January 2024 Book Round Up
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Reading Roundup for January
This list will include a few from the end of December. I squeezed in a few extra books while we were still on Christmas break. This was a huge reading month for me. My Kindle Unlimited subscription has a lot to do with that (and it’s saving me a ton of money!).
The Echo of Old Books
Targeted age: Adult
Clean: Some light sexual scenes. Totally took me off guard.
Christian: No. Secular book.
My Rating: 2.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (rounded to 3)
I got suckered by the pretty cover 🤦🏼♀️
I went into this book knowing that I may not finish it. I never know what I’m going to get with a book that is secular. I picked this up on Kindle/Audible Unlimited, so I didn’t feel like I had anything to lose.
From the book blurb “Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer’s affinity for books extends beyond the intoxicating scent of old paper, ink, and leather. She can feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners—an emotional fingerprint only she can read. When Ashlyn discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been published, her gift quickly becomes an obsession. Not only is each inscribed with a startling incrimination, but the authors, Hemi and Belle, tell conflicting sides of a tragic romance.
With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers’ tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.”
Belle had to be one of the most frustrating female main characters I’ve ever read. She had opportunity after opportunity to fix her situation, and she didn’t. I agree with the man who broke her heart, Hemi. His frustration is warranted here and I share it with him. Things work out in the end, but it’s frustrating leading up to it. I was honestly just wanting to get to the end. I almost didn’t finish this one. We’re basically reading an account of a breakup between two lovers in the 1940’s, almost in an argument-type fashion.
Content Warnings:
Light description of suicide by gun
Curse words sprinkled throughout the text
Lord’s name taken in vain
A touch of supernatural (main character can feel emotions from a book’s previous owner)
Sexual relationship between 2 unmarried couples, although not described in detail. Super frustrating, as the story really could have been written without it.
I don’t recommend this one for my Christian readers.
A Thousand Heartbeats - Kiera Cass
Targeted age: Teen (Young Adult)
Spice: Clean
Christian: No, but written by a Christian
My Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Enemies to lovers with castles, pretty dresses…and war. This reminds me of the historical k-dramas that I love to watch, so I was into this book very quickly. Another swoony YA book from Kiera Cass! I’ve been following Kiera Cass for many years now (since her pre-author YouTube days), and I’ve read most of her books. She knows how to write a YA book that will have your heart racing (in all the right ways). Rating it 4 stars. Older/mature teen girls will love this one!
It’s free on Kindle Unlimited right now, but I don’t know how much longer it will be.
From the book..“Love has a sound. It sounds like a thousand heartbeats happening at the same time.”
Princess Annika has lived a life of comfort—but no amount of luxuries can change the fact that her life isn’t her own to control. The king, once her loving father, has gone cold, and Annika will soon be forced into a loveless marriage for political gain.
Miles away, small comforts are few and far between for Lennox. He has devoted his life to the Dahrainian army, hoping to one day help them reclaim the throne that was stolen from them. For Lennox, the idea of love is merely a distraction—nothing will stand in the way of fighting for his people.
But when love, against all odds, finds them both, they are bound by its call. They can’t possibly be together—but the irresistible thrum of a thousand heartbeats won’t let them stay apart.”
Quick break-down….
Enemies to lovers
Teen YA
Castles, drama, and war
Fast paced
Happily ever after
Romance AND action
Mild concerns for younger readers:
No explicit content, but there are kisses.
Two unmarried characters sleep (only sleep) in the same bed
A character or two is beheaded (this is a princess book, after all)
People get hurt and die in the battles, however, it’s not gory or glorified
This is a stand-alone book, but I honestly wish there were more. Great book!
Hatchet - Gary Paulsen
Targeted age: Middle grade and up
Clean: Yes
Christian: No
My Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hatchet is considered a modern-classic in most circles. It’s about a 13 year old boy who survives a plane crash and is stranded in the Canadian forrest on his own with little supplies other than a hatchet (a gift from his mom).
We’re going to see him hunt and fish, and that will bring obvious talks of killing animals. Some of the descriptions made my weak stomach turn (the turtle egg part ), but my boys wouldn’t have thought twice about it.
The only minor concern I see in this book is that Brian is very angry with his mother and can’t seem to forgive her. He caught her having an affair (kissing another man), and it lead to the demise of his parents’ marriage. Brian can’t decide if he should tell his father about the other man. He has nightmares of catching his mother kissing the other man, and it haunts him.
As a reader, the short, repeating sentences in this book were about to drive me bonkers. I’ve never heard a child (even my own) pick up on that. It’s one of those things you see as an adult reading this book.
Good adventure story for boys. Beware that they may ask for a hatchet and a bow and arrows upon reading this book.
