January 2024
- Katie Peterson
- Jan 12, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 19, 2025
Something old: Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Something new: Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Something steamy: A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
Something true-ish: Marmee by Sarah Miller
The Ratings:
Like plain, black coffee. Strong dislike.
A little cream, a little sugar. Not bad. Not great.
Add some flavor or syrup, it's getting good.
I liked this a latte!
Love! Refill please!
The Steam:
No peppers: Love/romance not a major part of this story
One pepper: Mild! Some love scenes; nothing risque on the page; fade to black
Two peppers: Moderate! Slightly descriptive romantic scenes may occur on page; some implied innuendos
Three peppers: Hot! Blushing while reading may occur; lots of spice
Beartown
Fredrik Backman
When thinking of what book I wanted to write my very first "something old" review on...there was no doubt in my mind. It's a book I've reread, recommended repeatedly, and waited on pins and needles to get back after loaning out.
I stumbled across Beartown when I searched "sports book" into the engine. What I thought would be an action-packed, sweat-filled book about a heated rival game or two became an incredibly deep, thought-provoking, forces you to rethink everything sort of novel.
A town surviving around a hockey ring knows hockey not as a past-time, but a right of passage. A way of life. The only constant in a changing world. Hockey is the bridge, connecting the townspeople regardless of what type of home, street, or family they come from. The older generation lives vicariously through those still able to play, and the younger generation has the weight of the town on their shoulders every time they lace up. With a national semi-final game on the horizon, the young, talented team seems to be hurtling straight towards a path of becoming hometown heroes. But when the star player commits a life-altering violent act on the general manager's daughter, the team, season and town erupt in chaos, anger, and finger pointing. The entire town finds themself choosing sides, making their own contorted determinations on right vs wrong, and deciding for themselves what really matters.
What ensues is a town's path towards justice, however crooked that path may be. With the championship, the hockey club they love, and their future as hockey players on the line, what tips the balance for each character as they decide which side to lean towards. At the end of the day, does anyone really win when a game is put before feelings, safety, and trust? Life long friendships are tested, families broken, and a hockey club split in two. As the dust begins to settle, you'll find yourself gripping the book and turning the pages, all the while, rooting for the underdog. As broken and shaken as things become, by the end of the book you'll find yourself looking forward to Beartown's return to a resilient hockey town in the middle of the forest.
Good to know before reading:
-Trigger warning for a rape that occurs on page.
-This book is the first in a trilogy. And don't think you'll want to stop here...you'll care so much about the characters you have to know what happens to each of them!
My rating:
Oona Out of Order
Margarita Montimore
If January doesn't lend itself to finding the best "something new" books, then I don't know what does! There is something so innately "something new" about everything this month. New year. New resolutions. New calendar. It's so fresh, so exciting. So I was vehemently thrilled to come across this book, where New Years Day plays a prominent part in the story telling.
We begin the book on New Years Eve 1982...which happens to also be the eve to Oona's 19th birthday. As the clock strikes midnight, instead of finding herself celebrating the beginning of her 19th year, she finds herself hurtling through time to find that it's now 12:01 on New Years Day, 2015. With the help of a select few close family members who know of her time traveling uniqueness, as well as some cryptic messages she leaves for herself along the way, Oona finds herself living her life out of order, always restarting on New Years. She never knows which year she'll be thrust into next, nor does she know what's in store for her when she gets there. Although she's tempted from time to time, Oona learns along the way that fate is nothing to mess with and destiny finds a way of ensuring it's path, regardless of meddling. You'll find yourself rooting for Oona to find the people she's meant to, learn the lessons she has to, and to love herself the way she deserves.
If you're hoping for a comedy, this is most definitely not it. I thought it would be a bit more lighthearted when I saw the synopsis and began reading. However, it was quickly apparent that Oona Out of Order is nothing short of a drama, with extreme emotions and turmoil throughout. Imagine living your life out of order, having the knowledge of future years thrown in with the inexperience of younger years. Having friends and loved ones thrust in and out of your life depending on which year you wake up in. Finding yourself living a year in the middle of a marriage that your later self knows is doomed to fail. Experiencing life-altering love, all the while knowing tragedy is just around the corner. These challenges are all part of Oona's existence as she learns how to allow herself the grace to enjoy the here and now, while also grieving for what may never be.
My rating:
Steam rating:
(More like a half a pepper. Very little "steam" going on here-but there are a couple of scenes with just enough description that I felt I needed to include something).
Which decade would you hurtle to during time travel on New Years Eve?
