this book! It was a great thriller to start the year. It's about a woman who signs up for a psychological study and things get.....creepy. And weird. This is a girl power read and had me on the edge of my seat. I think I read this one in a weekend.

2. The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick: This book is very very very similar to a Man Called Ove. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but this one is pretty predictable. That said, this book is super sweet, a definite feel good read, and overall a charming book. It follows the story of an elderly man and his search for answers about his late wife's life through the charms he finds on a bracelet she's tucked away. If you're looking for a cozy and heartfelt read (without a lot of "meat"), check this one out.

3. The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank: So random story about how this book ended up in my possession.....on our way home from Oregon over Christmas break, our flight was majorly delayed and during one of my many walks around the airport (we were there for 4 hours), I came across a free airport library. What a brilliant idea is that?! This book was sitting there and maybe it was a moment of weakness and I was dillisional from my second bag of airport trailmix, but I snatched it up. This book was just okay---not sure I'd recommend it at all. It's sort of a lame version of Elin Hilderbrand books.  meets The First Wives Club. That said, I loved the vibrant setting of Charleston (Southern Charm, anyone?) and fun characters. This book seems like the type you might find in a Walgreen's.....or a free airport library.

4. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty: I have read and loved all of Moriarty's books. This one is bit different from her other books, but it reads just as well and I had a hard time putting this one down. It's about a health spa, the "offbeat" staff, and the nine individuals who find themselves put in an outrageous situation and how they all come out of it together. I won't give too much away, but the characters in this one are brilliantly written and I was a fan of the chapters told from multiple points of view. This one is odd, but very good. I loved the ending, too.

5. Happy Teachers Change the World by Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare:
I received this book as part of my Donor's Choose "Classroom Mindfulness" library. I am a huge advocate for practicing mindfulness and teaching it to young people. Today's world moves fast, and teaching kids to be mindful of their place in the world, is, I believe, critical for their mental health and the future of our planet (Yes, I think it's that imperative). This book is an excellent resource. I would recommend this book to anyone.....even if you are not a parent or don't work with young people, this is a very nice guide to beginning a mindfulness practice in your own life.

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Savor Your Sparkle,
Leslie