The Books I Read In January 2022
The Books I Read In January
Oh look. It’s my January wrap up at the end of February LOL. I’m really not sure how this happened. The month definitely got away from me. February's will be coming soon!
I really enjoyed the selection of books I got to in January though! I visited all of my favorite genres and finally read a thriller again. I'm pretty sure last year, I maybe only got to… one?… if that! And it's a genre I really enjoy!
Is there a genre that you love, but never seem to get to?
Blog Contents
The Stats
The Books
At A Glance
Fantasy
contemporary romance
Historical fiction | thriller
The Stats
NUMBER OF BOOKS: 9
BEST OF THE BUNCH: Aurora’s End
STUNNING SERIES SPOTLIGHT: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
PRINT: 7
E-BOOK: 2
GENRES: Fantasy (4), Romance — Contemporary (3), Thriller (1), Historical Fiction (1)
AVERAGE RATING: 4.27 ★
The Books
AT A G L A N C E
OBSESSED 🙌🏻
Aurora's End
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Running Wild
HEART EYES 😍
Believe Me
This Woven Kingdom
After I Do
Beneath The Stairs
ENJOYED 🤍
Anatomy
The Sweetest Remedy
THE F A N T A S Y BOOKS
Aurora’s End
RATING: ★★★★★
“We the Legion, we the light, burning bright against the night.”
This was the perfect conclusion to this sci-fi, fantasy series! It’s got to be one of my all time favorites.
And End was my absolute favorite of the series, hands down.
And now I really, definitely, whole heartedly, with every fiber of my being need a second trilogy.
Squad 312 forever 🤟🏻
READ THIS TRILOGY IF YOU LIKE:
💫 cryosleep mishaps
💫 snarky snark banter x kissing
💫 FATED/BONDED MATES (wut)
💫 alien species (some that resemble fae - wut)
💫 prophetic visions x divinity
💫 telekinesis x psychic energy
💫 interstellar fugitives
💫 galactic conspiracies
💫 multiple POVs
💫 mindflayers + the hive mind
💫 cool squads of misfits 🤍
💫 teaming up with enemies to fight... bigger enemies
💫 heists
💫 time travel x time loops
SHOP THE BOOK:
Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Bookshop.org | Book Depository
Believe Me
RATING: ★★★★★
“I’m going to marry you today. And then I’m going to make love to you until you can’t remember.”
Sigh… I love Warner so much. This novella is fully from his perspective and I’m so glad because we got so little of him in Imagine Me!
Warner is such an intense, emotional, and misunderstood character - and I think that’s half the reason I love him so much.
I can see a lot of myself in him with the way he handles his anxiety and withdraws from the world only wanting to find solace in Juliette.
That’s how I feel like I am in my life and with my husband.
Their love is seriously epic and I’m SO glad I decided to read the novellas alongside this series. It’s really worth it!
READ THIS SERIES IF YOU LIKE:
💗 sci-fi/dystopian worlds
💗 love triangle x enemies to lovers
💗 found family
💗 superhuman abilities
💗 psychokinetic powers
💗 ‘us against the world’ trope
💗 epic love
💗 banter/wit x emotional well-being
SHOP THE NOVELLA:
Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Bookshop.org | Book Depository
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
RATING: ★★★★.5
“Hope is the real magic, child.”
What a utterly unique and one of a kind story and fantasy world.
This story, so far, checks all of my boxes:
Fantasy world with real world elements ✔️
Favorite tropes of all time - angels x demons AND fated + forbidden love AND secret identity AND found family ✔️
Artsy main character ✔️
Tragic back story ✔️
Expansive origin stories ✔️
Fast paced ✔️
Lyrical yet snark writing ✔️
Series approved ✔️
And gosh, THE CHARACTERS. I love Karou and Zuzana’s friendship. Zuze is so spunky! And Karou’s found family!! Love them to pieces. And Akiva. Akiva. Akiva…
I can’t wait to continue this series!!
SHOP THE BOOK:
Amazon - The Set | Amazon Kindle | Bookshop.org | Bookshop.org - The Set | Book Depository
This Woven Kingdom
RATING: ★★★★
"I haven't the slightest idea what we're doing”, he said softly. “Though if you mean to take me captive, you need only ask. I would come willingly."
Jinn, the Devil, and warring kingdoms, oh my! What a great start to this new Persian mythology inspired fantasy series.
There's a swoony forbidden romance, royalty in hiding, deception, secrets and sinister plots. And oooh the twists!!
>> Check out my full blog review here <<
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE:
💛 lush, magical fantasy worlds
💛 Persian mythology
💛 dual POVs
💛 jinn x ancient kingdoms
💛 fire? ice? magic
💛 origin stories
💛 warring kingdoms x courtly intrigue
💛 forbidden love x royalty in hiding
💛 prophecies x foretellings
💛 woven things x fireflies
💛 body positivity
💛 magical artifacts
💛 DRAGONS
SHOP THE BOOK:
THE R O M A N C E BOOKS
Running Wild
RATING: ★★★★★
"I have a heart that aches when dreams are shattered, and emotions that can pull a river of tears when hope proves false."
