December/January Favorites

Honestly, this is a December/January round up of books (not just January)-- I just didn't feel like making a graphic for it, soooooo.

ANYWAY.

I read a lot in December and January probably because I was on break from teaching and because I was hiding from all the crap in the world. I'm actually still trying to hide from the goings on but I'm largely unsuccessful because I can't keep my mouth shut.

I tried to cull the list of books I read to ones that were new to me and especially outstanding and here's what I came up with:

 

(want more info? click on the image and it'll take you to Amazon)

Sutphin Boulevard-- I am so mad at myself for not reading this book earlier because it was so freaking good. Friends to lovers? Yep. Authentic NYC + ownvoices? Yep. Characters from diverse backgrounds? Yep. FREAKING TEACHERS? YESSSSS. So much yes. I've read book two and am looking for an opening in my schedule to read them all and all of the rest of his novels. Santino Hassell is my jam. Love his works.

Vicious-- This was the first thing we've read by L.J. Shen and we've found yet another writer we're going to go down the rabbit hole of all of her novels to soak up all that angsty hotness that is bound to be there.

Rock Chick Reawakening--Dude. Kristen Ashley? She's the queen of our hearts. What can I say? She did Daisy and Marcus so right and I want more of this series forever.

Real Good Man--We're late to this series of characters but it didn't even matter. This duet was everything we've come to love about Meghan March--hilarious banter, intrigue, and off the charts chemistry.

Lucian Divine--I'm not a fantasy reader...or at least I haven't been in the past. No reason, just never picked up a fantasy book. That changed with Renee Carlino. This novel worked--I loved the world she built and the way she wove the characters into it..and I can't help but hope we visit it again.

Bad Mommy-- Tarryn Fisher absolutely never ever fails me. EVER. She always gives us something to think about and Bad Mommy was no different. Psychopath? Sociopath? Writer? Yep. You'll see all of these in this novel.

It Ends With Us--This has got to be my favorite thing Colleen Hoover has ever written. I want all of my students to read it, my daughters, my granddaughters (if I ever have any), and everyone ever in the entire world to read it. It took something that people like to make into a binary issue and made it complex and intense.

Love in Lingerie--Alessandra Torre is always on our must read list and it's because she always gives us something new. She never rehashes old ideas and her novels are always so much more than the sexy hotness they are credited with. They are sexy and hot but the characters are also complicated and interesting.

It was a great two months of reading. It's been an interesting two months in the book world--politics and segments of different genres turning on each other in sometimes justified and other times hateful ways--I don't know what to make of it all yet--I'm just turning it over in my head as I watch and learn.

Until the end of February, happy reading.