Magnolia Mamas : Book Club: February

The first of the month can only mean one thing...Book Club Day! We both read several books this month and can't wait to share them with you all. Our picks from January are all over the board in genre so there might be a little something for everybody this month.

WHAT WE READ...

CARRIE BETH

Y'all, I'm so proud of myself! I started off 2017 with a bang in the reading department. Remember one of goals for this year was to read more and I am very happy to report that I am doing just that. One reason is because I went back to reading on my Nook App and that has been a game changer for me. At night when I get in bed I don't have to worry about having lights on and keeping the Mr. up. I can just dim the brightness on the iPad and read as long as I want.

First up for me this month was It Ends With Us. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this book! From the very first paragraph I was drawn in and could NOT put it down. I started this the day they were calling for the snow and when we woke up to see our slight dusting, I parked myself on the couch all day and finished it.

It has been a really, really long time since a book sucked me in the way this one did. Those are just the type of books I love though. I want to be hooked from the very beginning and stay up late because I can't stand to put it down. I loved how Hoover shared the main characters past and present to give you a full story of what was going on. I felt myself drawn to each of the characters and loved the way the book ended also. It was FANTASTIC and I definitely recommend it.

(As Jen mentions below, this book has some rated R parts, so if you aren't ok with that, I'd sadly say to pass on this.)

After I finished It Ends with Us I was craving another good book to read and decided to pick another one by Colleen Hoover. I had read some reviews and some people said that starting with It Ends With Us could set you up for disappoint because it is by far her very best novel, but I was really hopefully and I was so glad that I read November 9.

Just like the first novel of hers that I read, this book drew me in right away was another fantastic book that I couldn't put down. I stayed up WAY too late reading this, but loved it!

I really loved how this book followed the same two characters and their meeting on the same date for a few years. It was crazy to think about how much could change in a year, but to see their love grow and their connection remained each time they saw one another. I didn't love how the book ended, but it was still really good, kept my attention and had me hanging on to every word trying to figure out how this couple would end up.

My third book for this month was Eligible. Jen mentioned this book as her favorite of 2016 so I was excited to read it. We have very similar tastes in books and usually if she says she loves it, I do also.

However, I can't say that about this book. I really wanted to love it, but it just took me a really long time to get into the story. There were so many characters and so many sub-plots going on that I think it was a little hard to follow and keep up with who was who at the first part of the story. Once I got all that figured out it did pick up for me and I loved the connection to "The Bachelor."

JEN

First up was It Ends With Us, which came as a suggestion from one of my friends during the holiday break.

This book!!!

I. could. not. put. it. down.

Literally for two days straight, I read It Ends With US any free moment I could get. I finished it and told CB to hop on board, download it and enjoy! I was totally sucked into the story of Lily and where her relationship with Ryle might go. I loved the witty banter between the two characters right off the bat, and felt like Hoover did an excellent job of keeping you on your toes about the two of them.

While it is a story of love and loss, what made me fall in love with the book most was how powerful the message was. Each character has a uniquely sad story, and you follow along the novel to see how each one chooses to react to the circumstances they are dealt. I laughed, cried, got angry, became hopeful, and repeated until the very end. And no spoilers, but I love love loved how it ended.

(Disclaimer - it might have a "naughty" moment or two in it so if you aren't down with that I would move on.)

Second for the month was Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel.

Now, while I thought this book was fun, following up It Ends With Us probably made me like it less. It was super choppy for me in the beginning and I had a tough time getting into it. But I'm not one to walk away from a book, so I stuck with it.

Small Admissions follows Kate's journey following a huge break up and depression. By chance Kate lands a job in a prep school admissions office in NYC. You get an inside peek at what admissions might be like for an exclusive school and follow Kate's journey through recovery. I did enjoy how Small Admissions ended, and found myself continuously cheering Kate on, but over all I wasn't sucked into it.

Moving on...

For my third book of the month I did a 180 and grabbed Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris.

Oh my! This book is the stuff nightmares are made of. Literally, I got chills reading it. Psychological thrillers are not my thing. At all. Occasionally I get the idea to pick up a story in this genre and each time I do the same thing - I get so nervous a few chapters in that I skip to the end so that I know what happens and then return to the rest of the story with a slower heart rate.

Totally weird, I know.

This book had me on edge the entire time I read it. Even after knowing how it ended, I was still on edge. The story follows the marriage of a seemingly "perfect" couple. You quickly realize within the first few pages, not all is as if it seems. From start to finish I could not put this one down, and if you are a fan of books like Gone Girl, you will love this one. The plot is somewhat unique, and I was totally invested in the main character and her story. I don't want to give to much away, but I loved how it ended with some unsuspecting twists. If you read this book, we need to chat and talk about all the O.M.G. moments. Once my nerves turned back to normal I realized how good of a book it was and totally recommend it!

FEBRUARY'S PICKS...

CARRIE BETH'S PICK

I have a few trips planned this month that involve a some longer flights so I'm really exited about reading this month. I think first up I'm going to read Liane Moriarty's Truly Madly Guilty.

I haven't read any of her books, but have heard really great things about them so I'm excited to start with this one. I'd love to have some other suggestions though! If you have any books you think I'd love, please share in the comments. I want something that sucks me in and that I can't put down. Please share your favorites!!!

JEN'S PICK

To start the month, I am going to try to finish up one I started last month. After reading Behind Closed Doors I needed something a little lighter. After a few reading through suggestions and reviews, I grabbed The Assistants.