Monthly Wrap-Up: January 2023

January always feels like such a long month, but it’s over! The first half of the month was super busy for me, between work and studying for exams, but I managed to get some rest in over the last week or so. I really made the most of finally having some time for family and myself, enjoying some activities I don’t often have time for! Reading-wise, it’s been an okay month: not bad, but could have been better. January and February are often the slowest reading months for me, but hopefully things will improve a bit next month!

And now… to the books!

What I added to my shelves

For Review

Huge thanks to all the publishers, authors, NetGalley, Reedsy Discovery and Booksirens for the e-arcs! Link in title takes you to Goodreads.

Atalanta by Jennifer Saint – out in April 2023
The Enchanted Village by Jon Fabris – published January 2023 (from Reedsy Discovery)
One for All by Lillie Lainoff – out in February 2023
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty – out in March 2023
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten – out in March 2023
Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman – out in May 2023
Catfish Rolling by Clara Kumagai – out in March 2023
Elly Uncomposed by Valerie Niemerg – published April 2022 (from Booksirens)

Borrowed

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

Gifted

Julie by Ida Amlesù – a much-anticipated late Christmas present (Italian only for now)!

What I read…

I read 4 books in January, which is usually my monthly average, and I’m very pleased with that considering I spent most of my time studying, and that doesn’t really leave much time for reading. I also had my first DNF of the month, a most unusual occurrence for me!

Link in title takes you to my review or to Goodreads if I haven’t yet reviewed that title.

Animal Life by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir – a quiet little book, brimming with philosophical reflections on life, death and human nature
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary – my third Beth O’Leary so far. Watch out for my full review, coming soon! If you missed them, you can catch up on my reviews of The Flatshare and The No-Show in the meantime.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett – I was delighted to be on the blog tour for this cosy light academia. Thanks again to Compulsive Readers and to the publisher for having me!
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-hunting by Sophie Irwin – a fun regency romance with an unforgettable protagonist: full review coming soon!
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James – DNF at 31%. I really wanted to like this African-inspired fantasy, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. The violence and gore were just excessive and made me really dread picking up the book. I might give it another try in the future since I was really enjoying the unusual style and the mythology, but for now, sadly, it’s a no.

Blog News

In other news, I finally decided to set up a new bookstagram page dedicated to this blog! As you know, I had been posting book-related content on my personal profile, mainly because I didn’t really feel I had the time to manage two profiles (I barely managed the one haha!). I took some time to reflect on this over the Christmas break though, as it was just feeling messy. So, in the end, I took the plunge and opened the new profile. And I’m so glad I did! The bookstagram community is super lovely and welcoming, and I’m already loving all the bookish chats.

So, if you’re on insta too come and say hi over there!