January Reads

I read 5 books this month, which is a lot considering several of them were quite hefty in size! But, tis the season for hunkering down inside the house, right? A few themes this month...... I read two books about Alaska, two books by Kristin Hannah, and three of the books had very cold weather in them!

 

To The Bright Edge Of The World by: Eowyn Ivey

I read The Snow Child by Eowyn last Winter so it seems only fitting that I read one of her books again this Winter! This book follows the correspondence between a Colonel and his wife as he sets off on an Alaskan expedition in the late 1800's. Just thinking about how these type of explorations happened - in harsh conditions - at a time when modern conveniences were not available is so amazing to me! The hardcover copy I read was also filled with maps, photos and other tidbits that made it even more interesting. I really enjoyed his wife Sophie's challenges back home as she balked the traditional role of women at that time. I loved how she followed her passion of learning about photography and documenting her beloved birds. The Native American guides to the Colonel and his men was another large part of this book - it was suspenseful not knowing if who they came across would help or hurt them in their journey.

 

The Rules of Magic by: Alice Hoffman

I haven't read Practical Magic, nor have I ever seen the entire movie, so maybe the hype of this book was lost on me. I believe this is the prequel to Practical Magic....... The 3 main characters (siblings) in this book work their way through many hardships as it seems their family is "cursed". This book was intriguing enough for me to finish, but I can't put my finger on what was "off" for me.

Anything For Amelia by: Andrew Branham

This book is the true story of one gay couples' journey in adoption. I have no idea how Andrew and DJ made it through this! Every time I thought I was shocked enough, the birth mother would come up with something even more shocking! The birth mother they got matched to was 24 and on her 6th pregnancy - she had kept 3 of her kids and already adopted out the other 2. "Selling" her babies is how she made a living as she and her boyfriend didn't work. She completely took advantage of the financial support the adoptive families agree to provide (i.e. a set amount of money for housing, food, etc....) by making up lie after lie about what they needed money for. She would text Andrew and DJ excessively - hundreds of times a day - and would threaten not going through with the adoption if they did not comply with her demands! The 3 children she did keep were neglected and abused (CPS did become involved). This is one of those stories that really makes you lose faith in humanity. So heartbreaking for the kids who are in these situations through no fault of their own.

The Great Alone by: Kristin Hannah

This book is set in the 70's when a family of 3 inherits a plot of land/cabin in Alaska from the father's deceased Vietnam war buddy. Always down on his luck since the war, Ernt decides to move his wife and daughter there. They are welcomed by many strong characters and taught how to homestead in this unforgiving, remote lifestyle. Plagued by a stormy and abusive relationship, Alaska is still not the answer for Ernt and Cora's troubles and unfortunately their daughter Leni is subject to this dysfunctional home as she grows up. As the years go on, many major events (some far fetched) happen which seemed to be crammed into the last few chapters of the book. That being said, I could hardly put this book down. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and Alaska plays a major character all it's own in this story.

The Nightingale by: Kristen Hannah

Having enjoyed The Great Alone so much, I moved right into another book written by Kristin. The Nightingale is about two French sisters living through WW2. Vianne is forced to be on her own with her young daughter as her husband heads off to war. She soon finds out he has been captured, and goes for years not knowing if he will ever come home. Meanwhile, German soldiers take up residence at her house, forcing her to be on her guard at all times. As she and her daughter struggle to survive with little to no food rations, threadbare clothing, no heat/electricity she also learns what is happening to the Jewish population. Meanwhile, her sister Isabelle joins the Resistance and helps fallen pilots escape German occupied France through a network of safe houses. She becomes known as The Nightingale as efforts increase to find the person responsible for these escapes. Another exceptional book that I looked forward to reading every day!