As it is the last day of January I get to post my first monthly wrapped!
In January I read a total of 21 books. I had 2 DNF. 9 were audiobooks and the rest were ebooks through either libby or kindle unlimited
Here is my rapid short reviews of each book I read this month:
Foe by Iain Reid: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you like black mirror and want something short but engaging; read this.
Insatiable by Leigh Rivers: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 I went into this strictly for the smut and it delivered plot, smut, and characters I fell in love with??
DNF Voracious by Leigh Rivers at 20%: I loved these characters but I could not take the abuse porn it turned into. Feels like the plot became how badly can we fuck up our MC's with the same repetitive abuse.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this was an intense lit fic about family and the consequences of choices made, for better or for worse. Does have some slow parts but still a great read.
Deaths Obsession by Avina St. Graves: ⭐️⭐️.5 novella about fucking the grim reaper. Would I throw it back for him? Yes. Was this a good book? Debatable. Almost nothing made sense.
A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is literally the first book but told from cas’ perspective. I loved the first book and I love cas so I loved this. However this was a cash grab and should not have been included in the series itself. (cas will always be book daddy number 1 idc idc)
The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another heavy lit fic with themes of racism, homophobia, and religious prejudice. This was so impactful and made me cry a lot.
Confessions by Kanae Minato: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 This book asks the question what if everyone at a middle school had mommy issues and a penchant for violence and revenge.
Skyshade by Alex Aster: ⭐️⭐️.5 I really thought this was a trilogy and it’s not but it is for me now. This book was boring and repetitive. (I think this was my last straw with this series)
For the Fans by Nyla K: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Step brothers make an onlyfans and I didn’t know I was going to be as invested in these boys as I was but man it was cheesy but worth it
When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker: ⭐️.5 if your book requires a 20 page glossary to explain the world it’s not good world building. This world was not well fleshed out the writing was overly flowery and the MCs were both insufferable. (this was my last straw with booktok recs cause wtf)
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I still miss cardan and Jude. The best enemies to lovers imo.
The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I wanted to rate this lower because of how horribly gruesome it was but it was well written and compelling
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ this one felt like it had a lot of plot holes and was predictable. Even for YA read extra juvenile and gave more children’s book.
The Body Papers by Grace Talusan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I hesitate to rate anyone’s memoir less than 5 stars. It wasn’t for me I felt like we ended where we started but isn’t that life.
The Ritual by Shantel Tessier⭐️.75 the potential was there but that’s where it starts and stops. This was a bad soap opera and gave me the ick (I did continue the series cause I’m a glutton for punishment)
Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister ⭐️⭐️.75 this was a fine psych thriller. Kind of felt like reading a criminal minds episode in both a bad and good way?
Mother of Death and Dawn by Carissa Broadbent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a beautiful end to a beautiful and heartbreaking story.
Any Man by Amber Tamblyn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this is one that hits a little too close to home with the current political situation.
No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is a basics of IFS therapy. I think it is something everyone should read esp helping professions and witches.
The Sinner by Shantel Tessier ⭐️⭐️.75 Better than the first one but not by much. Still very soap opera-y and repetitive which made it drag.
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I missed Jude and Cardan so I loved coming back to this world. Fun little novella, wish it gave more to their relationship.
DNF The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori at 22% I don't even know what it was but both the MC's gave me the ick.
January was such a good reading month with some lovely books but I think my top three will be:
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
Mother of Death and Dawn by Carissa Broadbent
A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout
So romantasy was the vibe. On to month 2 of 2025!
