January was a little slower for me than December, but I read 14 books and DNF’d three. All of my DNFs were around the 30-40% mark.
The beginning of January saw some of the best books I’ve ever read and this tapered off as the month went along overall…
I didn’t read anything in the last week because I felt so sick and enraged once again at how people in this country treat other people in this country (and other countries)…I’ve made actions of what I could do, made plans of what I can continue to do, and continued the plans/actions I already had put in place over the past years.
One of those (already had been doing) is promoting diverse books, authors, voices, and perspectives. So, let’s continue…
This is what I read in January:
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents Isabel Wilkerson
476 pages • Non-Fiction • 2020
5* – Highly recommend!
Detective Aunty Investigates #1
Detective Aunty Uzma Jalaluddin
327 pages • Contemporary Mystery • 2025
4* – Loved this!
Nine Goblins T. Kingfisher
139 pages • Fantasy • 2013
4* – Charming 🙂
The Unmapping Denise S. Robbins
408 pages • Literary Speculative Dystopian Fiction • 2025
2* – I read this book so you don’t have to…
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor Layla F. Saad
238 pages • Non-Fiction • 2020
5* – every single white or white-passing person should read this…especially those who think they are one of the “good ones”…
The Obake Code Makana Yamamoto
336 pages • Sapphic Sci-Fi Heist • 2026
4* – action packed and intense!
Hammajang Luck Makana Yamamoto
368 pages • Sapphic Sci-Fi Heist • 2024
3* – exciting heist adventure!
Eat the Ones You Love Sarah Maria Griffin
275 pages • Contemporary Botanical Horror • 2025
2* – not for me, a bit too literary or contemporary or maybe just a bit boring?
A Song of Legends Lost M.H. Ayinde
23h 22m • Epic Fantasy • 2025
5.0* – NOW THIS IS WHAT I WANT FROM EPIC FANTASY!
The Bruising of Qilwa Naseem Jamnia
179 pages • Fantasy Novella • 2022
5.0* – Yes! This was fantastic.
Kill the Beast Serra Swift
309 pages • Fantasy • 2025
5.0* – Going down as one of my favorite books ever!!
The River Has Roots Amal El-Mohtar
133 pages • Fantasy Novella • 2025
5* – beautiful but tragic…
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping Sangu Mandanna
340 pages • Contemporary Cosy Fantasy • 2025
5.0* – super cosy!! a little emotional at times.
The Forest on the Edge of Time Jasmin Kirkbride
368 pages • Sci-Fi Time Travel • 2026
3* – MEH. Could be exciting for some though!
DNFs
Ancillary Justice Ann Leckie
12h 41m • Sci-Fi • 2013
It was good…but I lost interest. There were a lot of long conversations which were interesting to reflect on and relevant.
By Wingéd Chair Kendra Merritt
408 pages • Fantasy – Robin Hood Retelling • 2018
This lost me when the main lead started to get really weird, and I wanna say mean/immature, around certain people.
Jade City Fonda Lee
540 pages • Fantasy – Gangs • 2017
The way women are talked about and to in this book is horrible. It’s the way of the culture within this book so it’s not going to change and I can’t read anymore. Not for me.
