January is finally over, and I read some great books last month. This January book review includes my favorite book of 2022 so far.
I originally planned to read three books this month and read more. The latest book on my list were last-minute additions this month. I was desperate to search for something cute and romantic after reading The Song of Achilles. Much like watching a Disney film after watching a scary movie.
If you want to purchase any of these books just click on the book cover and it should take you to Barnes and Noble or Amazon – depending on where I found the book.
The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller
A Quick Summary
The Song of Achilles is a 2011 novel by American writer Madeline Miller. Set during the Greek Heroic Age, it is an adaptation of Homer’s Iliad as told from the perspective of Patroclus. The novel follows Patroclus’ relationship with Achilles, from their initial meeting to their exploits during the Trojan War, focusing on their romantic relationship.
My Honest Thoughts
There are not enough words to describe how I feel about this book. I consider this to be my favorite book of 2022. I love Greek mythology. At the same time, I knew very little about Achilles and Patroclus’s relationship. I knew I would love this book, but not as much as I genuinely did. This book broke me into a million pieces. I think it’s very beautifully written, and the passionate and romantic diction truly moved me. I can talk about this for hours. I can quote this book for even longer.
Quotes I’m Obsessed With
“Patroclus, he says, “Patroclus. Patroclus. Over and over until it is sound only.”
“Name one hero who was happy.”
“I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way, his breaths came, and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
A Quick Summary
Mariana is certain that Edward Fosca is a murderer. Having been called back to CambridgeUniversity by her distraught niece, Mariana is determined to prove that this well-loved professor killed a student.
My Honest Thoughts
Don’t waste your time reading this if you love dark academia, Greek mythology, and murder.
It was a mystery thriller, a specific genre that I rarely read. To that end, I wanted to be careful with judging it.
But the book was disappointing. The beginning of the book was slow, flat, and boring. The characters were okay. Not exceptional by any means. I didn’t feel like I knew any of the characters, even the main one. I enjoyed how short the chapters were. It was a quick read, but it left me with… nothing. I wasn’t engaged in the story enough. I was more excited just to finish the book and write a rant review than I was for finding out how it ends.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
A Summary
Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up
— she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.
Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.
As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.
My Honest Opinion
I first read this from Colleen Hoover. I knew nothing about her except that booktok was obsessed with her. I thought it would be another cliché- love- story, but I’m glad to say that I was wrong! This is not a love triangle.
I loved this book, but it was a hard book to read. I was entirely unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster of a Colleen Hoover novel. I was expecting a feel-good rom-com to get me out of the slump The Song of Achilles gave me. I think I’m more depressed now. It was a gripping, emotional, and heart-wrenching story.
Quotes I’m Obsessed With
“Fifteen seconds. That’s all it takes to completely change everything about a person. Fifteen seconds that we’ll never get back.“
“In the future . . . if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again . . . fall in love with me.”
“We all have a limit. What we’re willing to put up with before we break.”
Today, Tonight, Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
A Quick Summary
Today Tonight Tomorrow is a story taking place over 24 hours between bitter rivals. But could they be more?
My Honest Opinion
This book was so adorable! I related to Rowan so much! I need to go to Seattle now. The book is a love letter to Seattle with all of the references to the city. I want to go to the gum wall (how incredibly disgusting does that sound?) and see all the other sights that Rowan and Neil visit. I wish Free Puppies! (the exclamation point is important) was a real band. Neil is adorable and dorky.
The thing that sold me on this book is THE BANTER! I loved how witty their remarks to each other were. I loved how competitive they are, and I love how they flirt, tease, and learn from each other. This book has a contemporary pride and prejudice vibe.
Aside from the romance bits, I appreciate all the real talk. I loved that the author wasn’t afraid to talk about issues of class, religious discrimination/stereotypes, and unfortunate family issues. It was feminist and sex-positive and progressive in a way that uplifted rather than dragged you down.
Quotes I’m Obsessed With
You’re going to miss him telling you to have a shitty day?” Kirby asks and shakes her head. “Straights, I swear.”
How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
A Quick Summary
- Kill my family
- Make a claim on their fortune
- Get away with the above
- Adopt a dog
Meet Grace Bernard.
Daughter, sister, colleague, friend, serial killer…
Grace has lost everything. And now she wants revenge.
My Honest Opinion
I love a female psychopath, and Grace was undoubtedly that. She was cold, cynical, and sarcastic with her general disdain for everyone around her. Grace wasn’t particularly likable, but I was rooting for her.
Parts of the book seemed a little clumsy and disjointed. Some chapters tended to drone on, and there was a lack of consistency with the timings. I hated the ‘twist’ at the end; it pretty much ruined the rest of the book.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A Quick Summary
When historian Diana Bishop opens a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library, it represents an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordinary life. Though descended from a long line of witches, she is determined to remain untouched by her family’s legacy.
She returns the manuscript to the stacks, but Diana finds it impossible to hold the world of magic at bay any longer. For witches are not the only otherworldly creatures living alongside humans. There are also creative, unstable daemons and long-lived vampires who become interested in the witch’s discovery. They believe that the manuscript contains important clues about the past and the future, and want to know how Diana Bishop has been able to get her hands on the elusive volume.
Chief among the creatures who gather around Diana is vampire Matthew Clairmont, a geneticist with a passion for Darwin. Together, Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the manuscript’s secrets. But the relationship that develops between the ages-old vampire and the spellbound witch threatens to unravel the fragile peace that has long existed between creatures and humans—and will certainly transform Diana’s world as well.
My Honest Opinion
It’s a slow-paced book. It’s mostly setting up the rest of the series, so not much happens in this book.
I’ll ignore talking about the book’s plot because the book mainly ignores the plot.
It’s an insta-love story. Which disappointed me. I had hoped to see an exciting love story between the two. I was so invested in learning more about Mathew. A renowned hot scientist and not-so-well-known vampire. Instead, he’s saying he loves her after 3 interactions. Also, for a romantic book, it’s very PG.
My problem was with the main character. With how infuriating Diana could be at some point like she didn’t NEED to be that naive. I also found Diana frustrating that she wouldn’t use her witchy powers.
In the end, it felt like A Discovery of Witches is like Twilight for adults.
