January 2020 TBR

Good Evening, lovelies! I hope everyone is holding strong on their new years resolutions/goals. Day two is nearly in the books and I am happy to report despite my everlasting cold and my ten hour work day that I've read some in all three of my first books of the year (because I can't be normal and just read one at a time).

"Better than Before" by Gretchen Rubin is my least captivating book so far; however, that is mainly due to the fact that I am only reading for ten minutes a day. Which means, I am on page 15. Yup, I'm really rocking my 2020 reading schedule. Of the four tendencies theory Rubin proposes, I am most certainly an obliger. I focus on making others happy before myself. I will help the outside before I help myself. This is something that I need to work to balance better, and I am hoping that as I progress through this book, it will open my eyes to opportunities.

Y'all, "Becoming" by Michelle Obama is incredible. I'm borrowing this audio book through the Nashville Public Library's app, "Libby." Becoming is read by the author, and let me tell you... it is something very special. Michelle Obama is an amazing story teller, and the story she has to tell is important. I am excited to learn from and be inspired by one of the strongest and most intelligent women on the planet. As of this post, I'm nearly a third of the way into the book.

The slow burn of these three books has been "Daughter of the Blood" by Anne Bishop. It's a dark fantasy set across many realms of light and darkness. The blood magic is nothing like I have ever read before. It is dark and mysterious and intriguing. This is not for the feint of heart. I came across a passage this evening that really took me from serious interest to "I don't want to put this down" kind of reading. Here is the passage that was a game changer for me:

"You cannot prevent the ssmall sspiralss, the flashess of anger. You cannot prevent her from sspiraling down to her core. All the Blood needs to desscend from time to time. But the maelsstrom..." Draca slipped her hands into the sleeves of her robe. "Sshield her, Ssaetan. Sshield her with your sstrength and your love and perhapss it will never happen." "And if it does?" Saetan asked hoarsely.
"It will be the end of the Blood."

I absolutely know that this won't be as impactful to those who haven't read this book before. But let me tell you. Shit is getting real and I cannot wait to find out what happens next.

Well, now that my current reads update is out of the way, let's talk about why we are really here: My January 2020 TBR list. If you don't know, TBR means "To Be Read". This list is mostly my wish list of novels that I would like to read. The list may change depending on my mood, and sometimes life happens and the ten books you wanted to read turns into two.

You obviously know my first three; however, for completion's sake, I will include them all (in no particular order):

1) Becoming by Michelle Obama (audio book borrowed from the Libby app)

2) Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin (husband picked this one up when we were in Bath, England last month).

3) Daughter of the Blood (Book one of the Black Jewels trilogy) by Anne Bishop (birthday gift from Alice)

4) The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (Christmas 2019 gift from Steve)

5) Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (Christmas 2019 gift from Steve)

6) The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (Christmas 2019 gift from Steve)

7) The Elite by Kiera Cass (Amazon)

8) The One by Kiera Cass (Amazon)

9) The Heir by Kiera Cass (Amazon)

10) The Crown by Kiera Cass (Amazon

11) Wildflower by Drew Barrymore (audio book borrowed from the Libby app)

12) The Strange and Beautiful Sorrow of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton (Birthday 2019 gift from Steve)

13) Heir to the Shadows (Book two of the Black Jewels trilogy) by Anne Bishop (Birthday 2019 gift from Alice)

14) Queen of the Darkness (Book three of the Black Jewels trilogy) by Anne Bishop (Birthday 2019 gift from Alice)

That's all I have planned for now. Its day two and I already feel a little behind. I'm looking forward to creating a reading schedule this weekend. Structure and I work really well together. When I set these micro-goals, it motivates me to not only achieve them, but find ways to blow the goals out of the water.




What is on your January TBR list? What is one book you read last year that you think everyone should read? Looking forward to your lists and your recommendations!