*takes big contented sigh* 😮💨🤧 This was amazing. perfect. beautiful.
I was so glad to get to know Marie more in this story, and honestly, I really hope we get more her and Tyler!
Seriously, Marie and Tyler's story touched my heart in unfathomable ways. I will truly never forget it.
I adored her family, the conflict, and ultimately how everything turned out.
>> Check out my full blog review here <<
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE:
💙 the Alaskan wild
💙 vet clinics x dog sledding!
💙 corny dad jokes 🤍
💙 slow burn, friends to lovers
💙 new guy in town
💙 flirtatious, fun banter
💙 healing & moving on
💙 Sunday family dinners
💙 heated, intense moments
💙 MCs in their late 30s
SHOP THE BOOK:
Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Bookshop.org | Book Depository
After I Do
RATING: ★★★★.25
“Isn’t it nice,” he says, “once you’ve outgrown the ideas of what life should be and you just enjoy what it is?”
I felt so seen in this book.
What a genuine and raw story of marriage, second chances, and growth & healing.
There were so many themes that I loved.
I also enjoyed the interwoven side stories and characters and their different perspectives on relationships and life.
This was really good and just… lovely.
THE THEMES THAT I LOVED:
just living and enjoying life for what it is, not what you think it should be or thought it would be
doing things differently and finding your own path
believing in the people you love (and yourself) and saying so regularly
SHOP THE BOOK:
The Sweetest Remedy
RATING: ★★★
“And she did feel it, love, in all its many variations—familial, romantic, the self-love that now filled the holes inside her and overflowed. And she found it was the best remedy. The sweetest remedy.”
This was a cute, quick, and heartwarming read.
It’s about family, grief, and love in all it's variations - familial, self, romantic.
It's about navigating the dynamics of a new family and culture all but foreign to the main character, but no less hers.
I devoured most of this story, especially in the beginning (I was a huge fan of Igharo's debut, Ties That Tether), but was ultimately left wanting a little more, especially in the romance department.
That's definitely a subplot in this novel, but didn't take away from the other key and important themes this story covers.
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE:
🧡 short chapters x multiple POVs
🧡 a father x his legacy
🧡 a chance encounter x quick attraction
🧡 age gap x forbidden romance
🧡 big family vibes
🧡 tradition and honoring culture/heritage
🧡 Lagos, Nigeria setting
SHOP THE BOOK:
THE H I S T O R I C A L F I C T I O N | T H R I L L E R BOOKS
Anatomy: A Love Story
RATING: ★★★.75
“My beating heart is still yours. I’ll be waiting.”
Anatomy: A Love Story is a coming-of-age YA historical fiction novel with a focus on feminism and a touch of romance, essence of Frankenstein, and just a smidge of magical realism.
It’s eerie, ominous, foreboding, and macabre.
I was hoping for more of the who-dun-it mystery and magical realism that we get near the end of the story, but this is really a book about a girl finding her own way and coming into her own which was just as good!
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE:
⚰️ gothic historical fiction
⚰️ alternating POVs
⚰️ 1800 Scotland
⚰️ romance x murder mystery
⚰️ body snatchers x resurrection men
⚰️ medical societies
⚰️ wisdom from a medical journal
⚰️ intermittent letters x epistolary novels
SHOP THE BOOK:
Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Bookshop.org | Book Depository
Beneath The Stairs
RATING: ★★★★
"I see a woman who went back into the darkness and emerged alive."
I really enjoyed this!
Beneath The Stairs is a spooky, layered mystery with a touch of haunting reminiscent of Hill House and Bly Manor.
It's set in a small northern town and the story is told through a unique multiple timeline progression in several POVs where we get glimpses into past events surrounding the mysteriousness of the chilling Octagon House.
With a rich back story, curses, ghosts, secrets uncovered, and a smidge of spicey and second chance romance, I couldn't put it down.
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE:
🏠 ghost stories and mysteries
🏠 people haunted x spooky manors
🏠 back stories x multiple timelines
🏠 second chance romance
🏠 childhood friends and bonds
🏠 now and then chronicle
🏠 small towns with secrets
🏠 supernatural thrillers
SHOP THE BOOK:
Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Bookshop.org | Book Depository
Q O T D: Is there a genre that you love, but never seem to get to?
Pin Me
More On The Blog
Disclaimer
Hey friend. I wanted you to know that this post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link. I don't want you to worry because I only recommend tools and products that I personally use and love and I always have my readers' best interest at heart. Thanks for hangin' with me!
Oh hey, friend!
I’m Leah. Cozy connoisseur and bountiful book buyer. I have a minor obsession with getting lost in the pages of a good book, guzzling coffee, and thriving at home. Leggings, wine, and essential oils are also my jam. I'm truly just a bookworm and homebody at heart with a knack for content creation & cozy shots. This is my creative space.
When the nights are longer and darkness falls sooner, having a tale of magic to dive into makes all the difference for my mental health and well-being. There’s nothing better than an immersive fantasy read in the heart of winter and I’ve got 15 winter fantasy book recommendations lined up here – for every type of fantasy reader — to keep your spirits bright this chilly, cozy season.