January 2021 Reads

 Fiction: 

1. A Castaway in Cornwall by Julie Klassen 
• 4 Stars 
• I enjoyed this one more than the Ivy Hill series, but it still wasn't up to par with the "Old Klassen" I used to adore. 
2. Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M. White 
• 5 Stars 
• Loved it. 
3. The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis 
• 5 Stars 
• Davis is one of my new favorites for historical fiction, but note that is NOT Christian fiction.  
4. Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp 
• 4 Stars 
• We listened to this on the way to Medieval Times for J's 9th birthday.  It's a cute and fun quick read for my HP fans out there.  
5. The Lions of 5th Avenue by Fiona Davis 
• 3 Stars 
• Very well written, but there was an adulterous, homosexual relationship that ruined it for me.  
6. Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews 
• 4 Stars 
• Matthews has become my new go to for sweet, clean, fun historical romance.  Sometimes you just need something light. 
• This one is very Count of Monte Cristo-esq.  I loved it, but I'm not sure it's my favorite of hers. 
7. Bridgerton Collection Vol. 1 (First 3 Novels) by Julia Quinn 
• 3  Stars 
• Don't judge me.  Yes, I watched Bridgerton and had to give the books a try. 
• The books are very much like the show on Netflix: witty, entertaining, romantic... and NOT AT ALL CLEAN.  Quinn would get 5 stars from me if certain scenes were quite a bit less graphic.  Read at your own risk.  
8. Boundless (Age of Conquest #6) by Tamara Leigh 
• 4 Stars 
• Ok, y'all know Leigh is one of my absolute FAVORITES, but I'm not loving this series as much as I thought I would.  
• That said, I still love her, and I enjoyed this installment.  
9. Lovely War by Julie Berry 
• 5 Stars 
• I'd give it 6 if I could. 
• Read this book. 
• Mythology, WWII, and romance?  It's like she wrote this book with me in mind.  
• Read it.  

Non-Fiction: 

1. The Backyard Gardener by Kelly Orzel 
• 4 Stars 
• The Hubby is building me a deer-proof garden for my birthday, so I thought I'd do a little studying. 
• Other than being a bit above my gardening skill level, this guide was very helpful 
2. The Space Between Us by Sarah Bauer  Anderson 
• 3 Stars 
• Anderson had an excellent  and timely message in this book (our book-club pick for January), but she beat it into dust and rambled a bit much for my taste.