The first month of the year is the perfect time to dive into the books we’ve been meaning to read, and the No Chapter Left Behind Book Club kicked off the year with an inspiring selection!
Each month, members choose books from their own shelves—no pressure, just progress—and have the option to follow a fun theme for extra motivation.
For January, readers could embrace “A Blank Slate” by picking a book with a white cover, symbolizing new beginnings, or they could cozy up with “Winter Warm-Up,” selecting a book set in a cold or snowy setting. No matter the choice, the goal was the same: to enjoy the journey and make a dent in our ever-growing book collections.
Below is a list of books our members read in January and what they thought about them—perhaps you’ll find your next great read among them!
This one turned out to be a classic romantic suspense adventure… but in the very COLD lands (ice?) of Antarctica. It was fun and fast-paced with a few ‘romantic’ scenes to warm things up. I was a little disappointed that we do not get closure on the ‘bad guys’ as it is book one of a series but overall a fun read to start the year!
I loved this book! It ended up being different from what I expected as far as theme and plot goes, but I love it for what it is! I rated it 4.5/5 stars because although I loved it there were a couple weird plot points I couldn’t ignore while rating it. But I’d definitely recommend it, and the movie ended up being a great adaptation as well. I think the main family of 5 the story focuses on were the most compelling characters, especially Suzie’s brother and sister. I also loved Grandma Lynn and Ray Singh. And as a young person, I enjoyed diving into the setting of the far away and historic 1970’s, ha!
Great premise – deaf high school football team. Too much football play-by-play
Interesting slice of life describing a writer’s trials and travails in Hollywood and writing novels, over a plot of mixed-race families. Well done, but a little “precious” for me. Part of Diane Rehm book club. Author discussion was great.
Good book. Cool story about a murder in the 1950’s at a boarding school and a murder in the 1990’s at the same school of a townie. A ghost haunts both story lines.
Loved it! A magical journey about the inspirations for the Narnia series.
Fascinating stories about World War 2 in the North Sea during winter. Full of adventure, danger, daring, loss, triumph, courage and perseverance. Skipper, Ole Grotle, was a young Bremanger fisherman, who was lost at sea after making several successful trips into Norway. Jan Baalsrud, a soldier evaded capture by the Germans after his boat was sunk. He walked, skied, and was carried 75 miles by Norwegian resistance across the mountains in Norway to reach safety in Sweden. At one point he was left immobilized and freezing on a mountain for 19 days waiting for a Lapp reindeer herder who would eventually take him on a reindeer sledge across the frontier of Finland and into Sweden.
Really liked this one. Loved the descriptions of winter in Alaska. The couple at the center of the book are both very interesting. The snow child is very mysterious. This book is a retelling of sorts of an old Russian folktale.
First in a series about an ex-Amish woman who is now a police chief in a small town in Ohio. Some gruesome murders of young women happen. Quite a lot of triggers so watch out. It is set in winter and it is terribly cold and lots of snow etc. Not my favourite book.
Love this book. It’s beautiful in so many ways.
A fantastic historical fiction and so much more!
A Whodunnit Historical Romantic Mystery Set in 1950’s England – Great murder mystery!
January was a great start to the year, and it’s so fun to see all the different books our members picked up! Whether you stuck to a theme or just grabbed something off your shelf, every book finished is a win.
Be sure to check back next month to see what we’ve read in February—or better yet, join the No Chapter Left Behind Book Club and be part of the fun!
Pick a book, follow the themes (or not!), and enjoy the journey with fellow book lovers. Happy reading!
