JANUARY TBR

The first month of the year is always the busiest for me and a lot of people. We are all hurrying to catch up on the things we missed while on holiday and at the same time, we are trying to get out of that vacation mindset.

My January TBR is coming to you all quite late as I had a lot to do and worked on many things behind the scenes but nonetheless, let us look at the books I have on my list for the first month of the new year.

---

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S

Young, handsome and fabulously rich, Jay Gatsby is the bright star of the Jazz Age, but as writer Nick Carraway is drawn into the decadent orbit of his Long Island mansion, where the party never seems to end, he finds himself faced by the mystery of Gatsby’s origins and desires. Beneath the shimmering surface of his life, Gatsby is hiding a secret: a silent longing that can never be fulfilled. And soon, this destructive obsession will force his world to unravel.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald brilliantly captures both the disillusionment of post-war America and the moral failure of a society obsessed with wealth and status. But he does more than render the essence of a particular time and place, for in chronicling Gatsby’s tragic pursuit of his dream, Fitzgerald re-creates the universal conflict between illusion and reality.

Ever since a year or so back, I have been wanting to start reading classics. I think there is just something magical and special about them that modern-day-published books do not have. Most people on bookstagram made this book their first read of 2020 as it is set in the early 20s. I thought this was a wonderful idea and the perfect reason to finally get to it.

---

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 

G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love – a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

My friend, Ruby at Ruby Rae Reads and I have been wanting to get to Erin Morgenstern’s books for so long. She recently released her second novel, The Starless Sea, and so we thought it would be fun to do a buddy read of her two books. With only a few days left of January and having yet to start my TBR, I doubt I will be able to get to the both of them. However, I will continue reading them to try and get both finished in February.

---

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 

G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

Lush and richly imagined, a tale of impossible journeys, unforgettable love, and the enduring power of stories awaits in Alix E. Harrow’s spellbinding debut–step inside and discover its magic.

I saw this one on bookstagram and Goodreads and thought it would be ideal for this month because of the book’s title. Crossing fingers that I can get to it as it really caught my interest.

---

Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook 

G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S

In Alicia Cook’s second poetic effort, designed in the style of an old mixtape, she sets her thoughts to a nostalgic tune. There is no Table of Contents. Instead, there is a “Track List,” making it easy to refer to them to your friends with a, “Hey did you read track seven?!” There are no chapters. Instead, the book is divided into two parts, or as one would say in the 90’s, two “sides.” Side A holds poetry that touches on all aspects of the human condition like life, death, love, moving on, evolving, growing up, hometowns, family dynamic, life after trauma, and make-ups and breakups. Side B holds the “remixes” of these poems, in the form of blackout poetry, also known as “found poetry.” Side B gives the material a fresh twist by creating new poetry out of Side A. There is also a very special surprise at the end of each track. 

Alicia decided to self publish this effort after leaving her publishing house. She views this book as her “independence” and official separation from that venture. She also drew the front and back cover herself. 

Alicia is a contributing writer for many blogs and news outlets, including the Huffington Post and multiple Gannett Publications. She writes regularly on drug addiction and how it directly affects families. Because of this, she has chosen to donate 100% of royalties to the Willow Tree Center in New Jersey. www.willowtree.org. Follow Alicia on Instagram: @thealiciacook or check out her website: www.thealiciacook.com. 

---

I Am Her Tribe by Danielle Doby 

G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S

#IAmHerTribe creator Danielle Doby shares her poetry for the first time in a collection long anticipated by her followers.

Positive and powerful, I Am Her Tribe is a collection of poetry drawing on the viral Instagram handle and online hashtag that serves to create moments of connection through empowerment and storytelling. Focusing on inspiration, Doby’s poetry invites its reader to “Come as you are. Your tribe has arrived.  Your breath can rest here.”

both soft and fierce can coexist and still be powerful

---

Bloom by Beau Taplin 

G O O D R E A D S  | S Y N O P S I S

This is your renewal. This is your regrowth … You may come into this softly or bristling with thorns, beneath the light of the sun or the moon and the stars, so long as you always remember it is never too late to return to the root of your heart and begin again.

Broken hearts, false starts, new beginnings: nothing lost. The philosophy of Beau Taplin – and the beauty of his words and books – has made him of one of Australia’s most internationally recognised voices on love and life, and a social-media sensations. This collection was first published in 2016 and has already sold more than 10,000 copies. Now available through retailers in Australia for the first time.

I am going to add these poetry books, that I finally managed to get my hands on, to my reading list for this month just to boost the amount of books I read as I started a bit late.

---

I hope you enjoyed reading about what books I am interested in this month. Let me know if you have one of them on your TBR too and which one captured your attention most. Until next time!

Keep on reading and never stop telling stories.

• WordPress
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Goodreads
• Pinterest
• Tumblr
• Mail