Alright, look, my stats for January are complete and utter sh*t, but I have a good reason. I was in the middle of two books when the year ended, but I prefer to count a book in the year I started it, so I’m always rushing in January to finish whatever I had left over, because I already counted those in my 2019 reading stats. Kinda confusing… but does that make sense?
Anyway, I spent the first half of January finishing off my last two 2019 reads, so I was already off to a slow start for the year. Then, I finally started and finished my first new book of the year (below), and then ended January halfway through two more books (which will count after they’re finished, AKA February).
One of the books that I started in January but hadn’t quite finished by month’s end though is a RE-read of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I read this series once, when I was eight and it first came out, and have been wanting to re-read them again ever since. I FINALLY said “to heck with it” and am making this the year of re-reading HP, so I’m at least happy about that. And honestly, since I was a child when I first read them, it’s almost like reading it for the first time because it was so long ago and I really don’t remember the details and plot lines. WINNING!
So now… onto my ONE January read that I finished, and it was an AMAZING one at that.
📊 Reading Stats
Books Read: 1
Genres: Fiction (1): YA (1)
Formats: Print (1)
Sources: Library (1)
Average Rating: 5 stars
📖 Book Reviews
📘 The Weight of the Stars
Author: K. Ancrum
Genre: Fiction ◦ YA
Publication: 2019
Format & Source: Print ◦ Library
Dates Read: January 6 – 20, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
Note: This was the pick for my Forever YA book club
This book was so incredible, that by the time I got to the end, I HAD to give it five stars. It deserved nothing less. The ending was one of the best I’ve ever read, and left me stunned, floored, and ridiculously happy.
Ryann Bird is a tough girl who hangs with a rough crowd. Her parents died, and she takes care of her mute brother. Things change when she meets the new girl at school, Alexandria, who has a devastating secret: when she was a baby, her young mother volunteered for an exploratory one-way trip to outer space. Each night, she climbs to her roof and tries to catch signals and messages from her mother’s spaceship. Ryann helps her until a slow but reluctant friendship forms, and then… her idea. Break into the offices of the company who sent her mother to space, and try to retrieve the hidden transmissions her mother has sent through the years.
This book had a bit of slow start as I got to know the characters, but by the time I was about a third of the way in, I was absolutely hooked and could not stop reading. I think I read the last half of it in practically one sitting, which doesn’t happen often for me these days (something about kids and working full time?). The characters were so compelling, especially Ryann who had a terrible reputation but was so lovable, and Alexandria, with her resentment and bitterness. The plot line was just SO unique and unlike anything else, that it gripped me. Learning about these space missions, and the young women who decided to dedicate their entire lives to it was crazy and mindblowing. I’ve always had a fascination with outer space, and this book was perfect to satisfy some of my curiosity. Bonus points too for the quick, succinct chapters that had me flying through it.
If you’re looking for a really unique pageturner with redeeming characters, you HAVE to read this one. It’ll go down as one of the most memorable books I’ve read.
🎖️ Favorite Book of the Month
The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum
That’s a wrap on this month’s reads — here’s to another great chapter! 📚
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