The Starlit Prince - C.F.E. Black
Targeted age: Teen & up
Christian: No, but clean
Spice: Just kissing
My Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is a retelling of the fairytale Lily and the Bear. I wasn’t familiar with the story, so this was all new to me. This book centers around the fae (super popular in YA books right now) and is a clean alternative to 90% of the YA books out there for your teens. If you have a teen girl who loves to read, I recommend following this author. She’s a Christian writer who won’t put explicit scenes in her books.
The characters kiss, but that’s all you’ll find in this book as far as the physical relationship is concerned. There are mythical creatures, and many that I think the author created for the story (I’m not super into fantasy books, so I’m not sure on that one). The fae make reference to a deity called “First and Last”. There is magic, spells, horses, romance, and a beautiful world that the author created for the fae in this book.
It’s a princess story that has a flair of Beauty and the Beast to it. I think teen girls would love it.
Divine Rivals -Rebecca Ross
Targeted age: YA (12-18)
Spice: Closed door romance from what I understand
Christian: Heck no
Warnings: Token LGBT character is introduced on page 151
My Rating: 1/5 Stars ⭐️
This book was one of the highest acclaimed books of the year for 2023 in Young Adult fiction. People went bananas over it. It was free on Kindle Unlimited, and I saw many Christian book reviewers were singing it’s praises. Against my better judgement (I trusted the reviewers), I downloaded it to my Kindle and started reading it without researching.
The storyline is cool, but heavy on the magic. We have two teenage (18 and 19) characters who can communicate with each other through a magic typewriter. There’s a war of the gods going on, like a battleground type of war, and a lot of mythological things in the background to keep it interesting.
I was almost halfway through the book, on page 151, where they decided to introduce the token gay character. It added nothing to the story, and was totally irrelevant, which added to my annoyance. It didn’t need to be in there. A semi-main character (woman) had a “wife”. It could have easily been a man and not changed a thing in the story, but they had to add it in there.
I immediately shut my Kindle off, and returned the book. I went to the author’s page on Instagram and saw she had pronouns in her bio (red flag), and was raising money for Gaza. I could have easily researched this but again, I was too trusting of fellow reviewers and got lazy.
I don’t recommend this one for your kids. It was so cringeworthy to read that. If I could have rolled my eyes any harder, it would have been audible.
Within These Walls of Sorrow - Amanda Barratt
Targeted age: Upper teen and adult
Christian: Yes
Spice: N/A, clean (hints at intimacy)
My Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow. I closed the last page of this book about 40 minutes ago and needed time to just sit. This was such an impactful book. It was haunting.
From the back..”Zosia Lewandowska knows the brutal realities of war all too well. Within weeks of Germany's invasion of her Polish homeland, she lost the man she loves. As ghetto walls rise and the occupiers tighten their grip on the city of Krakow, Zosia joins pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his staff in the heart of the Krakow ghetto as they risk their lives to aid the Jewish people trapped by Nazi oppression.
Hania Silverman's carefree girlhood is shattered as her family is forced into the ghetto. Struggling to survive in a world hemmed in by walls and rife with cruelty and despair, she encounters Zosia, her former neighbor, at the pharmacy. As deportation winnow the ghetto's population and snatch those she holds dear, Hania's natural resiliency is exhausted by reality.
Zodia and Hania's lives intertwine as they face the griefs and fears thrust upon them by war, until one day, they are forced to make a desperate choice . . . one that will inexorably bind them together, even as they are torn apart.”
This is a dual POV book, where we flip back and forth between Zosia and Hania. This is a fictional story woven around very true events. Amanda did extensive research on every tiny detail in this book. I was constantly looking up different places mentioned in this book to get a clearer image in my mind of what it looked like. She was right in every instance, down to tiny little decor details. Things most people would miss, Amanda describes.
The story has you on the edge of your seat. I learned about the Holocaust in school (I was public schooled), but never had I heard about these stories. The liquidation will stay with me forever. These were not details Amanda picked to write about for effect. She gave a voice to these victims that have been long forgotten in history.
Obviously, there is a lot of death and violence in this book. While it’s not glorified, it is described. It needs to be described. This is one of the best books I’ve read on the Holocaust to date. Impactful, heartbreaking, and haunting.
The Marble Curse
Targeted age: Middle Grade
Christian: Yes
My Rating: 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love middle grade fiction books. There’s something so sweet about them.
If you have a kid who loves science and/or gadgets, this will be right up their alley. This book combines science, puzzles, gadgets, time travel, and mystery for your middle grade kiddos.
This is a time traveling novel with a brother and sister team who need to solve a mystery called The Marble Curse (a la the title).
Fast paced, action packed, and a witty brother and sister team that keep the laughs coming!
