january

BOOKENDS: What I Read in January 2023

- Meg

I read one of the worst books of the year already in January, but I also read some really excellent ones as well! I have also condensed my emoji indicators for whether or not it’s something I purchased, received for review, etc! It’s been a few years, and with this new layout and it being a new year/new approach to my blog, I decided to make a small update! I don’t particularly track whether or not something is in audio or ebook for end of year review, so those went away. As I have a track record for not posting my Bookends posts in a relatively timely manner, I’m not including what I’m currently reading in wrap up posts! Even though I have been posting two or more months in a wrap up, I will be posting each month individually every Friday for January through April to catch up, and then my wrap ups will be monthly!

WHAT I READ

💖 purchased/owned | 🌠 library/borrowed | 🔮 review copy | 💞 reread | 👻 dnf

💖 Spells for Forgetting, by Adrienne Young
💖 Babel: An Arcane History, by R.F. Kuang
🌠👻 Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match, by Sally Thorne
💖💞 Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine
💖 The Gossamer Mage, by Julie E. Czerneda
💖 A Kiss at Midnight, by Eloisa James
💖 Dark Prince, by Christine Feehan

I read eight books in January! I think my favorite of the month was Babel: An Arcane History, but I enjoyed Spells for Forgetting and Up All Night With a Good Duke!! Ella Enchanted is a favorite of mine, and I reread it to avoid getting stuck in a book slump after DNFing the Sally Thorne book which was arguably one of the worst books I’ve read this year if not one of the worst books I’ve attempted to read in a while due to its weird interpretation of Frankenstein but as a romance. It gave me the super ick. The Gossamer Mage and A Kiss at Midnight were fine, and I enjoyed Dark Prince more than I thought I would! Vampires seem to have a resurgence lately, and I’m ready for it.

WRAP UP: January 2020

- Meg

January felt like a weird month, a long month that felt like several years nested into the days, and just… L O N G. But I also didn’t get as much reading done as I would have hoped (even though eight books is a respectable number), or anything really, and honestly I’m okay with that. January and the pressure of performing in the first month of the new year is too much sometimes, and I think, especially for me who is currently working in retail, I need that time and space to give myself permission to do nothing at all and just unwind from the stress of the holidays.

I also started off the month with a disappointing read, so I think that threw off my whole reading excitement for a while. I’ve also been really into reading literary criticism/books about books and history, and I have a feeling this trend is going to continue for a while. But I also know I have a tendency to get stuck on certain subjects and genres, so I’ll see where it goes!

In January, I read:

  • On Nineteen Eighty-Four, by D.J. Taylor (1.5/5 stars)
  • Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics, by Stephen Greenblatt (5/5 stars)
  • Things in Jars, by Jess Kidd (4.5/5 stars)
  • A Beginning at the End, by Mike Chen (4/5 stars)
  • Astro Poets: Your Guides to the Zodiac, by Alex Dimitrov and Dorothea Lasky (4/5 stars)
  • How to Watch a Movie, by David Thomson (1.5/5 stars)
  • What a Difference a Duke Makes, by Lenora Bell (3/5 stars)
  • The Map of Knowledge, by Violet Moller (5/5 stars)

I also finally acknowledged that I am 1000% a mood reader and I don’t think I’ll be setting myself monthly TBRs much anymore, unless I do have obligations or definite reads I want to get to. I’ve also been a little better about writing reviews and getting posts ready. I want to try to post at least four days a week, with reviews and other things, and I think I have a few ideas for consistent posts that will help be sure I do hit that four posts a week mark.

How was your January?