I’m writing this in advance because I am starting my year being organised so this is probably old news by now but GUYS!!! I went to The 1975 concert in Newcastle last night and Lewis Capaldi came out, tricked us into thinking he was Harry Styles, and sang Love Story by Taylor Swift. What the actualy fuck!!
I went to this concert because my friend really wanted to go and I’m always down for a concert, even if I don’t know many of their songs. Screaming “Don’t fuck it, you muppet”, watching Matt Healy be … well, Matt Healy, and getting to be there for Lewis Capaldi guest starring was well worth it though.
This wasn’t the only thing that made my January so good though. I’ve also managed to read — books spanning out of my comfort genres, new releases, 2022 books I wanted to read, and getting off to a good start with my 12-for-12 reading challenge!
The Hunover Games by Sophie Heawood – I was very surprised by this book in the best way. It’s a memoir about the authors experience of her unplanned pregnancy which sounds quite mundane, but paired with the authors career as a journalist and her witty British humour, I flew through it. One of my goals for the year is to read more memoirs and autobiographies so it felt like a good sign to start this year with this one.
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Last year I finally boarded the TJR hype train and I’m riding that badboy into 2023. I really enjoyed this book, if you want proof of that, just go and read my review. I’ve never been one for tennis but this kept me interested and invested. Despite her flaws I came to love Carrie and the people closest to her. And yes, I may or may not have shed a tear or two!
You Asked For Perfect by Laura Silverman – Sadly we have here my first disappointment of the year. This was my 12-for-12 TBR pick of the year and it was a book that I’d not heard much about, but just had a good feeling. That good feeling did not come to fruition. While I enjoyed the religious diversity with the Jewish main character and Muslim love-interest, I struggled to invest in the story, the characters, or the romance which especially felt underdeveloped and half-arsed. Was hoping for better with this one.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller – It’s been a pretty long time coming, finally finishing this book. I’ve been steadily listening to the audiobook for the last month or two, and finally finished it on my train to York. This is the story of the Stanford sexual assault survivor, previously only known as Emily Doe. It’s her recounting her experience of the trial, the aftermath, her trauma and her healing process in such a deeply compelling way that gave me goosebumps. Her writing was beautiful, her narration heartbreaking. I definitely can’t recommend this book enough if it’s something you’re comfortable reading.
This Book Kills by Ravena Guron – I was so looking forward to this book but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I love books where a character hypothetically plans out a murder and then somebody else actually carries it out but this murder just felt very … lame. I feel so bad saying that but there was nothing smart about or unique about it.
Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White – We’re one month in and I’ve already found a book that is, probably, going to make it onto my favourites of the year list. I have a whole review that you should definitely go check out, but in short: this book was phenomenal! The imagery was so creepy yet so beautiful, the characters were very well developed. Everything about it was spot on. I’m now counting down to the author’s second novel releasing this year!
Garnet Flats by Devney Perry – After reading about death and destruction I wanted something a little bit chill so I turned to the third book in the Edens trilogy and had a whole lot of fun. I think of all the currently released novels in this series, this has been my least favourite so far simply because of the love interest. Second-chance romance is a trope I’m pretty picky with and I just wasn’t a super big fan of how Foster went about “winning” Thalia back. I did really love Thalia though and I definitely could relate to her growing up in a small town that only see’s her as the child she was and not the adult she’s grown into.
Currently Reading:
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo – Hell Bent is out in the world and as soon as I’m back in York I’m going to treat myself to a copy to celebrate some lame excuse like “surviving the first week of uni” or “not buying any takeaways for a week”. Before that though, I’m re-reading the first book via audiobook. I don’t typically listen to fiction because I zone out too much and it’s harder to get back on track, but I think using them to re-read is a good way to train my brain and re-fresh myself before any upcoming sequels.
Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb – Calling this a “current read” is me being very, very generous. I’ve not even finished the first chapter yet. I’m part of the February blog tour for this though so I do need to get a move on. I feel like adding it as a current read will motivate me to properly get started! After reading “Hell Followed With Us” I’m definitely looking forward to more religious centred villains and fantasy novels.
So there we have all the books I’ve read/am currently reading. I really am so happy with how my reading has gone this month and I’m hoping to keep this vibe going into the next few months.
I’d love to know your thoughts and feelings on any and all these books, as well as what you’ve been reading recently! Thanks for reading :))
AceReader 
So glad you got to have fun at the concert and I like your idea of using audiobooks as a re-read! I struggle with audiobooks, but I may have to try it this way and use it to re-read books which would be super helpful when reading a series.
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