Sharing the books I read in January and whether I recommend adding them to your collection!
Hi friends! How was your weekend? I hope you have a great day! We were in Phoenix for an awards ceremony and hiked Camelback before heading home.
In today’s post, I want to share a review of the books I read in January. I really wanted to start reading and enjoy some fun reading, and I finished five books last month. They’re a mix of fiction and non-fiction, and I love them all.
Here’s a look back at this month:
January Book Review
Friends, lovers and terrible events
I’m hesitant about it because I like friends And deeply in love with Matthew Perry. I’ve heard some people say it made them like him less, and I don’t want that. The good news is that for me, it had the opposite effect and I found myself falling even more in love with him.I think a lot of us grew up watching friends, and feeling connected to all the characters. Even though I was in fifth or sixth grade when it started, I watched almost every episode, starting with the first one. My wise 11 or 12 year old self realized this was something special.
As expected, this book is heartbreaking and really shows the struggles faced by drug addicts. Addiction took over his life, damaging his relationships, affecting his work, and affecting his mental health. It’s also devastating to learn that all he really wants is a wife and children. He has “everything” but at the same time, he feels like he has nothing. I recommend listening to the audio version so you can hear his own voice. 8/10
From Amazon:
“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Marty. And I’m supposed to be dead.”
So begins the compelling story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us through his journey from childhood ambition to fame, to addiction, and recovery after a life-threatening health scare. Before frequent trips to the hospital and rehab, five-year-old Matthew moved from Montreal to Los Angeles, bouncing between his estranged parents. Fourteen-year-old Matthew, Canada’s national tennis star; twenty-four-year-old Matthew landed the coveted title role in the controversial pilot Friends Like Us. . . there are more.
Matthew Perry reveals the broken family that raised him (and left him alone), the yearning for recognition, and the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way that only he can tell, in an extraordinary story that only he can tell. He became famous, leaving a void inside him that even his greatest dreams coming true could not fill.But he also details the peace he finds in sobriety and his sense of omnipresence friends, shares stories about his cast and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware and with his trademark humor, vividly portrays his lifelong struggle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.
Friends, lovers and terrible events This is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening, while also being a helping hand to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, touching, and wildly funny, this is what audiobook fans have been waiting for.
daughter of paris
Christine Hamel has become one of my favorite writers of WWII historical fiction. She does an amazing job weaving together various characters, storylines, and perspectives. While it wasn’t my “favourite,” I loved the ending and how everything fell into place. This is undoubtedly an unexpected ending. 7/10
Here’s the synopsis from Amazon:
1939, Paris: Young mothers Alice and Juliet meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne and become good friends. Although the shadow of war loomed over Europe, neither woman realized that their lives were about to change irrevocably.
When Alice becomes the target of the German occupation, she entrusts the most precious thing in her life to Juliet – her little daughter, Juliet’s own little daughter’s playmate. But in war, no place is safe, not even a quiet little bookstore like Juliet’s Dream Bookstore, and when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliet’s world is destroyed.
More than a year later, when the war finally ended, Elise returned to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore in ruins and Juliet missing. What happened to her daughter in those final horrific moments? Juliet seemed to disappear without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York and to Juliet – one final, defining moment.
A “sophisticated and heart-wrenching novel” that you won’t soon forget (Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author), daughter of paris It’s also a total celebration of resilience, motherhood, and love.
Allergies: A Disease in Disguise: Cure Your Allergy Conditions Permanently and Naturally
Over the past 9 months I have become very concerned about allergies, especially after I realized that my eye problems were a combination of autoimmune inflammation and environmental and food allergies. Once my allergies were under control, my eyes stopped flickering (knock on all wood…). As I read, I realized that I was using some of the strategies in the book and she explained them in a way that made perfect sense.
Allergic reactions aren’t always down to a single allergen, but are the result of histamine load—the compound effects of what you’re doing. That’s why I’m ok eating a little bit of fermented food, but if I eat a lot of fermented food, plus more high histamine foods, I’m going to be stressed, and I’m petting a fluffy dog, and it’s windy outside , there is pollen, I will shine. I’ve been working on paying more attention to my histamine load and eliminating my food sensitivities, which has made a huge difference.
Something else that resonates with me: antihistamines don’t solve the problem. Flares are a sign of fire in the body when we have a histamine reaction. Antihistamines only disarm smoke alarms; they don’t put out fires.
While I didn’t agree with everything in the book (she recommended a high carb, low protein, mostly raw diet), I learned a lot and would highly recommend it if you are also an allergy sufferer. 9/10
From Amazon:
Allergies are often misunderstood. If left untreated, it can lead to serious degenerative diseases. Asthma, migraines, arthritis, ulcers and obesity have all been linked to allergies. Fatigue, irritability, body aches, digestive problems, and other vague ailments are typical symptoms of allergies. Dr. Bateson-Koch provides insight into why allergy is becoming more common, how it relates to environmental factors, food additives, diet, digestion, body chemistry, addiction, yeast, molds, parasites and childhood illnesses-and why enzymes are the key to Cure. Follow her plan and you won’t have to give up your pet, get allergy shots, rotate food, keep a food journal, or cook allergy-friendly recipes for the rest of your life. Not only will you recover and enjoy an allergy-free life, you will also gain valuable insights into your health and well-being.
don’t make it weird
I have been following Colleen for years and am very excited about her books. Her content always makes me happy and inspires me, so I booked this as soon as possible. Be sure to check out the audio version so you can hear her voice. I highly recommend this product if you work in any capacity in the online space, especially if you have trouble creating content and presenting yourself. 9/10
From Amazon:
Have you ever actually watched someone’s crappy dance video on Instagram? If you’re honest, probably not. Gimmicks won’t work, but the pressure that exists online can make people do strange things.
Eventually, you have to call bullshit. The good news is that when you stop making excuses and give up your self-sabotaging behaviors, you can learn to be a real person online.
exist don’t make it weird, Colleen teaches you how to bring your entire personality—the messy, awkward, and ordinary—to your online presence to create real connections and community. Of course, market to people without seeming weird.
Whatever you want to do, you can do it.only Don’t make it weird.
Rooms in rue amélie
This is another novel by Christine Hamel and it is definitely in my top five of her books. It’s heartbreaking, hopeful, and beautifully written. I literally cried over a beautiful and satisfying ending. If you like historical fiction, I definitely recommend it. 9/10
From Amazon:
When newlywed Ruby Henderson Benoit arrived in Paris with her French husband Marcel in 1939, she imagined walking arm in arm along the grand boulevards, bathing In the golden afternoon sun. But war loomed, and as France fell to the Nazis, her marriage began to fall apart.
Charlotte Dacher was 11 when the Germans stormed into the French capital, their evil swastika flags fluttering in the breeze. After the Jewish restrictions came into effect and required Jews to wear a yellow star, Charlotte could not imagine how much worse things could get. But then mass deportations began and her life was torn apart forever.
Thomas Clark joined the RAF to protect his country, but when his beloved mother was killed in a German bombing raid at the end of the Blitz, he wondered if he was really making a difference. Then he finds himself in Paris, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, and discovers a new reason to keep fighting—and an unexpected way home.
When fate brings them together, Ruby, Charlotte and Thomas must find the courage to defy the Nazis and open their own broken hearts to fight for survival. It’s an unforgettable story full of historical drama and emotional depth that will stay in your mind long after the final moments.
Hello friends: What is the best book you read last month? What’s on your TBR list right now?
Western Europe
Gina