January Reading Wrap Up (The Other Daughter Without Merit, The Pocket Wife, The Bootlegger Blues, Still Life, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me)

January was a great reading month for me. I vowed to make reading a priority again and it has felt so good. Having time to read means I'm making time for myself again, and I'm finding balance between my hobbies. I have also found that it has renewed my interesting in my book blog. I'm excited to talk about books again. I'm excited to dip back into the blogging community and see what everyone else is reading and enjoying. As a bookworm, most people would be surprised to hear that I don't enjoy starting new books but I found jumping into my next read and not dwelling on it too much, has allowed me to keep my reading momentum up. Happy Reading!

The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Source: Library
Released: 2015
Book Thoughts: The Other Daughter was an interesting read that kept me reading. The plot flowed very well and the characters were engaging. The story opens with Rachel working as a governess and recieving a letter that her mother is very sick and she must return to England immediately. When Rachel arrives home she finds out very quickly that her mother has passed away. Reeling from her mother's death, she finds a photo in a newspaper that resembles her father. The problem, her father is dead...Rachel is an only child who is now without a family. Could her father be alive? Could he be an Earl? She vows to figure out the secrets that need to be uncovered.

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Source: Library
Released: 2017
Book Thoughts: Colleen Hoover is a great writer and each of her books are unique and hold their own. She does not follow a formula that can be expected in her next book. Without Merit follows a teenager named Merit who is on a slippery path. Her family life is dysfunctional and her relationships with her siblings in almost non existent. This book really makes you question the idea of perception and how you think you see something until someone forces you to see a different perspective. Merit is a likable character, and as a reader you really want her to do better. You want her to succeed. Of all the Colleen Hoover books I read, this wasn't my favorite. It was good, but I've really outgrown the Young Adult genre. I can't really relate anymore.

The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Source: Personal Library
Released: 2015
Books Thoughts: This psychological thriller has been on my ereader since it released and I finally decided to give it a try. I don't read alot of thrillers but I'm trying to branch out in my reading. Dana wakes up from an drunken afternoon to discover her neighbor and sometimes friend has been murdered. Dana doesn't have much memory of the afternoon but she does know she had a few drinks with Celia. Dana becomes worried that she might have done some thing wrong. Dana is such an unreliable character that you really don't know what to think. It wasn't predictable and I highly recommend.

Bootlegger Blues by Drew Hayden Taylor
Rating: 4/5
Source: Personal Library
Released: 1991
Book Thoughts: This play is set on an Ojibway reservation and centered around Martha. Martha listened to a "friend" and now has 143 cases of beer to sell for a church fundraiser. If she doesn't sell the beer, she's out of money and has nothing to give the church.  We see Martha trying to solve her problem and help her family at the same time. Her son Andrew has fallen for a girl that she tells him is his cousin. This may or may not be true. Her daughter, Marianne is bored with her husband and finds herself attracted to a powwow dancer. This humorous play will make you laugh and be sad to leave the characters when the story is over. I will be looking to read more from Drew Hayden Taylor this year.

Still Life by Louise Penny
Rating: 4/5
Source: Personal Library
Released: 2005
Book Thoughts: I've heard alot about Canadian writer Louise Penny but this is the first book of hers that I read. Set in the Eastern Townships not far from where I live, the setting really drew me in. Inspector Gamache and his team are sent to the small town to investigating a death. Inspector Gamache is a character and investigator that you trust immediately. He's real, he's warm and his approach to solving murders is unique. The small town characters are quirky and the book is fast paced. I will continue to read this series.

You Don't Have To Tell Me You Love Me by Sherman Alexie
Rating: 5/5
Source: Library
Released: 2017
Book Thoughts: Diary of a Part Time Indian is one of my all time favorite books, that has been banned over and over. I really wanted to read this memoir by Sherman Alexie and was happy to see my library purchased the ebook after I recommended it. When Sherman's mother passed away, he did what he does best- write. He grew up on a reservation, one of four children. They were poor. His father was an alcoholic, his mother a recovered alcoholic. Sherman tries to come to term with his difficult relationship with his mother. Grief is difficult, it's strange and you don't know how you will feel until you have to. This book features 78 poems, 78 essays, his mother passed away at 78. This is a powerful read, that will stay with me.