January was a slow month of reading for me. I just felt like I was in a slump the whole time and didn't finish a lot of the books I picked up. To that end, I only finished the month with four books. They were at least all fairly decent though, and the last read of the month was just what I needed to get me excited about books again.

Five Stars

Her Sister's Death by K.L. Murphy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was just the book I needed to drag me out of a major reading slump! It's a mystery set in Baltimore during two different time periods. In modern day, Val is trying to investigate her sister's mysterious death at a fancy Baltimore hotel. The police have ruled it a suicide, but Val doesn't buy it. Back in the 1920s, Bridget is getting ready to be married off to a wealthy man in the same hotel. She has some concerns, but goes through with the wedding anyway. I thought it was interesting the way the author wove these two very different storylines together, centering the hotel as a strange and mysterious place. I couldn't put this book down and tore through it in just a few days.

Four Stars

The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not normally a book I'd pick up, but it was a book club selection for a virtual book club I'm in, and honestly it was better than I expected. Samuel Adams (who apparently NEVER went by Sam Adams) was a pretty pivotal figure in the founding of our country, but not much is written about him. This book explored his life and the role he played in the American Revolution. I definitely learned some stuff I didn't know and largely enjoyed reading this book.

The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is the first from Mindy Kaling's book production studio with Amazon so I knew it had to be good. And it was. It tells the story of three generations of women, the push and pulls on their relationships, the way they support each other as they each dip their toes into the dating waters and some of the hi-jinx that ensue. It has funny moments, but it's also a touching story. Definitely a fast, feel-good read.

Three Stars

The Winners by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was really looking forward to the conclusion of the Beartown Trilogy, but this book was a bit of a slog for me to get through. I appreciated being reunited with some of my favorite characters from the series, and there were parts that definitely pulled at my heart strings, but overall, this book felt long and I didn't get swept up in it like I did the other Beartown books.

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