January 2021 Reads
January was a great book month! My 2021 reading goal is 45 books, so having 8 underway gives me a nice jumpstart. This month, 7 of my books counted towards my #Read20withAlaina challenge.
If you're interested in participating in the challenge to read 20 books this year, read more here.
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read 20 with Alaina Challenge Prompt: A book written by multiple authors.
Synopsis: I would never have guessed this book was co-written by three authors! The narrative flowed seamlessly. If you enjoy historical events retold with a unique spin, this is the story for you! Lady Jane Grey is an underrated character in 15th Century England's history. This tale gives her an opportunity to shine! Magical realism moves the plot along and leads to an outcome much different than what is written in the history books. The 3rd person narration frequently pauses to provide comic relief or historical context as the plot events unfold. I laughed frequently, gasped at the twists and turns, and swooned a few times as a sweet romance blossomed.
Estimated Reading Time (ERT): 8-10 hours
Other notes: Includes mild and infrequent profanity. Some allusions to sexual activity, "consummation," and descriptions of kisses exchanged between characters. Violent events happen in the plot but are never described in great detail.
P.S. Thanks to my coworker, Macherie for gifting this fun read to me!
👩🏻📚🤴🏼🙋🏻♂️🐎🏰
Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale
My rating: ⭐️⭐️
Read 20 with Alaina Challenge Prompt: A book you think your best friend would enjoy
Synopsis: I wanted to like this book so bad! Shannon Hale was one of my favorite authors growing up. She gave us the masterpieces Princess Academy and Goose Girl. This book felt like a complete departure from the brilliant storytelling I grew to love from her. I found the main character petulant and immature. She does develop throughout the story, but not enough to make it worth the read The idea of a character who opens a book and enters the story of the book is interesting, but in this case, the books chosen were mostly obscure. They didn't drive the plot forward at all. Honestly, I couldn't wait to be finished with this book.
Estimated Reading Time (ERT): 7-9 hours
Other notes: I don't recall any profanity. The main character has a boyfriend and alludes to previous hook ups with him. There are a few kissing scenes. Fairly clean, overall.
🙋🏻🎭🕶📚☕️🎭👧🏽
The Woman I Am Becoming: Embracing the Chase for Identity, Faith, and Destiny by T. Suzanne Eller
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read 20 with Alaina Challenge Prompt: A book that was gifted to you (Shoutout @Kaitlyn Johnson. Love you, girl!!)
My thoughts: This is a book that has been on my shelf for a few years and I picked it up at exactly the right time. God used this book to confirm my mission and direction. At first, I honestly expected it to be one of those cheesy Christian books, written to encourage young women with the same overused platitudes. I am so glad I was wrong! I took copious notes and engaged with the reflection questions at the end of each chapter. The author's heart for her readers and for young women comes through clearly as she writes, challenges her reader, and shares her own story. If you have a twenty-something young woman in your life, I would highly recommend this book for her. She will feel seen, known, and encouraged to journey on with Jesus.
The conclusion of the book was so special to me. If you have read my previous blog posts (or the title of the blog) you know that the word "overflow" is significant to me. Here's a snippet of the final page of this book-- a book I have had on my shelf for a few years and JUST decided to read.
"You ask, 'Is it possible for me to change the world?' The answer is no, it's not. But Jesus can-through you... Jesus told the crowd that day, 'Drink from this water and not only will your thirst be quenched, but you will 'OVERFLOW'. The intimacy that you have with God can be so real that it will extend to others like a running fountain" (page 194-195).
Estimated Reading Time (ERT): 5-6 hours
Dare to Bloom: Trusting God Through Painful Endings and New Beginnings by Zim Flores
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read 20 with Alaina Challenge Prompt: A book with flora or fauna on the cover
My thoughts: This book is SUPER classy, tastefully designed, and just beautiful. You will want to display it on your coffee table for sure! If you are a visual person, you will enjoy the snapshots from Zim's travels and the page breaks with important quotes included throughout. Not only is this book a feast for the eyes, it is a feast for the soul. Zim writes about her seasons of transition, the lessons she learned throughout the process, and the provision of God as He brought new beginnings. When you close the book, you will be inspired and challenged to step out in faith. Then, I'm pretty sure you'll open the book for a refresher the next time you're experiencing a transition.
Estimated Reading Time (ERT): 4-5 hours
Fighting Forward: Your Nitty-Gritty Guide to Beating the Lies that Hold You Back by Hannah Brencher
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (fiveeeee starsssssss!!!!!)
Read 20 with Alaina Challenge Prompt: A book by a blogger
My thoughts: I just finished this book and I already want to read it again. Please, please, please buy yourself and your best friend and your neighbor a copy!!! Hannah's writing style really draws me in and makes me feel like she's sitting on the couch with me- giving me a pep talk. She is open and honest about her ongoing mental health struggles, battles with imposter syndrome, perfectionistic tendencies, insecurities, and overthinking. She is able to give you practical and effective tools to fighting back against the lies that bind us because she spends time with Jesus and studies His word. As she relates her observations and newfound understandings of Scripture, I find myself desiring to dig deeper.
God used Hannah to be another voice of confirmation in my life about Overflow. In one of the chapters, she elaborates on Psalm 23:5, "You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over." This has been my theme verse for the blog. Here is what she said about the verse in the book:
"The story doesn't end when the heads are anointed with oil. There's a semicolon there. The sentence isn't over. The psalmist goes on to write, 'My cup overflows.' The promise for you and me is overflow. I know that feels hard to believe sometimes, but what if we just decided to say to ourselves, "I am choosing to believe in the overflow instead of the scarcity of my fear. I am choosing better thoughts- moment by moment- and I give myself loads of grace for the days I don't get it right. I am choosing to switch the script when the fear tries to hold me back because there are better anthems for me and I am going to sing those anthems out loud.'" (Page 25).
New Kid is my next book! Can’t wait to read it! I enjoyed reading your thoughts on all of these books 😊 Thanks for sharing!