I thought it was appropriate that the first of my five excellent books was a book about habits. Very appropriate way to kick off the new year, eh?

I enjoyed this book because I am someone that constantly asks, “WHY????”. This isn’t a magic-pill, change-your-life book. It’s a book that takes a deep dive into the science behind how habits are formed and how to change them. Yes, there is science and if you’re like me, that’s a total plus. If you get bored with too much science, I don’t think this book will bore you. I found the organization and narration to be entertaining and educational. If you like personal development books, add this one to your list.

I know that book clubs get a bad rap, but my book club picked this book and it is a five star winner. I loved this book for so many reasons. First off, I listened to it and Trevor Noah narrated it himself. That accent. Swoon!

Second, his story is simultaneously incredible, inspiring, and heartbreaking. He is completely unapologetic as he tells the story of growing up half-black, half-white during apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous time that followed when it ended. I laughed out loud during some of his stories, gaped open-mouthed at others. Loved this book. Highly recommend.

This is the first book of the Plantagenet and Tudor Novels and the third book of the Cousins Wars Novels. Confused? Over the years, Philippa Gregory (sometimes known as “the queen of British historical fiction”) published 15 books about the royal families during the Middle Ages. After the 15th novel was published, she listed them under one series name, “The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels” and suggested a reading order based on the chronology of the story, rather than the publication order of the novels.

Several years ago, I watched The White Queen on Starz. It’s stuck with me and I’ve wanted to read the novels ever since. I love audiobooks, so I decided that this year, I’m going to listen to the entire series. After listening to the first book, I don’t think it’s going to be hard.

The characters are well written- both likeable and hateable. The story moves at a good pace, even as she is setting the scene for things to come days, weeks, or even years to come later. I hated history in school, but have come to love it because of historical fiction. I wish I had had these novels when I was younger. For whatever minor inaccuracies might be present, the major players and all of the major plot points are present and accounted for.

Loved this book, and if you are a historical fiction lover that hasn’t found this series yet…. Get it!

My brain hurts from reading this book. Talk about information overload. So many things to think about.

I haven’t read Harari’s other books, but I added them to my TBR before I was halfway through this one. Although there are times when he is on his soapbox, for the most part he does a good job of presenting two sides of an issue without bias.

This is a book that will make you think about what you know and believe and possibly make you reevaluate where you stand.

This book had been on my TBR for a while and I finally got a chance to tackle it and I’m glad I did. It’s a haunting book.

If you lived through the emergence of the AIDS epidemic, you remember the fear, misinformation, and stereotypes associated with that time. This story brought all of that back, and deftly wove all of that into a coming-of-age novel that hit me in the feels.

This is a book that I want my friends to read so we can discuss and reminisce.