8 books I read in January

Hey, friends! How was your reading in January? Mine went better than expected. I was able to read eight books, the majority of which were okay. Some were a lot more memorable than others. I’ll be posting mini-reviews of these eight books I read in January.

The Madhouse by T.J Benson

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It’s not my usual kind of book but it stayed with me long after I finished it. It explores the life of a dysfunctional family of four. I wrote a review here.

Instructions for dancing by Nicola Yoon

I really enjoyed this one. It follows a teenage girl who suddenly loses faith in love after finding her father cheating on her mother. As she navigated these feelings, she came across a book, which brought with it magic. It was a very quick, bittersweet read. I adore Nicola Yoon and I doubt I’ll ever be disappointed by her work.

Beautiful World, Where are you by Sally Rooney

What can I say? Sally Rooney is skilled at writing about Millennials dealing with Millennial shit. This book follows four people in their late twenties and early thirties as they navigate life. A large part of the book consists of Alice and Eileen’s emails to each other in which they discuss topics ranging from social media to modern living, feminism, sex, and existential questions. It was fantastic. I share quotes from this book here.

Bridges are for burning by Bina Idonije

I really wanted to like this one after seeing the cover. However, I was let down. The pacing was off. Nothing, not the friendships, not the relationships, seemed believable. It’s not a big book, yet they managed to put irrelevant things in it. I was mostly disappointed. It is out on the 9th of February.

Two can keep a secret by Karen McManus

This is the third book I’ve read by Karen McManus, and I wasn’t disappointed. I liked it more than one of us is next but not as much as I liked One of us is lying. It has a typical YA murder mystery plot and is quite fast-paced. I particularly like the character development in this one. I will definitely be reading her latest release as I was gifted a copy.

After perfect by Maan Gabriel

This one was fantastic. It was a beautiful debut novel. It follows Gabriella, a recently divorced 36-year-old woman on her way to a new beginning. Her friend enrolled her in a master’s program in creative writing at NYU, and she navigates her new life while putting herself out there emotionally. I admired her bravery and her growth through this book. The romance in this book was so sweet. I, however, would like the miscommunication thing in romance novels to die by fire.

Everyone in this room will someday be dead by Emily Austin

I really enjoyed reading this. The author did a good job depicting what it’s like to have anxiety and depression through Gilda’s thoughts and actions. They’re wild but also somewhat relatable. Although it did feel disjointed at times, I didn’t mind. I laughed out loud several times, and I related with the protagonist more than I’d like to. This book subtly demonstrates how insensitive people can be to people who are struggling with their mental health — especially those closest to them.

I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a quick or light read, which is ironic considering the heavy themes. If you liked “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine”, you’ll like this! It also gave me the same vibe I got from “Anxious people”.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

This was such a brilliant novel. It follows the life of Gifty, a PhD candidate who is researching the role of the brain in addiction. Her brother died as a result of addiction, and her mother is a shadow of herself. This book takes us on a heartbreaking journey as Gifty explores the conflict between faith and science, battles with her trauma and finds answers. Yaa’s exploration of grief is one of my favorites in fiction. Everyone should read this, in my opinion. Yes, it’s depressing. Yes, it is different from her debut novel but it’s 100% worth a read.

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I had a very good reading month in January. I can’t say the same for February but we don’t put pressure on ourselves over here.

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How’s your month going ?