Hello Loves!
Time for my January Reading Wrap-Up.
January, for me is a month where I want to read the best books. To set the tone for the rest of my reading year. It's unfair to heap this sort of pressure on a month, but I am far too set in my ways to change.
I put a fair amount of thought into picking my reads, especially for first read of the year.
I want to read books that make me happy and books that I am fairly certain I will like.
I didn't make a TBR this month, I did have a rough idea of which books I'd read but I was also swayed by my mood and some new releases that jumped ahead in queue.
I read 20 books in total.
A classic, my favourite one at that.
A memoir.
A lot of kid lit.
Some picture books.
Some graphic novels which I loved. The first two weeks of January had me in such a graphic novel phase and I am so happy this happened.
A thriller, with a side of horror.
Some literary fiction.
I also managed to squeeze in a Japanese book for January in Japan.
A very, very successful reading month if you ask me!
:)
So let's jump into my reads of January and some mini-reviews and some rants.
Let's go!
JANUARY READS:
I started my year with three books by Sudha Murty. Books I knew would bring me simple and uncomplicated joy and honestly it was the perfect way to jump into a New Year.
I read and loved these books and I have reviews up for all of them.
Click on each title to go see the reviews.
There were all 4/5 reads for me and just such a good time and I smiled my way through them.
1. How The Earth Got it's Beauty by Sudha Murty.
2. How the Mango Got it's Magic "
3. The Gopi Diaries - Growing Up "
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Every year I tell myself that I want to read more classics. At least the ones I've collected so lovingly over the years. This year I want to actively work towards this goal of mine. So I started my year with a book I love so very much and one that has been an important book in my reading life. I LOVE this book and I have read it a few times, but it had been a hot minute since I re-read it and it was time to go back to Darcy and Elizabeth.
And I still love it.
Very very much.
I am getting so many new shades and nuances to this book. And surprisingly, I am seeing so many characters in a new light. That's why re-reading is so important, especially with books that you love deeply.
5/5
Always.
Then I fell into some graphic novels and it was such a good time.
Let's talk about them really quickly.
5. A Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tang: This book just spoke to me. I love being quiet. I love quiet places and the world often feels so loud and chaotic. This book and the author's experience felt like something I go through and relate to soooo much. I loved the art and the feels were so real. I absolutely adored it and if you are a fellow quiet person, please pick this up.
4/5
6. Sheets by Brenna Thummler: A sweet little tale of a young girl trying to keep her family owned laundry afloat and dealing with the grief of losing her mom and we also have these adorable ghosts that just are so freaking cute. I adored this book. So cute and fun.
4/5
7. Love & Pyjamas
8. Snug
9. Little Moments of Love by Catana Comics: If you like all things mushy and lovey and romance and cutesy, these books are perfect for you. If you are looking for a Valentine's Day read, look no further. They feature cute moments of a couple and it's just sweet.
3/5 for all.
10. The Okay Witch
&
11. The Okay Witch and The Hidden Shadow by Emma Steinkellner: These middle grade adventure books are about a young girl finding out that she is a witch and has this rich family history and all these powers. It was very Sabrina the Teen Witch and very Waverly Place and was fun and fast paced and funny too. I had a good time.
4/5 for both.
12. Weasels in the Attic by Hiroko Oyamada, Translated by David Boyd: This short little novella, well a set of three interconnected short-stories was a my pick for January in Japan. I really enjoyed it and it's take on parenthood, marriage, masculinity and motherhood and well weasels. It's a moving and sharp and well-written take on modern marriage and traditional gender roles. Really nice.
4.5/5
13. Fear and Lovely by Anjana Appachana: My sister surprised me this book. We had read it's prequel, Listening Now back in 2009 and then again a few years ago. I love that book. So very much. I did a rave review for it in 2016. You can find it here. I cannot recommend this book enough, Seriously, pick it up.
So my hopes were sky high with this one.
For most part, this was an enjoyable read. I was enjoying being back in this world and with characters I loved so much. But at some point I felt like what was the point of this story? And why was our main protagonist such an idiot?!
It felt tedious and too long and ended up being quite massively disappointing.
2.5/5
14. Spare by Prince Harry: Haz wrote a memoir, broke his silence.
So I read it. I read this in one sitting, on a lazy Sunday I read this book and I even wrote a review.
I wrote a whole lot.
3/5
15. Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume: I finally read the classic that every girl seems to have read but me. I don't know how I didn't read this when I 12. Wait, I do. I read grown-up books then because I was a grown-up.
Sheesh.
12 year old me would have loved this book, so much. But actually grown-up me also loved this book quite as much. It was sweet, earnest, full of the angst of being a pre-teen and the awkwardness of that special time in our lives. I also didn't expect the confusion and deep dive Margaret does into religion and her beliefs.
So glad I finally read it and I can't wait to see the film adaptation later this year.
4/5
16. Teen Couple Having Fun Outdoors by Aravind Jayan: This book, man it hit so close home. Told mainly from the perspective from the younger child in a nuclear family, this book felt like I was reading about some one I know all too well.
A sex scandal breaks out in a small town. Everyone and their second cousin has seen the infamous video and now the couple in the video and their families have to deal with the aftermath.
This book was such a riot.
It made me laugh, out loud in so many places.
It made me mad, sad and had be so invested.
An amazing book that I think you should pick up. It's also short and perfect to read in one sitting.
4.5/5
17. How To Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix: This is my third read by the author. I read My Best Friend's Exorcism and even watched the film adaption last year and quite liked it. I also read Horrorstor. You can read my review of it HERE.
One of my reading goals for 2023 is to read a little more horror. So this book was picked up with much enthusiasm. Hmmm...however I don't think this quite worked for me. It was campy enough and unsettling in parts and if you like haunted dolls or possessed puppets sorta books, this might we a good book to pick up. I liked some bits of it, there is an older mystery/secret, which I had guessed but it was nicely done. But it just wasn't scary enough. It seems to me my issue with all of the author's books. :(
2/5
I then two adorable picture books!
18. My Name is Malala by Mariam Quraishi: Full of pretty illustrations and just a simple introduction about Malala, none of the heavy stuff i.e. being shot in the head by the Taliban, since it's intended for kiddos. It's a sweet and quick little read.
4/5
19. Little People, Big Dreams- Agatha Christie by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara: I love Dame Christie and this one was just such a treat. Cute as can be. I want to read all the books in this series, they are so beautiful and cute and I am so in love.
5/5
20. Where The Mayflies Live Forever by Anupama Mohan: This is a short-ish read. A little under 200 pages but boy does this pack a punch. It's told from multiple perspectives. It's a familiar, sadly way too familiar story we see on the News, a woman gets violated. Doesn't get justice, because men, especially influential men get away with a lot in our culture. So we hear from the victim, her parents, her frail old grandmother and her best friend, her husband and her brothers, we even hear from one of the accomplices of her assault. This book will get under your skin. Make you mad, make you think and feel the rage we are familiar with.
TWs for Sexual Assault, Violence and Rape.
4/5
~~~~
20 books Read.
And 14 books Bought.
A good Reading Month.
A very good one indeed.
I hope January was good for you too!
:)
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