The Books I Read In January

Truth be told I didn't read ALL these books in January.  I spent a lot of time in bed and on the couch the very last week of December and read the first three of them during that week! I found quite a few good books this month too.

1.  Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins-  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Emma London grew up with her Grandmother Genevieve (whom she dubbed "the Gorgon" and always thought of as impossible to please) until her grandmother turned her out of the house at 18 when Emma told Genevieve she was pregnant and keeping the baby.  Now many years later her grandmother calls out of the blue, tells her she is dying and would like Emma and her now teenage daughter Riley to come and live with her for the summer.  The book weaves a wonderful story of love, loss, betrayal, and growth told from many viewpoints.

2.  Vendetta in Death by JD Robb-- The 49th book in this Eve Dallas series was wonderfully gripping.  Eve must track down a serial killer known only as Lady Justice.  This avenging "superhero" tracks down and targets men who have done women wrong before torturing them and killing them.  The list of suspects is huge and with an array of disguises used Lady Justice is not easy to pin down.

3.  About that Kiss by Jill Shalvis-- My mother in law bought this book for me for Christmas and it was a rather cute story.  A somewhat predictable chick lit with a fun little mystery twist.  Kylie tries to fight her attraction to Joe, especially after their explosive kiss, but when her beloved penguin carving goes missing she hires him to find it.

4.  The Perfect Dress by Carolyn Brown-- Mitzi and her two best friends own a bridal shop making specialty dresses for plus sized brides and their friends.  When Mitzi's high school crush moves back to town with his two teenaged daughters Mitzi is surprised to learn that he now has a little crush on her but she's not sure if she should get involved.  A cute love story with lots of other little side stories going on that kept it interesting.

5.  Twisted Twenty- Six by Janet Evanovich--  Stephanie Plum's grandmother marries a retired gangster.. who dies less than an hour after the wedding.  Now Stephanie is trying to keep her grandmother out of harms way as many of his cronies think that the widow is keeping the keys to a huge financial windfall all to herself. I have been a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum series for years and this book did not disappoint.

6.  The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty-- Ellen is a hypnotherapist and has met a wonderful man, Patrick. Ellen isn't worried when she learns that Patrick has an old girlfriend stalking him but what Ellen doesn't know is that the stalker is one of her patients.  An enjoyable story told in multiple voices with lots and lots of drama.

7.  Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, And Love by Dani Shapiro-- When the author sends in some of her DNA to Ancestry.com she is unprepared to learn that her father is not actually her father.  What entails is a fast passed story about how she tracked down her biological father and all the angst, feelings, and questions associated with learning that your past isn't necessary set in stone.

8.  Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane-- I heard such wonderful praise about this book and I must say I too really enjoyed it.  Francis and Brian work together, are next door neighbors, and while their kids Kate and Peter become friends the families aren't.  Then one day something happens that tears these two families apart for good and leave their kids reeling.  Kate ad Peter are ripped apart from one another so suddenly that both are left wondering for years how the other is coping, what they're doing, and how to best move on with their lives.

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