Books I Read in January 2022!
My reading goal this year was to start with one book a week, which went really well! My non-numerous goal this year is to just enjoy my books and not rushing my reads, so this is a great balance for me!
1. Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor - I read this for university, and while this is an extremely beautiful written book, I just could not enjoy it because of it's complexity. I am aware that this makes my rating extremely subjective, but you have to read between the lines so much and have to have so much background knowledge to understand the context (historically and culturally) that this was just really hard to get through. It was frustrating at times because I really wanted to understand, but couldn't. I like a challenging read, but this one just wasn't for me at this point of my life (or at least literary experience). 2/5
2. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert - I started this series last year and really enjoyed the first book, and the second one did not disappoint! I really loved the insight into a literature doctorate and in general, just liked the dynamic between Dani and Saf. I listened to this as an audiobook, which I expected to be cringy when it comes to the steamy parts, but it was actually quite alright! If you like romance like The Love Hypothesis, I'm sure you'll like this one! 4.5/5
3. You'll Be The Death of Me by Karen McManus - Having thoroughly enjoyed McManus' books so far, I was indeed a little disappointed with this one. The book is yet again a YA-murder mystery, but it felt very repetitive knowing her other books; if you read mystery, you want everything to feel brand new and interesting, otherwise you won't have that *icantputthisbookdown* spark. And I definitely could put this book down. I really liked The Cousins and One of Us Is Lying, but this one did not feel like a whiff of fresh air, it felt like writing new characters in a template already used.... 2/5
4. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert - I just had to finish off this trilogy right away, and I did love this one just as much. The setting at the BnB, the very lovable characters and the fantastic, witty writing. Amazing. I cannot wait to read more from Talia Hibbert. 4/5
5. Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig - This was an AMAZING read. I am usually not big on non-fiction books, but this one blew my mind. The talk about mental health, stress and how it is connected to our modern world and especially social media was really inspiring. It made me reflect on my media consumption and also more aware of it. A definite recommendation! 5/5











