January has been an odd month! It has gone slow yet quite quickly at the same time. I’ve managed to read 10 books throughout January which is excellent! So, I am back with another what I’ve read this month post. I have some thoughts on the books I read throughout January. Here is a bunch of mini reviews for the books I read in January!
Here’s To Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Ben has spent his first year of college working on his fantasy manuscript with his writing partner Mario, who is a great Spanish tutor, and an even better kisser. So why can’t he stop thinking about the fact that Arthur’s back in town two years after they called it quits?
Arthur is in New York for a dream internship on Broadway, with a boyfriend back at home that he couldn’t be happier with. But when he comes upon Ben cuddled up with a mystery boy, he starts to wonder if his feelings for Ben ever truly went away.
Even as the boys try to focus on their futures, they can’t seem to help running into each other in the present. Is the universe forcing them to question if they’re actually meant to be?
I was so excited to read the sequel to a book I had absolutely adored a couple of years before but was worried about it living up to my expectations. It certainly lived up to my expectations and exceeded them. This is such a sweet and adorable book that I’m sure so many people will love. I wrote a full review of this, which you can find here.
★★★★
The Revelry by Katherine Webber
I am girl of Ember Grove, and these are my woods…
Growing up in Ember Grove, Bitsy Clark knows better than to mess with the long-held traditions of her hometown. Until her best friend, Amy, persuades her to sneak into the Revelry – the end of school party in the woods, to which only those leaving are invited.
When she wakes the next day, Bitsy can’t remember anything from the night before. Weirder still, whenever she tries to speak about…
When this arrived on my doorstep, I started reading it immediately and loved it. This story and how it plays out is unique. It is a contemporary novel with magical realism weaved throughout. It is a book I would highly recommend and I cannot wait to read more from Katherine Webber.
★★★★
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich
Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining under the pressures of fame, and Ruben confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by management’s pressure to stay in the closet.
On a whirlwind tour through Europe, with both an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach come to rely on each other more and more, and their already close friendship evolves into a romance. But when they decide they’re ready to tell their fans and live freely, Zach and Ruben start to truly realize that they will never have the support of their management. How can they hold tight to each other when the whole world seems to want to come between them?
If you haven’t read this book yet and don’t already own a copy, this book needs to be on your shelves and TBR immediately. It is adorable, eye-opening, emotional and all round incredible. I adored it and will forever sing its praises. I’ve written a full review of this one which you can find here.
★★★★
Snapshot Books!
Here is a little snapshot of 5 of the books that I’ve read this month along with the rating I gave them. I enjoyed them all and definitely recommend them!
- The Crossing by Manjeet Mann – ★★★★★
- The Sad Ghost Club by Lize Meddings – ★★★★
- The Sad Ghost Club, Vol 2 by Lize Meddings – ★★★★
- Fools in Love: An Anthology – ★★★★
- The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon – ★★★★
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.
Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?
Taylor Jenkins Reid can honestly do no wrong in my opinion. I know if I pick up one of her books it is going to blow me away. I read this one in a mater of sittings and adored the story and the way it all played out. It isn’t my favourite book by her but it is definitely one that I will go back and re-read in the future.
★★★★
Anxious People by Fredrick Backman
In a small town in Sweden it appears to be an ordinary day. But look more closely, and you’ll see a mysterious masked figure approaching a bank…
Two hours later, chaos has descended. A bungled attempted robbery has developed into a hostage situation – and the offender is refusing to communicate their demands to the police.
Within the building, fear quickly turns to irritation for the seven strangers trapped inside. If this is to be their last day on earth, shouldn’t it be a bit more dramatic?
This book is going to be on my mind for a long time. I picked this one up purely because I had seen it had been adapted for Netflix and wanted to read it before watching the show. I read it in just a couple of days and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. This is my first Fredrick Backman book but won’t be my last.
Statistics
Books read this month: 10
Pages read this month: 3,266
Books read this year: 10
Pages read this year: 3,266
There you have it, that is everything I read in January! What have you read in January and what are you looking forward to reading in February? Let me know in the comments!
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