January 2015 Wrap Up

Hey there, Hardcover Lover readers! Can you believe that January has come and gone already? The month flew by so quickly that it really is hard to believe.

First of all, I hope you enjoyed your month. I did, especially with all of the pretty snow that's been falling. Seriously... the weather here has been really snowy lately - kind of like the picture to the left. It's probably snowed a little bit every day for a week.

Now it's time to reflect on what I read in January. I was kind of bummed to see that I'd only read fourteen books this month, especially considering that one was a DNF and a few were children's books that I read to the two adorable kids I babysat this month.

Books I Read in January 2015

• Waiting is Not Easy (Elephant and Piggie #22) by Mo Willems - I'm pretty sure I read this last year when I was an ESL long-term substitute, but I read so many Elephant and Piggie books that I forgot. It's a really cute children's book, and I'd honestly recommend that all parents stock up on these books for their kids.
• Mr. Christmas by Adam Hargreaves - This book is part of the Mr. Men children's series. The kids I babysit chose this, even though it was well past Christmas. It's a cute read, and would definitely make a great Christmas present if you're already thinking ahead to Christmas 2015. Too early? Oops.
• The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Suess - I've read this so many times with the little girl that I babysit that I could probably memorize it. I think it's her favorite, but it's definitely a good one.
• Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts - I had this one on my Amazon cloud for a while after having been approved to read it on NetGalley. It was okay, but definitely not the greatest YA book I've ever read. You can learn more about it in my review.
• When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez - This book is being released by Bloomsbury on February 10, 2015. If you are a fan of Emily Dickinson's poetry, pick it up! I'll have a full review up for this one on February 3.
• Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne - This title has been released in Canada, but not yet in the US, although it's coming this month. I really enjoyed Mary's take on domestic abuse and just how much pain it can cause a family. If you're interested in seeing what else I though, please check out my review.
• Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton - This was my DNF this month. Quite honestly, what I read was pretty terrible. There's a disturbing love triangle, and there really isn't any world-building. The reader is just thrown into a very confusing situation, and I couldn't recover from it.
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt - I read this beauty of a book in one day. Every kid in America needs to read this book. My review for Tuck can be found here.
• Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems and Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion by Mo Willems - I'd never heard of this series until I found the books while babysitting, but they are very cute with cartoon drawings set against real world backgrounds.
• Open Road Summer by Emery Lord - I bought this one last summer, but never got around to reading it. Boy am I glad that I did because it's adorable! I loved pretty much everything about it, and my review can be seen here.
• Sacajawea by Kathleen Krull - This is an upcoming children's nonfiction book, and I really enjoyed it. Check back in June for my full review. 
• The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson - This is another book that I bought this past summer but never got around to reading. I'm glad that my blogging friends, Holly and Tika, finally convinced me to read it because it's pretty good. If you'd like to read my review, please click here.
• The Moon Said No by Casey Renee Kiser - This is a short chapbook full of very emotional poems. Some are really great, and others are okay, but the book is definitely worth the quick read.

Wow. It still doesn't feel like I read as much as it looks like I did, but at least I'm adding some new genres to my reading list. I'm also proud that I was able to improve my NetGalley ratio by a ton this month with some of these books.

Keep an eye out for some great ARC reviews and blog tours this February. I've got quite a few ARCs to read, and then I hope to catch up on some back listed books. So now I leave you to your Super Bowl Sunday. Enjoy the game if you're watching or enjoy the halftime show and commercials  if you're more interested in that. P.S I so hope that the Patriots get embarrassed tonight.