A new year – a new list of books! I’ve got the same goal of reading 125 books, but I also want to listen to more audiobooks (and fewer podcasts) and read more of the books I have in my to-read pile. It’s actually two bookshelves that are behind closed doors at the bottom of my bookshelf … and a long list of books I’ve added to the Goodreads to-read shelf …. one book at a time! Here is what I read in January:
David Goggins is a Navy Seal, but his story is so much deeper than that. In a tell-all book about his upbringing and how he failed many times in his goal to become a Seal, Goggins lets you see a mental toughness that is not easily found in today’s world. I came away amazed by what one person can do with his or her life. Can’t Hurt Me is an inspiring book, but I also don’t think most of us are called to be so harsh with our bodies.
The Glass Ocean is a historical fiction book set mostly on the Lusitania. I had not read one yet set on that ill-fated ship, so I was interested in how it would affect the plot. The book goes back and forth between modern times and the ship. In modern times, a reporter is trying to uncover the family secret of why her great grandfather’s trunk had certain items related to the Lusitania in it. On the ship, Caroline is torn between trying to find a way to woo her husband’s attention and feeling a connection to a childhood friend who has resurfaced. There are spies, gossips, lies and tested loyalties. It kept my interest.
Hazel and her sister Flora were sent away to the countryside from London during WW2. To help her younger sister cope with that and their father’s death, she invents a world that only the two of them know about. Then, Hazel disappears one day, presumed to be drowned in the nearby river. No body is found. Twenty years later, a book appears at Hazel’s work that tells the story of the private world only Flora and her knew about. She desperately tries tracking down the author in America to find a trail that might lead her to know where her sister ended up in The Secret Book of Flora Lea.
Have you heard about the Savannah Bananas? If not, stop, go look them up on the Internet, watch a few videos and then come back. It’s a baseball team that combines the entertainment features of the Harlem Globetrotters with a real baseball game – a few rules changed. Banana Ball tells the story of the group’s founding and how Jesse and his wife risked it all on an idea they felt would go far. Another inspiring book.
I know this book was published 29 years ago and had a movie made about it, but I’d never read the book nor watched the movie until now. I read The War of Art by Pressfield and then decided to listen to The Legend of Bagger Vance to see how his art came about. The book was deep and mystical and tells the story of a golfer finding his game again after experiencing the trauma of war. The movie changed a lot of the book, but still had a good message – just not as deep.
My husband and I read A Place on Earth together this month. We read a Wendell Berry book last year and enjoyed it. It’s a slow-paced, detailed view of life in the town of Port William. I love delving into this world, but it isn’t a quick read and the theme of this book is loss and that took a little to process. I would recommend any Berry book to anyone who has time to read a great book slowly.
The Puppets of Spelhorst was a quick read as it’s a children’s book. I’ve read almost all of Kate DiCamillo’s books, so I wanted to read this one, too. I read it in one sitting. It’s about a group of puppets – a king, a girl, a boy, an owl and a wolf. The story follows their owners and how the puppets remind or inspire them. It has a good message of living the life you have here and now with no regrets.
A Beautiful Disguise is a complicated, but fun book set in England just as MI-5 is getting set up. Marigold and her brother have set up a private investigation service called The Imposters to try and keep their estate funded after their father’s death. Their estate isn’t a normal one, though – it involves retired circus performers and their animals. It’s a place where the siblings learned the art of trapeze, which they keep hidden from society. Two of their cases overlap and as they try to discover where a British agent has disappeared to, they both get closer to their clients than either had planned.
The Winners by Fredrik Backman (5 stars)
The Winners is the third book in the Beartown series. I just realized I read book 3 before I read book 2, so I have book 2 on hold now. However, it’s been more than six years since I read Beartown. I was able to follow along in the third book and was captivated right away by the characters and the story. It’s heartbreaking, but it shows how “small” actions can have great consequences. It’s my first 5-star read of 2024!
Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus “rescued” from the ocean and now living in an aquarium. The night custodian discovers Marcellus can escape his tank, but keeps his secret as the animal seems to understand her. She’s still trying to find her place in life (and her town) after her son went missing when he was 18. It’s presumed he drowned in the ocean while working. The book goes back and forth telling the story of recovering from heartbreak from even the octopus’ perspective in another 5-star read: Remarkably Bright Creatures.
What did you read to start 2024? Share in the comments!
Also, Lent is coming up and I try to only read religious books during Lent, although they can be fiction. If you have any recommendations, please share them with me!
