[JANUARY] 2023 : Book Review

It’s time to look at the books I read in January!

My Trip Down the Pink Carpet by Leslie Jordan

★★★★.5

I had planned to buy his books but just hadn’t gotten around to ordering them. The morning he passed away, I snatched up this one and another one. I should have already gotten them! I really enjoyed this book. It takes us into his younger life, growing up gay in a conservative Chattanooga, TN family, and takes us along as he headed to Hollywood. Of course, it has that Leslie Jordan humor that we all have grown to love!

Strong: A Runner’s Guide to Boosting Confidence and Becoming the Best Version of Yourself by Kara Goucher

★★★★

“Running is a head game. There are two options: Let your mind wander, or focus. To compete, you must focus. Mental conditioning is an important part of an athlete’s training regimen. Winning and losing are more a matter of mental preparation and toughness.“
— Dr. Stephen Walker, Kara’s Sport Psychologist

In Strong, Kara gives us stories about her training and a look at her personal confidence journal. The book also gives us a look at other women’s inspiring stories in the field of running. And if the inspiring stories aren’t enough, there are guided activities and tools to start your own confidence journal. As a runner, I’m always looking for a good book about running, that inspires running, anything about running. I recommend this book 🙂

The Survivors by Jane Harper

★★★★.75

Bookshop.org describes it best:

“Kieran Elliott’s life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences.The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home.Kieran’s parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn.When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away…“

I love Harper’s writing. When I read her books, I am able to put myself in the story, be there in the setting (whether the beach, the desert, wherever), be with the characters. I like how her stories has me thinking one way, that this person did it, then the next minute I think someone else has. It isn’t predictable. Honestly, for this book, I never even considered “this” person. You’ll just have to read it. I’m not going to tell anything else. HA!

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