January was an okay reading month. I read a total of 8 books, including 5.5 audiobooks (ha, more on that later). I really liked a few of the things I read, but some of the others were just okay. As always, click on the titles to read my Goodreads reviews.
The Two Princesses of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine. This a reread, but it's just so good! Ella Enchanted was always my favorite growing up, but I love this one too. There's something so magical and timeless about most of her books.
Mary Poppins Opens the Door, by P.L. Travers. (Audiobook.) More of the same as the first two in the series, ha. Looking back it will be very hard to differentiate between the different books in this series! They're all so similar! Overall a quick, pleasant listen on audio.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. (Audiobook, not pictured.) I enjoyed this so much more than I expected to! Several parts actually had me laughing out loud. I had never read it before, but I used to watch the Disney movie Tom and Huck a lot as a kid, so certain aspects were coming back to me as I listened. I liked the whole atmosphere, and I found the kids' superstitions to be hilarious.
Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell. (Audiobook.) I've owned a copy of this ever since I was a kid, but for some reason I never read it! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was simple, engaging, and interesting to listen to.
The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine. Sadly, this was no Two Princesses of Bamarre! This one felt unnecessarily long. I did enjoy the second half more, but it just seemed like she was trying too hard or something.
Echo, by Pam Munoz Ryan. (Audiobook, not pictured.) I'd been wanting to read this one for years now, and it was so, so good! I loved how the main stories were intertwined and how everything came together in the end. I wasn't expecting it to be historical fiction or to be so focused on WWII. It was just really well done! The audiobook was great, too.
Mary Poppins in the Park, by P.L. Travers. (Audiobook, not pictured.) Again, more of the same! These stories are from the previous three books, and while some of them were good, it was nothing amazing.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. I don't know why this one is generally considered to be so much better than Tom Sawyer! I had such a hard time getting through it. Almost halfway through, it was taking me so long that I switched over to audiobook and that was much better. The plot was so random and long and rambling. I liked the beginning and end the best, but I enjoyed Tom Sawyer so much better.