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!
Book for Thought 