January reads
Mini reviews of everything I read last month.
Hiii and welcome to my first reading roundup of the year! I’m doing things a little differently with my monthly reads for 2025, so I can hold myself accountable with my TBR list by sharing it with you. I’ll also be trying to read themedly (is this a word?? Grammarly says not) or seasonally (Grammarly is okay with this) during certain months, so I’ll share a bit about the motivation behind that too.
So kicking things off with January, my book club theme was Childhood Magic. I decided to run with this for more than one book and it was so lovely to rediscover some writing that I previously thought I was “too old” for.
A little note about the themes: Not all books will be under the theme/category but I will try and read at least one book within that theme for the month.
Current TBR list
Physical: 30
Kindle: 19
ARCs: 2
Total: 51
Book reviews
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling
Do I need to give a summary?
After a day trip to Edinburgh in December I was feeling alll the Hogwarts vibes. I’ve wanted to reread the Harry Potter books since I got my Kindle in November 2023 and learned they were all on Kindle Unlimited, so there was no time like the present to start reading the first story. I started it on the train home.
I read most of the HP books when I was about eight (the longer ones got too… well, long) but I can’t remember much about them. This read was full of nostalgia and lots of cosy vibes, and I’m going to try and watch each film after reading each book to note the differences and the added context.
(PS: No bookshop.org link for this one. Buy the books secondhand if you can, or they’re on Kindle Unlimited where a small fraction will go to the author)
The BFG by Roald Dahl
At her orphanage in London, Sophie is woken up by something funny happening outside. Before she knows it, she’s been swooped up by a giant and find herself in Giant Country… where they eat children. Well, all but The Big Friendly Giant.
I picked this up for £1.50 in my local charity shop for my book club chat. I loved The BFG growing up, especially as the main character was called Sophie. I did struggle with this one at times, as I felt some of the writing was too young for me (didn’t have this issue with Harry Potter) but it was a lovely reminder that reading is for joy and I enjoyed the craziness of the story.
Someone on my book club table read Matilda and she’s convinced me to read it too - once I’ve worked my way through my TBR lol - as she said it contained much darker themes than she’d remembered, and it’s actually very “adulty” in parts.
(Again, no affiliate link. Try and buy this secondhand!)
Talking at Night by Claire Daverley (aff link)
Will and Rosie meet at sixth form, and soon develop feelings for each other… but maybe it’s not yet their time. Talking at Night follows the pair throughout their early adulthood, as they navigate what they mean to one another.
Jury’s still out on this one. It’s my book club read for February (I got ahead because of Onyx Storm releasing. Please no spoilers - I’m still reading) and I’m looking forward to the discussion about it as I think lots of people will feel the same.
At points, I loved both Will and Rosie and was desperate for them to be together. Then at other points I realised they shouldn’t be together and, actually, Will deserved better.
Similarly, at times while I was reading I was itching to pick the book up whenever I could, while at others I just couldn’t be bothered to read any further. I think it went on a little long and I eventually got fatigued with it.
It will definitely be an interesting chat about relationships and growing up at book club!
PS: There are no speech marks, which really irked me at first but then I got used to it. If this will bother you, you might want to steer clear.
Then, I DNFed an ARC
I’ve never done this before and felt pretty bad about it, but after a week I’d only got 10% through and was trying to find other things to do so I didn’t have to read this book. It wasn’t the one.
So, that’s everything I read in January! I mentioned last month that I want to read less in 2025, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job here. I took my time with these books and have definitely found reading more enjoyable since relieving some pressure!
What did you enjoy reading last month?
I loved reading Roald Dahl when I was younger and you have inspired me to start re-reading some of his books again. I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone when I was younger, but I never really got into the series I have to say! 😯 But I would like to try them again at some point.
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy was a favourite of mine this January and the Heartland series by Lauren Brooke which I also read. Happy reading! 😊
Childhood magic!!! I love that!! I did a children's literature course at uni and it was the only one I liked. So many good books that just collected dust in my memory. I was always obsessed with child detectives like Nancy Drew and the Famous Five.
Sooo interested to read what you thought about Talking at Night - I keep picking it up in Waterstones but am never compelled to actually buy it, I think I just really like the cover lol