A Counterfeit Betrothal
Targeted age: Teen and adult
Christian: Yes
Spice: N/A, clean (hints at intimacy)
My Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love historical fiction. I’ve been on a WWII kick for about a year now, and I needed a break from the heaviness of it. I’ve been reading some very heavy WWII books lately, and it was making me a tad weary. I went searching on Kindle Unlimited for something a little more light, but still in the historical realm. I’m not a big fan of modern novels (at least not right now).
I landed on ‘A Counterfeit Betrothal’ and it looked perfect. I read this one in 24 hours! I spent all day reading it yesterday and it was a great book. Lighter, airy, and all the Little House on the Prairie vibes that my soul was craving.
From the back of the book…
A frontier scout, a healing widow, and a desperate fight for peace.
At the farthest Georgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory in 1813, Jared Lockridge serves his country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can help secure peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring his betrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comes across a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot.
Freed from a cruel marriage, Esther Andrews agrees to winter at the Lockridge homestead to help Jared’s pregnant sister-in-law. Lame in one foot, Esther has always known she is secondhand goods, but the gentle carpenter-turned-scout draws her heart with as much skill as he creates furniture from wood. His family’s love offers hope even as violence erupts along the frontier—and Jared’s investigation into local incidents brings danger to their doorstep. Yet how could Esther ever hope a loyal man like Jared would choose her over a fine lady?
Content warnings; main character suffered from abuse, however it’s not graphic or explained in much detail. Characters hint at intimacy between married couples. Only kissing in this book, and there’s very little of that.
This is a series, but each novel is about a different character and place. These can all be stand alone books. I’m thinking about getting the next one on my Kindle. A bunch of them are free on Kindle Unlimited right now!
The Deconstruction of Christianity
Targeted age: Teen and adult
Christian: Yes
My Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“If Christianity is true, the stakes are life and death” - Alisa Childers
There’s so much to say about this book.
I’ve been a follower of Mr. B (Red Pen Logic) since the beginning of his social media accounts. I appreciate his no-nonsense approach to theology. Alisa Childers was in a band called Zoegirl. Their song, “You Get Me” was the anthem of my college years. I’m showing my age again.
When I heard Alisa and Tim teamed up to write a book, I was all in.
If you’re a parent of teens or young adults, I can’t explain how important this book is for you to read. Our kids are being assaulted every day on social media by Christians “deconstructing” their faith. They make sure that their videos land in the feeds of practicing Christians. I see them myself on a daily basis on instagram. They aim to sow fear and doubt into our kids through witty, 30 second clips. To a teenager asking hard questions, it’s easy to latch onto these creators.
But what is deconstructing? And what are they deconstructing to? This book answers those questions.
If you are a Christian with kids, if you work with kids, if you know kids…this is one of the most important books of the decade to get.
Never Lie- Freida McFadden
Targeted age: Adult
Christian: No
Spice: Closed door/fade to black. Talk of encounters, not heavily graphic but I would have a “rated R” warning on this one.
My Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Note: this is a secular book.
I read this book cover to cover today. It’s Saturday, it’s very, very cold outside. I curled up on the couch with my Kindle and devoured this book this afternoon. It’s a rare thing if a book surprises me, but this one had my jaw on the floor! A great story with crazy twists and turns that I never saw coming.
This is a thriller, mystery, suspense novel.
Content warnings:
-Not a 5 star from me due to the blaspheming in this book. It drove me nuts. I would have loved this book if it were not for the amount of Jesus’ name being used as a curse word.
-Talk of murder, drugs
-Cursing
-Talk of intimacy between married and non-married couples. Not super graphic, but it is there.
None of the characters were particularly likable, but it was such a thrill ride nonetheless. It made it more interesting due to that fact. I would not recommend this one for teens. This is an adult novel.
Ask for Andrea
Targeted age: Adult
Christian: No
Spice: Talk of intimacy that never happened. Serial killer does not sexually assault victims.
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another adult thriller novel. I binged this book over 2 days while the kids were busy with school things. Yes, I’m a fast reader, however, this is a fast-paced book. This isn’t a Christian novel by any means.
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one, but I love suspense books and this one was on Kindle Unlimited. It’s a very popular book on Kindle at the moment, so I thought it would be a good one to review.
First, this book centers around 3 main characters that are dead. Their ghosts are telling the story here. These 3 women have been murdered by the same serial killer. They join forces to try and stop him and put him behind bars for good.
Content warnings:
-Characters are all atheist or agnostic at best, which just adds a layer of sadness for me reading it as a Christian
-There is no heaven or hell in the biblical sense
-Obviously, we’re dealing with physical violence and we read about it in some detail as he kills his victims
-Focuses a bit on revenge
Again, obviously this isn’t a Christian book. The story itself was very interesting and different from most thriller novels.
Happy reading!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Mandy
