The Book Bit: January 2018 Edition

Hello, 2018! This year has already begun with a bang over at our house; we're moving in one month! Again! I feel like we only just settled into this place and we're hunkered down with boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap all over again. I still managed to read three books this month, get some freelance writing done, throw a birthday party and find a place to live in another state. Phew. I think I deserve some a reward over here, am I right? This month's picks were extra fun because my sister and I decided to start a book club. I didn't mention that already? As you can imagine, my sister is as much of a book nerd as I am, so we decided to put together a little club of our own. Honestly, I don't know why it's taken so long for this to happen; I mean, we've known each other over twenty years (*slaps knee). Anyway, one of the books is a book club read, and I cannot wait to dissect it with my fellow club members! Without any more lists of my accomplishments for this month, here is our lineup.



"In a Dark, Dark Wood"- Ruth Ware

 This is the book. What a spectacular pick for a book club. If you ever start one of your own, read this one for discussion. You will be dying to dissect it! Leonora is a bit of a loner since high school. She changed campus abruptly and barely kept in touch with anyone after graduation. You can imagine her surprise when she gets an invite from her old high school best friend to attend her bachelorette (in this book aka a "hen"; it's British, don't ask me.) party on short notice. She doesn't want to see Clare, not really. But why is she reaching out after all this time; after... what happened. Against her better judgment she decides to go, and as the weekend begins, Nora realizes she should've listened to her gut. This book is loaded with potential, and you can't help but keep ripping the pages away, needing to find out what exactly happened in the house buried in the woods. I would've gone a different direction with the ending, but it still managed to surprise me. This book will keep you guessing until the very last page. Even the ending is a bit of a tossup. Gone Girl fans will want to read this book; it's worth your time.





"How to Lead a Life of Crime"- Kirsten Miller

 This book was not what I was expecting; it turned out to be so much more than I imagined. Flick has been living on the streets for awhile, picking pockets (expertly) and biding his time until he can seek revenge on his father. When he gets approached to steal some documents for a high paying citizen, he doesn't hesitate, but when asked to join the elite Mandel Academy, reserved for the troubled youth of New York, his confidence waivers. Everyone knows the Mandel Academy turns youth scum into the most successful businessmen and women of America; future CEO's, lawyers and hedge fund managers to name a few. People don't know what happens behind those closed doors. Society doesn't know that Lucian Mandel lures troubled kids into his school and teaches them how to use their survival skills to steal money from banks, control the internet, buy politicians, get drugs pushed from trial stages into every pharmacy in America and get rid of people who get in the way of their success. Nobody knows that Mandel has an army of thieves in his school. Flick decides to attend for one reason and one reason only, to collect evidence against his father, but he stays for another. This is technically a young adult book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. You'll be surprised up until the end; Miller turns the tables every few pages, and you won't want to put it down until you figure everything out. She also added an addendum to the end, promise me you will read it! Any little lingering questions you had throughout the entire book is answered. It's worth the extra ten minutes of reading, trust me.





"The House We Grew Up In"- Lisa Jewell

 I didn't know this was a book about hoarding when I checked it out, but I found it interesting none the less. Hoarding is a very interesting topic to me, and I've always wondered what the trigger is for people who have this peculiar disorder. I know everyone is different, but this book gives us a closeup of Lorelei Bird and her little family and how easy it is for everything to go wrong. Lorelei and Colin have four amazing children, Meg, Beth, and the twins, Rory and Rhys. Lorelei lives only in the moment, is carefree, all loving and a ray of sunshine. Easter is the biggest holiday of the year in the Bird House, and no one is exempt from the festivities. Fast forward twenty years and not one Bird child is home on Easter. Over the years, pain has turned to guilt, guilt to anger, anger to resentment, and now no one is home. Lorelei has buried herself amongst her things. Meg has immersed herself in her children. Beth has lost her mind. Rory has disappeared. And Rhys. Poor Rhys. This book jumps between memories from each of the children, the present and some shared emails between Lorelei and a pen-pal. Travel through this book and try and unravel what exactly went wrong all those years ago, one fateful Easter, when things took a turn for the worst for the Bird family. At some point in the book, I just wanted to reach in and shake everybody screaming, "Get over this! Stop hanging onto what happened!", But then I also sympathized with them greatly. I think Jewell could have done a better job with "the big secret" Lorelei hung onto for so many years, but it wasn't a deal breaker. This book had a lot of family dynamics, dirty laundry, and will give you the itch to clean your house thoroughly. I enjoyed it.





 That's all for this month! Full disclosure, I've only chosen two books for next month. We're moving the last week of February, and I didn't want to set myself up for failure. So, two books it is. I hope everyone is having a wonderful New Year so far and that you're holding true to your resolutions still (it's been an uphill battle over here!). Is anyone excited about new books for this year? Have any recommendations for me?! Leave me a comment; I would love to hear what you think. Remember to subscribe and follow! Until next time!