More About the Books I Read in January!

I love to read. I also love to talk about the books that I love to read. This year I decided to share more about the books I read each month, and I hope this blog inspires you to read a book or two from my recommendations!

Radically Content: This book has been on my TBR list for a loooong time! I started following the author, Jamie Varon, on Instagram a few years ago, and I love her inspirational posts. She writes in relatable ways, and I’ve felt very connected to her ways of thinking about our journey in life. When I saw she was writing a book, I knew I had to read it! Back in December, I saw that it was on sale for $2.99 on Kindle, and I immediately purchased it! I highlighted 55 quotes from this book and some of the quotes were entire paragraphs. This book provides practical advice for enjoying the journey instead of focusing on the destination. I will come back to my highlighted quotes time and time again. 

“We’re completely ignoring that the most important opportunity of our lives is right in front of us, waiting to be noticed: finding a way to be happy right here, right now, exactly rooted in what our life currently is.”

Five Winters: I downloaded this book as my December choice for Amazon First Reads. Of course, I felt the need to consume a few winter-themed books over the holiday season. This book was great! It followed the main character through five years, highlighting the changes that came about in her life each winter. It was a story of love, loss, and reunion. I especially loved that the story was set in England. 

Maybe Not: This novella is the second book in the Maybe series by Colleen Hoover. I read the first in the series, Maybe Someday, back in December. One of the main characters, Ridge, is deaf, and the book highlights his talents as a musician. This story also shares some challenges he faces. This novella shines light on Warren and Bridgette, Ridge’s roommates, and it is SPICY! This book reminded me a lot of Finding Perfect, the novella in the Hopeless series. I love reading novellas, especially when I’m in a busy season of my life. 

Maybe Now: This book wrapped up the Someday series by Colleen Hoover. It was great to see how the characters continued their friendship, adding some closure to the series. I especially enjoyed the chapters from Maggie’s perspective. The new character, Jake, was a great addition to the cast of characters. In the acknowledgem ents CoHo shares that this book was published chapter by chapter online. How neat!

Atomic Habits: I devoured this book, and the practical advice I was able to immediately apply to my daily life. I especially loved how the author talks about starting small with daily habits. We often think that we have to work out for an hour or diet so drastically to make a big change. He recommends forming the habit first and building from there. I’m currently working to build in a daily yoga practice, starting with just ten minutes each day. My friend recommended buying a physical copy of this book to mark up, and I’m so thankful I did! This is a book I will refer back to often. 

“We all deal with setbacks but in the long run, the quality of our lives often depends on the quality of our habits. With the same habits, you’ll end up with the same results. But with better habits, anything is possible.”

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (Kindle Unlimited): I listened to this book on audio and was immediately drawn in by the challenges of a man who was born with red eyes. I loved the flashbacks, which provided context to the present challenges Sam was facing. I highly recommend this book!

“You are every bit as normal as any other boy, in here, where it counts. Our skin, our hair, and our eyes are simply the shell that surrounds our soul, and our soul is who we are. What counts is on the inside.”

Up next? I always have five ebooks on hold through the public library (#nerdalert), and two books popped up while I was reading The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell: The Kitchen House and a Court of Thorns and Roses. I also have a stack of books on my night stand! I’m almost finished with The House Across the Lake (great thriller), and I’m excited to start Lessons in Chemistry. 

What a great problem to have… deciding which book to devour next! Yeah… whatever!