I crossed quite a few books off my list during the month of January.  Jase has finally started sleeping better and so I am able to stay up later (too late, sometimes) and read. That’s my favorite time to read, when everyone else is asleep and the house is quiet. In order to keep up with what I’m reading, and to hopefully help you add a few books to your list, I’m going to do monthly recaps here on the blog.

(In case you are wondering, that vow I made to stop reading ebooks?  It isn’t going so well.  I’m switching back and forth between regular books and ebooks.  I love the feel of real, print books but reading on my ipad is so dang convenient!)

Well let’s cut the chitchat. Here are the books I read in January:

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown.  Sandra Brown is one of my favorite authors.  I’ve made a pledge to myself to read all 70-something of her books.  So far, I’ve finished nine.  In Mean Streak, Dr. Emory Charbonneau goes missing on a marathon training run in the mountains of North Carolina.  She is rescued and nursed back to health by a mysterious man who won’t even reveal his name.  Full of suspense, deception, and romance, I give this book a 5 out of 5.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.  If you follow me on social media, you know I have gone on and on about this book.  It is a documentary of sorts, following Bryan’s on story as founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama.  Just Mercy is a true story that calls us to evaluate our justice system and take a hard look at poverty, in general.  If you read no other book on this list, read this one.  Obviously, I give it a 5 out of 5.

The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan.  I swiped this one from my library–I like to be knowledgeable about the books the students are reading.  The Lightning Thief is Book 1 of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.  In it, Percy Jackson discovers that he is a true half-blood–half (little-g) god, half human.  He finds himself delivered to a camp for other children like himself and on a path to save the world.  The Lightning Thief is full of Greek mythology and legends and the action is non-stop.  This book is slotted for the 5th-9th age group, but I really enjoyed it myself.  I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. This was my Collaboreads choice for January. Read that review here.

I Survived the Joplin Tornado of 2011 by Lauren Tarshis.  Lauren Tarshis’s I Survived series is written for kids, but it never fails to catch my interest.  This newest book is no exception.  The story follows 12-year old Dex as he shadows a storm chaser on the ride of his life.  I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

What have you been reading this month?  Anything I need to add to my list?