The 1970's
The 1990's
The 2030's
The 2050's
A Winter in New York
Josie Silver
A romance novel with just enough sweet (literally sweet: gelato is practically a main character within the story) and angst mixed together. Starts with an interesting meet-cute; a man (Gio) and woman (Iris) meet in a book store aisle, and both reach for the same book (last copy!) on Valentine's Day. What begins as a sweet meeting, quickly turns sour when Iris lies about something in her past to explain why she wants the book. Although Iris is perfectly content to move past the indiscretion and forget all about it, they end up meeting again several months later, and the small lie ferments, becoming bigger and bigger the longer she lets it sit.
As their friendship, and ultimately romance, develops, Iris struggles with keeping the past from curtailing her present (and future). As Gio and Iris spend more time together and he shares some troubles his family is facing, Iris realizes she may be more connected to him than she once thought. She also may have the very solution his family is seeking, but she's not sure she can pay the price it will cost her to help. All the answers are buried in one of her most treasured possessions, an old photo album that belonged to her mother. As she tries to help Gio and his family find their way towards the elusive recipe that will help save the floundering family business, she buries herself in lies that continue to stack and stack until there's nothing left but for them to fall. The question is, who will still be around when it all comes crashing down?
If you're looking for a quick, easy romantic read, this could be it! A slightly predictable (with some fun, fresh pieces thrown in) about a New York City romance. Not only do we get to experience Iris fall in love with Gio; but also with the city her mom once loved too. Visit New York staples alongside her as she makes old stories become new memories.
Good to know before reading:
-A few narrator changes thrown in throughout with brief glimpses into Iris' mom's life in the 80's. (Back/forth timeline)
My Rating:
Steam rating:
(Honestly more like 1.5. Just a few scenes within, and nothing in the first half of the book. For the "something steamy" pick, this one is actually quite tame.
Marmee
Sarah Miller
Swoon! If I was asked what my favorite book ever was, I would be hard pressed to find one that comes to mind (and stays there) more so than Little Women. I was first assigned this book to read during a TAG project and I found it so daunting and overwhelming. I tried again in high school when I was given Louisa May Alcott as the author I needed to research during a lit project. I actually finished the book that time and enjoyed it. But, it was not truly until the third (third!) time reading that I fell headfirst into loving it. By this time I had already seen (and loved!) the movie(s) and the book held a new magic for me. One of the things I love most about rereading is how the book becomes "new" based on things such as stage of life you're in, experiences you've had, and new things you've learned. When I first read Little Women, I (of course) saw myself in Jo. Possibly Meg. The lifestyle, time in history, experiences were all seen through the girls, as that's who I connected with most. Now that I'm a mom, I often find myself thinking about the matriarchal figure and what things were like from her perspective.
Enter: Sarah Miller. I love this author. She takes well known books, such as Little Women or the Little House on the Prairie, and reimagines them from another point of view. Marmee, the mother of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy gets to shine in this book where we find ourselves being told a story through her diary entries. All of the familiar bits are there, but with Marmee's thoughts, beliefs, and most of all, feelings weaving the most intricate details into a story we thought we knew (but quickly realize we didn't). The Marmee we knew from Little Women was calm, collected, and thoughtful. In this book, we find she is these things, but so much more. She is a staunch abolitionist and supporter of human rights. She volunteers tirelessly, not so much to lead others out of harms way, but to teach them how to lead themselves. She has feelings. Oh so many feelings! Her temper and fiery personality come to life through the pages.
Through her diary, we read entries of a young woman, recently betrothed, learning how to reconcile her fiercely independent self with the expectations of a wife. We read about motherhood, both losses and joys, and all of the second-guessing, questioning, and guilt that come along with the constant decision making required to raise young children in a volatile time. We get a glimpse into the mind of a worried wife, with a husband at war, constantly grappling with the guilt of worrying about her own family when thousands of others are experiencing worse hardships than she. Most of all, we get to see all of the complex thoughts that make up a mind...thoughts that fleet from mother, to wife, to others, to self. If you haven't read (or watched) Little Women, I think you'd still enjoy this book, but it would lack the depth and understanding as you see all the pieces come together.
If You Like This Book, Check Out:
-Caroline by Sarah Miller
-Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
My Rating:
Read Along with me in February:
Something old... | The Blizzard Party by Jack Livings |
Something new... | Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore |
Something steamy... | This Spells Love by Kate Robb |
Something true-ish | Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson |
Bonus (if time!) | Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus |
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