Arts & Entertainment
The 10 Best Books To Read In January
From "A Dog's Way Home" to former Navy SEAL David Goggins' inspiring memoir, these are the books you'll want to read in 2019.
A brand new year has just begun, and you know what that means: It's time for a brand new reading list! These page-turners, a mix of picks from Patch staffers and Amazon editors, are the books everyone's going to be talking about in 2019. Whether you're into fiction, nonfiction, mystery, romance or something in between, there's a book (or 10) for you. Happy reading!
#1 "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens
Kya Clark lives alone on the outskirts of a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. Because of her reclusive, solitary lifestyle, she's been the subject of local rumors for years. So when a handsome, young man is found dead, the townspeople immediately suspect Kya. But in "Where the Crawdads Sing," we discover things are not always as they appear. This book, a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick, is a true "heartbreaking coming-of-age story" you won't be able to put down.
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#2 "Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds" by David Goggins
David Goggins grew up in a world of poverty, prejudice and abuse. He was an overweight young man struggling with depression, but through self-discipline and hard work, he defied all odds to become a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. In "Can't Hurt Me," the former Navy SEAL, Army Ranger and Air Force Tactical Air Controller shares his incredible life story. He also enlightens readers with advice on how to move past their own pain and insecurities to achieve their full potential.
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#3 "Hunt Them Down: A Pierce Hunt Thriller" by Simon Gervais
Former Army Ranger Pierce Hunt is eager to take down Valentina Mieles, the head of a notorious Mexican drug cartel. In order to do this, Pierce has to protect crime boss Vicenta Garcia, a witness in the case against Mieles. Things spiral out of control when the cartel murders Garcia and kidnaps his granddaughter as well as Hunt's own teenage daughter. Hunt is given 72 hours to meet the cartel's demands or Mieles will execute his daughter and Garcia's granddaughter live on social media. He has no choice but to pull out all the stops to save the young women.
#4 "A Dog's Way Home: A Novel" by W. Bruce Cameron
Bella is a pit bull terrier mix who isn't always welcome in her hometown. Undiscouraged, she lends a paw wherever she can, winning over the hearts of locals who initially feared her. But when Bella is separated from her beloved human, she faces a new challenge: Getting home. This determined dog sets off on a seemingly impossible journey back to where she belongs, and with every obstacle she encounters, she persists. A movie based on the book premieres later this month.
#5 "Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive" by Stephanie Land
At 28, Stephanie Land's dreams of heading to college and becoming a writer are cut short when a summer fling turns into an unexpected pregnancy. Determined to provide for her daughter while still pursuing her dreams, she works as a housekeeper by day and takes online classes by night. In "Maid," Land recounts the real-life struggle of "making it" in America when the odds are stacked against you.
#6 "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Former FLOTUS Michelle Obama gets candid in this heartfelt, inspiring memoir about her extraordinary life. She chronicles the highs and lows of her personal and public life, revealing new and intimate details about her views on marriage, motherhood and the myth of having it all. Not surprisingly, "Becoming" was former President Barack Obama's favorite book of 2018.
#7 "Sugar Run: A Novel" by Mesha Maren
In 1989, 17-year-old Jodi McCarty is sentenced to life in prison. Eighteen years later, she's unexpectedly released and struggles to adjust to her newfound freedom. Unable to return home, she heads south in search of someone she left behind. It's there that she meets and falls in love with a young mother living in a motel room with her kids. They're hoping for a fresh start together, but as "Sugar Run" demonstrates, starting anew isn't easy when you're haunted by your past.
#8 "She Lies in Wait: A Novel" by Gytha Lodge![]()
On a hot July night in 1983, a group of teenagers goes camping in the woods. They drink, they hang out, they explore — all the stuff you'd expect from a group of unsupervised high schoolers. But when the morning comes, the youngest of the group — Aurora Jackson — is nowhere to be found. All the teenagers claim she was fine and safe the last time they saw her, just before she went to sleep. The police search extensively, but they don't find a body. The case goes cold — until 30 years later, when Aurora's body is finally found. Detective Jonah Sheens, who knew Aurora personally, is put back on the case, and he's determined to find out the secret six friends have been keeping all these years.
#9 "Breaking and Entering: The Extraordinary Story of a Hacker Called 'Alien'"by Jeremy N. Smith
A woman known only as Alien is one of the world's top hackers. After getting kicked out of MIT, she was recruited by a top cybersecurity firm where she learned to outsmart security both online and in real life. Now running a boutique hacking outfit, she caters to banks, retailers and government agencies. In this biographical story, the reader follows Alien's incredible and at times dubious rise to the top of a field we're only beginning to understand.
#10 "An Orchestra of Minorities"by Chigozie Obioma
Chinonso is a young Nigerian poultry farmer who jumps into action when he sees a woman preparing to jump from a highway bridge. He joins the woman, Ndali, on the bridge, and he convinces her not to jump. After this, Chinonso and Ndali fall in love. But Ndali, who comes from a wealthy family, can't imagine a future near a chicken coop. When her family objects to marrying Chinonso, he sells nearly all his possessions in order to attend a college. But when Chinonso arrives at the school, he discovers he'd been duped and there is no place for him there. Now broke, homeless and angry, Chinonso is further away from his dream and the woman he loves than ever before. This novel, narrated by a guardian spirit who has lived for hundreds of years, is "a contemporary twist of Homer's Odyssey."
Looking for even more great books? Check out last month's reading list!
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