Books I read in January

I read more in January of this year than I think I ever have as an adult. Part of that was just because we had a lot less going on than usual, and part was just that I kept the TV off and read more.

Here is my list of books, each with my brief review.

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (YA Fiction/Kindle) - 5/5 stars
   This is a YA book, but it is HEAVY. It's a fictional story (based on real current events) about a black girl named Starr who witnesses her friend's fatal shooting by a white police officer, and the aftermath that follows. I was so invested in Starr's story and in the outcome for her community. I've heard the audiobook version of this one is incredible.
2. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown (Nonfiction/Kindle) - 5/5 stars
   I've owned this for a while and been meaning to read it, but now that I have, I can't believe I put it off. The idea of Essentialism is to identify the essential things in your life, and cut out everything else so you can focus on the things that matter. That's really an idea I've been gravitating toward over the last couple of years, and this book is so well-written and practical.
3. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson (Nonfiction/audiobook) - 3/5 stars
   Jenny Lawson is a blogger, and to be fair, I've never read anything by her, blog or book. So I was a bit caught off guard by her style (crude, to put it mildly). She reads her own audiobook, which definitely made it better for me, and once I got used to her sense of humor there were definitely some laugh-out-loud stories. I did appreciate her comical but careful treatment of mental illness. 
4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Fiction/Kindle) - 3/5 stars
   This is fiction; it centers around a reporter who is asked to write a book for a reclusive movie star who has had a very dramatic life. This is the only Book of the Month book I've read that I didn't give 4-5 stars to. I actually like this author (I really enjoyed One True Loves) but this story didn't grab me like I hoped. 
5. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (Fiction/hardcover from BOTM) - 5/5 stars
   I LOVED this book. Such unique writing style; this was both laugh-out-loud funny and really heartbreaking. It's about a really awkward girl who meets an IT guy who begins to learn more about her past (that really explains the awkwardness). I believe Reese Witherspoon bought the movie rights and I can't wait to see the movie.
6. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (Fiction/paperback Christmas gift from my sister!) - 5/5 stars
   Such a fun thriller! I love a good mystery, and while the writing wasn't out of this world, the story was a good one and I had no idea where it was going. This one is about a journalist who goes on a luxury cruise to write a story about it. She witnesses a woman being thrown overboard and begins to investigate, which of course gets her into all kinds of trouble. I liked this one so much I bought a used copy of another one of her books within a couple of days of finishing this one!
7. Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life by Jen Hatmaker (Nonfiction/Kindle) - 3/5 stars
   I ADORE Jen Hatmaker and enjoyed this book, but it wasn't one of my favorites by her (might just have not been the right topics for me at this very moment in my life). It has a ton of hilarious personal stories interspersed with heavier, more spiritual thoughts.
8. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn (Fiction/hardcover from BOTM) - 4/5 stars
   Another really good thriller! A woman with agoraphobia witnesses a series of events from her window (think Rear Window, which this book is almost certainly inspired by) culminating in a murder. When she goes to the police, things aren't as they seemed from her point of view and it's hard to know what's real and what isn't. The ONLY reason I didn't give this one 5 stars was because I guessed two major plot points before they happened and I hate it when that happens! :)
9. What Happened by Hillary Clinton (Nonfiction/audiobook) - 4/5 stars
   This one auto-checked out on my library app. It's a long audiobook and I accidentally let it check back in before I finished the last chapter, so we went to Barnes & Noble where Casey played with Finley in the kid section while I read the last chapter of this book, haha. It was REALLY interesting to hear about Clinton's decision to run for president and the reasons she believes she lost. I highly recommend the audiobook since she reads it herself

I'd love to hear your book recommendations!