Hey y’all! It’s the 15th of the month, which means it’s time for QuickLit! I didn’t get too much reading done since the last one. The holidays kept me busy! But I did finish 5 books, so let’s delve into them now.

I picked Astonish Me up when it was on sale last month at the recommendation of this link-up's founder, Modern Mrs Darcy. Side note: They’ve changed the cover and I really don’t like the new one. Of course, that doesn’t have anything to do with the story! This book spans thirty plus years and revolves around the world of dance. There’s May-December romance, cocaine, marriage, babies, AIDS, Cold War drama, and of course dance. I wouldn’t call it a page turner per se, but I really enjoyed the book. While you might be able to see the final twist coming, it was still fun to experience! Even if you’ve never been around dance, you’ll enjoy this book too. ($9.99 for Kindle)

I listened to the Audio version of Tell the Wolves I’m Home, and I really enjoyed it. It takes place in the 1980’s and elegantly details the story of June Elbus, a 14 year old girl whose uncle dies from AIDS. The story makes the AIDS crisis more real, at least to me as someone who was a toddler during that crisis. Tell the Wolves also accurately depicts the tumultuous relationship between teenage sisters. That aspect of the book may actually hit me harder than the rest, because it reminded me of my relationship with my sister. The author delicately weaves the AIDS crisis, art, talent, teenage relationships, and familial discontent together to create a wonderful book. I highly recommend it. ($9.99 for Kindle)

I read The King’s Curse this month, the final book currently available in the Cousins War series that I’ve been working my way through. Not the best, but I did love the point of view it was told from. We often read about King Henry and all his wives from the viewpoint of the wives, and everyone always seems to spend most of their time talking about Anne Boleyn. I loved that this book spanned most of the life of Henry, from the time he was a child to the time he beheaded the 67 year old Countess who was the narrator of the story. (Please don’t complain about spoilers – this is history and happened nearly 500 years ago.) If you’re a Philippa Gregory fan, read it! If you aren’t, then read some of her other books first. ($11.99 for Kindle)

I bought The Truth About Style just before Christmas. I was ordering it as a gift for a friend so I just went ahead and ordered two at the same time. It was a quick read (especially compared to some of the other books on this list) but I loved it. Stacy London (of What Not to Wear fame) met with 9 different women and revamped their style. This book was really like a deeper and more emotional episode of What Not to Wear. And since I loved the show, I loved the book. London also has some fabulous insight into style, and I’ll be quoting her in some upcoming style posts on here! (Not available on Kindle, $15.14 paperback)

I know All the Light We Cannot See was the darling of 2014, but I didn’t love it. Or maybe I did. I can’t really tell. I feel like it is a book that will stay with you for months after, and I only finished it a couple days ago. I listened to it as an audiobook which may have influenced things, but who knows. Light is a very heavy book (see what I did there?) and at times I felt like it was slow. Overall though, it was incredibly well written. It moved me. I actually finished it while sitting in a Bed Bath & Beyond parking lot with tears streaming down my face. It’s one of those books that I feel like I can appreciate even though I didn’t love it, if that makes sense. I recommend it, but know that it isn’t a quick and easy read. It takes place in World War II so there are obviously some very serious things that happen. War brings all kinds of heartache. One thing I think this book did incredibly well was to remind me that so many people were simply swept along by the war. I’m sure this happens now as well, but when you think about it, most of the German people were victims as well. They were simply doing what they had to to survive. Which I’ve always known I suppose, but Light was a very great reminder of it. It’s a book I think you definitely should read this year. ($10.99 for Kindle)

And that’s it! I did start a couple more but haven’t had a chance to finish them. Next month you can look forward to hearing my thoughts on the Fiery Cross, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. What are you reading right now?

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